Prices since the start of the US and Israel's war in Iran: EU natural gas: +85% Heavy fuel oil: +80% Brent oil: +54% Urea: +48% WTI oil: +46% Gasoline: +44% Diesel fuel: +42% Sulfur: +25% Coal: +24% Fertilizers: +23% Palm oil: +13% US natural gas: +8% Iron ore: +7% Rice: +7% @Two Majors

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Croatian cellist’s gig cancelled in Lithuania over Russian folk song ‘Kalinka’ – media

Croatian cellist Stjepan Hauser has had his gig cancelled in Lithuania after posting a video of himself playing the Russian folk song ‘Kalinka’...

Croatian cellist banned from EU state over Russian folk song – media Stjepan Hauser’s gig in Lithuania has been axed after he posted his ‘Kalinka’ rendition online as part of a ‘Music Unites the World’ series Published 21 Mar, 2026 20:59 | Updated 22 Mar, 2026 08:20 Croatian cellist banned from EU state over Russian folk song – media Croatian cellist Stjepan Hauser. © Vittorio Zunino Celotto / Getty Images Croatian cellist Stjepan Hauser has had a concert cancelled in Lithuania after he posted a video of himself playing the Russian folk song ‘Kalinka’ on social media, the local LRT broadcaster has reported. The musician performed it as part of his ‘Music Unites the World’ project, in which he plays well-known tunes from different countries. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, Russian artists have faced event cancellations in a number of EU member states. Performers from other nations who are believed to have sympathy for Russia have likewise been discriminated against. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that attempts to “cancel Russian culture” in the West are doomed to fail. In an article on Thursday, the Lithuanian media outlet quoted representatives of the concert agency LTips as saying that “Hauser’s performances in the Baltic states are cancelled,” without elaborating further. Woman denied entry by Baltic nation over Soviet cashREAD MORE: Woman denied entry by Baltic nation over Soviet cash According to the publication, the “cancellation may be linked to a social media post” that the cellist published earlier this week, featuring him playing ‘Kalinka’ with the Kremlin seen in the background. Hauser is a world-renowned artist who has performed at such international venues as New York’s Radio City Music Hall and London’s Royal Albert Hall, as well as the Venice International Film Festival. Last month, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene backed a proposal by Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas to amend existing legislation to bar artists who perform in Russia and Belarus from staging events in the Baltic nation. In recent years, Lithuania has adopted a number of laws aimed at squeezing the Russian language out of the country’s public life and education. The Baltic nation was part of the Russian Empire prior to 1918 and part of the Soviet Union between 1940 and 1991, with ethnic Russians making up approximately 5% of its current 2.8 million population. Speaking in January, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov described as a “big mistake” the staunchly anti-Russian policies of the authorities in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland. He argued that “these countries could learn a lot from Russian culture and interaction with Russia.”

THE DEFINITION OF "WESTERN" EUROPE... #Poland

RT International

Poland must recognize same-sex marriages from other EU countries, top court rules

Poland’s top court has mandated recognition of same-sex marriages performed in other EU member states, despite such unions not being legal domest...

Top Polish court orders recognition of EU same-sex marriage documents The judges ruled in favor of couples whose unions were registered abroad despite conservative opposition Published 20 Mar, 2026 23:35 | Updated 21 Mar, 2026 00:40 Top Polish court orders recognition of EU same-sex marriage documents © Getty Images / DGLimages Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court has ordered local authorities to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other EU member states, following a ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) last year. Same-sex marriages still cannot be legally concluded in the predominantly Catholic country because Article 18 of the Polish Constitution defines marriage as a “union of a man and a woman.” On Friday, Poland’s top court ordered local authorities to register same-sex marriage certificates issued abroad in the national registry for administrative and residency purposes. In their ruling, the judges overturned a previous decision by the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw. Pro-LGBTQ groups in Poland have hailed the verdict as the “first step” toward changing the laws in their favor. EU rules on IDs of transgender citizensREAD MORE: EU rules on IDs of transgender citizens In October 2024, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-EU coalition government introduced a draft bill to recognize civil partnerships, including for same-sex couples. However, it faced pushback from the government’s conservative partner, the Polish People’s Party (PSL), as well as the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. President Karol Nawrocki, elected last June on a pledge to defend Catholic values, has ruled out signing any bill that would undermine the constitutional definition of marriage. Nawrocki has accused the EU of “ideological madness” and vowed to resist what he described as the bloc’s attempts to interfere in Polish politics. Last year, the EU’s top court ruled that Poland had violated EU law by refusing to recognize the marriage of two Polish nationals registered in Germany in 2018. The Luxembourg-based court said Polish laws violated EU guarantees of freedom of movement and the right to “lead a normal family life.” The ECJ ruling applies automatically to all 27 member states, some of which, including Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, and Slovakia, do not recognize same-sex marriages. Replies (0)