Main news of March 2

RUSSIA

* Russia will donate food, medication, armored vehicles and civilian helicopters to the Palestinian National Authority to help rebuild the Gaza Strip, Russia's foreign minister said

* The Moscow City Court ruled legal the decision to issue an arrest warrant for Yevgeny Chichvarkin, the former co-owner of top Russian cell phone retailer Euroset

* Russia's major political party, led by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, topped Sunday's polls to legislatures in all nine participating regions, its first election test since the country was hit by a financial crisis last year

WORLD

* International donors pledged $5.2 billion to help rebuild the Gaza Strip, Egypt's foreign minister said

* Washington told Moscow that Russian help in resolving Iran's nuclear program would make its missile shield plans for Europe unnecessary, a Russian daily said, citing White House sources

* The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency acknowledged that despite numerous efforts there had been no progress in a probe into Iran's nuclear activity

BUSINESS

* Russia invited Iran to sell crude oil on the St. Petersburg Commodity Exchange, the Russian energy minister said