Christiane Amanpour to leave CNN after 43 years [WATCH]

NEW YORK: Veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour said on Monday that she was leaving her role at CNN after a 43-year career as one of the US broadcaster's most prominent international correspondents.

"After thinking carefully for several months and experiencing a few sleepless nights, as you can imagine, I've decided to separate from CNN," Amanpour, 68, said in a statement.

Her announcement came weeks after media corporation Paramount Skydance formally took over Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of CNN.

The merger has raised concerns over CNN's independence, as the merged company's owners, the Ellison family, are close allies of US President Donald Trump — a fierce critic of the television network.

Amanpour did not reference the deal but emphasised her commitment to being "fiercely independent".

"That's especially important today as we face unprecedented pressures from all sides, political, financial, and also from the rising dangers in the field," she said.

British-born Amanpour first became known to CNN's international audience for her coverage of the 1991 Gulf War, which followed Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

She has interviewed many of the world's leaders and newsmakers over the past decades and reported from hotspots such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Rwanda and the Balkans.

Amanpour said her daily news show on CNN would be scaled back to once a week until next June, while her PBS programme would also end.

She added that she "looks forward to interesting new projects down the line, and will always be rooting for CNN and maintaining its history of independent journalism. Remember: always be truthful, not neutral."

In a memo carried by US media, CNN chief executive Mark Thompson praised Amanpour "for 43 extraordinary years of remarkable journalism, loyalty and friendship".

"Like so many CNNers who will hear the news today, I'm very sorry to see her go, but I've come to accept that this is the right time for her, both personally and professionally," Thompson said.