admin

Drones hit the U.S. embassy compound in Riyadh

by

On 3 March 2026, drones struck the U.S. embassy compound in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defence said two drones hit the facility. The strike caused a limited fire and material damage on the site. Available statements did not report any casualties.

The U.S. embassy told American citizens not to approach the embassy until further notice. The mission also cancelled citizen services appointments for that day, including emergency appointments. U.S. notices also warned of the risk of missile and drone attacks in the Dhahran area and urged people not to visit the consulate there.

Saudi Arabia’s cabinet said it would take all necessary measures to protect the country’s security, territory and population. The announcements did not specify the perpetrators of the attack or any follow-up action.

Trump threatens to halt all U.S. trade with Spain

by

On 3 March 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would halt all trade with Spain. He made the remark at the White House during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Trump linked the threat to Madrid’s decision not to allow the Rota and Morón bases to be used for missions connected to strikes on Iran.

The Spanish government said the bases are on Spanish territory under Spanish sovereignty and that they were not used for attacks on Iran. In the days after Spain’s decision, 15 U.S. aircraft departed from Rota and Morón. Trump also criticised Spain in the context of defence spending and NATO targets. Merz said publicly that Spain is part of the European Union and cannot be carved out from EU-wide trade arrangements.

On 4 March, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez criticised Trump’s threats in a televised address. Spanish authorities did not announce any formal U.S. executive action to restrict trade.

Father of accused teenager convicted after Georgia shooting

by

A jury in Barrow County, Georgia, found Colin Gray guilty on 27 counts linked to the shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder. The charges included second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and offences related to endangerment and neglect. The case concerns the attack on 4 September 2024, when Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time, opened fire at the school. Two students and two teachers were killed and nine people were wounded.

Prosecutors argued that the father enabled his son to access the firearm used in the attack. During the trial, it was reported that the weapon had been a gift for his son in December 2023. The defence argued that the defendant did not know his son would carry out an attack. The date for Colin Gray’s sentencing has not been specified, and he faces a prison term of more than 100 years.

Colt Gray is awaiting trial and faces 55 charges, including four counts of murder.

Farewell to Khamenei in Tehran to last three days

by

On 4 March 2026, a farewell ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is due to begin in Tehran. The مراسم is set to start at 10:00 pm local time at the Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall (Mosalla) in the capital. The plan was announced by Hojjatoleslam Mahmoudi, head of Iran’s Islamic Propagation Coordination Council. He said the farewell would run for three days to allow residents to pay their respects. Mahmoudi said the venue would remain open to visitors throughout the mourning period.

Details of the funeral procession are to be announced at a later date. Iranian state media have reported that Khamenei was killed on Saturday in U.S. and Israeli air strikes. Official statements said he was 86. No date or location for the burial was specified in the announcement.

US and Ecuador launch joint operations against narco-terror groups

by

On 3 March 2026, U.S. and Ecuadorian forces began joint operations in Ecuador targeting designated terrorist organisations linked to drug trafficking. The start of the action was announced by U.S. Southern Command. The U.S. side said the operations were being conducted together with Ecuador’s armed forces.

The United States and Ecuador did not disclose details of the scope, conduct or outcomes of the action. Ecuador’s Ministry of Defence classified information about the operation as confidential. Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa had previously announced a coordinated campaign against “narco-terrorism” and illegal mining with international partners, with a planned start in March.

Official statements said the aim of the action was to curb violence and criminal activity tied to drug trafficking in Ecuador. The U.S. side did not say whether the operations include kinetic strikes or whether there were any casualties. U.S. authorities had earlier designated Ecuadorian groups Los Choneros and Los Lobos as foreign terrorist organisations.

Capsule-based gut microbiota therapy targeted at C. difficile

by

Human Biome S.A. and Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences are running a project to develop an oral FMT therapy in the form of an ecobiotic containing concentrated and preserved human gut microbiota together with an extracellular matrix. The project is being carried out under the European Funds for a Modern Economy programme. The aim is to prepare a product intended to treat Clostridioides difficile infections.

The work plan includes standardising the microbiota production process through to preservation and developing methods to assess viability and biodiversity using microbiological, molecular and cytometric techniques. The project includes comparing four preservation methods and selecting the most suitable one. It also includes developing an encapsulation process intended to protect microorganisms from oxygen and enable effective release in the large intestine.

The plan assumes efficacy testing in an animal model, including a comparison of the encapsulated product with a reference frozen preparation. The project documentation sets outcome requirements, including storage at around 5°C for at least six months without freezing and a minimum bacterial viability level of 45%.

Trump and Merz discussed Iran at the White House

by

On 3 March 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Washington. The talks took place in the Oval Office at the White House. Trump said Germany was “helping”, including by enabling U.S. forces access to selected bases and facilities. He said the United States was not asking Germany to send troops and did not expect “boots on the ground” from Berlin.

Trump called Merz an “excellent leader” and said he had a good relationship with him. He said securing an agreement to end Russia’s war in Ukraine remained very high on his list of priorities. Trump also said the United States had enough ammunition for operations against Iran and for sales to Europe to support Ukraine.

Merz said the two countries agreed on the need to remove Iran’s current leadership and said they would discuss the “day after” in Tehran. The chancellor said after the meeting that he urged Trump to increase pressure on Vladimir Putin and stressed that any durable agreement on Ukraine would require Europe’s backing.

Currency and precious metal rates (2026-03-04 06:00 UTC)

by

Currency rates (2026-03-04 06:00 UTC)
1 EUR = 4.2976 PLN
1 USD = 3.7070 PLN
1 CHF = 4.7400 PLN
1 GBP = 4.9366 PLN
1 EUR = 1.1593 USD

Precious metals (2026-03-04 06:00 UTC)
GOLD = 5161.40 USD/oz
SILVER = 84.78 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.

Indian Wells: five Poles in the WTA and ATP singles draws

by

On 4 March 2026, the BNP Paribas Open begins in Indian Wells, USA, on the WTA and ATP tours. Five Polish players will compete in the singles events scheduled for 4–15 March: Iga Świątek, Magdalena Fręch, Magda Linette, Kamil Majchrzak and Hubert Hurkacz. Świątek, seeded No. 2, will start from the second round and has won the Indian Wells title twice, in 2022 and 2024.

Her first opponent will be the winner of the Francesca Jones–Kayla Day match. Fręch will face qualifier Storm Hunter in the first round. Linette will open against Ashlyn Krueger. In the ATP draw, Majchrzak will play Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round. Hurkacz will meet Aleksandar Kovacevic in the first round. First-round matches in Indian Wells are scheduled for 4 March.

Iran: opposition points to Mojtaba Khamenei as successor

by

Iran’s Assembly of Experts, an 88-member clerical body, was due to select a successor to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on Saturday in a U.S.-Israeli strike. Iran’s opposition said the new supreme spiritual and political leader of Iran is Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, the late leader’s son. According to information carried by Iran International, Mojtaba’s selection was made under pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Manoto News reported that one member of the Assembly of Experts sent Mojtaba an official condolence message describing him as a “well-rounded jurist” who meets the criteria for leadership.

The report said Ali Khamenei had served as Iran’s supreme leader for nearly 37 years. The article described Mojtaba as a long-time intermediary between his father and the state’s security structures, and as a figure linked to the IRGC and the Basij. It also said the U.S. State Department imposed sanctions on Mojtaba Khamenei in 2019. The stated rationale was his cooperation with his father in maintaining Iran’s system of power and involvement in actions destabilising the region. The publication did not cite an official Iranian government statement confirming the appointment of a new supreme leader.

Photo: Mehrdad Esfahani / Student News Agency