FM: evacuation of Poles from Israel and Jordan nearing completion

Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said on 4 March 2026 that the evacuation of Polish citizens from Israel and Jordan is in its final stage. He said some people were taken overland to Egypt with support from Polish consuls, and that airports in Egypt remain open. According to the foreign ministry, 736 Poles have so far left Egypt as part of the evacuation effort. About 800 people have left Jordan, including around 300 in the past 24 hours. Sikorski said around 30 Poles are still in Israel and are yet to leave the country. He added that there are no new requests requiring evacuation from the Jordanian direction.

The foreign minister said the situation in Lebanon is more complicated than in Israel and Jordan. He also said the largest concentration of Polish citizens in the region is in the United Arab Emirates. He added that numerous flights are expected from the UAE in the coming days, and that the Polish government is seeking the option for some of them to operate to Warsaw

NASA publishes photo from total lunar eclipse

NASA published a photograph on 4 March 2026 taken during the total lunar eclipse on 3 March 2026. The image shows the Moon partially covered by Earth’s shadow above a ridge near Knolls, Utah. NASA said the shot was captured as the Moon was exiting the umbra, the darkest part of Earth’s shadow. The photo is credited to Bill Dunford and was released by NASA. The publication is part of NASA’s educational materials on eclipses and skywatching.

NASA notes that total lunar eclipses occur when the Moon passes through Earth’s shadow and the lunar disc can take on a reddish colour. The material includes an observing description and links to additional eclipse resources. The photo documents the event as seen on 3 March, depending on time zones and viewing location.

Total lunar eclipse, New Orleans, Louisiana, 3 March 2026. Photo: Eric Bordelon / NASA (MAF)

Samsung and Vodafone validate vRAN call on Intel Xeon 6

Samsung and Vodafone said on 3 March 2026 they completed validation of a radio access network call using virtualised RAN. The companies said they made the first call using Samsung’s vRAN running on an Intel Xeon 6 SoC platform. The test was carried out in Europe as part of work on cloud-native network architecture and Open RAN. The statement said the project builds on Vodafone’s ongoing Open RAN rollout in Germany. The companies said the validation is intended to support the development of more highly automated networks, including functions linked to the use of AI.

They did not disclose throughput figures or comparative results against existing hardware platforms. No commercial deployment timetable was announced as a direct outcome of the test. The companies said further work will cover additional software development and integration of network components. The statement did not include contract values or the scale of any future hardware purchases.

Złoty: NBP rates and market quotes after Middle East escalation

On 4 March 2026, the National Bank of Poland published its mid-market reference table, setting the euro at 4.2685 zlotys and the US dollar at 3.6770 zlotys. In the same table, sterling was set at 4.9125 zlotys and the Swiss franc at 4.6935 zlotys. On the foreign-exchange market at 12:44 CET (11:44 UTC), EUR/PLN was quoted at 4.26594 and USD/PLN at 3.66616. In the same snapshot, EUR/USD was quoted at 1.16360.

Market moves were being watched on a day when the conflict escalation in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel and Iran remained in focus. Alongside tensions in the region, commodity prices remained elevated, and at 12:44 CET (11:44 UTC) WTI crude was quoted at $74.93 per barrel. The NBP rates apply for the publication date of 4 March 2026, while market quotes change in real time.

Russia calls French nuclear plan destabilising

Russia said on 4 March 2026 that France’s plan to expand its nuclear arsenal is destabilising and poses a potential threat to Moscow. The statement followed remarks by President Emmanuel Macron about strengthening France’s nuclear capabilities. Macron said European allies could take part in exercises related to France’s nuclear deterrent. France and Germany set up a steering group to discuss deterrence issues.

Russia’s foreign ministry said the direction of Paris’s moves could extend the nuclear dimension of deterrence in Europe. The Kremlin said French and British nuclear forces should be taken into account in any future talks on strategic balance. Russia said it is ready for such talks after the New START treaty expires. France did not announce changes to its rules governing the use of nuclear weapons, referring instead to developing deterrence.

Explosions in Tehran and alerts near Jerusalem

On Wednesday, 4 March 2026, explosions were reported in Tehran as the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel entered its fifth day. The Israeli military said it carried out a series of strikes on targets in the Iranian capital, citing sites linked to the Basij and internal security structures. Iran launched another salvo of ballistic missiles towards Israel, and Israeli air defences were activated.

Explosions were heard near Jerusalem as incoming missiles were intercepted. Israeli authorities said most of the incoming rockets were intercepted. Officials said that after four days of fighting, almost 800 people had been killed in Iran, 50 in Lebanon and 11 in Israel.

The Pentagon said six US soldiers were killed in a drone attack in Kuwait and identified four of them. Iranian state television reported that the mourning ceremony for Ali Khamenei was postponed due to intense strikes on Tehran.

Photo: Hossein Velayati / CC BY 4.0

Currency and precious metal rates (2026-03-04 11:00 UTC)

Currency rates (2026-03-04 11:00 UTC)
1 EUR = 4.2638 PLN
1 USD = 3.6647 PLN
1 CHF = 4.6909 PLN
1 GBP = 4.9021 PLN
1 EUR = 1.1635 USD

Precious metals (2026-03-04 11:00 UTC)
GOLD = 5192.90 USD/oz
SILVER = 86.13 USD/oz


Data: foreign exchange – interbank FX market, metals – XAU/USD and XAG/USD spot (OTC). Values represent a market snapshot at the time of publication and do not constitute investment advice.

F1 2026 season begins in Australia with 22 drivers

The 2026 Formula 1 season will begin on the weekend of 6–8 March with the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne. A total of 22 drivers will line up on the grid, as the field expands to 11 teams. Cadillac joins the championship as a new team, marking the first new entry to Formula 1 since Haas debuted in 2016.

The 2026 season opens a new technical era with simultaneous regulation changes covering both the cars and the power units. The rules include a new car concept and revised hybrid power unit requirements, including a greater share of electric power and fuel specified as fully sustainable.

The season calendar is set to feature 24 rounds, with the next race after Australia scheduled to be the Chinese Grand Prix on the weekend of 13–15 March. Teams completed their winter preparations and pre-season testing in Bahrain in February. The first practice sessions in Melbourne will open the on-track fight for the drivers’ and constructors’ titles under the new, expanded grid.

Photo: Morio / CC BY-SA 4.0

Russia condemns strikes on Iran and issues warnings

After the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Russian authorities publicly condemned U.S. and Israeli actions against Iran. The Kremlin said Vladimir Putin described Khamenei’s killing as a “cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law” and called for an end to military action. Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued statements criticising the start of a military operation against Iran. On 3 March 2026, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia had seen no evidence that Iran was developing nuclear weapons.

Dmitry Medvedev warned that efforts aimed at changing Iran’s leadership could lead to a third world war. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Iran’s membership of BRICS does not entail an obligation to provide assistance in the event of armed aggression. Russian authorities did not announce any decision to provide Iran with military support in connection with the ongoing attacks.

Vladimir Putin, Photo: Kremlin.ru (CC BY 4.0)

Police and Border Guard operation: 140 detained after checks

On 2 and 3 March 2026, Poland’s police and Border Guard carried out a nationwide operation to verify the legality of foreigners’ stay. Nearly 1,800 checks were conducted and more than 140 people were detained. Following the checks, 130 proceedings were launched to oblige individuals to return. In nearly 110 cases the proceedings concerned illegal stay, and in more than 20 cases authorities cited grounds related to a threat to state security. The operation involved more than 700 Border Guard officers from all units and a total of nearly 26,500 police officers.

In parallel, a nationwide operation targeting wanted persons resulted in 1,944 arrests of people sought on arrest warrants and orders to be brought in, including 147 foreign nationals. Among those 147 were 91 Ukrainian citizens, 14 Georgians, eight Belarusians, three Moldovans and two Russians, with 29 from other countries. Seven people were also detained on the basis of European Arrest Warrants and Interpol Red Notices, including a Brazilian citizen wanted for robbery and a Belarusian citizen wanted in an online fraud case. Police submitted 112 requests to the Border Guard for decisions ordering foreigners to return.