11/30/05

Matthew Pennington named AP bureau chief for Pakistan and Afghanistan

NEW YORK -- Matthew Pennington, a correspondent for The Associated Press in Pakistan and Afghanistan, has been named chief of bureau in Islamabad.

The appointment was announced Nov. 17 by Deborah Seward, AP's international editor.

Pennington will be responsible for coverage of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He succeeds Paul Haven, who has been named chief of bureau in Madrid.

Pennington joined the AP in 1999, reporting on Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos from the Bangkok bureau. He transferred to the Asia Desk in 2002, and became correspondent in Islamabad, Pakistan, in 2003.

He has reported on Afghan elections, major earthquakes in both Iran and Pakistan, nuclear proliferation and terrorism.

Pennington is from Deal, England. He has an ancient history degree from the University of Bristol and a master's degree with distinction in political philosophy from the University of York.

After graduation he spent two years working for the United Nations in Laos. Before joining the AP, he worked for Agence France-Presse.

Contact: Jack Stokes, AP Corporate Communications, 212.621.1720