First with news of pirate capture of U.S cargo ship Maersk Alabama

Reuters story was 20 minutes ahead of all major rivals on April 8 with the pirate capture of the Maersk Alabama off Somalia, kicking off a tale that dominated world headlines for days, led to a U.S. policy shift and hit maritime insurance rates. After most of the crew managed to take back the ship, Reuters reporters in Somalia quickly got in touch with the pirates holding the American captain Richard Phillips in a lifeboat. By satellite phone, the pirates said they were demanding a $2 million ransom and vowed to defend themselves. Three of the pirates were killed when U.S. forces rescued Phillips after a five-day standoff. That did not end pirate attacks and Reuters was ahead in reporting a series of subsequent hijacking attempts. After the capture, Washington announced a series of steps the Obama administration would take to fight piracy off Africa. Analytical stories from Reuters explained why the rescue of the captain would push up insurance costs for shippers and why pirates would not be deterred by the threat of new U.S. action.