- April 2004
__NOTOC__
2004 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - DecemberEvents
April 30 ,2004 *U.S. newscast "Nightline" is taken off the air by several stations owned by the
Sinclair Broadcast Group because of its planned airing of a list of soldiers killed inIraq . Sinclair claims it is a political ploy, while network ABC says it is meant as "an expression of respect which simply seeks to honor those who have laid down their lives for this country". [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55041-2004Apr29.html (Washington Post)]
*PresidentGeorge W. Bush expresses his "disgust" at images ofIraqi prisoners being mistreated by U.S. soldiers: "Their treatment does not reflect the nature of the American people." [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2004/n04302004_2004043010.html (DefenseLink.Mil)]
*Macedonian officials admit that they staged a bogus gun-battle with "terrorists " in March 2002 and that they knew the seven men slain had no terrorist connections. Four members of the security forces face murder charges for their staged killing. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3674533.stm (BBC)]
*Diego Maradona leaves hospital after 12 days of treatment forheart andbreathing problems. [http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/sport/6012272.html (Glasgow Evening Times)]
*After 25 years,Bob Edwards hosts NPR's "Morning Edition " for the last time. [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/04/29/npr.edwards.ap/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/news/celebrity/sns-ap-npr-edwards,0,4598426.story?coll=sfla-entertainment-headlines (South Florida Sun-Sentinel)] [http://www.sltrib.com/2004/May/05012004/commenta/commenta.asp (Salt Lake Tribune)]April 29 ,2004 *
Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse : Photographs showingIraqi prisoners in the Abu Ghraib prison outsideBaghdad being abused and humiliated by U.S. soldiers spark outrage around the world. Six soldiers face courts martial and their commanding officer is suspended. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3672901.stm (BBC)]
*Google announces plans for aninitial public offering to raise as much asUSD $2.72 billion. The IPO will be unconventional in that it will use an auction process and a complex averaging formula designed to prevent brokers' elite customers from winning more shares than average investors. [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/04/30/MNGVC6D2CO22.DTL (SF Chronicle)] [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/30/1083224580385.html (The Age)]
* Ten U.S. soldiers are killed in three attacks inIraq , raising the number of U.S. combat deaths in April to 126. More U.S. troops have been killed this month than during the six weeks of "major combat" in 2003. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A52429-2004Apr29.html (Washington Post)]
*PresidentGeorge W. Bush and Vice-PresidentDick Cheney meet in private with all 10 members of theNational Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States . [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/29/bush.911.commission/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.politinfo.com/articles/article_2004_04_29_3603.html (PolitInfo)]
* Federal authorities file the first criminal charges under theCan Spam Act of 2003 against a group that had spammed ads for allegedly worthless "diet patch" products. [http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw96936_20040429.htm (Detroit Free Press)]
* The lastOldsmobile automobile is produced inLansing, Michigan [http://money.cnn.com/2004/04/29/pf/autos/olds_dead/ (CNN)] .
* MaccabiTel-Aviv ,Israel , beats CSKA Moscow, Russia in theEuroleague and qualifies for the finals. Final score: 93-85. [http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/04/29/sports1727EDT0429.DTL (AP)]April 28 ,2004 *
ROC presidential election, 2004 : TheHigh Court schedules a vote recount for 10 May. [http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=aDp_REVff5Sw&refer=asia (Bloomberg)]
* Iraq Occupation and resistance:
**Intense fighting breaks out inFallujah , as US forces respond to attacks on their positions byinsurgent s. Artillery andAC-130 gunships are used to bombard guerrilla positions, but the number of casualties is as yet unknown. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3665775.stm (BBC)]
**According to aCNN /"USA Today "/Gallup poll, 71% of Iraqis see the U.S. troops in their country as "occupiers", only 19% as "liberators". Though, 61% say that despite any hardships they had suffered, it was worth oustingSaddam Hussein . Still, 57% would like U.S./British forces to leave immediately. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/28/iraq.poll/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-04-28-gallup-iraq-findings.htm (USA Today)]
*Cable TV giantComcast abandons its US$66bn bid to take over Disney, citing a lack of interest from the Disney board. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3666749.stm (BBC)]
*More than 100 suspectedJemaah Islamiah militants die during their attacks on security outposts inThailand 'sMuslim -dominated southern provinces of Pattani, Yala and Songkhla. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3665293.stm (BBC)]April 27 ,2004 *In heavy fighting outside
Najaf ,Iraq ,United States Armed Forces kill 64insurgent s and destroy ananti-aircraft weapon. [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Iraq.html?hp (AP)] [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/27/1434254 (Democracy Now!)]
*A bomb explosion and gun battle occur inDamascus ,Syria between security forces and a "terrorist group", in which four people are killed and a vacantUnited Nations building badly damaged. The identity and motives of the attackers is unclear butIslamist militants are the prime suspects. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3664811.stm (BBC)] .
*South Africa n presidentThabo Mbeki is sworn in for a second term after being overwhelmingly reelected on April 14. The event is marred by controversy over the attendance ofZimbabwe an presidentRobert Mugabe . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3659619.stm (BBC)]April 26 ,2004 *In an open letter to
Tony Blair , fifty-two former high ranking British diplomats, including former ambassadors toIraq andIsrael , condemn the Prime Minister's foreign policy stance in theMiddle East as "doomed to failure". They also condemnGeorge W. Bush 's recent endorsement ofAriel Sharon 's offer to withdraw settlers from the Gaza strip while leaving some in the West Bank as "one-sided and illegal and which will cost yet more Israeli and Palestinian blood". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3660529.stm (BBC)]
*Indian elections: the second phase of elections in the world's largest democracy takes place. Many key states such asUttar Pradesh ,Maharashtra andBihar vote; exit polls favour the opposition [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3663893.stm (BBC)]
*The design of the newU.S. fifty dollar bill is announced. [http://www.moneyfactory.com/newmoney/ (U.S. Treasury)] [http://www.iht.com/articles/517111.html (IHT)] [http://money.cnn.com/2004/04/26/pf/new_50_unveiled/ (CNN)]
*Authorities inJordan announce that they have broken up an attempt to set off massive explosions inAmman , possibly including the release of toxic chemicals. Alleged targets include the office of the Prime Minister, Jordanian intelligence headquarters, and the US embassy. The plot is attributed toAl Qaida operativeAbu Musab al-Zarqawi . [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/26/jordan.terror/index.html (CNN)]
*Three Irishmen arrested inColombia in August 2001 on charges of trainingFARC rebels are acquitted. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/3660557.stm (BBC)]
*Hong Kong 'sdemocracy movement suffers a setback as theStanding Committee of the National People's Congress declares the territory won't have directelection s for its Chief Executive in 2007 nor for all its lawmakers in 2008.
* Alandslide buries a village in southernKyrgyzstan , and emergency officials state that up to 33 people are missing and feared dead.
*Nick Holonyak Jr. , inventor of thelight-emitting diode (LED), receives the 10th annual Lemelson-MIT Prize, awarded to prominent inventors by theMassachusetts Institute of Technology . [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/aptech_story.asp?category=1700&slug=LED%20Creator (AP)]
*Norwegianchess prodigyMagnus Carlsen (13) becomes the world's youngest international Grandmaster (GM), and the second youngest ever, after four wins and four draws out of nine games in the 6thDubai Open Chess Championship. [http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article781461.ece (Aftenposten)]April 25 ,2004 * The
Arab League Conference commences inCairo . [http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=61451 (INN)]
*Alan Kay , co-inventor of theSmalltalk programming language , receives the 2003 ACMTuring award , including 100 000 USD. [http://www.ddj.com/documents/s=7338/ddj1082394014329/ (Dr.Dobb's Journal)]
* Austrian presidential election:Heinz Fischer (SPÖ) wins with 52% against Foreign MinisterBenita Ferrero-Waldner (ÖVP). [http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4019308,00.html (The Guardian)]
*Arsenal F.C. wins the English football league title for the 13th time.
*Abortion in the United States : Hundreds of thousands march inWashington, D.C. to protest President Bush's pro-life policies. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/04/25/abortion.protest.ap/index.html (AP)] [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/26/1346234 (Democracy Now!)]April 24 ,2004 * Iraq Occupation and Insurgency:
**Suicide bombers detonate boats alongside two oil tankers and a coalition boat in thePersian Gulf , targetingIraq 's main oil terminal,Basra . [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=BATOJRSIWHFBQCRBAELCFEY?type=topNews&storyID=4929705§ion=news (Reuters)]
** A bomb inBaghdad 'sSadr City market kills 12Iraq is. In a separate incident, five US soldiers are killed in a rocket attack on a military base north of Baghdad. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/24/iraq.main/index.html (CNN)] [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=1&u=/ap/20040424/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq (AP)]
** Leaders of Australia andBulgaria visited their troops Sunday. Australian Prime MinisterJohn Howard joined Australian troops inBaghdad for ceremonies honoring the country's war dead.Bulgaria n PresidentGeorgi Parvanov visited his country's troops two days after aBulgaria n soldier was shot dead inKarbala , the sixth from that country to die in the war.
* In theCyprus reunification referendum, 65% of Turkish Cypriot voters accept and 75% of Greek Cypriot voters reject theAnnan Plan . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3654919.stm (BBC)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3656009.stm (BBC)]
*Forgent Networks sues 31 companies for infringement of theirsoftware patent , which they claim is used in theJPEG standard. [http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2004-04-23-pic-patent-suits_x.htm (AP)]April 23 ,2004 *
DaimlerChrysler announces it will no longer financially supportMitsubishi Motors and will try to sell its current stake. [http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worldbiz/archives/2004/04/24/2003137940 (Taipei Times)]
*Muqtada al-Sadr threatens U.S. troops withsuicide attack s if they move against him inNajaf . [http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=43728&d=24&m=4&y=2004 (Arab News)] [http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=498628§ion=news (Reuters)]
* Palestinian gunmen attack a police station in theGaza Strip , freeing three men arrested for the October 2003 bomb attack against an Americandiplomatic convoy . A fourth man arrested for the bombing refuses to leave the police station. [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Palestinians-US-Bombing.html (AP)]
* A major fire in downtownBangkok leaves thousands of residents homeless. Hundreds of buildings, including several hotels, are destroyed in the area near the Australian and German embassies. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=516&ncid=731&e=5&u=/ap/20040423/ap_on_re_as/thailand_fire (AP)]
*Ryongchon disaster : Breaking from previous precedent, theNorth Korea n government asks for and receivesUnited Nations recovery assistance. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/04/23/nkorea.train/index.html (CNN)]April 22 ,2004 * At the
International Space Station , the second of four stabilizinggyroscope s fails, hours after a new crew arrives. A spacewalk to do the repair will be scheduled in a few weeks. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=4914792§ion=news (Reuters)]
*Volkswagen buysLeasePlan fromABN AMRO .
* The US Army states that theinsurgent s inFallujah ,Iraq , have "days, not weeks" to fulfill a clause in theceasefire that requires them to turn over heavy weapons. To date, onlyrocket-propelled grenade rounds marked "inert", rusted mortar shells, dud rockets and unusable guns have been surrendered. [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Iraq.html (AP)] [http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2004/n04222004_200404221.html (Defenselink)]
* The Evangelical Lutheran Church is ordered to pay the largest per capita settlement in a churchsexual abuse case in the United States by a jury inMarshall, Texas . [http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040422/ap_on_re_us/lutherans_abuse_4 (AP)] [http://www.ktbs.com/news-detail.html?cityid=1&hid=23740 (ABC/US)]
* TheUnited Nations Security Council passes a unanimous resolution endorsing the inquiry into corruption in the United NationsOil for food program for Iraq calling upon all 191 member states to cooperate. [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/22/international/middleeast/22CND-NATI.html (NYT)]
*Ryongchon disaster : at least 154 people are killed and over 1200 are injured, according to theRed Cross , in a massive explosion after a train carrying explosives came in contact with live electrical wires inRyongchon ,North Korea . 1850 homes were destroyed and thousands more damaged. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3649655.stm (BBC)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3651705.stm (BBC)] [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/23/international/asia/23CND-KOREA.html%3Fex%3D1083384000%26amp%3Ben%3De1b879058eba7201%26amp%3Bei%3D5062%26amp%3Bpartner%3DGOOGLE (NYT)]
*Yasser Arafat orders 21 members of theAl-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades section ofFatah , who are wanted byIsrael and have been seekingsanctuary within the Mukata for many months, to leave hisMukata headquarters inRamallah . [http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=61271 (INN)]April 21 ,2004 *A grand jury indicts
Michael Jackson on charges of child molestation. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,117833,00.html (FoxNews)]
*Mordechai Vanunu , who leakedIsrael i nuclear-weapons secrets in 1986, is released from prison after 18 years. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1197406,00.html (Guardian)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3645225.stm (BBC)]
* Two car bombs explode outside the General Security headquarters ofSaudi Arabia inRiyadh , killing nine and wounding 125. [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Saudi-Explosion.html?hp (AP)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/21/saudi.blast/index.html (CNN)]
* Iraq Occupation and Insurgency:
** Three car bombs explode outside police stations inBasra , killing 68 people and wounding over 100 more.Iraq i officials blamesuicide bomber s for theterrorism . 23 of the casualties are school children. A fourth car bomb explodes in Zubeir, south of Basra, killing three and wounding four. British soldiers assisting the wounded are pelted with stones, injuring four, two seriously. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3644733.stm (BBC)] [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/21/international/middleeast/21CND-IRAQ.html?hp (NYT)]
** TheIraq i Governing Council chooses a tribunal of judges and prosecutors to trySaddam Hussein . Salem Chalabi, nephew ofAhmed Chalabi , will chair the tribunal. [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1082499014094&call_pageid=968332188854&col=968350060724 (Toronto Star)]April 20 ,2004 * In
Singapore , aCircle MRT Line tunnel being dug under the Nicoll Highway collapses, killing two. Two more are missing and feared dead. [http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/latest/story/0,4390,246785,00.html (Straits Times)]
*Indian Elections
** First phase of the Indian General Elections begin. Almost half the country's constituencies vote.
* A spokesman forSaudi Arabia strongly deniesJohn Kerry 's assertion that it had made an agreement with United States PresidentGeorge W. Bush to manipulate the price of oil for political purposes as the U.S. election approaches. The assertion stems from material inBob Woodward 's new book, "Plan of Attack ", detailing the Bush Administration's preparation for the invasion of Iraq. [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/20/politics/20CND-SAUD.html?hp (NYT)] [http://www.iht.com/articles/516119.html (AP)] [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/20/1410236 (Democracy Now!)]
*United Kingdom referendum on the European Constitution : P.M.Tony Blair confirms that areferendum will be held on the UK's ratification of the futureEU constitution . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3640949.stm (BBC)] .
*NASA launchesGravity Probe B in an effort to test Einstein's general theory of relativity. [http://www.gravityprobeb.com/index.html (NASA)]
* Iraq Occupation and Insurgency:
** 12 mortars were fired onAbu Ghraib Prison by insurgents. 22 detainees were killed and 92 wounded. [http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2004-04-20-iraq_x.htm]
**Iraq i security forces who fled the fighting inFallujah begin to return to the city. [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Iraq.html (AP)]April 19 ,2004 * Ten Iraqi Kurds and North Africans are arrested by UK police on suspicion of violating the
Terrorism Act 2000 . The arrests are made in dawn raids inGreater Manchester and other parts of the North and Midlands. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3638861.stm (BBC)]
* The law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell makes public a 463 page report onaccounting andcorporate governance issues affectingoil giant Royal Dutch/Shell. The report, prepared at the request of Shell's audit committee, explains how lax standards have allowed the company to vastly overstate the extent of its oil andnatural gas reserves. [http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=investor-en&FC2=/investor-en/html/iwgen/news_and_library/press_releases/2004/ (company website)]
*Boston Marathon : A newworld record of 1:18:27 is set in the men'swheelchair division by aSouth Africa n (Ernst Van Dyk).Kenya ns win the women's race and the men's for the 13th time in fourteen years. [http://www.boston.com/sports/specials/marathon/articles/2004/04/19/ndereba_cherigat_give_kenya_sweep_in_boston/ (Boston Globe)]
* The 10thTV turnoff week starts.
*Argentinian doctors report thatsoccer superstarDiego Maradona has suffered a major heart attack inBuenos Aires and is in a hospital inintensive care . [http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9334684%255E13780,00.html (news.com.au)]April 18 ,2004 * The
Iran ian Vice Speaker of Parliament,Behzad Nabavi , resigns over "violation of public rights". [http://www.payvand.com/news/04/apr/1117.html (Payvand News)] [http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en61736&F_catID=&f_type=source (Hi Pakistan)]
* SheikhOmar Bakri Muhammad says the "life of an unbeliever has no value, it has no sanctity" and states that severalIslam icmilitant groups are planning aterrorist attack on London, making such an attack inevitable. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L18465514.htm (Reuters)]
* Iraq Occupation and Insurgency:
** The newPrime Minister of Spain ,José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero , orders that all Spanish troops should be brought home fromIraq "in as short a time as possible", in accordance with "the will of the Spanish people". [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3637523.stm (BBC)]
** "El País " reports Spain'sForeign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos , after being sworn into office, will offer to replace Spanish troops in Iraq with non-military assistance when he visits Washington this week. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=1&u=/nm/20040418/wl_nm/spain_politics_dc (Reuters)]
* InKosovo , aJordan ian UN police officer opens fire upon a convoy of UN police officers killing two female Americans and injuring eleven others. The attack reportedly stemmed from an argument between American andJordan ian UN police overIraq policies. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3637033.stm (BBC)]
* Fighting breaks out betweenPakistan i andal-Qaeda fighters near thePakistan -Afghanistan border. [http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-pakistan-alqaeda-tribe.html (Reuters)]
*Hamas selects a new leader but keeps his identity secret, fearing he will be killed. [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Israel-Palestinians.html?hp (AP)]
* 9-11 Commission memberJamie S. Gorelick receives death threats after allegations that her actions to keep law-enforcement from usingmilitary intelligence may have contributed to lapses leading to the attacks. Meanwhile, the "Washington Times " reports allegations by formerFBI DirectorThomas J. Pickard that Gorelick resisted efforts by the FBI to expand thecounterterrorism effort beyond simple law enforcementtactic s and agencies. [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/04/17/gorelick.threats/index.html (CNN)] [http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040419-124039-3448r.htm (Washington Times)]April 17 ,2004 * His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama begins a visit to Canada. [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1082239810670&call_pageid=968332188774&col=968705899037 (Toronto Star)]
* Burma'sNational League for Democracy reopens itsRangoon headquarters nearly a year after the government closed it down. [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=3042A21B-9CFF-4762-91A06BB5910E6D4A&title=Burma%20Allows%20Opposition%20to%20Reopen%20Headquarters&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific (VOA)]
*Israeli-Palestinian conflict :
**Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi , leader ofHamas , is killed by anIsrael i missile attack. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/17/mideast.violence/index.html (CNN)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3635755.stm (BBC)]
** AnIsrael i border policeman is killed in asuicide bombing attack at theErez Crossing in northernGaza .Hamas andFatah claim responsibility. [http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=60969 (INN)]
*Socialist Party leaderJosé Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is sworn in as Spain's prime minister. [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/04/17/spain.zapatero/index.html (CNN)]April 16 ,2004 * The
People's Republic of China praises theUnited Nations Commission on Human Rights ' decision to block a U.S. motion to condemn Beijing's human rights record. [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=3293B3DE-4049-4BD5-B00BB93A923B8086&title=Beijing%20Hails%20UNCHR%20Decision%20to%20Block%20Anti%2DChina%20Motion&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific (VOA)]
* 1000 more demonstrators, including former prime ministerSher Bahadur Deuba , are arrested inKathmandu . They are calling on the King ofNepal to restore democracy. [http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/star_news/world/nepal_police_arrest_1_000_democracy_protesters (Morning Star)]
* 2004 South Korean parliamentary elections: TheUri Party , backed by suspended PresidentRoh Moo-hyun , more than triples its representation, winning 152 of 299 seats.
*Iraq Occupation and Insurgency:
** US Army inIraq employs a 1000 kg bomb atFalluja , near theShiite townNajaf . [http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/0,1518,295733,00.html (Spiegel)]
** A new book byBob Woodward states that U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush requested in the autumn of 2001 that plans be prepared for attackingIraq . [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/16/politics/16CND-BOOK.html?hp (NYT)]
**Arab satellite television networkAl Jazeera broadcasts a videotape of a captured US soldier, PFC Keith Maupin, perhaps one of those listed as missing in action since April 9. [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/16/international/middleeast/16CND-SADR.html?hp (NYT)]
*Mexico -Economy of Mexico : Mexico's Foreign Affairs Secretary,Luis Ernesto Derbez , announces that his country is seeking admission to South America'sMercosur trade bloc, the third largest in the world. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040416/ids_photos_wl/r3494084369.jpg(Reuters)]
*Seeking legal recognition as a news organization, theNational Rifle Association beginsNRANews , a website dedicated to presenting its view of theright to bear arms . [http://www.nranews.com/ (NRANews)]
*Mark Chen replacesEugene Chien asforeign minister of Taiwan. Chien resigned to take responsibility forAmerican Institute in Taiwan DirectorTherese Shaheen 's resignation. [http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=7&id=295396 (Japan Today)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=4795721 (Reuters)]April 15 ,2004 *A further 2000 pro-democracy demonstrators are arrested in
Nepal ; all but 22 are later released.
*War on Terrorism :
**An audio tape, purportedly made byOsama bin Laden , is broadcast byAl-Arabiya . In it, a voice offers to cease terrorist operations in European countries which withdraw their troops from Muslim nations. The tape includes a vow ofrevenge onIsrael and the United States for the death ofHamas leader,Ahmed Yassin . [http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2004/April/focusoniraq_April134.xml§ion=focusoniraq (Khaleej Times)] [http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD69504 (transcript)]
** The CIA claims to have determined that the voice on the tape is likely to be bin Laden.European Commission PresidentRomano Prodi rejects negotiation under a "terrorist threat ". Britain, Spain, Italy, and Germany also reject the offer. [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-04/15/content_1422272.htm (Xinhuanet)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=4839834§ion=news (Reuters)] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13809-2004Apr15.html (Washington Post)]
*India beatsPakistan 2-1 in the historic friendshipTest cricket series. This is India's first away win after 11 years and the first against archrivals Pakistan, in Pakistan.
*United Nations ' nuclear watchdog group and other U.N.diplomat s state thatnuclear -related equipment, some contaminated, and a number ofmissile engines have beensmuggle d out ofIraq for recycling inJewometaal Stainless Processing B.V. scrap yard s.Satellite photo s detect "the extensive removal of equipment and, in some instances, removal of entire buildings" from sites that had been subject to U.N. monitoring before the Iraq war. TheInternational Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also reiterated a call forarms inspector s to return to Iraq. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13416-2004Apr14.html (Washington Post)] [http://www.spacewar.com/2004/040415165134.540rlpm3.html (Spacewar)] [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1087040.htm (ABC AU)]
*Iraq Occupation and Insurgency:
**Khalil Naimi , a seniorIran iandiplomat inIraq , is killed while driving to the Iranian diplomatic mission inBaghdad by three unknown assailants, who drove up and shot him. He died shortly afterwards and themotive s for the killing are unknown. The killing could complicate the mission of an Iranian government delegation which is in Iraq trying to mediate in the standoff betweenIraq Alliance troops andMuqtada al-Sadr 's militia, led by the radicalShiite cleric who isfort ified in the town ofNajaf . [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/15/international/middleeast/15CND-IRAQ.html?hp (NYT)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3628985.stm (BBC)] [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=0000F56D-47B7-429B-879F77E4D95DF67B (VOA)] [http://www.command-post.org/2_archives/011683.html (CommandPost)]
**Iraq i militants executeFabrizio Quattrocchi , one of four Italianhostage s, in the first known murder from among the nearly two dozen foreigners being held in Iraq. [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Iraq-Kidnappings.html (NYT)]
** Three Japanese civilians taken hostage in Iraq are released unharmed after one week in captivity. [http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20040416a1.htm (Japan Times)] [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Iraq-Kidnappings.html (NYT)]
*Israeli-Palestinian conflict :Palestinian President Yasser Arafat , reacting to the United States President Bush andIsrael i Prime MinisterAriel Sharon summit, states Palestinian will never give up their struggle for an independenthomeland , never abandon the claims of theirrefugee s, nor make more territorial concessions. He states thatJerusalem will be itscapital . Sharon, who wants to withdraw Israel from theGaza Strip , facesopposition to his withdrawal plan. [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=7165A24C-6AA8-4EA1-85D2398157651646 (VOA)]
*LindowsOS changes its name toLinspire , in a move to counterMicrosoft 's lawsuit strategy against the company. [http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1568023,00.asp (eWeek)]
* Long-time Canadian NDPmember of Parliament Svend Robinson admits that he stole a piece of jewelry at a public sale in what he describes as "a moment of total, utter irrationality." He states he has turned the ring into police, with whom he is cooperating, and that he is putting his career on hold, taking medical leave to obtain psychological help. The auction house later accepted Svend's apology and decided not to press charges, but a special prosecuter was appointed by the government to weigh the decision of whether to prosecute Robinson. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/04/15/canada/robinson_040415 (CBC)]
* U.S. and Germanresearcher s report thesunset could recalibrate the internalcompass es of migratingsongbird s. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/15/tech/main612112.shtml (CBS News)] [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=4842420§ion=news (Reuters)] [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/04/0415_040415_songbirdmigration.html (National Geographic)]
* Three planets are discovered viagravitational microlensing orbiting stars many light years away, including one that is more than three times farther away than the previous record holder. [http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/exoplanet_new_0404015.html (Space.com)]
* Voting begins in South Korean parliamentary elections.
* Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa submits a report on the constitutional development to NPC, asking Beijing's permission to reform the way HK's legislature and the top leadership are chosen in 2007 and 2008.April 14 ,2004 * 2004 South African legislative election: The
African National Congress (ANC) of PresidentThabo Mbeki , which has been in power since the end of theapartheid system in 1994, is re-elected with an increased majority. [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/04/15/safrica.elections/ (CNN)]
* U.S. presidential election : An advertisement forJohn Kerry placed in a newspaper inGulfport, Florida by a local Democratic Party club gets negative national publicity, as it suggests shootingUnited States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld . The ad was placed by theSaint Petersburg Democratic Club ofFlorida , and has been condemned by both Republicans and Democrats, including Kerry's campaign. [http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040414-123947-2345r.htm (Washington Times)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/13/dem.ad/index.html (CNN)]
*Israeli-Palestinian conflict :
**Palestinian Cabinet MinisterSaeb Erekat rejects statements by President of the United StatesGeorge W. Bush stating thatIsrael would be allowed to keep someWest Bank Israeli population centers. [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Palestinians-US.html (NYT)]
** United States PresidentGeorge W. Bush endorsesIsrael i Prime MinisterAriel Sharon 's proposed withdrawal from theGaza Strip and states that Palestinian refugees should return to a new Palestinian state, not to Israel. Bush says it is unrealistic to expect "full and complete return to the armistice lines of 1949." [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/14/international/middleeast/14CND-DIPL.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1081970547-8uEvA8d8kM8y6g4ODpQEIA (NYT)]
* Hungarian police detain a Hungarian citizen ofPalestinian origin and twoSyria n men who are alleged to have been planning to blow up aJew ish museum inBudapest and assassinate Israeli presidentMoshe Kutsuv who arrived to attend the museum's inauguration ceremony. [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/415000.html (HaAretz)]
* TheUnited Nations warns of an imminent humanitarian crisis in theDarfur region ofSudan , where it is alleged thatArab s are waging a campaign ofethnic cleansing against the African population. [http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/star_news/world/un_calls_for_100_million_humanitarian_aid_to_west_sudan (Morning Star)]
*John Ashcroft tells theNational Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States that he blames former presidentBill Clinton for intelligence failures andJamie S. Gorelick for organizational failures leading to theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks . [http://www.washtimes.com/national/20040414-124718-2114r.htm (Washington Times)] [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/14/1612210 (Democracy Now!)]
* The Australian Family Court allows a thirteen year old child, born female, to start preliminary hormone treatment: the child identifies as being male and has been suffering fromgender identity disorder . [http://smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/13/1081838723546.html (Sydney Morning Herald)] [http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,9275542%255E421,00.html (The Australian)]
*Panjshir , the only part ofAfghanistan that was never conquered by theTaliban , and the last defence position ofAhmed Shah Massoud , is named the 34th province ofAfghanistan . [http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=61808 (PakTribune)]April 13 ,2004 * The
Bangkok Subway opens for limited public trials. [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southeastasia/view/79924/1/.html (Channel NewsAsia)]
*Shanghai modifies its interpretation of thePeople's Republic of China 'sOne Child Policy , allowing all divorced residents who remarry to have a second child without penalty. [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=E6B4825F-25B3-4FA5-87EF0D1455A4DE4A&title=Shanghai%20Modifies%20%27One%20Child%27%20Policy&catOID=45C9C78B-88AD-11D4-A57200A0CC5EE46C&categoryname=Asia%20Pacific (VOA)] [http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,7369,1191213,00.html (Guardian)]
*April 13, 2004 Press Conference of the President is held at 8:30 pm EST byGeorge W. Bush in The East Room of theWhite House .
* A provisional report from the September 11 Commission states that the FBI was hampered in its fight againstterrorism by poor intelligence, insufficientstaff ing andresource s and a bureaucraticculture . [http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/04/14/1081838731065.html (Sydney Morning Herald)] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7766-2004Apr13.html (Washington Post)]April 12 ,2004 *
Lieutenant General Ricardo S. Sanchez states that the mission of the U.S. forces is to kill or captureMuqtada al-Sadr . [http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/2004/tr20040412-0601.html (Defenselink)]
*Argentine presidentNéstor Kirchner spends his fourth day in hospital for a bleedingpeptic ulcer . [http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=3510 (Mercopress)]
*Pakistan i opposition leaderJaved Hashmi , president of theAlliance for Restoration of Democracy is sentenced to 23 years in prison for incitingmutiny andsedition in thearmed force s. He distributed a letter critical of Pakistani presidentPervez Musharraf . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/3619745.stm (BBC)] [http://www.hipakistan.com/en/detail.php?newsId=en60978&F_catID=&f_type=source (Hi Pakistan)] [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-04/12/content_1414878.htm (Xinhuanet)]
*Canada starts its largest seal hunt in 50 years. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3618901.stm (BBC)] [http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=510729 (Independent)] [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/04/12/newfoundland.seals/ (CNN)]
*West Indies captainBrian Lara sets the highest score inTest cricket - 400 not out on the third day of the fourth Test against England in Antigua. He makes his 400 in 773 minutes off 582 balls, hitting 43 fours and four sixes. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/england/3620145.stm (BBC)]April 11 ,2004 * Food and
sanitation are allegedly being denied to more than 2500 people who were arrested inNepal over the last few days for protesting against the suspension ofdemocracy . [http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/star_news/world/rights_group_condemns_nepal_human_rights_abuses (Morning Star)]
*Arjan Erkel , aid worker forMédecins Sans Frontières , is free after being held hostage inDagestan since August 12, 2002. [http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/040411/w041126.html (CBC)]
* Three European researchers say that ifGreenland 's average temperature were to increase by 3 °C (5.4 °F) or more, its massiveice sheet would melt, gradually swamping coastal communities as seas rise 7metre s (23 feet) over the next 1,000 years. They hypothesize that the upward trend of worldwidecarbon dioxide emission s could cause this. [http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/137077-2186-010.html (Indianapolis Star)]
*NASA is considering a Russian plan to keep crews aboard theInternational Space Station for a year at a time. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3618599.stm (BBC)]
*Iraq Occupation and Insurgency:
** An informal ceasefire holds;Muhammad Bashar al-Fiyadi , spokesperson of theAssociation of Muslim Scholars , notes that there were minor skirmishes but there were no major clashes. A deputy to a member in theIraq Interim Governing Council states thetruce would be extended for another 12 hours. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3615703.stm (BBC)] [http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=849579&tw=wn_wire_story (Reuters)] [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/030691E0-2837-4167-9A18-B6FE7E1EC4FA.htm (Al Jazeera)]
** Gunmen shoot down a helicopter during fighting in westernBaghdad .Rebel s threaten to kill and burn a civilian, Thomas Hamill, unless the Alliance troops end their assault on Fallujah by 6 am. Thedeadline passes with no word on Hamill's fate. [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040412/main6.htm (Tribune India)]
** Marines kill one bomber and discover a bombworkshop in Fallujah apparently run by Iraqis and foreigners. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1085405.htm (AFP)]
** President Bush, praying with U.S. troops onEaster Sunday at a military base hit hard by hostilities in Iraq, acknowledges that it had been "a tough week" and it is unclear if the violence would ebb soon. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=4798648§ion=news (Reuters)]
** A new Iraqibattalion refuses to support Coalition forces in the town of Falluja after a command failure which lead to miscommunication over their role in the area. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3618949.stm (BBC)]
*Golf erPhil Mickelson wins the 68th Masters tournament. It is his first major win in 47 such events. [http://www.augusta.com/masters2004/stories/041104/latepm_update2.shtml (Augusta Chronicle)]
* Canadian scientists report on a study ofmammal s from around the world that thespecies with the best-endowed males live inpolar region s, rather than in more equatorial climates. [http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1081635608281 (Toronto Star)]
*Apple Computer is investigating a reported security flaw inMac OS X operating system that could allow hackers to trick Macs into opening dangerous files, such as Trojan horses andvirus es. [http://news.com.com/2100-1002_3-5189335.html?tag=nefd.top (CNet)]April 10 ,2004 *
Iraq Occupation and Insurgency:
** Iraq marks the anniversary ofSaddam Hussein 's fall with fighting and bloodshed.Kurd s, in the relatively stable north, celebrate with parties and the melting of an ice statue of the ousted dictator. [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1234E019-AEAD-4F87-9CBB-D36F2CD61DA6.htm (Al Jazeera)]
**Al Arabiya reports anIraq i rebel group inFalluja threatens to targetChristian s,assassinate or kidnappriest s, and destroy churches.Saraya wal Mujahideen also calls on thePope and theUnited Nations to stop the town's siege. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=SCTOQQRKPFHVCCRBAELCFEY?type=topNews&storyID=4797027 (Reuters)]
*More than a thousandNepal is are arrested inKathmandu for taking part in a demonstration calling on their king to restore democracy. [http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/star_news/world/nepal_police_arrest_protesters (Morning Star)]
*Responding to requests by the September 11th Commission, theWhite House releases a newly-declassified briefing from a month before theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks warning of possibleAl-Qaida activity, including planned hijackings, within the United States. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/10/bush.briefing/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/images/04/10/whitehouse.pdf (Briefing in PDF format)] [http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0409041pdb1.html (Smoking Gun)]
*Research ers develop a small device called "theCPOD " which does for people whatblack box es do forairplane s. [http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/07apr_blackbox.htm?list67154 (NASA)]April 9 ,2004 *
Henry C. Lee arrives inTaipei to investigate theMarch 19, 2004 assassination attempt in Taiwan .
*Basketball : TheEuroleague Final Four tournament will be held inTel Aviv ,Israel despite concerns overPalestinian terrorism . Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel beats Zalgiris Kaunas,Lithuania to qualify.
*Good Friday - Ruben Enaje is crucified for the 18th time inSan Pedro Cutud ,Philippines .
*Iraq Occupation and Insurgency:
**South Korea announces the deployment of 3,700 soldiers in Iraq by August, despite recent attacks. The augmentation will make it the coalition's third largest contingent. [http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/breaking_10.html (World Tribune)]
** Japan refuses to withdraw troops from Iraq in the face of thedeath threat s frominsurgent s holding three of itscitizen s. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3613383.stm (BBC)]
** Coalition forces retakeKut , meeting little opposition.
** US Marines resume their advance intoFallujah , after a pause to allowhumanitarian supplies to enter the city. An attempt to use the pause to negotiate terms of surrender fails when the representatives from the city fail to show.
**United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan urges stepped-up efforts to protect civilians and end the violence in the deteriorating security situation inIraq . [http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=10362&Cr=iraq&Cr1= (UN)]April 8 ,2004 *
Bulgaria Mourning Day -Bulgaria mourns twelve children who died in a bus crash betweenSerbia and Montenegro on April 4.
*Bangladesh is paralysed by ageneral strike called in protest at alleged government corruption. [http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/star_news/world/opposition_s_general_strike_shuts_down_bangladesh (Morning Star)]
* USNational Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice testifies before the September 11 Commission. Rice states PresidentGeorge W. Bush understood threat fromal-Qaeda before September 11. She asserts "the terrorists were at war with us, but we were not yet at war with them." She also says that PresidentGeorge W. Bush came into office in 2001 determined to develop a "more robust" policy to combatAl-Qaida . The commission asks theWhite House to declassify a key August 2001 document entitled "Bin Ladin Determined to Strike in US". [http://wid.ap.org/transcripts/rice.html (Transcript)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3610031.stm (BBC)] [http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040408/D81QQ7400.html (AP)] [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/09/1524215 (Democracy Now!)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/08/911.commission.memo/ (CNN)]
*Iraq Occupation and Insurgency:
** IraqAlliance troops are locked in heavy fighting. Ukrainian troops cedeKut toMoqtada al-Sadr supporters.Sunni Musliminsurgent s engage in two fronts west ofBaghdad ; aShiite uprising spreads in southern and central Iraq. [http://www.iht.com/articles/513972.html (IHT)] [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/08/1441244 (Democracy Now!)]
**Militiamen in black outfits of Moqtada al-Sadr'sMahdi Army are visible at the grand mosque ofKufa ; Moqtada al-Sadr is in thegold en-domedmosque . [http://www.iht.com/articles/513889.html (IHT)]
** Shiite Muslim militias holding two southern Iraqi cities kidnap three Japanese, eightSouth Korea n, and twoIsrael iArab civilians. The South Koreans are later released.Al-Jazeera television airs avideotape of militants threatening to burn alive theblindfold ed Japanesehostage s unless Tokyo withdraws its troops from Iraq. [http://www.iht.com/articles/513972.html (IHT)] [http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=60681 (INN)] [http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/international/international-iraq-hostages.html (NYT)]
** 30 Americans and more than 150 Iraqis are dead in the fighting for the city inFallujah . A U.S. helicopter hitsmilitant s in amosque with threemissile s; 40 individuals are killed in the mosque. Marines and rebels continue to exchange fire. [http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=103132&SecID=2 (TWEAN)]
* Militia forces loyal toAbdurrashid Dostum takeMeymaneh , the capital ofFaryab province,Afghanistan , from the interim government and force the governor to flee. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62511-2004Apr8.html (WP)]
* TheMiddle East Forum is seeking support to form theIslamic Progress Institute , a progressive Islamic institute, that would represent liberal Muslims living in the United States. [http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040407-043618-6537r (UPI)]
*NASA announces that the mission of Spirit and Opportunity will be extended by five months. [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=4790517§ion=news (Reuters)] [http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/04/08/mars.rovers/ (CNN)]April 7 ,2004 * Study reports estimates of how long it took for the last four reversals of the
Earth's magnetic field . It also reports that the turnarounds occur more quickly nearer the equator than at higherlatitude s closer to the poles. [http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4687974/ (MSN)]
*Occupation of Iraq -- Iraq Insurgency:
**Baghdad office ofShiite leaderMoqtada al-Sadr is surrounded by U.S. tanks and troops amid efforts toarrest theIraq icleric . Some 500 armed Sadrmilitia burntire s, formingroadblock s and promisingjihad near the office.Sniper s have also been placed in homes in theneighborhood in the Baghdadslum ofSadr City . [http://www.upi.com/ (UPI photo)] [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/07/1527241 (Democracy Now!)]
** Militants inside theAbdul-Aziz al-Samarrai mosque shoot at US Marines, and Lt. Col. Brennan Byrne orders his men to return fire. "If they use the mosque as a military machine, then it's no longer a house of worship and we strike", he said. [http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040407/D81Q35G84.html (AP)]
*Same-sex marriage in the United States : Represented by the ACLU,New York State Assembly manDaniel O'Donnell and his partner and 12 othersame sex couples file suit against theNew York Department of Health to strike down a state law defining marriage as between "a man and a woman." [http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/04/040604nyMarry.htm (365Gay.com)] [http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny-brf--gaymarriage-l0406apr06,0,7932346.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire (Newsday)]April 6 ,2004 * The
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress rules that the right to amend theBasic Law of Hong Kong belongs to theNational People's Congress . The Standing Committee also issued an "interpretation" (effectively an amendment) of the Basic Law which set out an additional step required for any changes in Hong Kong's political structures. [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/04/06/hk.china.law/index.html (CNN)]
* State security in thePeople's Republic of China is on high alert as disgraced PremierZhao Ziyang seems to be near death. [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/04/06/china.zhao/index.html (CNN)]
* The parliament ofLithuania narrowly votes to impeach PresidentRolandas Paksas for violating the constitution. Parliamentary speakerArtūras Paulauskas will act as president for two months pending new elections. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3602895.stm (BBC)]
* ABC reports that British government sources believe that suspects arrested last week in the UK may have been plotting to make an improvisedchemical weapon using the toxic agentosmium tetroxide . [http://abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/Investigation/poison_bomb_plot_040405-1.html (ABC/US)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3603961.stm (BBC)]
*Palestinian official s state that thePalestine Liberation Organization (PLO ) asksHamas fighters to join a decision making body to run theGaza Strip ifIsrael pulls out. [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0C099809-C210-4410-B287-7E089263DA9B.htm (Al Jazeera)]
*Iraq :
**Shiite s wantIraq i political control by June 30 but say the violence theMahdi Army has incited since Sunday is dangerous. [http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0407/p01s02-wome.html (Christian Science Monitor)]
** Iraqi insurgents and rebelliousShiite s challenge Coalition occupation forces. At least 30 Iraqis are killed. Sixteen Iraqis died in battles with Marines inFallujah . At least 18 American soldiers and more than 116 Iraqis have died in three days of clashes. A Salvadoran soldier and one fromUkraine also are killed. [http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/iraq/20040406-1308-iraq.html (AP)] [http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/04/06/1354213 (Democracy Now!)]
**Militant cleric Moqtada Sadr rallies hisMahdi Army militia in a third day ofurban warfare with coalition forces after fleeing to a refuge close toShia Islam's holiestshrine . [http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1079420198499 (Financial Times)]
**Muqtada al-Sadr is accused of confiscating the "khum s" (ordonation s) ofworship ers tomosque s andshrine s in southern Iraq. [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ECBD601F-972F-4413-A7DD-BB3A8F5DFEBB.htm (Al Jazeera)]
** United States civilian administratorPaul Bremer states that there is "no question" that coalition forces are in control. "I know if you just report on those few places, it does look chaotic. But if you travel around the country ... what you find is a bustling economy, people opening businesses right and left, unemployment has dropped." [http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/06/iraq.main/index.html (CNN)]
*IBM requests that the court dismiss theSCO Group 'scopyright charges against it "with prejudice ". [http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Apr/04062004/business/154471.asp (Salt Lake Tribune)]
*University of Connecticut becomes the first NCAA Division I school to win the men's and the women's U.S.amateur nationalbasketball championships in the same season, after the women's teamthree-peat s. [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaatourney04/news/story?id=1777154 (ESPN)] [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/basketball/ncaa/women/specials/ncaa_tourney/2004/04/06/uconn.tenn.ap/ (Sports Illustrated)]April 5 ,2004 * Occupation of Iraq:
**Paul Bremer states thatmilitant Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is anoutlaw and warns that uprisings by the cleric and his followers will not tolerated. [http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=9514 (Middle East Online)]
** The U.S. Army closes off the turbulent Iraqi city ofFalluja ahead of a major operation againstinsurgent s following the slayings of four civilian American security contractors. [http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2004/april/04_05_1.html (Middle East Newsline)] [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Iraq-Fallujah.html?hp (NYT)] [http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1813404.html (NPR)]
** The U.S. is examining the possibility of sending more troops to Iraq if situation gets out of control. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3602803.stm (BBC)]
** An Iraqijudge issues arrest warrant forMuqtada al-Sadr , whom theCoalition Provisional Authority accuses of igniting anti-American violence that led to the deaths of eight U.S. troops. [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_east/jan-june04/turmoil_4-5.html (Online NewsHour)]
**Secretary-General 's Special Adviser,Lakhdar Brahimi holds talks with theIraqi Governing Council inBaghdad . [http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=10314&Cr=Iraq&Cr1= (UN)]
* Queen Elizabeth II begins a state visit to France in honour of the centennial of theEntente Cordiale , arriving in theEurostar via theChannel Tunnel . The following day, she is to address theFrench Senate . [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/04/05/world/queen_france040405 (CBC)]
*Ottawa orders the slaughter of 19 millionchicken s inBritish Columbia due tobird flu fears. [http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_chickens20040405 (CBC)]
* The "Los Angeles Times " wins fivejournalism awards in the2004 Pulitzer Prize . [http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/breaking_news/8361737.htm (Mercury News)]
*Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani , ofQatar , calls uponArab states to consider United States proposals for democratic reform. He states that Arabs should no longer use theIsraeli-Palestinian conflict and security fears to justify delaying such reform. [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/412870.html (HaAretz)]
*Mordechai Vanunu seeks to renounce hisIsrael i citizenship to avoid confinement to the nation after his release from jail. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0387878.htm (Reuters)]
* For the first time in six years, a Norwegian policeman is killed in the line of duty. [http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article768657.ece (Aftenposten)]
*Economist s from Harvard and UNC - Chapel Hill determine thatpeer to peer file sharing and music downloads "have an effect on sales which is statistically indistinguishable from zero, despite rather precise estimates." [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/05/technology/05music.html?hp (NYT)]
* A United States government study finds that anAfrican-American woman was 23 times more likely to be infected withAIDS than is a white woman. Recent studies suggest that 30 percent of all black bisexual men may be infected with HIV. [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/05/health/05AIDS.html?hp (NYT)]
* InSouth Korea ,Uri Party chairman Chung Dong-young calls on the opposition parties to withdraw the motion forimpeachment against PresidentRoh Moo-hyun . [http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200404/kt2004040515432711950.htm (Hankooki)]
* Investigators trace ties of internationalIslamist groups toMadrid train bombers from six internationalarrest warrant s. [http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L04169340.htm (Reuters)]
* Swedish business weekly "Veckans Affärer " argues thatIngvar Kamprad , a Swede who founded thefurniture retail chain store IKEA , has overtakenMicrosoft 'sBill Gates as theworld's richest person . IKEA disagrees, stating that he does not personally own the company. [http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/919_661280,001800030001.htm (Hindustan Times)] [http://www.ktvu.com/money/2975041/detail.html (KTVU.COM)]
* Australia's biggestsupplier of thepotential explosive ammonium nitrate will pull the product from its stores in response to concerns it could be used byterrorist s. [http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9194059%255E421,00.html (News Limited)]
* After "serious social resonance", theDuma 'sUnited Russia majority backpedals from outright support of a billban ning public protests in manypublic places. [http://www.themoscowtimes.com/stories/2004/04/05/001.html (Moscow Times)]April 4 ,2004 *
Iran asksEU members (France, Britain, and Germany) to stand by their commitments within the framework of thenuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT ) and theTehran Declaration . [http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=4/5/2004&Cat=4&Num=009 (Tehran Times)]
*Thomas H. Kean , chairman of the commission investigating theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks and former Republicangovernor of New Jersey says that the attacks could have been prevented had the United States government acted sooner to dismantleAl Qaeda and responded more quickly to otherterrorist threats. [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/04/politics/04CND-PANE.html?hp (NYT)]
*Iraq iinterior minister arrives inTehran for security talks. [http://www.irna.ir/?LANG=EN&PART=_HOME&TYPE=HP (Islamic Republic News Agency)]
* The USCustoms and Border Protection Agency begin patrols withunmanned aerial vehicle s to identifyillegal immigrant s at U.S. land borders. [http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/1_1/daily_news/23213-1.html (Post-Newsweek Media)]
*Serhane ben Abdelmajid Farkhet (alias "TheTunisia n") is suspected of dying in April 3Madrid explosion (along with three othersuspect s). Spanish Interior Minister Angel Acebes announces that the ringleader of theMarch 11, 2004 Madrid bombings is dead. 200 detonators and 22 pounds ofdynamite were found "in the apartment where the fourterrorist s blew themselves up as police closed in", Acebes said. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3598219.stm (BBC News)] [http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Spain-Bombings.html?hp (NYT)]
* UK Police refuse discussion of reports overton nes of unaccountedammonium nitrate fertiliser stolen from a Welshfarm nearAbergavenny ,South Wales . [http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_912310.html?menu= (Ananova)]
*Occupation of Iraq :
** At least twoShiite Muslim followers ofmilitant Iraq icleric , Moqtada Sadr, are killed early in the day after throwing themselves in front of United States tanks during a demonstration inBaghdad . [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1080574.htm (AFP)]
** Supporters ofMoqtada Sadr outside a coalition military base inNajaf , Iraq throw rocks and fire shots. Spanish troops andIraq i police return fire. Nineteen people (including some soldiers) are killed from the fire. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3597887.stm (BBC)] [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=B878DF92-9997-4D57-9B153BA6CE0C206D&title=Coalition%20Forces%20Open%20Fire%20On%20Iraqi%20Protesters,%20Killing%20Eight (VOA)]
** Police chief ofKufa ,Saeed Tryak , is killed and one of his escorts is injured when their car is attacked atal-Adala inNajaf ,southeast ofBaghdad . Police chief ofal-Mahmudiya inBaghdad ,Usama Husayn , is also killed leaving his house inal-Khadra neighbourhood . He isshot by men in policeuniform s. [http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1E587A95-A4F5-4528-9E4D-CFDC40419FDC.htm (Al Jazeera)]
*Israeli-Palestinian conflict :
**Palestinian Yasser Arafat dismissesIsrael 'sthreat to kill him. Americanrepresentative s, and other world leaders, criticize Israel'sprime minister for the suggestion. [http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=42503&d=4&m=4&y=2004 (ArabNews)]
** Prime MinisterAriel Sharon conflicts withright-wing ministers over aplan to unilaterally disengage from theGaza Strip .Housing and Construction Minister ,Effie Eitam , andTourism Minister ,Benny Elon , demand that the plan receivecabinet approval. [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1081052087090 (Jerusalem Post)]
** A year-longEuropean Parliament investigation into how thePalestinian Authority spents money given to it by theEuropean Union fails to find evidence linking its funds with terrorist activity. The findings, leaked before they were made public, are under attack, with one member of the probe calling it a "partial" whitewash. [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1080979165731 (Jerusalem Post)]April 3 ,2004 *
NASA announces that theGravity Probe B is ready for launch on April 17. [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/04/03/probe_eyes_key_concept_of_physics/ (Globe)]
*Jordan ian officials report that suspectedterrorist s werearrest ed when their vehicle filled with explosives, detonators and bombs was apprehended in a Jordanian town on theSyria n border. [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1080979160569 (Jerusalem Post)]
*Vladimir Meciar has won the first round of Presidential election in Slovakia.
* At least three persons suspected in involvement in theMarch 11, 2004 Madrid bombings blow themselves up in an apartment building in the Madrid suburbLeganés as police officers try to arrest them. Besides the suspects, one police officer is killed and 11 injured. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/04/03/world/spain_blast040403 (CBC)]
* "Simpsons "voice actors are on strike. [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/02/1080544690429.html (The Age)]
* Germany: 500,000 people protest against lowering social standards in Berlin,Cologne , andStuttgart as part of a European protest weekend. [http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/0,1518,293972,00.html (SPIEGEL)]
* An ongoing study bysociologist Robert Cushing for the "Austin American-Statesman " newspaper reveals astatistic alanomaly : soldiers and Marines fromrural area s are dying at twice the rate of troops from cities andsuburb s. [http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1810753.html (NPR)]
*Pennsylvania 's chiefauditor states thatcommunity notification aboutfelon s is often "incorrect, late, and ineffective", after review ofstate police monitoring ofsexually violent predator s underMegan's Law . [http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/04/03/megans.audit.ap/index.html (AP)]April 2 ,2004 * United States
Vice-president 's wife,Lynne Cheney , stops reissue of sexynovel , "Sisters", authored in 1981. [http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2004/04/02/406533-ap.html (CANOE)]
* To stop the rapid spread ofavian influenza inBritish Columbia , theCanadian Food Inspection Agency could kill up to 16 million chickens in poultry farms aroundAbbotsford, British Columbia . [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/04/02/canada/birds040402 (CBC)]
*Federal commission ers investigating theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks look into the 6,000 documents from former PresidentBill Clinton 'spresidential archive . [http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/01/clinton.commission.ap/ (CNN)]
* Teenagers from areas controlled by thePalestinian Authority provoke a riot by throwing large stones atIsrael i police shortly after noon prayers at theWestern Wall . When police try to stop them, hundreds of other Muslims join the stone throwers. Resisting apprehension, the rioters seek refuge at theTemple Mount , site ofAl Aqsa Mosque , mostholy place toJew s and third-holiest place for Muslims. [http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/I/ISRAEL_PALESTINIANS?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME (AP)]
*Hong Kong police forcibly disperse a peacefuldemonstration outside the Government Headquarters building, carrying away people, includingjournalist s, one by one. The demonstrators hoped the Government would send a representative to accept an open letter from the demonstrators. TheHong Kong Journalists Association condemns the police action for infringingfreedom of press by removing journalists from the scene first. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3592355.stm (BBC)] [http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/04/02/hk.china/index.html (CNN)] [http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail_frame.cfm?articleid=46453&intcatid=1 (Hong Kong Standard)]
* Calm returns toFalluja as the desecrated remains of four US civilians are handed over to occupation authorities; townspeople state they were torn between pride in the attack and shame over the mutilations. [http://www.iht.com/articles/513123.html (International Herald Tribune)]
* A judge in New York declares a mistrial after eleven days of deliberations in the case of formerTyco International chairman and chief executive Dennis Kozlowski and former chief financial officer Mark Swartz after a juror received either a "threatening or coercive" letter in the previous 24 hours. Kozlowski and Swartz have been accused of stealing $600 million from Tyco. [http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040402/D81MS7H00.html (AP)]
*Sun Microsystems announces that it moves to a new phase oflegal andtechnical cooperation with longtime foe,Microsoft , that will involve a payment of $1.95 billion to Sun. [http://news.com.com/2100-1014_3-5183848.html?tag=nefd_lede (CNet)]
*Economy of the United States : "Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 308,000 in March, and theunemployment rate was about unchanged at 5.7 percent, theBureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.Payroll job growth was fairly widespread, as construction employment rose sharply and several major service-providing industries also added jobs." [http://bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm (BLS)]
* A report onanti-Semitism by theEuropean Union 'sEuropean Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC ) concludes attacks againstJew s in Europe are rising, primarily ascribed to youths from neighborhoods sensitive to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, principally of North African descent. [http://web.israelinsider.com/bin/en.jsp?enPage=ArticlePage&enDisplay=view&enDispWhat=object&enDispWho=Article%5El3488&enZone=AntiSemi&enVersion=0&] ("Israel Insider ")
*Ariel Sharon states that he is ordering a halt to allconstruction and development inGaza Strip settlement s. [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/P/FrontPage/FrontPage&cid=1002116796299 (Jerusalem Post)]
* The Spanish government discloses that a powerful bomb has been discovered on the high-speedAVE railway line betweenMadrid andSeville . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3593927.stm (BBC)] The bomb, found near Toledo, is revealed the next day to be the same type as those used in the11 March 2004 Madrid train bombings , which killed 191 people. [http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/04/03/world/spain_bomb040403 (CBC)]
* A United States federal judge in Providence, Rhode Island, findsHamas guilty in a civil lawsuit resulting from the 1996 murder of Yaron and Efrat Ungar inIsrael . Hamas is ordered to pay the family of Yaron and Efrat Ungar $116 million. The court has not yet ruled regarding the liability of thePalestinian Authority and thePLO . [http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/01/29/116m_awarded_in_terrorism_suit/ (BostonGlobe)]
*TheBBC reports of a surgery which cured a patient ofTourette syndrome . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3589395.stm (BBC)]
*The BBC announces thatMichael Grade will become its new Chairman on May 17, following the resignation of its previous ChairmanGavyn Davies in the fall-out from theHutton Inquiry report. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3591985.stm (BBC)]
*Sri Lanka holds a parliamentary election. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3590757.stm (BBC)] [http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=7B13057F-A55F-4EDF-9EA8AF3AD065A04B (VOA)]
* Former US marineToby Studabaker , who abducted a 12-year-old British girl after "grooming" her via theInternet , is jailed for four and a half years. [http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_910784.html?menu=news.topheadlines (Ananova)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/3594235.stm (BBC)]
* An estimated crowd of between 10,000 and 19,000 mourners show up to pay their final respects to Mexican singerAdán Sánchez in Los Angeles. Many in the crowd turn violent, jumping onto the van carrying the singer's body. Some are injured, and police and emergency rescue intervention is required. [http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/custom/wire/sns-ap-sanchez-rowdy-mourners,0,3638356.story?coll=sns-ap-entertainment-headlines (Baltimore Sun)]
* Disney's 44th animated movie, Home on the Range, is released in theatres.April 1 ,2004 *
George W. Bush signs theUnborn Victims of Violence Act , commonly known as Laci and Conner's Law, that states that an act of violence that leads to the death of a pregnant mother and her child can be counted as two offenses. [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040401-3.html (White House)] [http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040401-041701-1460r (UPI)]
* Faroese Prime Minister's Office announces that from then on the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister's Office would use a new version of the Faroese Coat of Arms. The colours were inspired from the Merkið (flag) and yellow/gold was added. The newCoat of Arms depicts a Ram on a blue shield ready to defend. It can be used by the Government Ministries and by Faroese embassies, but some still use older versions of theCoat of Arms .
* The TurkishInterior Ministry states forty-one members ofterrorist organization ,Revolutionary People's Liberation Party (DHKP-C ), are detained in synchronous operations in Turkey, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands. [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-04/01/content_1396648.htm (Xinhua)]
* Following agun battle, in whichPalestinian s hiding in aWorld Health Organization psychiatric hospital, inBethlehem , opened fire onIsrael i troops outside who came to arrest them, 12 of the Palestinians, mostly known militants fromal-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades that make up part ofYasser Arafat 'sFatah faction, are arrested. [http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=OXGW3W3TKK1ZWCRBAELCFEY?type=topNews&storyID=4723774 (Reuters)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3589759.stm (BBC)]
*Astronomer s estimate that Earth-like planets may orbit as many as one in twentystar s. [http://www.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=34978&cat=Science (Webindia123)] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3588721.stm (BBC)]
*Paul Bremer pledges justice for the contractors killed and mutilated in an attack inFalluja . [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3589057.stm (BBC)]
* British Immigration MinisterBeverley Hughes resigns over visa irregularities. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3589131.stm (BBC)]
*Palestinian General Haj Ismail Jabber is discovered to have been claiming thepayroll for 37,000 members of thePalestinian Authority 's National Security force when only 30,000 members exist. The difference of $2 million is kept by General Jabber each month. [http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/411056.html (HaAretz)]
*Same-sex marriage in Canada :Michael Hendricks and René Leboeuf become the first same-sex couple to legally wed inQuebec . [http://montreal.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=qc_marriage20040401 (CBC)]
* Various April Fool's hoaxes are perpetrated throughout the world as is custom on the first of April.
*Neil H. Shubin of theUniversity of Chicago reports in the journal "Nature" the discovery of a 365-million-year-old forelimb inPennsylvania , representing the evolution of fish to land-dwelling animals. [http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa003&articleID=000BC4A9-8057-106C-BA3083414B7F0000 (Scientific American)] Voting begins in South Korean parliamentary elections.
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