Eurotopics.net

The escalating situation in the Middle East and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz are causing energy prices to skyrocket worldwide. Even after Donald Trump hinted on Monday that the war could end very soon and G7 countries discussed drawing on strategic oil reserves, prices remain well above their level at the end of February. The European press assesses causes, consequences and possible solutions.

In Finland current legislation bans the import, manufacture, possession and detonation of nuclear weapons - even in the case of war. Three years after joining Nato, Finland's government has now announced that the ban will be lifted in order to "take full advantage of Nato's deterrence and collective defence", according to Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen. For the moment, however, Helsinki has no plans to host atomic weapons.

The director of the Austrian public broadcaster ORF, Roland Weißmann, has stepped down after being accused of sexually harassing a female colleague. Weißmann has denied the accusation but wants to avert damage to the company, according to his lawyer. The national media see another blow for public broadcasting.

Mojtaba Khamenei is to take over as Iran's supreme leader after his father Ali Khamenei was killed in an US-Israeli airstrike. The Israeli military has now threatened to target the successor. US President Donald Trump had declared beforehand that he considered Mojtaba Khamenei to be an "unacceptable" choice, and that any Iranian leader who did not meet with Washington's approval would "not be long in office".