Reuters first with Italian minister resigning, in blow to Berlusconi

Reuters broke the news on July 5 that a close ally of Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi had resigned in the middle of an embezzlement trial, dealing a blow to the government and its efforts to push through austerity measures. Aldo Brancher’s resignation came just weeks after his appointment to the ministry responsible for Italy’s regions. Reuters was on the spot in court in Milan when Brancher made his dramatic announcement and got the news to clients before Italian language media and a full 20 minutes before international news providers.