Portal:Current events/2004 April 16
April 16, 2004 (Friday)
- The People's Republic of China praises the United Nations Commission on Human Rights' decision to block a U.S. motion to condemn Beijing's human rights record. (VOA)
- 1000 more demonstrators, including former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, are arrested in Kathmandu. They are calling on the King of Nepal to restore democracy. (Morning Star)
- 2004 South Korean parliamentary elections: The Uri Party, backed by suspended President Roh Moo-hyun, more than triples its representation, winning 152 of 299 seats.
- Iraq Occupation and Insurgency:
- US Army in Iraq employs a 1000 kg bomb at Falluja, near the Shiite town Najaf. (Spiegel)
- A new book by Bob Woodward states that U.S. President George W. Bush requested in the autumn of 2001 that plans be prepared for attacking Iraq. (NYT)
- Arab satellite television network Al Jazeera broadcasts a videotape of a captured US soldier, PFC Keith Matthew "Matt" Maupin, perhaps one of those listed as missing in action since April 9. (NYT)
- Mexico - Economy of Mexico: Mexico's Foreign Affairs Secretary, Luis Ernesto Derbez, announces that his country is seeking admission to South America's Mercosur trade bloc, the third largest in the world. (Reuters)
- Seeking legal recognition as a news organization, the National Rifle Association begins NRANews, a website dedicated to presenting its view of the right to keep and bear arms. (NRANews)
- Mark Chen replaces Eugene Chien as foreign minister of the Republic of China. Chien resigned to take responsibility for American Institute in Taiwan Director Therese Shaheen's resignation. (Japan Today) (Reuters) Archived 2004-12-08 at the Wayback Machine
