The United States defence budget is set to exceed US$400 billion next year—an almost 7% increase—according to budget proposals inadvertently posted on the Pentagon's website. [1] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3447281.stm)[2] (http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=93200472&p=93zxyy78)
The People's Republic of China puts poultry export bans on three more areas after a World Health Organization warning that the chance of controlling the Avian flu outbreak is slipping. [3] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3446881.stm) A new SARS case is confirmed in Guangdong province. [4] (http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=4254330§ion=news)
British Airways and Air France cancel five upcoming US flights to Washington DC and Miami, Florida amid fears of targeting by Al-Qaida. [5] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3447715.stm)[6] (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A839-2004Jan31.html)[7] (http://www.forbes.com/personalfinance/retirement/newswire/2004/01/31/rtr1237099.html)
The Svalbard Undersea Cable System is officially put into operation, giving the island group at 78° North a 40Gb connection to the Norwegian mainland. The dual 1,440 km fiber optic lines from Svalbard to Harstad is needed for communicating with polar orbiting satellite stations on Svalbard, some owned by NASA and NOAA. [8] (http://www.ksat.no/), [9] (http://www.tyco.com/tyco/press_release_detail.asp?prid=622)
Copper prices rise to a 6-year high in New York as 441 unionised workers strike at BHP Billiton's Cerro Colorado mine in northern Chile after pay negotiations fail. [10] (http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20040131/RCOMX31/TPBusiness/MoneyMarkets)
Hutton Inquiry: Reporter Andrew Gilligan resigns from the BBC in the continuing fallout of the publication of Lord Hutton's report into the circumstances of the death of Dr David Kelly. This follows the earlier resignation of the Director-GeneralGreg Dyke and chairman of the Board of Governors French Prime Minister and current Mayor of BordeauxAlain Juppe is convicted of a party funding scam in the 1980s and early 1990s, and is given an 18 month suspended jail sentence and disqualified from elected office for 10 years, although he retains his mayoralty pending his appeal. He had been viewed as Jacques Chirac's likely successor in the 2007 Presidential election. [13] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3444239.stm)
Muslims begin the annual Hajj today amid fears of a possible attack by Saudi-born Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. [14] (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=4249017)
Sheik Ahmed Yassin, leader of Hamas, announces that his group is making an all_out effort to kidnap Israeli soldiers to use as bargaining chips for Palestinians in Israeli prisons, following the prisoner exchange between Israel and Hezbollah in which the remains of three Israeli soldiers and a businessman were exchanged for over 400 prisoners on January 29, GermancannibalArmin Meiwes is sentenced to 8 years and 6 months' imprisonment for manslaughter[16] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3443293.stm). The prosecution had sought a life sentence for murder.
David Bradley, creator of the famous "Ctrl-Alt-Del" keystroke combination, retires from IBM. [17] (http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/28/35226.html)
A 60-ton sperm whale carcass explodes in downtown Tainan, Taiwan, causing traffic chaos and showering vehicles and pedestrians with blood and entrails. [18] (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4096586/)
A report submitted today to the State of Maryland states that the electronic votingmachines made by Diebold "have such poor computer security and physical security that an election could be disrupted or even stolen by corrupt insiders or determined outsiders". The machines have been purchased by a number of states in the United States. [19] (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/29/technology/29CND-SECU.html) This is the third report to state that the machines do not meet the security requirements of an election. Previous reports are available online: [20] (http://www.dbm.maryland.gov/dbm_search/technology/toc_voting_system_report/votingsystemreportfinal.pdf), [21] (http://avirubin.com/vote/).
Hutton Inquiry: The BBC Director-General, Greg Dyke, resigns in the continuing fall-out from the report. Mr Dyke is the second high-ranking BBC official to resign. Mark Byford is appointed Acting Director-General. [22] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3441181.stm) The UK media in general condemns the report as a whitewash. [23] (http://media.guardian.co.uk/huttoninquiry/story/0,13812,1134025,00.html)
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades of Fatah claim responsibility for a suicide bombing aboard a city bus, in which Ali Yusuf Jaara, a member of the Palestinian police force, kills 10 Israelis and wounds more than 50, outside the Prime Minister's residence in Jerusalem. Simultaneously with the bombing, Shaul Mofaz, Israeli Defense Minister, is meeting with American envoys Wolfe and Sauterfield, who have requested an easing-up of conditions for the Palestinians. The explosion also coincides with a German-brokered prisoner swap between Israel and the Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah. [24] (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/388486.html)[25] (http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=56993)[26] (http://www.dunnconnect.com/articles/2004/01/28/ap/Headlines/d80chhb00.txt)
David Kay testifies before a United States Senatecommittee stating that evidence of weapons of mass destruction was based on inaccurate Iraq did not have weapons stockpiles, this does not mean that nation wasn't dangerous. Kay urges for an inquiry into the intelligence failure and states that the United States needed better intelligence. [27] (http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040128_129.html)[28] (http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0401/S00195.htm)[29] (http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2464394)[30] (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=reutersEdge&storyID=4230282)
The Hutton Inquiry report is released, stating the suicide of Iraqi weapons expert David Kelly did not involve "dishonourable conduct" on the part of the United Kingdom's government and exonerates Prime MinisterTony Blair of any wrongdoing in Kelly's death. The BBC receives harsh criticism for the allegations within Andrew Gilligan's report on weapons of mass destruction and the BBC's subsequent backing of the report. Gavyn Davies takes full responsibility for any wrong-doing and resigns as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the BBC. [31] (http://www.the-hutton-inquiry.org.uk/)[32] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/3434661.stm)[33] (http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1433_A_1099230_1_A,00.html)[34] (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/DC3A6AA9-AF97-45F3-9920-71731BAC5FE3.htm)
The discovery of a new form of matter, Fermionic condensate, has been announced. [35] (http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/01/28/matter.new.reut/index.html).
San Jose, California mayor Ron Gonzales suffers a mild stroke while giving the State of the City address. The mayor is expected to make a full recovery.
A rare artefact from 1800s used against witchcraft is found in United Kingdom. Now displayed in a museum. [37] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lincolnshire/3437241.stm)
The People's Republic of China announces an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza in the autonomous region of Guangxi, becoming the 10th country in Asia to do so [38] (http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/latest/story/0,4390,232055,00.html?). There are suspected cases in Hunan and Hubei provinces [39] (http://www1.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2004-01/27/content_301172.htm)[40] (http://www.iht.com/articles/126779.html).
British Prime Minister Tony Blair narrowly defeats a rebellion in his own party over the Higher Education Bill - a highly controversial bill to reform higher education funding, including the introduction of increased and variable tuition fees. It is approved in the House of Commons by 316 votes to 311. [41] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3434329.stm) [42] (http://education.guardian.co.uk/students/tuitionfees/story/0,12757,1132974,00.html)
A new e-mailworm, Novarg/Mydoom, is spreading rapidly to thousands of machines running Microsoft Windows. It rapidly becomes the fastest-spreading e-mail worm to date. [43] (http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/novarg.shtml), [44] (http://vil.nai.com/vil/content/v_100983.htm), [45] (http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.novarg.a@mm.html), [46] (http://www3.ca.com/virusinfo/virus.aspx?ID=38102), [47] (http://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/virusencyclo/default5.asp?VName=WORM_MIMAIL.R)[48] (http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/0,2000061744,39115847,00.htm).
President Hamid Karzai signs into law the new constitution of Afghanistan. [49] (http://www.thestar.ca/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1075117169557&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968705899037)
Avian influenza has now been detected in a total of nine countries, with Pakistan and Laos as the latest additions. Pakistan has detected less dangerous strains H7 and H9. A six-year-old Thai boy became the seventh victim in Asia, with another ten suspected cases in the country. Around 19 million chickens have been slaughtered as a result of fighting the spread of the flu. The World Health Organisation expresses concern about a serious human outbreak. (WHO)[50] (http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/01/27/d4012701066.htm)[51] (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/445711.cms)[52] (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1031975.htm)
In Fellers v. United States, the United States Supreme Court unanimously reaffirms the Miranda Warning. [53] (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=558&e=8&u=/ap/scotus-police-questioning)
A federal judge in Los Angeles, California declares a portion of the USA Patriot Act, banning "expert advice and assistance" to suspected foreign terrorist groups, to be unconstitutional. [54] (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&e=3&u=/nm/security_patriotact_dc)
The House of Representatives of Connecticut votes unanimously to investigate the dealings of GovernorJohn Rowland, a step which might lead to impeachment proceedings. Rowland is accused of using state contractors for his personal gain. [55] (http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=4211318)
The US Energy Department's Inspector General releases a report stating that guards at the Y-12 enriched uranium storage facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee have been cheating on security drills, possibly for 20 years. [56] (http://www.ig.doe.gov/pdf/ig_0636.pdf)[57] (http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,62052,00.html?tw=wn-tophead-2)
Top Hamas official Abdel_Aziz al_Rantissi offered a 10_year truce if Israel would withdraw from territory occupied since 1967 and acknowledge the creation of a Palestinian state. Israel dismissed the peace offer as "ridiculous". [58] (http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp?type=worldNews&locale=en_IN&storyID=4209129)
David Kay says, in his opinion, Iraq had no banned WMD stockpiles: "I don't think they existed," Kay said, "What everyone was talking about is stockpiles produced after the end of the last (1991) Gulf War, and I don't think there was a large-scale production program in the '90s."[61] (http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1615880.html) David Kay also says that part of Saddam Hussein's secret weapons programme may have been hidden in Syria. [62] (http://www.manoramaonline.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=manorama/MmArticle/CommonFullStory&c=MmArticle&cid=1074829704662&channel=News&p=1002194839100&count=7) [63] (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7ECE4398-8057-49B2-8B13-1B3D7F7CADCB.htm) Syria denies receiving Iraq arms. [64] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3428383.stm)
Indonesia announces that millions of birds have died from avian flu in the last few months. [65] (http://www.guardian.co.uk/indonesia/Story/0,2763,1131233,00.html)
NASA isolates the flash memory aboard Spirit as the most probable cause of communications problems; work continues on a method to operate the rover without it. [66] (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20040124a.html)
MER-B Opportunity successfully lands on Mars and continues communications through all stages.
The International Monetary Fund has joined the World Bank in forgiving US$4 billion of the $6.5bn debt owed by Nicaragua, sharply reducing the nation's overall debt payments. [68] (http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=2D3D6D01-D8B3-4FA3-9F6AB47FF0B27966)
The European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter directly detects water ice in the southern polar region of the planet Mars. [69] (http://www.esa.int/export/esaCP/SEM8ZB474OD_index_0.html)[70] (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/01/23/mars.water.ice/)
NASA's Spirit rover communicated with Earth in a signal detected by NASA's Deep Space Network antenna complex near Madrid, Spain, at 12:34 Universal Time (4:34 a.m. PST) this morning. The transmissions came during a communication window about 90 minutes after Spirit woke up for the morning on Mars. The signal lasted for 10 minutes at a data rate of 10 bits per second. Mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., plan to send commands to Spirit seeking additional data from the spacecraft during the subsequent few hours. [71] (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20040123a.html) The flight team for NASA's Spirit received data from the rover in another communication session that began at 13:26 Universal Time (5:26 a.m. PST) and lasted 20 minutes at a data rate of 120 bits per second. [72] (http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20040123b.html)
A Thai man suspected of having bird flu died, according to the Public Health Ministry. [73] (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=624&ncid=753&e=10&u=/ap/20040123/ap_on_sc/asia_bird_flu)
At least 51 people, including a bridegroom, were killed on Friday when a fire ripped through a makeshift wedding hall in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu during a marriage ceremony.[74] (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EE0FD6AA-6A32-4B78-82F7-4D6BEE0C8AC0.htm)
An explosion has killed two people at Zhengzhou railway station, one of the People's Republic of China's biggest transport hubs.[75] (http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/68E3BD44-319D-4D3B-AE3D-67CD101F491D.htm)
Mars Exploration Rover Mission: MER-A Spirit rover stops transmitting meaningful data and has thought to have gone into 'safe mode'. The cause of this is unknown but the rover is still able to send back a simple acknowledgement tone.[76] (http://spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/status.html)
Staff members of the United States Republican Party are accused of infiltrating Democratic Party computers and making copies of confidential files stored on the compromised computers. The infiltrations reportedly began in early 2002.[77] (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/01/22/infiltration-of-files-seen-as-extensive/)
Maher Arar sues the Syria and not Canada, his country of citizenship. He was reportedly tortured in Syria.[78] (http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2004/01/22/ararsuit040122)
Enron Corporation: Richard Causey, former chief accounting officer was indicted in Houston, Texas on federal charges of securities fraud and conspiracy for his role in masking Enron's faltering fiscal health in late 2001. He has pled not guilty. [79] (http://www.newsday.com/business/printedition/ny-bzenro233638506jan23,0,167980.story?coll=ny-business-print)
Zimbabwe's only independent daily newspaper resumes publishing. [80] (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040123/ap_on_re_af/zimbabwe_media)
NorwegianCrown Prince Haakon Magnus's wife Crown Princess Mette-Marit gives birth to a daughter, at 0913 local time (0813 UTC), at Rikshospitalet University Hospital in Oslo. The newborn princess, named Ingrid Alexandra, weighs in at 3,686 grams and is 51 cm tall. She is second in succession to the Norwegian throne. [82] (http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article.jhtml?articleID=713922)[83] (http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article.jhtml?articleID=714840)
Martha Stewart pleads not guilty to five criminal counts that include conspiracy, obstruction of justice and securities fraud stemming from a sale of ImClone stock in 2001. Conviction on any of the charges against her could put Ms. Stewart in federal prison. The five counts carry a total prison term of 30 years and a $1.25 million fine.[85] (http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/20/business/20CND-MARTHA.html?hp)
January 1 - Pervez Musharraf gets a vote of confidence from an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the provincial assemblies, confirming him as President of Pakistan until 2007.
January 22 - The European Union bans the import of poultry from Thailand, as bird flu spreads throughout Southeast Asia.
January 28 - At a hearing of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, it is revealed that the September 11, 2001, terrorists used Mace (a brand of tear gas) or pepper spray in overpowering the flight crew of American Airlines Flight 11.
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