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Political situation in the UK
King Charles to the US – despite calls to cancel

King Charles of Great Britain will make a state visit to the US in April, the British court announced on Tuesday.

The visit aims to highlight the special relationship between the countries and takes place in connection with the US entering its 250th year as an independent nation.

At the same time, the trip takes place in a situation where relations between the countries have been shaken. Many have demanded that the visit be cancelled or postponed due to the war in Iran, writes AFP.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer of not having done enough in the war.

US envoy Warren Stephens also warned last week that it would be a “big mistake” to cancel the visit.

Middle East Crisis  Oil Market
Brazil's Model Mitigates the Impact of the Oil Crisis

The global oil crisis resulting from the war in Iran has led to rising gasoline prices worldwide and shaky stock markets. Brazil, however, has been relatively protected, reports AP.

While gasoline prices in the United States, for example, have risen by 30 percent, the corresponding increase is only five percent in Brazil.

One explanation is the country's extensive fleet of flex-fuel cars, which can run on both ethanol and gasoline. Tens of millions of car owners can choose to fill up with either pure sugarcane ethanol or a gasoline blend containing about 30 percent biofuel.

Several countries, such as Mexico and India, have now begun to eye the Brazilian model. It took off as early as 1975 as a blueprint for future energy security.

On the other hand, diesel prices in Brazil have risen by about 20 percent. Diesel is produced to a greater extent from imported oil and is blended with a significantly lower proportion of biofuel than gasoline in the country.

Security around the Baltic Sea
New drone in Finland – area evacuated

A new suspected drone has crashed in Finland, reports Iltalehti. The police are keeping quiet about the incident, but according to the newspaper, an area around a lake in Parikkala has been cordoned off and residents in the area are being evacuated.

According to the Finnish Border Guard and the police, however, it does not pose a danger to the public, but evacuation is being carried out as a safety measure.

What kind of drone is involved is unclear and there is no information about any injuries.

Two drones crashed in Kouvola, Finland over the weekend, one of them has been confirmed to have come from Ukraine. It is unclear whether this drone is connected to this weekend's incident, writes Ilta Sanomat. 

Ukraine apologizes after drones in Finland

Ukraine has apologized to Finland after drones crashed outside Kouvola on Sunday, AFP reports.

– No Ukrainian drones were under any circumstances aimed at Finland. The most likely cause is interference from Russian electronic warfare systems. We have already apologized to the Finnish side for the incident, says Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhij Tychyj.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj also states on Telegram that he had a telephone conversation with Finnish President Alexander Stubb during the day.

“Alex and I share the same view on the situation. We are providing all necessary information,” he writes.