Tucker Carlson has said Donald Trump is a “slave” to Israel over his decision to go to war in Iran.

The right-wing podcaster’s comments came as talks between the US and Tehran aimed at ending the conflict broke down without agreement.

Carlson, a former close ally of Trump, said the war was “the single biggest mistake that any American president in my lifetime has made”.

The US president, alongside Israel, launched military action against Iran on February 28.

Despite declaring victory on numerous occasions since then, the regime in Tehran remains in place, and has triggered a global economic crisis by effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz.

On BBC 1′s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Carlson said: “The whole thing is a fantasy. The United States went to war in Iran in order to effect regime change, to throw out the people who run the country and collapse it, at the behest and then the demand of Israel, and that’s a demand the Israelis have made of the US government for decades.

“President Trump fell for it, did it, and I think he recognised immediately that it was a mistake and that it is very difficult to extricate yourself from a war like this once it has begun.

“I think the net effect, and I think the president himself has said this, is at best to leave the regime in place, give that regime control over commodities that flow through the Strait [of Hormuz], in effect to make Iran more powerful than it was on February 27.”

Asked by presenter Victoria Derbyshire what his relationship is like with Trump now, Carlson said: “I feel sorry for him, as I do for all slaves. He is not free in this moment at all to do what is best for himself or his country.

“He’s not free and we learned that yesterday when Donald Trump announced a ceasefire, clearly with relief, and made its terms public and then that ceasefire ended within two hours because Israel potentially violated the terms by attacking not just southern Lebanon but the city of Beirut.”

Derbyshire then asked him: “Are you saying he’s a slave to Benjamin Netanyahu?”

Carlson replied: “I don’t think it’s as simple as he’s under the control of Netanyahu, but you could summarise it that way and you wouldn’t be totally inaccurate.

“We know this because the single biggest mistake that Trump or any American president in my lifetime has made was going to war with Iran in an effort to change its regime.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Carlson also denied that he is an anti-semite.

He said: “Unlike the UK, we have a first amendment. So if I was an anti-semite I guess I would just say so at this point, I don’t know why I would lie about it.

“But I have opposed it in public consistently for my entire public life.”

Carlson added: “Doubtless there are anti-semites who don’t like Israel. I’m not an anti-semite, I don’t hate Israel.

“The Israeli government steered the United States into a war that hurts the United States and the world. I’m offended by that, I didn’t want it and I’m mad about it now.

“I have every right to feel that way, that does not make me an anti-semite.”

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Engaging in “mentally active” activities versus “mentally passive” ones while sitting or lounging may affect your risk for dementia, according to a recent study.

In a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine last month, researchers evaluated over 20,000 adult participants in Sweden, most of whom were women. Researchers administered a baseline questionnaire to participants in 1997 to assess their mentally passive sedentary behaviours, such as watching TV and listening to music. They also assessed their mentally active sedentary behaviours, such as office work or knitting and sewing. Their light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was also assessed using questionnaires. The participants were evaluated for incident dementia nearly two decades later.

The study found that mentally passive sedentary behaviour ― for example, watching TV ― was associated with a higher incidence of dementia. But adding mentally active sedentary behaviour (needlepointing, anyone?) showed promising outcomes.

Researchers found that each additional hour of mentally active sedentary behaviour a day was associated with a 4% lower risk of dementia — and that adding mentally active sedentary behaviour showed a higher protective effect for participants aged 50 to 64.

The study also found that replacing one hour of mentally passive sedentary behaviour with one hour of active sedentary behaviour was associated with a 7% decreased risk. What’s more, adding one hour of mentally active sedentary behaviour, while maintaining the same passive sedentary behaviour and light and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, was associated with a 11% decrease in incident dementia risk.

Researchers noted that the study had some limitations. For starters, the study began in 1997, before the vast introduction of smartphones, social media and video streaming — which are now very common ways people engage in sedentary behaviour.

Dr. Hussein Yassine, a professor of neurology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, emphasised to NBC News that phone and social media usage, which are considered mentally passive behaviours, may pose risks to our ability to concentrate.

“It’s going to be affecting your ability to process information and potentially build synapses in certain areas in the brain that help with concentrating,” Yassine told the outlet. “So the next time you have a serious task or you need to concentrate, you’re less capable because your brain networks have been hijacked by this passive reception.”

Among several other limitations cited in the study: Researchers pointed out that cognitive assessments were not done at the start, and it’s possible the sample may have included more prevalent cases of dementia, which may have resulted in a bias in the results.

Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University and CNN wellness expert, told CNN that one explanation for the results of the study could be due to the fact that “the brain benefits from being challenged.”

“Cognitive engagement helps maintain neural connections and may support what’s called cognitive reserve, which is the brain’s ability to adapt and compensate for changes over time,” she said. “When people spend long periods in activities that require very little mental effort, those pathways may not be stimulated in the same way. Over the course of months and years, that lack of engagement could contribute to decline in memory and thinking.”

Wen cautioned, though, that the study doesn’t prove cause and effect.

“It’s possible that people with better baseline cognitive function are more likely to choose mentally engaging activities,” she said. “So, while the findings are compelling, they should be interpreted as an association rather than proof that choosing passive activities directly leads to dementia.”

Research has shown that engaging in mentally stimulating activities, in addition to staying physically active, can be beneficial for your brain health.

Dr. Dylan Wint, director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, previously emphasised the importance of strengthening the brain in an interview with HuffPost.

“You could try brain games, a new hobby, taking a class at a college or community centre, or learning a new language or instrument,” Wint said. “When determining whether an activity can have some cognitive benefit, what’s most important is that you are challenged and learning.”

Wes Streeting has condemned Donald Trump’s “incendiary, provocative and outrageous” threat to destroy Iranian civilisation.

The health secretary accused the US president of using “rhetoric which people might find shocking” in the most outspoken attack on him so far by a government minister.

Streeting took aim at Trump after peace talks between America and Iran broke up without agreement.

Trump sparked an angry backlash last week when he claimed that “an entire civilisation will die tonight” unless Tehran re-opened the Strait of Hormuz.

A ceasefire was agreed at the last minute, but the vitally important waterway remains effectively blocked to oil traffic.

On Sky News on Sunday morning, Streeting said: “Over the course of the past week, President Trump has said some pretty bold, in Yes Minister language, incendiary, provocative, outrageous things on social media.

“I think we’ve all come to learn that you judge President Trump through what he does, not just what he says.”

Trump has also launched repeated attacks on Keir Starmer over the UK’s initial refusal to allow the US jets to use RAF bases to launch their attacks on Iran.

He said the prime minister was “no Winston Churchill” and has also compared him to his Hitler-appeasing predecessor Neville Chamberlain.

Streeting said the so-called special relationship had been “undoubtedly strained” by the split over Iran, but insisted the two countries still enjoyed a strong partnership.

He said: “We are old and close friends and we’ve got a shared outlook as democratic countries and we’ve got shared security interests.

“So all of that partnership continues to go on. The point I’m making is you have to distinguish between some of the rhetoric which people might find shocking, and then the reality.

“There were lots of people who went to bed earlier this week with President Trump threatening the end of Iranian civilisation, wondering what on earth would happen overnight, and woke up to a very different picture next morning.

“That’s the point we’re making. There’s a difference between what he says and what he does, and the prime minister has kept level-headed cool, calm leadership that I think the public have appreciated and respected.”

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We’ve all been there. Whether it’s a fight with a partner or a tense moment with a co-worker, something gets triggered and suddenly it feels like your nervous system has been hijacked. You say or do something you regret later and think: How could I have handled that better?

The frustrating part is that trying to “think” your way through it in the moment often doesn’t work.

“When you’re mid-fight and your nervous system is flooded, your rational brain is offline,” Erica Schwartzberg, somatic therapist at Downtown Somatic Therapy, told HuffPost. “That’s why ‘just calm down’ or ‘let’s talk about this rationally’ doesn’t work. You have to regulate your body first. Then your brain comes back online, and you can have a productive conversation.”

But when you’re already dysregulated, it helps to adjust your expectations. As Toni Teixeria, licensed clinical social worker at Strong at the Core Counseling, put it, “When you are already dysregulated, it is often hard to get regulated.” The goal isn’t instant calm. It’s to “bring your thinking brain back online so that you can make the best choice in the situation.”

That’s why simple actions matter. In the middle of a fight, “doing small things is best,” she said, especially because “doing something complicated or forgetting what to do may increase your frustration.”

And importantly, this isn’t about suppressing what you feel. As Schwartzberg noted, “These exercises aren’t about suppressing your feelings or ‘being nice’ when you’re legitimately hurt or angry. They’re about creating enough space between stimulus and response so you can choose how to express yourself instead of just reacting.”

Below are a few quick, physical ways to shift your state just enough to move from reacting to responding.

This might seem almost too simple, but it’s powerful. By taking a step back in the middle of a conflict, Teixeria said, “You are physically changing your position to move into a safer state.” It becomes a literal cue to your body that “you don’t need to fight.”

This simple movement can soften the body’s impulse to stay in “fight” mode by signaling that you don’t need to engage at full intensity.

“Research on ‘psychological distancing’ shows that stepping into more of an observer perspective can support emotional regulation,” Teixeria explains. “Creating even a small amount of physical space between you and the stressor gives you a chance to shift your perspective and interrupt the stress cycle, which may help dial down the surge of stress chemicals keeping you in a heightened, reactive state.”

Schwartzberg calls this her favourite, and for good reason.

The practice is simple, and maybe a little fun. “Relax your lips and blow air through them so they vibrate/flutter (like a horse snorting or making a ‘brrrr’ sound).” Let your face soften and continue for a few seconds.

What’s happening underneath is surprisingly powerful. As Schwartzberg explains, “This technique releases tension in your face and jaw,” which are two places we instinctively tighten during conflict. When those muscles soften, it sends a bottom-up signal of safety to your nervous system.

There’s also a neurological component. According to Schwartzberg, the vibration stimulates the vagus nerve through the facial muscles while creating a gentle “pattern interrupt.” In other words, it disrupts the escalation loop just enough to give you a reset.

And then there’s the human element. “It’s nearly impossible to stay furious while making horse noises,” she said. That tiny moment of absurdity can add just enough lightness to break the intensity.

This one might require you to step out of the room for a moment, but can be incredibly effective.

Basically, according to Schwartzberg, you’re going to physically shake your hands, arms, legs, or whole body for 10 to 30 seconds. “Let it be loose, floppy, and uncontrolled,” she said.

Why does it work? “When you’re in fight-or-flight, your body is flooded with stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline) and physical tension. Animals in the wild literally shake after a threat to discharge that energy as a trauma release,” Schwartzberg explains. “Humans need to do this too, but we’ve been socialized to ‘hold it together.’”

Shaking does the opposite, said Schwartzberg, because “it completes the stress cycle your body started,” allowing that activation to move through instead of getting stuck.

A sigh is more than just an expression ― it’s also a reset. “Sighing tends to reset your nervous system,” Teixeira explains, especially because it creates “a longer exhale which helps your parasympathetic nervous system to begin to settle you down.”

Physiologically, “a long, audible exhale helps your heart rate to slow down,” activating the vagus nerve ― your body’s internal calming system ― and helping shift you out of fight-or-flight.

One practical note: Sighing can be misinterpreted. People might confuse your sighing for frustration, which is why Teixeira suggests naming it so it doesn’t escalate things, letting the other person know you’re taking a pause rather than expressing annoyance.

Coming from her work as an EMDR therapist, Schwartzberg said this one is especially useful when conflict feels emotionally overwhelming.

The setup: “Cross your arms over your chest… and slowly alternate tapping your shoulders (left, right, left, right).”

The butterfly hug uses “bilateral stimulation, alternating left-right tapping, to calm the amygdala (your brain’s fear and threat-detection center), and helps the left and right hemispheres of the brain reconnect,” Schwartzberg explains.

In a dysregulated state, those systems aren’t communicating well, said Schwartzberg, because our thinking brain and emotional brain aren’t linking up. The rhythmic left-right tapping helps restore that connection.

There’s also a deeply human layer to it, too. The motion “mimics being rocked or held, which is deeply soothing to your nervous system,” she said. “Especially if you’re feeling attacked or alone in the conflict.”

According to Teixeria, conflict narrows your focus. “When there is [perceived] danger we are locked on it,” she said. And in an argument, that “danger” becomes the other person, and can easily dysregulate our nervous system.

That’s where orienting comes in. “Looking around is a way to send signals to your nervous system that you are safe,” she explains. By scanning your environment, you interrupt that tunnel vision and remind your brain this isn’t a life-or-death situation. You might even repeat: “I am in a room with four walls and a ceiling, not in a life-or-death struggle.”

This, Teixeria said, helps your brain recognise that you’re safe, so you can actually step out of survival mode.

Chef comment provided by Stuart Gillies, chef-owner for Number Eight, Sevenoaks and Bank House, Chislehurst, and Luca Meola, chef-owner of Rossella, Italian restaurant and deli in Kentish Town.

Recently, HuffPost UK asked chefs to share the very best meals they could think to make with rhubarb and leeks.

The seasonal staples are especially delicious in spring and early summer. But what about a good ol’ tin of butter beans, which lasts year-round?

Here, we asked chefs Stuart Gillies and Luca Meola to share their favourite meals to make with this “fibremaxxer’s” fave:

Usually, the classic French salad contains potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, green beans, olives, lettuce, tomato, and tuna.

On top lies a tangy garlic, anchovy, mustard, vinegar, and olive oil dressing.

But for a “creamier” version, chef Gillies said you can’t go wrong with a can of butter beans in place of the usual spuds.

“I love adding them into a Niçoise-style salad ― they bring a natural creaminess and make the dish feel more substantial, while still keeping it fresh and balanced,” he told us.

“Tossed with green beans, tomatoes, olives and a sharp vinaigrette, it’s a really satisfying, protein-rich plate that works perfectly for warmer days.”

One of my favourite lunches of all time is a leek and butter bean dish that takes less than 15 minutes to whip up. Another beloved version is “marry me” butterbeans, which basically just means cooking them in tomato sauce and adding something creamy and/or cheesy at the end.

Chef Meola takes a similarly minimalist approach.

“Butter beans are great cooked slowly with garlic, olive oil and a bit of rosemary until they go really soft and creamy,” he told us.

“Finish with good olive oil, and that’s pretty much it.”

He didn’t explicitly mention eating that with a hunk of crusty bread, but we’ll be trying it that way anyway.