List of FLASH reports

A FLASH report is a news wire’s highest-priority bulletin, the first and extremely short notice of a breaking news story of "transcendent importance". The Associated Press (AP) states the FLASH report is reserved for "a story we expect to be one of the very top stories of the year". The AP first used the format for the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and since then, the AP and other news outlets have used the style. The most recent FLASH report was by BNO News, a Dutch an international news agency, for the death of Harald V, the King of Norway.

List

Below is a list of FLASH news reports.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
List of FLASH reports
Event Date Organization FLASH report (wording)
1906 San Francisco earthquake May 1, 1906 Associated Press
United States declaration of war on Japan [en] December 8, 1941 Associated Press U.S. declares war on Japan
Normandy landings June 6, 1944 Associated Press Eisenhowers Headquzarters [sic] announces allies land in France
Assassination of John F. Kennedy November 22, 1963 Associated Press Two priests who were with Kennedy say he is dead of bullet wounds
Apollo 11 July 20, 1969 Associated Press Eagle told to go for a landing
Apollo 11 July 20, 1969 Associated Press Astronauts land on moon
Fall of the Berlin Wall November 9, 1989 Associated Press East Germany began tearing down the Berlin Wall
September 11 attacks & Collapse of the World Trade Center September 11, 2001 Associated Press One World Trade Center tower collapses
September 11 attacks & Collapse of the World Trade Center September 11, 2001 Associated Press Second World Trade Center tower collapses
Launch of Shenzhou 5 [en] October 14, 2003 Associated Press China launches manned spacecraft
Death of Pope John Paul II [en] April 2, 2005 Associated Press The Vatican says Pope John Paul II has died.
January 2007 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election [en] January 4, 2007 Associated Press The House elects Nancy Pelosi first woman speaker.
Assassination of Benazir Bhutto December 27, 2007 Associated Press A party aide and a military official say Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has died following a suicide bombing
Resignation of Fidel Castro February 19, 2008 Associated Press Official media says Fidel Castro resigns presidency
2008 Summer Olympics August 16, 2008 Associated Press Michael Phelps wins record eighth gold medal at Beijing Olympics
2011 Egyptian revolution February 11, 2011 Associated Press Egyptian VP says President Hosni Mubarak steps down
Killing of Osama bin Laden May 1, 2011 Associated Press Osama bin Laden is dead and US has body, says person familiar with developments
Killing of Osama bin Laden May 1, 2011 Associated Press Terrorist leader Osama bin Laden is dead, President Barack Obama says
2011 Norway attacks July 22, 2011 Reuters Norway PM Stoltenberg says he is safe after explosion; "This is very serious"
Economy of the United States August 5, 2011 Reuters For the week, the Dow falls 5.8 percent, the S&P is down 7.2 percent, Nasdaq is off 8.1 percent
Death of Kim Jong Il [en] December 18, 2011 Associated Press North Korea says supreme leader Kim Jong Il has died
Hurricane Isaac (2012) September 28, 2012 Associated Press 59,000 homes damaged in Louisiana during Isaac
2012 United States presidential election November 6, 2012 Associated Press Barack Obama re-elected president
Death of Nelson Mandela December 5, 2013 Associated Press South African president says Nelson Mandela has died at age 95
Death of Muhammad Ali June 3, 2016 Associated Press Muhammad Ali, the heavyweight champion whose fast fists and irrepressible personality captivated the world, has died.
Hillary Clinton email controversy July 5, 2016 BNO News FBI says recommends no charges in Hillary Clinton email investigation
2017 North Korean nuclear test [en] September 3, 2017 BNO News North Korea confirms it carried out a sixth nuclear test
First impeachment of Donald Trump December 18, 2019 Associated Press President Donald Trump impeached by US House of Representatives
Assassination of Qasem Soleimani January 2, 2020 BNO News Iraqi State TV says Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran's elite Quds Force, killed in rocket attack near Baghdad Airport
First impeachment trial of Donald Trump February 5, 2020 Associated Press President Donald Trump acquitted of all charges in Senate impeachment trial, will remain in office.
2020 Summer Olympics & COVID-19 pandemic March 24, 2020 Associated Press Tokyo Olympics officially postponed to 2021 by International Olympic Committee.
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States May 8, 2020 Associated Press Unemployment hits 14.7%, highest rate since the Depression, as US shed 20 million jobs in April from viral outbreak.
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States September 22, 2020 Associated Press Confirmed US death toll from coronavirus tops 200,000, the highest in world, by Johns Hopkins University's count.
COVID-19 pandemic September 29, 2020 Associated Press Death toll from coronavirus eclipses 1 million, by Johns Hopkins University's count.
2020 United States presidential election November 7, 2020 Associated Press Joe Biden elected president of the United States.
COVID-19 vaccination in the United States [en] December 11, 2020 Associated Press US greenlights first COVID-19 vaccine, launching a nationwide vaccination campaign needed to defeat the pandemic.
Second impeachment of Donald Trump January 13, 2021 Associated Press President Donald Trump impeached by US House for incitement of insurrection at Capitol; 1st US president impeached twice
Second impeachment of Donald Trump January 13, 2021 BNO News U.S. House votes to impeach President Donald Trump
Inauguration of Joe Biden Janaury 20, 2021 BNO News Joe Biden sworn in as 46th President of the United States
2021 Kabul airlift & War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) August 30, 2021 Associated Press America's longest war ends after 20 years as last US troops depart Afghanistan, concluding final, frantic airlift
2020 Georgia election investigation [en] January 20, 2022 Associated Press Georgia prosecutor investigating possible election interference by Trump and others asks for special grand jury.
Prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine February 21, 2022 BNO News Putin recognizes Donetsk and Luhansk in Eastern Ukraine as independent states
Death of Elizabeth II September 8, 2022 BNO News Queen Elizabeth II has died, palace says
2023 Wagner Group plane crash [en] August 23, 2023 BNO News Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin killed in plane crash
Death of Henry Kissinger November 29, 2023 BNO News Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger dead at 100
Killing of Yahya Sinwar [en] October 17, 2024 BNO News Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza, Israeli officials say
Fall of the Assad regime / 2024 Syrian opposition offensives December 7, 2024 BNO News Syrian rebels declare victory in Damascus, Assad removed from power
Death of Pope Francis April 21, 2025 BNO News Pope Francis has died, Vatican says
2025 conclave May 8, 2025 BNO News White smoke signals election of new Pope
Operation Midnight Hammer June 21, 2025 BNO News Trump says U.S. carried out a successful attack on 3 nuclear sites in Iran
Assassination of Charlie Kirk September 10, 2025 BNO News Charlie Kirk killed in shooting, Trump says
Operation Absolute Resolve [en] January 3, 2026 BNO News Trump says U.S. has captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife
Operation Epic Fury February 28, 2026 BNO News Trump says U.S. military has begun major combat operations in Iran, says objective is to eliminate imminent threats from Iranian Regime
Assassination of Ali Khamenei February 28, 2026 BNO News Iran confirms Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei killed in airstrike
Death of Norwegian King Harald V August 28, 2026 BNO News King Harald V of Norway has died, Palace says

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Meir, Nicole (3 August 2015). "AP "flashes" – what they're all about". AP News. Associated Press. Retrieved 11 November 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Meir, Nicole (19 December 2019). "In a 'flash': Alerting news of the president's impeachment". AP News. Associated Press. Retrieved 11 November 2026.
  3. ↑ Karim Hacène, Karim (9 November 2026). "Il y a 37 ans, ce « flash » de l'agence @AP tombait dans toutes les rédactions. À noter que le « flash », rarissime, constitue le plus haut degré d'importance d'une dépêche, devant « alerte » (anciennement « bulletin ») et « urgent », deux niveaux beaucoup plus courants" [37 years ago, this @AP “flash” hit newsrooms everywhere. It’s worth noting that a “flash,” which is extremely rare, is the highest priority level for a news alert, above “alert” (formerly “bulletin”) and “urgent,” two much more common levels.]. X. Paris, France: @KarimHacene. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  4. 1 2 "The @AP wire sent two FLASH alerts that night. A flash is the highest level of alert and is only used for historic events". X. WBC24. 26 October 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  5. ↑ "FLASH: Norway PM Stoltenberg says he is safe after explosion; "This is very serious"". Reuters. 22 July 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  6. ↑ "FLASH: For the week, the Dow falls 5.8 percent, the S&P is down 7.2 percent, Nasdaq is off 8.1 percent". X. Reuters. 5 August 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  7. ↑ Associated Press (28 September 2012). "AP News Flash: 59,000 homes damaged in Louisiana during #Isaac". X. The Weather Channel. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  8. ↑ "AP NEWSFLASH: Muhammad Ali, the heavyweight champion whose fast fists and irrepressible personality captivated the world, has died". AP Sports. Associated Press. 3 June 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  9. ↑ "FLASH: FBI SAYS RECOMMENDS NO CHARGES IN HILLARY CLINTON EMAIL INVESTIGATION". X. BNO News. 5 July 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  10. ↑ "FLASH: NORTH KOREA CONFIRMS IT CARRIED OUT A SIXTH NUCLEAR TEST". X. BNO News. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  11. ↑ Miller, Zeke (18 December 2019). "AP FLASH -- President Donald Trump impeached by US House of Representatives". X. Associated Press. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  12. ↑ "FLASH: IRAQI STATE TV SAYS QASEM SOLEIMANI, COMMANDER OF IRAN'S ELITE QUDS FORCE, KILLED IN ROCKET ATTACK NEAR BAGHDAD AIRPORT". X. BNO News. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "AP has sent 7 alerts so far this year, believed to be a record since the FLASH alert was introduced after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake". X. Mexico: WBC24. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  14. ↑ Miller, Zeke (5 February 2020). "FLASH — WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump acquitted of all charges in Senate impeachment trial, will remain in office". X. Associated Press. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  15. ↑ Pace, Julie (13 January 2021). "For history, the @AP FLASH: WASHINGTON (AP) _ President Donald Trump impeached by US House for incitement of insurrection at Capitol; 1st US president impeached twice". X. Associated Press. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  16. ↑ "FLASH: U.S. HOUSE VOTES TO IMPEACH PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP". X. BNO News. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  17. ↑ "FLASH: JOE BIDEN SWORN IN AS 46TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES". X. BNO News. 20 January 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  18. ↑ Pace, Julie (30 August 2021). "The @AP FLASH - WASHINGTON (AP) _ America's longest war ends after 20 years as last US troops depart Afghanistan, concluding final, frantic airlift". X. Associated Press. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  19. ↑ Feinberg, Andrew (20 January 2022). "AP Flash: Georgia prosecutor investigating possible election interference by Trump and others asks for special grand jury". X. Associated Press / The Independent. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  20. ↑ "FLASH: PUTIN RECOGNIZES DONETSK AND LUHANSK IN EASTERN UKRAINE AS INDEPENDENT STATES". X. BNO News. 21 February 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  21. ↑ "FLASH: QUEEN ELIZABETH II HAS DIED, PALACE SAYS". X. BNO News. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  22. ↑ "FLASH: WAGNER LEADER YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN KILLED IN PLANE CRASH". X. BNO News. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  23. ↑ "FLASH: FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HENRY KISSINGER DEAD AT 100". X. BNO News. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  24. ↑ "FLASH: HAMAS LEADER YAHYA SINWAR KILLED IN GAZA, ISRAELI OFFICIALS SAY". X. BNO News. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 11 November 2026.
  25. ↑ "FLASH: SYRIAN REBELS DECLARE VICTORY IN DAMASCUS, ASSAD REMOVED FROM POWER". X. BNO News. 7 December 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  26. ↑ "FLASH: POPE FRANCIS HAS DIED, VATICAN SAYS". X. BNO News. 21 April 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  27. ↑ "FLASH: WHITE SMOKE SIGNALS ELECTION OF NEW POPE". X. BNO News. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  28. ↑ "FLASH: TRUMP SAYS U.S. CARRIED OUT A SUCCESSFUL ATTACK ON 3 NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN". X. BNO News. 21 June 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  29. ↑ "FLASH: CHARLIE KIRK KILLED IN SHOOTING, TRUMP SAYS". X. BNO News. 10 September 2025. Retrieved 11 November 2026.
  30. ↑ "FLASH: TRUMP SAYS U.S. HAS CAPTURED VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO AND HIS WIFE". X. BNO News. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 11 November 2026.
  31. ↑ "FLASH: TRUMP SAYS U.S. MILITARY HAS BEGUN MAJOR COMBAT OPERATIONS IN IRAN, SAYS OBJECTIVE IS TO ELIMINATE IMMINENT THREATS FROM IRANIAN REGIME". X. BNO News. 28 February 2026. Retrieved 11 November 2026.
  32. ↑ "FLASH: IRAN CONFIRMS SUPREME LEADER ALI KHAMENEI KILLED IN AIRSTRIKE". BNO News. 28 February 2026. Retrieved 12 November 2026.
  33. ↑ "FLASH: KING HARALD V of NORWAY HAS DIED, PALACE SAYS". X. BNO News. 28 August 2026. Retrieved 12 November 2026.