March 7, 2004

• The New York City medical examiner reveals that a body pulled from the East River is that of actor/writer Spalding Gray, missing since January. (NYT)
• Greek legislative election, 2004: New Democracy, led by Costas Karamanlis, wins over the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, led by George Papandreou.(BBC) (BBC)
• An explosion rocks a Moscow apartment block. Initial reports from police suggest that the explosion was caused by a bomb, in spite of increased security in the run-up to the presidential election on March 14. Later reports state that the explosion was due to a gas leak. (BBC)
• The White House reports that all of Libya's remaining nuclear weapons-related equipment has been sent to the United States. (BBC)
• Palestinian sources say that 14 people died after an Israeli raid into the refugee camps of al-Bureij and Nusseirat. Israeli sources say it was a "pinpoint" operation against the "terrorist infrastructure". (BBC)
• The 2004 Formula One championship gets under way with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. Michael Schumacher wins. (BBC)
• In Sweden some 15,500 skiers compete in the 80th installment of Vasaloppet, the oldest and longest cross-country ski race in the world. Norwegian Anders Aukland wins. (Sports Illustrated) (Vasaloppet press release)
• In Austria there are elections in the states of Salzburg and Carinthia. In Salzburg, the SPÖ earns a majority for the first time. In Carinthia, the election is an unexpected success for Jörg Haider (FPÖ).
• It is announced that Peter Maxwell Davies is to be the United Kingdom's next Master of the Queen's Music. (Scotsman)
• The headquarters of the US-led coalition in Baghdad come under rocket attack from Iraqi guerillas, the day before the new Iraqi temporary constitution is due to be signed. (BBC)