During a Senate Armed Services hearing on 4 March, a Marine veteran protesting a war fought “for Israel” was violently assaulted by a Trump senator. This occurred while police officers rough handled the protester while trying to escort him out of the building. In the process, they apparently broke the veteran’s arm.

No war for Israel

In reference to coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran, protester Brian McGinnis interrupted the hearing by saying:

America does not want to send its sons and daughters to war for Israel.

The Trump aligned republican senator Tim Sheehy has received massive amounts of money from big business and Israel lobbyists. He has called the US-Israel terror in Iran “righteous“. Moreover, his aggressive intervention seemed to break McGinnis’s arm.

Sen. @TimSheehyMT says he “decided to help out and deescalate” by breaking a man’s arm. Let’s be clear:

• The man is a Marine Corps veteran.
• He was protesting war with Iran
• Sheehy, a sitting Senator, physically attacked him until his arm SNAPPED. You can hear the crack on… pic.twitter.com/haTVcR2DQs

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— AIPAC Tracker (@TrackAIPAC) March 5, 2026

McGinnis is a firefighter and Green Party senate candidate. His campaign manager said he stood up because he “couldn’t take their lies anymore.”

He just wanted to be heard [and was] speaking loud and clear… He was assaulted, actually. They broke his arm.

The pro-Israel establishment lies

Sheehy has openly shown his excitement about the costly and destructive, trump vetted US-Israeli offensive against Iran, which has already killed over a thousand people in the country since 28 February. Furthermore, one report says the assault has cost US taxpayers over $5bn so far. It could end up costing many billions more.

As we might expect of someone who supports a country openly committing genocide, Sheehy has lied consistently to try and justify the war on Iran.

Here he is pushing this narrative:

President Trump is putting an end to Iran’s 47-year reign of terror spent murdering and maiming Americans all over the globe. Time to finish the job. pic.twitter.com/mBqkpEXyay

— Tim Sheehy (@TimSheehyMT) March 3, 2026

The truth is that, despite constant US hostility, Iran has killed far fewer US citizens in the Middle East than the US has killed Iranians.

A key question, of course, is why the hell has the US placed soldiers in the Middle East anyway, thousands of miles away from the US?

Nonetheless, Sheehy has repeated the lie that Iran is somehow a threat to US citizens, even going so far as to call Iran the:

largest destabilizing force in the region.

This is despite Israel committing genocide in Palestine. It is also attacking numerous countries in the region in recent years. And it has learned the trade from its enabler – the US. As the Canary has reported previously, the US is the ‘nation of terror‘:

the US has long terrorised people around the world to get what it wants, forcing countless civilians to flee to safety. It then celebrates the war criminals responsible. Time and again, Washington has gleefully trampled over international law

McGinnis is right. Millions of ordinary people in the US don’t want their country fighting wars thousands of miles away for a genocidal settler-colonial power. But until people like Donald Trump and Tim Sheehy no longer sit in the halls of power, that’s unlikely to change.

Featured image via the Canary

In an apparent attempt to draw a distinction between himself and the US president, Starmer said his focus “providing calm, level-headed leadership in the national interest”.

Addressing the nation from Downing Street, the PM said: “I want to reassure the British public about the action that we are taking while the region has been plunged into chaos.

“My focus is providing calm, level-headed leadership in the national interest.

“That means deploying our military and diplomatic strength to protect our people, and it means having the strength to stand firm by our values and our principles, no matter the pressure to do otherwise.”

Spain’s foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares has refuted US suggestions pushed by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt that the country has changed its stance on the US-Israel war on Iran. Levitt’s comments have reportedly sparked anger amongst Spanish politicians with Albares stating defiantly on Spain’s Cadena Ser radio:

Our ‘no to war’ stance remains clear and unequivocal.

She may be the White House press secretary, but I’m the foreign minister of Spain and I’m telling her that our position hasn’t changed at all.

“The Spanish government’s position… has not changed by a single comma.”

BREAKING: Spanish FM Jose Manuel Albares has denied that his government will cooperate with the US military attack on Iran, contradicting the White House.

🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/tdXE6QEY2O pic.twitter.com/60matbd9ih

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— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 4, 2026

Spain government: ‘No to war’

The US-Israel war on Iran began six days ago. Many international leaders have aligned themselves with what critics describe as aggressive and war-driven leadership of Trump and Netanyahu. Spain, however, has refused to be pressured into supporting or joining what it rightly views as an unjust war in the Middle East.

BREAKING

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez says no to war on Iran:

“You cannot play Russian roulette with the destiny of millions.”

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He rejects the US–Israel war on Iran.
Refuses to let Spain be complicit.
Refuses to allow Spanish bases to be used by the US. 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/6lWumfl2vP

— sarah (@sahouraxo) March 4, 2026

Spain has already distinguished itself from many Western governments through its stance on Israel’s genocide on Gaza, which it has strongly criticised. By refusing to be drawn into a wider regional conflict, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez continues to demonstrate his principled stance. The Spanish government bases this position on respect for international law and the rules-based international order.

Our own Skwawkbox wrote in January:

In a speech announcing the decision, Sánchez said that the board is not fit for purpose, criticised the exclusion of Palestinian people and their representatives and condemned Trump’s attempted extortion over Greenland and for ramping up tensions with Europe. Trump, Sánchez said, has made it clear that Europe must forge relationships with the wider world and refuse to be US vassals.

Spain is one of the few countries in Europe that hasn’t lost its mind and become neocon…

Spain urges arms embargo on Israel, calls for renewed talks on Iran’s nuclear program https://t.co/iPLkMg3FjF

— Trita Parsi (@tparsi) June 17, 2025

A stark contrast from other western leaders, as our own HG wrote yesterday:

The majority of Western leaders have shown that when shit hits the fan, and civilian lives are at stake, they will side with genocidal maniacs (Trump) instead of doing the right thing.

Except Spain, of course, which condemned:

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“unilateral military action by the US and Israel.”

It also banned the US from using Spanish military bases to attack Iran.

HG astutely pointed out the backwards nature of the response seen from Western leaders, writing:

Time after time, Western leaders have come out to condemn Iran’s retaliatory strikes. Of course, they fail to mention why they are retaliating, the thousands of people Israel has murdered, or the fact that Israel is the only Middle Eastern country that actually has nuclear weapons.

Trump is nothing but a bully. He even claimed he might have forced Israel’s hand in attacking Iran. But Western leaders are enabling his bullshit – along with Netanyahu’s. One day we will see them all in the Hague – and then they will have been against this all along.

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The White House might be trying to bully Spain into submission, however their continuing resistance has received widespread respect and recognition.

Resistance is growing

President of the European Council Antonio Costa has expressed his support in a call to PM Sanchez:

Acabo de mantener una llamada con el presidente @sanchezcastejon para expresar la plena solidaridad de la UE con España.

La UE siempre garantizará que los intereses de sus Estados miembros estén plenamente protegidos.

Reafirmamos nuestro firme compromiso con los principios del…

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— António Costa (@eucopresident) March 4, 2026

His statement in full reads:

I just held a call with President
@sanchezcastejon
to express the EU’s full solidarity with Spain.

The EU will always ensure that the interests of its Member States are fully protected.

We reaffirm our firm commitment to the principles of international law and to the rules-based international order worldwide.

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It appears divides are becoming increasingly apparent in the EU as a result of this pursuit of a war on Iran:

🇪🇸 Spain is pushing back against the narrative that Europe is lining up behind a U.S. war with Iran. Defense Minister Margarita Robles has publicly rejected NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s claim that there is “widespread support” for Donald Trump’s military campaign, making…

— Gandalv (@Microinteracti1) March 5, 2026

Post in full:

Spain is pushing back against the narrative that Europe is lining up behind a U.S. war with Iran. Defense Minister Margarita Robles has publicly rejected NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s claim that there is “widespread support” for Donald Trump’s military campaign, making it clear that Spain does not share that assessment.

The statement highlights a growing gap inside NATO and across Europe about how far the alliance should go in supporting a new conflict in the Middle East. While Washington has framed the situation as a collective security concern, Madrid is signaling that European backing is far from automatic.

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Robles’ response is notable because it directly contradicts the impression that NATO members are broadly aligned with Washington’s approach. Instead, it suggests that several European governments may be far more cautious about escalating tensions with Iran than public statements from alliance leadership might imply.

The episode also reflects a broader pattern emerging in recent years: Europe increasingly asserting its own political judgment, even when it differs from the strategic direction coming from Washington.

Whilst other far-right leaders are seemingly more than happy to descend into the abyss behind out-of-control Trump and Netanyahu:

BREAKING: Italian PM Giorgia Meloni says her country plans to send air defence systems to Gulf countries. pic.twitter.com/BR9e7bGBCz

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) March 5, 2026

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No to WWIII

It is clear Spain is holding firm in refusing to support this illegal war of aggression against the Iranian population, which has seen over a 1000 murdered by US and Israeli bombs.

Let’s hope this courage spreads across the west before we are all pulled into WWIII by weak, timid leaders.

Featured image via the Canary

Prof. Petro Nicolaides is the Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Friends of Cyprus and Conservative Party Member and activist for over 40 years. He serves in governance roles across various organisations.

When sovereign British territory is attacked, the response should be immediate, clear and firm.

What we saw after the strike on RAF Akrotiri was none of those things. Instead, Keir Starmer chose hesitation, hedging and bureaucratic language.

That is not caution. It is paralysis.

And in the eastern Mediterranean, paralysis invites trouble.

This was a direct attack on British Sovereign territory. The Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus are not leased facilities or convenient outposts. They are British, retained under the 1960 independence settlement that created The Republic of Cyprus. An attack on Akrotiri is an attack on the United Kingdom. It is that simple.

The correct response to an attack on sovereign territory is deterrence. Instead, Downing Street reached for minimisation: “limited damage”, “no casualties”, “no escalation”. That language may produce calming headlines at home, but it signals something far more dangerous abroad — hesitation.

Deterrence relies on clarity. If hostile actors believe Britain responds to kinetic attacks with reviews, process and ambiguity, they will push again. And they will push harder.

Not only was this letting down a Commonwealth Partner but also an EU ally. Cyprus is not just a host nation. It is a Commonwealth partner and a member of the European Union. It currently holds the Presidency of the EU Council. British bases on the island have always been justified as mutually beneficial — enhancing regional security while reinforcing Cyprus’s stability. Yet when those bases became targets, the Cypriot government was left scrambling to reassure its own people.

From Nicosia’s perspective, the message was stark: Britain keeps sovereign territory on the island, conducts military operations from it, but hesitates when those operations generate risk.

That imbalance is politically poisonous. It feeds the perception that Britain is willing to externalise danger onto Cyprus without fully accepting the responsibility that comes with it. For a small EU state on Europe’s geopolitical fault line, that looks less like partnership and more like exploitation.

Starmer is excercising responsibility without resolve.

Under the Treaty of Guarantee, the UK is one of three guarantor powers — alongside Greece and Turkey — charged with upholding Cyprus’s independence and security. The treaty may not mandate automatic retaliation, but its meaning is clear. Britain accepted an ongoing security responsibility in return for retaining sovereign bases. That bargain carries real weight.

A guarantor power cannot credibly claim to uphold security while appearing reluctant to confront threats linked directly to its own installations. Hesitation hollows out the guarantor role until it becomes little more than symbolism. A guarantor that hesitates is no guarantor at all.

But even if these things in themselves weren’t important Starmer has quite simply sent the wrong signal at the worst moment The eastern Mediterranean is crowded, volatile and heavily watched. Every move is read as a signal. By choosing restraint without visible reinforcement — no posture shift, no rapid defensive surge, no muscular diplomatic response — the UK projected ambiguity when clarity was needed most.

Allies notice this. EU partners see a Britain still reliant on Mediterranean basing but reluctant to lead. Commonwealth states see strategic privileges without matching resolve. Adversaries see an invitation to probe.

Credibility is not built in speeches. It is built in moments of pressure. And once credibility erodes, it is difficult to restore.

That’s why it’s so damning that we can see this is domestic politics over strategic duty. It is hard to avoid the conclusion that domestic political calculation played a role. A new government, anxious to avoid entanglement, instinctively dampened rhetoric and avoided confrontation.

But global leadership is not compatible with reflexive risk‑aversion. The UK claims a global defence posture. It fields one of the world’s most capable militaries. It sits on the UN Security Council. Yet when its own sovereign territory was struck, it responded with managerial language rather than strategic intent.

That gap between posture and performance is corrosive.

Britain under Starmer has failed the test.

The question is not whether Britain should have retaliated militarily. That is a false argument. The real question is whether Britain demonstrated unmistakable resolve — to defend its territory and to reassure its ally. It did not.

A guarantor power must show three things:

• Speed — immediate recognition and response
• Clarity — a firm framing of the act as unacceptable
• Deterrence — visible steps to prevent repetition

What we saw instead was procedure, not strategy. For Cyprus, that hesitation weakens confidence in the security architecture that underpins its post‑independence existence.

But this extends beyond Cyprus. This does not end at Akrotiri. If Britain appears uncertain about defending its own sovereign territory, how persuasive are its commitments elsewhere — from NATO’s eastern flank to the Indo‑Pacific?

Credibility is indivisible. A falter in Cyprus echoes far beyond the Mediterranean.

Caution is not strength. Sir Keir Starmer may present this as measured statecraft — keeping channels open, avoiding escalation. But excessive caution in the face of aggression is not wisdom. It is vulnerability. By reacting slowly and softly, the government risks undermining deterrence, weakening trust with an ally, diluting its guarantor role and encouraging further tests.

A guarantor power that hesitates at the moment of challenge does more than misjudge the situation.

It diminishes itself.

2 min read27 min

The government is set to bring forward legislation permitting an additional 11 ministerial roles to be paid with a salary, PoliticsHome understands.

The reforms, which are expected to be brought forward today by Paymaster General Nick Thomas-Symonds, are designed to bring the total number of paid ministerial roles in line with the average size of government since 2010, which is around 120 ministers. Under current legislation, the limit is 109. 

As things stand, 12 ministers in the Labour government serve without pay.

The new salaries are expected to be largely allocated to ministers in the House of Lords, who are often seen as experts in their fields.

The government is expected to argue that it is not right that a number of ministerial roles favour those who have the financial means to fulfill them without a salary.

A government source told PoliticsHome: “The current Cabinet has the highest proportion of state-educated members in history, and the Prime Minister believes that ministerial office should not be reserved for those wealthy enough to fund it for themselves.”

Ministers will also argue that the reforms will help improve transparency by ending the practice of ‘borrowing’ whips’ salaries to fund departmental roles, which successive governments have used when organising their payroll.

The salaries themselves are expected to remain at the same level.

Rare diseases affect approximately 3.5 million people in the UK – with 1 in 17 impacted by one of the 10,000 known rare conditions at some point in their lives – a collective prevalence similar to cancer.^1,2 However, with each rare disease affecting so few people, these conditions are often overlooked.

Many rare conditions are life-limiting or life-threatening, making access to a timely diagnosis, expert care and effective treatment critically important. In healthcare systems geared towards more common diseases, it can be difficult for people with rare diseases to navigate and access the specialist services they need.³ This results in poor health outcomes and experiences of care – challenges that have been reflected in the UK Rare Disease Framework since 2021, with work underway to measure its impact.⁴

In late 2025, health ministers from all four nations agreed to extend the UK Rare Diseases Framework by one year through to February 2027.⁵ Over the next 12 months, it is critical that this time is used to determine the long-term priorities for the rare disease community, those specific areas where national policy and coordination can make the most meaningful impact, and how best to track progress.

Every year, Rare Disease Day takes place on 28th February – or 29th February in leap years to coincide with the rarest of days – to raise awareness of all rare conditions. Work by patient organisations underlines how low awareness of rare conditions makes it harder for others to relate to their experiences. As a result, empathy, understanding and support can be harder to find.⁶

For Rare Disease Day 2026, Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease and the Wolves Foundation have partnered to raise the visibility of rare diseases and support the foundation’s disability football programme and the Wolves Wishes initiative.

Wolves Wishes organises memorable club-related experiences for fans facing health challenges. The Premier League fixture between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa, which took place on 27th February, featured the disability teams playing at half-time to mark Rare Disease Day. 

The team wore a kit they had designed themselves, reflecting the diverse and unique nature of rare conditions. They showed their skills and beat the Aston Villa team 1-0, with both home and away fans united in their support for these important players and cause. 

Through the partnership, Alexion is supporting the foundation’s eight disability teams by providing new kit for the players and backing the Wolves Wishes project.

“This partnership reflects our shared values of equity and inclusion, while raising awareness of rare diseases with a broad audience,” said Deborah Richards, Managing Director of Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease UK. “Rare diseases often bring challenges that aren’t always visible, but they have a clear impact on those they affect and their families. Through this partnership, we can help make rare disease more visible and build greater understanding within the football community and beyond.”

“Our disability football and Wolves Wishes programmes are built on years of evidence showing how sport and local communities can transform lives,” said Kieron Ansell, Head of Business Development at the Wolves Foundation. “Through our partnership with Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease UK, we can continue this important work while also shining a light on rare disease awareness. It shows that local children and families are seen and valued, and that their health challenges are recognised beyond the medical world, which can make a real difference, particularly for those at the beginning of their diagnostic journey.”

To find out more about the Wolves Foundation visit, https://foundation.wolves.co.uk/. To find out more about Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease UK, visit https://alexion.com/worldwide/UK.

This article was developed and funded by Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease.

M/UK/NP/0191 | March 2026

References

1. https://geneticalliance.org.uk/news/rare-conditions-the-stories-behind-the-stats/

2. https://www.macmillan.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/research/cancer-prevalence

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3. https://shca.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/SHCA-Health-Inequalities-Report.pdf

4. https://geneticalliance.org.uk/news/rare-conditions-the-stories-behind-the-stats/

5. https://geneticalliance.org.uk/our-campaign-for-a-new-uk-rare-diseases-framework/

6. https://shca.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/‘Are-you-okay-Rare-diseases-and-mental-health-–-A-case-study-report.pdf