Europe

MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/: The investigation of Nord Stream pipeline explosions will be biased without Russian participation, aide to the Russian President Yury Ushakov told reporters.

"An absolutely uncooperative position, an uncooperative approach. Certainly, we do not know what investigation Denmark will carry on its own but it will clearly not have enough objectivity," Ushakov said, commenting on the Denmark’s decision to prevent Russia from the investigation. —0—vnk

March 17 (Reuters) - Russia said on Friday that all fighter jets supplied to Ukraine by Western nations would be destroyed after NATO members Poland and Slovakia pledged to send MiG-29 jets to Kyiv.

Since Russia's invasion last year NATO countries have sent billions of dollars of military aid to Ukraine, as Kyiv asks for weapons it says are vital to fend off Russian advances.

Moscow has accused the West of directly participating in the conflict through supplying weapons to Ukraine, and has warned before that NATO weapons were legitimate targets for its forces.

LONDON, March 17 (Reuters) - Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has presented awards to the pilots of two Su-27 fighter planes that intercepted a U.S. drone near the airspace around Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, his ministry said on Friday.

The drone crashed into the Black Sea on Tuesday after being intercepted by Russian jets, in the first known direct military encounter between Russia and the United States since Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago.

PARIS, March 17 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday faced the gravest challenge to his authority since the so-called Yellow Vest protests after his decision to push through a contested pension overhaul without a vote prompted violent unrest overnight.

Cars were torched in Paris and other French cities in the evening during otherwise peaceful demonstrations involving several thousand people. Trade unions urged workers to step up and briefly blocked the Paris ring road on Friday.

March 17 (Reuters) - Slovakia on Friday became the second of Ukraine's allies to provide MIG-29 fighter jets which Kyiv believes are crucial to repel Russia's year-long invasion.

Slovakia joined Poland, which announced its delivery of the planes on Thursday. Both the NATO members neighbour Ukraine.

Its fleet of 11 MiG-29 planes was retired last summer and most of them are not in operational condition. It will send those that are operational and the rest will go for spare parts.

ROME, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Italy's Council of Ministers on Thursday approved a decree that will allow for the building of the world's longest suspension bridge between the island of Sicily and the Italian mainland.

Such a bridge has been discussed since ancient times, but it is the first time the project has received this level of formal authorization.

In a statement on Thursday, the ministry of infrastructure and transport said the bridge would be "the crown jewel of Italian engineering."

PARIS, March 16 (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Thursday activated an article of the country's Constitution that allows the government to force passage of the controversial pension reform bill without a vote at the National Assembly.

"We cannot gamble on the future of our pensions, this reform is necessary," Borne told the National Assembly, where the government does not have an absolute majority.

FRANKFURT, March 16 (Xinhua) -- The European Central Bank (ECB) on Thursday raised interest rates by another 50 basis points (bps), citing spiraling inflation in the eurozone.

After the rate hike, the interest rates on the main refinancing operations, on the marginal lending facility and on the deposit facility will be increased to 3.5 percent, 3.75 percent and 3 percent, respectively.

BERLIN (AP) — Lawmakers in Germany approved electoral reforms Friday that would educe the size of the country’s increasingly bloated parliament, but two opposition parties were vehemently critical and the plan is expected to face a court challenge.

Parliament’s lower house, or Bundestag, currently has a record 736 members. The changes approved on a 400-261 vote with 23 abstentions would reduce that number to 630.

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Jim Ratcliffe toured Manchester United on Friday as part of his bid to buy the English soccer club.

The billionaire owner of INEOS jetted in for talks with club executives at Old Trafford, along with some of his closest advisors.

Ratcliffe was greeted by United chief executive Richard Arnold on Friday morning and will get a closer look at the club before submitting a formal offer to the Glazer family.