January 2, 2004 (Friday)
- South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, composed of foreign ministers from seven south Asian countries (Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan) meeting in Islamabad agree to create the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) by 2006. (NDTV)
- U.S. Representative Ralph Hall from Texas files for reelection and switches parties from Democrat to Republican. (SFGate)
- It appears that Stardust has successfully flown past Comet Wild 2 collecting samples that it will return to Earth in two years time. This is the first sample return mission to a comet and the first time that samples have returned to Earth from any celestial body since 1974. The spacecraft also took detailed images of the comet's icy nucleus. (Stardust) (Space Flight Now) (Space.com)