May 24, 2004 (Monday)
- A fire consumes the Momart building in London, destroying works owned by several museums and collectors. (BBC)
- Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali Naimi declares that USD $30–34 per barrel is a 'fair and reasonable price', denies any differences within the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and vouchsafes to increase crude oil supply by 2 million barrels per day (4 m3/s) if the market demands it. Previous reports of a deal between U.S. President George W. Bush and Saudi Arabia are not discussed. (NYT) (Syd. Herald)
- Copyright infringement: The Recording Industry Association of America sues 493 more individuals under US copyright law and intends to discover their identities. Nearly 3000 people have now been sued by the RIAA since September 2003. (Reuters) Archived 2004-12-08 at the Wayback Machine
- Pakistan: Police arrest six more members of militant Islamic group Harkat-ul Mujahideen al-Alami after a gun-battle in southern Karachi. (Reuters) Archived 2004-12-08 at the Wayback Machine
- South Korean politics: South Korean Prime Minister Goh Kun resigns as announced last month. His successor has not yet been named by President Roh Moo-hyun. (Reuters)[permanent dead link]
- Philippine general election, 2004: Incumbent Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo wins another term according to a senior election official who leaks the narrow winning margin of about 3% or 900,000 votes. An independent watchdog group confirms the figures. (Reuters) Archived 2004-12-08 at the Wayback Machine
- The popular singer Madonna cancels three concerts in Israel after receiving letters in which her two young children's lives were threatened. The letters contained intimate details regarding the children's routines and security staff. (The Sun)
- Football management changes:
- Liverpool F.C. part company with their manager of six years, Gérard Houllier. (BBC)
- Real Madrid fires its one-year coach Carlos Queiroz and replaces him with José Antonio Camacho. (Guardian)