NEWS FIRSTS

Since it launched in 1989 Sky News had developed a strong reputation for the speed and accuracy with which it breaks major news stories. Below is a summary of some of Sky News' highlights.

First with news of:

• Live pictures of the Stansted Airport protest
• the Shannon Matthews verdict
• the conviction of Peter Tobin for the murder of Vicky Hamilton
• Mumbai shootings
• Bangkok Airport protests leading to closure
• Resignation of Sir Ian Blair
• ANC Mbeki quitting
• Southampton child killings
• Bankruptcy of Lehman brothers.
• Coventry air crash. First with pictures and live reporter.
• Western Super Mare fire on the pier
• Names, stills and tributes from the families of 3 soldiers killed in Afghanistan making the British death toll 100
• Guilty verdict of Nisha Patel-Nasri husband in her murder trial
• Stabbing in Sidcup
• Amy Winehouse arrest
• Kings Roa shooting 
• Burma cyclone
• Mark Speight’s death
• Arrests made in the Rhys Jones murder case
• Discovery of missing schoolgirl Shannon Matthews
• Suicide of Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, Michael Todd
• Guilty verdict in the Levi Bellfield case
• Arrest of Paul Gascoigne, sectioned under the Mental Health Act
• Northern Rock nationalisation 
• Verdict on the tragic “epidural mistake” inquest
• Yusuf al-Qaradami visa refusal
• Steve Wright to give evidence in Ipswich murder case
• Northern Rock debt story
• Premier League export plans
• Scotland Yard findings on Benazir Bhutto
• Death of Hollywood actor Heath Ledger
• Heathrow BA777 plane crash
• Result of the Liberal Democrats leadership contest
• Charges brought against Anne Darwin, wife of back-from-the-dead canoeist
• Release of 'teddy teacher' Gillian Gibbons from a Sudan prison
• Discovery of a faint bloody bare footprint in Amanda Knox’s bedroom
• Portuguese police flying into the UK for the first time during the Madeleine McCann case to meet Lancashire police
• Hilary Benn being offered £5000 by Janet Kidd on behalf of David Abrahams. First reaction from Hilary Benn and Baroness Jay - also implicated in the controversy
• Israel – Hizbollah war
• The secret chat between Tony Blair and George Bush at the St Petersburg summit
• Jack Strawbreaking cabinet ranks on Israel – Lebanon policy
• Ipswich Murder:  The discovery of a second body, The discovery of a fourth body
•  CCTV footage showing the final images of Anneli Alderton
• The initial suspect, Tom Stephens’ name, Tom Stephens, as well as first to show live pictures of the search of his home and first to reveal that he was a special constable
• The arrest of second suspect, and first to name him Steve Wright
• Execution of Saddam Hussein
• Lord Levy’s arrest in cash-for-honours inquiry
• Buncefield explosion
• London bombs on 7 July – first to report incidents on the London Underground, and first to report a bomb had exploded on a bus
• September 11 terrorist attacks
• Death of the Princess Diana, in a car crash in Paris

First to broadcast live coverage of major court cases:

• Louise Woodward Trial
• OJ Simpson Trial

First 24-hour news channel to develop innovative techniques to cover public inquiries and trials:

• The Hutton Inquiry reconstructions
• The Michael Jackson trial reconstructions
• Live transcript of the Sion Jenkins and Abu Hamza verdicts

First continuous coverage of:

• Thames Whale
• Soham Murders
• Gulf War
• The Good Friday negotiations in Belfast

First on the scene of the:

• Jenin Refuge camp
• Asian Tsunami: first to dispatch anchors to cover the disaster
• London Bus Crash

First with pictures of the:

• Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem on fire
• US/Coalition bombing of Afghanistan
• Prescott punch
• Search scene at Mildenhall, near Soham,  where Jessica and Holly's bodies were found

First with interviews with:

• Alistair Darling after the announcment of the financial crisis rescue package.
• Tony Blair saying that he would not give up long haul flights during Sky News' Green Britain week
• President of The Gambia on his herbal 'cure' for HIV (Exclusive)
• Shilpa Shetty following her Big Brother win (Broadcast)
• Gordon Brown speaking with Kay Burley about his daughter's death
• President of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe (Exclusive)
• Ian Huntley before his arrest for Soham murders
• "the fugitive" Oliver Letwin during the 2001 General Election

First with technology:

• Launch of Sky News live news text service on Virgin transatlantic flights
• Launch of world's first interactive television news - Sky News Active

First for impartiality:

• Named the most impartial 24-hour news channel for its coverage of the 2003 Iraq war in the ITC's 'Conflict around the clock' report (Sky News 75%; ITV News Channel 74%; BBC News 24 68%)