So THAT’s How Restaurants Get Salmon Skin So Crispy

Posted on 16/06/2025 by Boris Clair

Though I listen to Mary Berry’s advice when it comes to keeping salmon moist (the former Great British Bake-Off host crowds the fish in a pan to trap moisture), I have to admit, it leaves me wanting more.

I crave a crispy, crunchy, seared salmon skin, too. And if a peek at Reddit’s r/AskCulinary forum, where we mere plebs can ask chefs how they cook their perfect meals, is anything to go by, I’m not alone.

Writing to the group, site user u/kellyinacherrytree wrote: “Every time I try to pan-sear salmon at home, the skin either sticks to the pan or comes out soggy.

“I’ve tried using nonstick and stainless pans, patting the fish dry, and getting the pan hot, but I just can’t seem to get that golden, super crispy skin like they do at restaurants,” they continued.

So, how do the experts do it?

The technique starts before you begin cooking

The most-upvoted response to the user’s question was culinary consultant J. Kenji López-Alt’s advice to Serious Eats.

Writing for the publication, he said that heating the pan, using a thin layer of oil and waiting until it shimmers can help.

So, too, can patting the salmon skin dry and seasoning it before frying (user stringy-cheese42 advised “dry brining” your fish before cooking if possible by salting it and letting it rest overnight).

“Dry bringing” dries out the skin and gets rid of albumin, the slimy white substance that gathers on cooked salmon, The New York Times writes.

Wait patiently for the salmon to properly sear on its skin side, which you should press into the base of the hot pan as you cook; a quick kiss of heat on the non-skin side should be enough to finish off your fish.

Some chefs, like u/toucandork, recommend cooking your salmon fillet entirely skin-side down.

If all else fails, cheat

Redditor u/fckedup said that “you can semi-cheat by coating the skin with a thin layer of cornstarch. You’ll get a slightly different type of crispy skin, but it’s delicious and retains sauces better.”

Gordon Ramsay also scores his salmon, which allows it to cook “quicker, but more importantly, helps get that skin nice and crispy” ― a delicious shortcut.

Still, he warns that slicing too deep risks overcooking the salmon.

The more you know…

Labour Minister Refuses To Say That Israel Is An Ally Of The UK

Posted on 15/06/2025 by Boris Clair

A government minister has refuses to describe Israel as an “ally” of the UK.

Darren Jones said “these things are never clear cut one way or the other”.

The chief secretary to the Treasury’s comments came as the Foreign Office warned Britons not to travel to Israel because of its war with Iran.

RAF jets have also been sent to the region as the conflict continues to escalate.

On LBC on Sunday, presenter Lewis Goodall asked Jones: “Do we agree with Israel that Iran is a menace to world peace and a threat to Israeli security?”

Jones said: “The UK has been part of international efforts in the past in respect of Iran, the third party groups that it funds, concerns in the past about enrichment capability.

“So of course, there are diplomatic challenges there that we have always played a role in with allies in the West.”

Goodall then asked him: “But Iran is our enemy, isn’t it?”

Jones replied: “Well look, we have these diplomatic conversations with Iran where we would like them to do different things, that’s for sure.”

Goodall then asked: “It’s fair to say Israel is our ally. Israel is clearly, in this situation, we are an ally of Israel. That’s right, isn’t it?”

Jones said: “We’ve always supported Israel’s right to defend itself. But as you’ll also know from other actions happening in the region in respect of Gaza and the West Bank, we have differences of opinions with Israel as well. So these things are never clear cut one way or the other.”

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‘We are an ally of Israel. That’s right, isn’t it?’
‘These things are never clear cut.’ @lewis_goodall grills Labour’s Darren Jones to find out whether the UK stands with Israel in its escalating conflict with Iran. pic.twitter.com/EAKswp4uOY

— LBC (@LBC) June 15, 2025

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‘We are an ally of Israel. That’s right, isn’t it?’
‘These things are never clear cut.’ @lewis_goodall grills Labour’s Darren Jones to find out whether the UK stands with Israel in its escalating conflict with Iran. pic.twitter.com/EAKswp4uOY

— LBC (@LBC) June 15, 2025

Tensions between Israel and the UK have been building in recent weeks over the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a scathing attack on the UK, France and Canada after they called on Israel to “cease the renewed military offensive” in Gaza and lift its blockade on humanitarian aid.

The government has also sanctioned two Israeli ministers for inciting “extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights”.

Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich will be subject to a travel ban and asset freeze under the measures announced by Britain alongside Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway.

Crimpit Review: This £15 Toastie Maker Made WFH Lunches Fun Again

Posted on 15/06/2025 by Boris Clair

We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, HuffPost UK may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.

I rejoice in recipes, crave cooking, and find pleasure in planning meals ― with the exception of lunch.

It’s just such a nothing-y, unpredictable meal, isn’t it? I never know how much time I’ll really have to scoff the meal down; I’m always too mentally overwhelmed to work out what I’m actually craving, never mind a meal I can make quickly, easily, and with minimal mess.

Enter: the Crimpit wrap sealer.

I’m a long-time “fancy sandwich” advocate for work-from-home lunches, but the wrap and sando rotation runs a little flat and I can’t be bothered to whip out and clean a panini press of a Tuesday afternoon.

This gadget promised to expand my selection of mundane ingredients into the bases for “calzones, burritos, enchiladas, kebabs, and pasties” (don’t mind if I do).

And the instructions were simple; make the wrap, place it in your microwave, press the edges until the wrap becomes “sealed”, and then cook the resulting parcel of deliciousness anywhere you like (I opted for an air fryer).

You might have noticed that the wrap was a little big for the device at the start, but ripping off the excess bread (I chose a huge version; most wraps would fit) proved surprisingly satisfying and delicious.

Once I pushed the lid of the gadget down on the just-warmed wrap, I held it there for about ten seconds.

I was suitably impressed by how well the seal held. It was more than a match for my air fryer basket, which led to a crispy, deep-filled calzone-like cheese pocket in minutes (mmm…).

Once I tried the first one, I knew I couldn’t stop – thoughts of pepperoni pockets, chicken tikka mock-“pasties,” and midweek mini-calzones like this one are just too tempting.

And the tiny gadget, which takes up next to no space in my kitchen drawer, can be used as easily on a sweet treat as it can a regular lunch too (I’ll admit I’ve since used it for a decidedly unhealthy chocolate spread and banana concoction, rolled in cinnamon sugar while still hot).

So, I’m not saying you *have* to try the easy-clean, low-effort, low-space-consuming tool – I just reckon that if, like me, you can never plan what to eat for lunch and have too little space or time to use a huge toastie maker, it’s well worth a go.

After all, it hasn’t earned that many five-star reviews for no reason. Plus, it’s down from £19.99 to £14.99 now too (race you to checkout).

Government Warns Brits Not To Go To Israel Amid War With Iran

Posted on 15/06/2025 by Boris Clair

Britons have been advised not to travel to Israel as the country’s war with Iran continues.

The Foreign Office changed its official advice amid fears the conflict will continue to escalate as both countries continue to bomb each other.

Previously, the FCO had advised against all but “essential” travel to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

The new advice says: “We recognise this is a fast-moving situation that poses significant risks. The situation has the potential to deteriorate further, quickly and without warning.”

It comes after Keir Starmer confirmed RAF jets were being sent to the region to provide “contingency support across the region”.

Additional refuelling aircraft have been deployed from UK bases and more fast Typhoon jets will be sent over, it is understood.

Speaking to reporters travelling with him on a visit to Canada, Starmer said: “We are moving assets, we’ve already been moving assets to the region, including jets, and that is for contingency support across the region. So that is happening.”

The PM added: “Our constant message is de-escalate, and therefore everything we’re doing, all discussions we’re having are to do with de-escalation.”

Nectar Duvet Review: Is This The Best All-Year Duvet For Hotel-Level Comfort?

Posted on 14/06/2025 by Boris Clair

As I approach the big 3-0, I’ve found myself developing an unexpected obsession with my bedding. Gone are the days of just throwing on whatever’s clean; now, I genuinely care about having my sheets look sleek, elegant, and, dare I say, wrinkle-free.

Enter the Nectar Duvet, which has absolutely transformed my bed into a sanctuary of sophistication.

I’ve been sleeping with this duvet for just over a month now (tough gig, testing duvets), and I can confidently say it’s been a game-changer.

The Nectar Duvet has a way of elevating the entire aesthetic of my bedroom. No more waking up to creased sheets that make me feel like I’m living in university halls. The duvet is so smooth and perfectly puffed, giving my bed an effortlessly neat appearance. I don’t even have to break out the iron anymore (honestly, I was starting to consider it!).

The secret to this duvet is its Smartfil® technology and Modal fabric, which is derived from natural wood pulp. This combination makes it incredibly light, breathable, and soft, making it the perfect choice for the spring season.

Modal helps to wick moisture away from the body, allowing you to sleep in total temperature-controlled comfort and wake up feeling refreshed.

I’ve found it keeps me warm enough during cooler nights while still feeling light and fluffy enough that it doesn’t overheat me. It strikes the perfect balance for year-round comfort.

Aside from the duvet itself, the service and delivery were top-notch. I received the duvet within just two days of placing the order—impressive, considering the speed and efficiency of the delivery.

The whole process was smooth, with timely updates from the delivery service every step of the way. It made the experience all the more pleasant and hassle-free.
In short, I couldn’t recommend the Nectar Duvet more. It’s made my bed look elegant, kept me cozy, and saved me from ever considering ironing my sheets again. I can’t believe I even thought about it. This duvet is worth every penny and truly lives up to its promises.

I Spent Years Making Millions Smuggling Cocaine For Pablo Escobar And No One Had Any Idea

Posted on 14/06/2025 by Boris Clair

Back in the 1980s, I was leading a double life. By day, I owned and operated the largest Lamborghini dealership in the United States. But by night, I was secretly flying tons of cocaine for Pablo Escobar and smuggling it into South Florida.

I never set out to be a cocaine smuggler. My dad was a real estate developer in Miami and my mom was a homemaker. I had a great childhood. But becoming the victim of a duplicitous con artist completely changed the trajectory of my life and turned me into a different person. And a few years later, I was making tens of millions of dollars every month in the cocaine business.

At the height of my success, I owned 30 airplanes, dozens of boats, multiple mansions and Lamborghinis. I even had a pet mountain lion named Top Cat.

But it all came crashing down in April of 1988 when I was arrested in an early morning raid by federal agents. As I was crouched on my knees getting handcuffed, and as federal agents surrounded me with guns drawn pointing at my head, I thought to myself, “How the hell did I get here?”

"Me with my mountain lion, Top Cat." — “Me with my mountain lion, Top Cat.”

I was born in Cuba back in 1952. At that point my father was a senator, a really respectable and noble man. And all I wanted to do, all I ever wanted to do was follow in his footsteps. The brutal dictatorship of Fidel Castro forced my family to flee Cuba and make a new life for ourselves in South Florida. My dad started working in construction, and before long he became a very successful real estate developer.

When I was 17 years old, my dad decided to get into the sugar business. He purchased land in Haiti to build a sugar mill and spent the next few years trying to get that sugar mill up and running.

I was my dad’s shadow. I followed him everywhere. He wore a suit and had a briefcase. I wore a similar suit and carried a similar briefcase. I was with him at every single business meeting, and he taught me everything he knew. He was the best father any son could have asked for.

But tragically, when I was 19 years old, my father got cancer and died quickly over the course of a few months. On his deathbed, he made me promise him that I would get that sugar mill in Haiti off the ground. And I swore to him that I would.

Before he passed away, my dad had secured a $14 million loan for the sugar mill in Haiti. But after his death, the bank refused to honour that loan and refused to acknowledge me as a capable heir. They dismissed me as a “kid” and wished me luck finding the $14 million at another lending institution.

I was grieving the loss of my father, and I was desperate to keep the promise I had made to him. I worked all my contacts and my dad’s contacts and eventually found a banker willing to loan me the money. All he needed was a $100,000 “good faith” deposit.

I was young and desperate, a truly dangerous combination. I didn’t suspect that once I made that deposit, that banker would stop talking to me. And then he would start avoiding me. For months. When I eventually showed up unannounced at his office one day, I was stunned to see other victims there demanding their money back, too. That banker turned out to be a ruthless con artist. I was devastated.

At that point, I was defaulting on loans my father had already taken out for the sugar mill, for the land and for the machinery. And I was severely in debt to the government of Haiti. I needed money and I needed it fast.

It was the mid-1970s and I knew that selling marijuana could make me a lot of cash in a short amount of time. So, I bought a boat and set sail for the Bahamas, where I knew all the pot being sold in South Florida was coming from.

I was fortunate to make a great contact when I got there and sailed back to South Florida with a few hundred pounds of weed stashed away in my boat. I paid $25,000 for all that marijuana and sold it for $100,000. It wasn’t the $14 million I needed to get the sugar mill in Haiti off the ground, but it was definitely a good start.

"My Lamborghini Dealership in Ft Lauderdale back in 1987. It was called 'Royal Motorcars.'" — “My Lamborghini Dealership in Ft Lauderdale back in 1987. It was called ‘Royal Motorcars.'”

At that point, I started making regular trips to the Bahamas. But then the weed supply there started to dry up. You see, the marijuana that I had access to in the Bahamas was marijuana the government confiscated ― which ultimately ended up on the black market, where I would purchase it. But there were months when they didn’t confiscate much pot ― so there wasn’t much I could buy.

So I decided to go where the pot grows: Colombia. But to get to Colombia, I would need to buy an airplane and learn how to fly it. So that’s exactly what I did. I opened the classifieds section of the newspaper (remember those?) and found a little twin-engine Beechcraft for sale for $50,000. It was a real bucket of bolts, but I bought it and repaired it and quickly learned how to fly.

My first trip to Colombia in 1979 was a huge success. I brought back a ton of marijuana and sold it and made a few hundred thousand dollars. At that point I was able to get credit for more marijuana. So, I flew back and got another $800,000 worth of pot. On credit. That turned out to be a huge mistake because I ended up losing that marijuana.

I was flying at night and I thought I dropped the marijuana out of my plane onto my boat that was waiting below off the coast of Florida, but it turned out to be someone else’s boat. And they made off with my marijuana.

I owed those Colombian suppliers $800,000 for that weed. Two weeks later, they sent thugs to kidnap me. And those thugs put a gun to my head and told me that if they didn’t get their $800,000 — in 48 hours ― they would kill me. And then kill my entire family.

Up until that point, I had avoided anything to do with cocaine. Because in my mind, the cocaine guys were the “bad guys.” The cocaine guys were the killers. I was just smuggling marijuana to make enough money to get my dad’s sugar mill off the ground.

But my life was on the line now, and so were the lives of my family. And flying cocaine was 100 times more profitable than flying marijuana.

So I flew to Colombia, picked up a load of cocaine, and flew it back. And I made $1 million from doing that one trip alone. I paid the Colombians back their $800,000 and saved my life. But the realisation that I could make $1 million a trip flying cocaine changed everything for me. Suddenly my marijuana smuggling days were in the rearview mirror.

As a full-time cocaine smuggler, I was making $1 million a week. I quickly developed a stellar reputation in the world of cocaine pilots. Primarily because most cocaine pilots during that time partook in the cocaine they were smuggling, and they were always high.

I, on the other hand, had never done drugs in my life. Not marijuana. Not cocaine. Not any drug. That really seemed to separate me from the other pilots of the day who were constantly late and constantly crashing their airplanes, losing loads of cocaine. I was never late. And I never lost a plane load of cocaine. Ever.

In 1983, Pablo Escobar sent one of his underlings to summon me. He had heard of me and heard about my reputation for never losing a load and he wanted to hire me to smuggle cocaine for him. After a tense back-and-forth negotiation in his secret lair deep in the Colombian jungle, I agreed to fly 1,000 kilos of coke for Pablo Escobar. And he agreed to pay me $5 million to do it.

After I started making weekly $5 million trips for Pablo Escobar, he stopped paying me in cash ― and started paying me in cocaine. The cocaine that Pablo Escobar paid me with, I sold in South Florida and all over the country, becoming a cocaine kingpin in my own right.

Sadly, by the time I had enough money to resurrect my father’s sugar mill, it was no longer salvageable. The government of Haiti had taken it over years earlier and run it into the ground. This was during the rule of Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier, and the nation was in steep decline. As I walked through the rubble where my father’s sugar mill once stood, I realised it would never, ever be.

So I flew back to Miami and parlayed all the money I was making into a Lamborghini dealership, and I bought a cell phone company ― in the mid 1980s, when cellphones cost $5,000 each. I also started building and selling homes in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area and became a real estate developer.

In the end — adjusted for inflation — I was grossing nearly $100 million a month at the height of my cocaine career — smuggling and selling tons and tons of cocaine every week. Keep in mind, back in the 1980s, cocaine was selling for as much as $600 per gram. And there are more than 900,000 grams in a ton (plane load) so I was swimming in money.

"Me in my early 30s." — “Me in my early 30s.”

But then one of my underlings got addicted to the coke we were smuggling and got very sloppy. And then he got busted. And he served me up to the Feds on a silver platter in order to get a lighter prison sentence for himself.

I was arrested in April of 1988. And in early 1991, I pled guilty to multiple felonies including the distribution of marijuana, the distribution of cocaine and money laundering. I ended up serving a total of 13 years in federal prison.

Going to prison was devastating for me. Not just because of the loss of my freedom. But because my family and friends discovered my secret. And I was so ashamed and embarrassed.

After I was arrested, my mom came to see me. With a heartbreaking look of pain and disbelief on her face, she said, “Son, tell me what they’re saying about you isn’t true.” I still tear up thinking about that moment.

Before that, my double life was fuelled by compartmentalisation. There was “the good me” that my family knew, who was running successful legitimate businesses and making a lot of money, and who they were extremely proud of.

Then there was the “cocaine kingpin me” who was smuggling and selling tons and tons of cocaine for Pablo Escobar. I meticulously hid that side of me from them, because I knew they would be so ashamed of that version of me they never would have accepted it.

As the years passed, I painstakingly kept both worlds, both versions of myself, separate. And as long as these two versions of me never collided, I was able to feel good or at least, OK, about each one of them. But after my arrest, only one version of me remained – the cocaine smuggler. And my family was heartbroken over it for a long time.

My family has since forgiven me for the past. But I still can’t forgive myself. It haunts me every single day.

I’ve served my time, and I’ve learned a lot about life being behind bars for 13 years. If I could do it all over again, I would try to pursue a different path in life. As a 19-year-old kid, I made some really bad decisions that snowballed into a series of other really bad decisions that I regret.

I’m 73 years old now. I still love Lamborghinis. But my life has taken me in a whole new direction. I’ve been speaking at high schools and colleges. And for the past few months I’ve been working on producing a podcast about my life called “Cocaine Air.” Because I want to share my story with the world, especially with young people, about how one bad decision can lead to 1,000 more and send you in unimaginable directions.

But I truly believe there’s no mess that can’t be cleaned up. And that’s how I plan to spend the rest of my time on this Earth. Trying to do good, trying to have a positive impact on the world and using my story to teach young people how not to make the same mistakes that I did.

Do you have a compelling personal story you’d like to see published on HuffPost? Find out what we’re looking for here and send us a pitch at pitch@huffpost.com.

‘Dry Begging’ Is A Form Of Emotional Manipulation That Is All Too Common

Posted on 14/06/2025 by Boris Clair

Have you ever frustratingly mumbled to your partner that it “must be nice to have a partner who walks the dog” in hopes of them walking the dog more often? Or have you ever sighed that you’ll “just do the errands alone” even though you don’t want to? Turns out, you may be dry begging, a tool that people use in relationships of all sorts to get their needs met.

“Dry begging is when someone indirectly asks for something. There’s a need there, but they’re not stating it clearly,” said Aerial Cetnar, a therapist and owner of Boulder Therapy and Wellness in Colorado.

Instead of making a straightforward request or voicing a direct want, someone who is dry begging hints at a need or makes a vague complaint, Cetnar added.

So, instead of stating, “I wish we spent more time together,” someone who is dry begging may say, “Oh, I guess I’ll just stay home with the cat” — they’re hinting at their displeasure instead of addressing it.

“I’ll say it can come from a place of insecurity, fear or manipulation,” said Tori-Lyn Mills, a licensed clinical professional counsellor with Thriveworks in Columbia, MD. But it can also be something that folks grew up with and learned as a way to get their needs met, Mills added.

It’s also not an official psychological term that you’ll find in mental health literature, said Cetnar — “regardless, it’s very much a thing.”

While it can feel easier than directly asking for what you want, dry begging really isn’t meant for the long haul. Here’s why.

Dry begging weaponises emotion.

According to Mills, dry begging can weaponise emotion and empathy while also shifting responsibility in a situation. It can “even weaponise a person’s role as a partner, specifically in romantic relationships,” she said.

For example, in a romantic relationship, if one partner wants to have sex and the other doesn’t, instead of flat-out saying how they feel, someone who is dry begging may say something like “well, most people would be happy that their partner wants to have sex with them all the time [and] is attracted to them all the time,” Mills said.

This can put the other partner in a position where they feel guilty about not wanting to have sex in the moment. It can even put responsibility on them and make them think, “Oh, I should be happy about this,” Mills noted.

“It’s kind of like — I should be giving into this. That’s how dry begging can work,” she said.

If this sounds manipulative, it’s because it often is.

If it becomes a pattern, that’s a red flag for manipulation, Cetnar said. More, if the partner ends up doing things they don’t want to do without ever being clearly asked, it’s another red flag, she said.

“It’s not always manipulative — it certainly can be — but I like to give people the benefit of the doubt. First, look at what’s the intention and is it a pattern,” Cetnar said. Once again, if it’s a pattern, that is not OK.

If it’s just an occasional happening, it probably isn’t a big deal, she said.

In some cases (but not all), it can be a narcissistic tendency.

Dry begging is often linked to narcissism, and while both experts said it certainly can be a tool narcissists use to get their needs met, not everyone who occasionally dry begs is a narcissist.

“With narcissism, there is a high level of entitlement. You may get a hint or a prompt, but you could get a lot more covert demands,” said Mills.

In the case of a narcissist and dry begging, they may explicitly try to elicit guilt in their partner when they dry beg or weaponise empathy to get their partner to do what they want, Mills explained.

“Narcissists are typically seen as manipulative. And so there can be an overlap,” Cetnar added. Narcissists are often needy, too, she said, and dry begging is definitively needy behaviour.

“I’m just going to continue to passively say something or ask for something in the hopes that people will just give me what I want,” Cetnar added.

You're setting yourself up for resentment if you don't directly ask for what you want. — You’re setting yourself up for resentment if you don’t directly ask for what you want.

It can lead to resentment.

Someone who engages in dry begging by saying things like, “Oh, it must be nice to have a husband who cooks” or “I guess I’ll just hang up these pictures alone” instead of directly asking for what they want may grow resentful of their partner when they don’t get the hints.

“Because they thinking that they’re asking for something, but they’re not,” said Cetnar.

“They’re not being very clear about it,” she added. Your partner may not understand that you’re asking for help with something or may even choose to ignore your passive statements.

People likely do this because they don’t know how to ask for what they want.

It can be uncomfortable to flat-out tell someone you want them to prioritize time together or need them to help around the house more, which can make dry begging a more comfortable way of dealing with the ask.

People who tend to dry beg may be doing it out of a place of insecurity, said Mills. They may not want to get their feelings hurt if they hear a “no” to their request or may even worry that they’re asking for too much.

For some people, this is, once again, a learned behaviour.

“It’s common that people are not really taught how to ask for things in a way that’s really clear and direct,” said Cetnar. “Sometimes they resort to dry begging because it feels like it’s a hint and they’d rather it be a hint that gets rejected than a clear ask to be rejected,” she noted.

In the end, dry begging comes from a place of needs needing to be met, Cetnar said, and is likely common in those who have trouble expressing their needs and vulnerabilities.

“This could be coming from a certain person who grew up in an environment in which maybe it was a bit uncomfortable to ask for things,” she noted.

Here’s how to deal with dry begging:

The first step to dealing with dry begging, whether it’s you doing it or your partner, is awareness. You can’t fix a behaviour if you don’t know it exists.

If you dry beg your partner, ask yourself how you can start implementing direct communication, said Mills, and consider what needs of yours aren’t being met before you make a passive comment.

If you feel lonely, consider how to ask your partner to spend more time with you instead of hinting at it, Mills noted.

You can even tell your partner you’re working on this so they know to expect more direct communication and direct asks from you, Mills said.

“That way, they can practice and they can have feedback and feel supported in trying to make a positive change,” she said.

If you are in a relationship with someone who is dry begging, start to notice it and acknowledge when someone is making a request by saying something like “Is this a request? It sounds like you are asking for something here,” Cetnar said.

This can open up the conversation and encourage your partner to explicitly state their needs so there is no guesswork or resentment.

If your partner isn’t willing to change and continues to manipulate you, it’s worth considering if the relationship is worth it. But, for someone who does this as a learned behaviour or because of difficulty expressing emotions, there is hope for change.

Can Trump Prevent A Massive Middle East War?

Posted on 13/06/2025 by Boris Clair

With an ongoing attack on high-profile targets in Iran that began on Thursday, Israel has presented President Donald Trump with his most significant foreign policy crisis yet. Trump now has to decide how — and whether — to prevent an all-out war across the Middle East that could spiral, endangering millions of people, drawing in US forces and worsening the global economic slowdown fuelled by Trump’s trade policies.

Israeli jets have already struck more than 100 sites, including in the Iranian capital of Tehran, killing at least three military commanders and two nuclear scientists, as well as civilians including children, according to Iranian state media. Israeli officials have told their US counterparts they plan to continue strikes for “several days or up to two weeks,” a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told HuffPost.

Israeli officials call their offensive “preemptive,” noting that Iran, a longtime foe of Tel Aviv, is closer than ever to being able to develop a nuclear weapon. There was no sign of an imminent Iranian attack on Israel, however, and Iran denied it intends to build a bomb.

For months, Washington and Tehran have been discussing a possible agreement to limit Iranian nuclear development in exchange for easing sanctions on the country.

On Friday morning, Trump appeared to call for diplomacy on his social media platform Truth Social: “There is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left.”

The Trump administration may struggle to shape what comes next, given its limited policy-making circle, the president’s unpredictability and its hollowing out of government expertise. The administration recently slashed staff at the National Security Council at the White House, has urged thousands of professional diplomats to resign and plans to fire hundreds more as early as next week, and top positions at the Pentagon and State Department are lying empty.

Still, some leading officials, like White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Vice President JD Vance, have previously questioned those who wanted the US to help Israel attack Iran, like the demoted former national security adviser Mike Waltz. The administration may decide it must take the reins from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — defying him as Trump has notably done on Syria, and as some conservative voices, like commentator Tucker Carlson, have urged him to.

“The split on the right is already obvious,” said Reid Smith, the vice president of foreign policy at Stand Together, an organisation founded by the right-wing billionaire Charles Koch.

“Friends of Israel, and I number myself among them, should tread warily, as a casualty of this conflict could be essentially unanimous support for Israel on not just a bipartisan but a conservative basis,” Smith told HuffPost.

This picture shows a building damaged in an Israeli strike on Tehran on June 13, 2025.

While Trump’s preference for an agreement has been relatively consistent, so has Netanyahu’s opposition to one. He is joined by some influential foreign policy hawks in the US, including leading Republican lawmakers, who argue Iran cannot be trusted and insist the only possible compromise would include a clause that Tehran calls unacceptable: a ban on any uranium enrichment. Those voices say force is the only way to cripple Iran’s nuclear program and press Iran to make concessions.

Since Trump abandoned the last international deal to limit Iranian nuclear development, negotiated by President Barack Obama, Iran’s capabilities have dramatically increased.

As Israel’s chief military backer and the key player in enforcing sanctions on Iran, the US is deeply implicated in the dispute. Trump is convening national security officials at the White House on Friday and calling Netanyahu to discuss next steps.

Meanwhile, developments outside the U.S. control may shape his choices, the US official told HuffPost, pointing to the chance that Iran’s plan for “severe” retaliation kills one of the tens of thousands of American troops deployed in the Middle East or prompts Israel to request additional US military involvement in the region, creating even more tension. Iran has already launched drones at Israel, which were intercepted. The US evacuated some personnel from the region earlier this week.

American and Israeli officials say they coordinated on the barrage against Iran, which hit sensitive figures and military sites, demonstrating extensive and effective Israeli espionage. Anti-Iran hard-liners who have long sought regime change in Tehran are, for now, echoing Trump’s line that the Israeli attack is linked to his diplomacy.

Still, a fundamental disconnect between the goals of Trump and Netanyahu persists, and will make it hard for the administration to de-escalate. The situation reflects a contest within Trump-linked foreign policy circles that has been significant in shaping policy throughout the administration and may no longer be tenable.

Trump has, for years, claimed he will limit global conflict, promising “peace through strength” and accusing his political rivals of enabling bloodshed in contexts like Ukraine and Gaza, while questioning deployments of American troops abroad. That political brand seemed reflected in the State Department’s Thursday night statement about the Israeli attack, which emphasized that it was “unilateral” and urged Iran not to “target US interests or personnel.”

On Friday, the president told CNN “hard-liners” in Tehran had been killed, boosting chances for diplomacy. And Tom Barrack, the US ambassador in Turkey and one of the personal friends Trump is relying on as a top Middle East deal-maker, posted on X: “Even in tension, there’s always a moment for dialogue to weave peace.”

Barrack and Steve Witkoff, another business figure who is leading the US–Iran negotiations for Trump, are seen as more pragmatic than many in the traditional Republican national security establishment — and their influence has grown as Trump has repeatedly fired officials whom members of his MAGA movement say are too bellicose and tied to the so-called “deep state.”

“Trump has, for years, claimed he will limit global conflict, promising ‘peace through strength’ and accusing his political rivals of enabling bloodshed in contexts like Ukraine and Gaza.”

But Netanyahu and influential hawks are openly speaking of increasing pressure on Iran, not of compromise.

The Israeli leader appears to be betting that, as he did under President Joe Biden, he can treat the US as primarily an enabler of his goals through military support, reacting to Israeli moves rather than being the force driving events.

Netanyahu has been able to do that with his ongoing, devastating US-backed offensive in the Gaza Strip, pummelling Palestinians and avoiding a settlement with the Gaza-based militant group Hamas even as Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration. Under the Biden administration, Israel was able to use continued claims of interest in diplomacy and dramatic PR-focused moments — like its deadly pager attack in Lebanon — to sustain US backing and defuse criticism as it pursued sweeping military campaigns.

Now, George Washington University professor Marc Lynch wrote on Friday, “Israel’s attack on Iran is best understood neither as pre-emptive nor preventive, but as a continuation of its attempt to remake the Middle East through force.”

“The pattern of attacks in the first day of Israeli strikes actually suggests that the target of the attack is the regime itself, not necessarily the nuclear programme,” Lynch continued.

It’s unclear if Netanyahu’s playbook will work under Trump and against a far more capable opponent than Hamas or Hezbollah. As Iran faces greater pain and reputational damage, it could deploy a wide range of tactics, across the Middle East or even globally, to push back against Israel and the U.S. as its patron. That could create painful, unexpected consequences and a mounting, deadly, tit-for-tat cycle of violence.

Some observers claim a military-focused approach is the way to achieve Trump’s stated goal of preventing a nuclear Iran. “Israel should be hailed by nonproliferation organisations,” Jonathan Conricus, a former spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces who now works at the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank in Washington, wrote on X.

Yet experts have, for years, said force alone cannot destroy Iran’s expertise in nuclear technology, and could instead spur its leaders to see developing weapons as the only way to protect their rule.

“If the Trump administration truly wants to avoid Iran’s path to a bomb, it should clarify its involvement in these strikes and work to strike a deal. This will be exponentially more difficult if strikes continue,” Nicole Grajewski, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank, wrote on Bluesky.

Darren Jones Admits He Was Wrong To Say Most Migrants On Small Boats Are ‘Children, Babies And Women’

Posted on 13/06/2025 by Boris Clair

Darren Jones has admitted that he was wrong to say that the majority of asylum seekers arriving in the UK on small boats are “children, babies and women”.

The chief secretary to the Treasury made the erroneous claim on the BBC’s Question Time programme on Thursday night.

He was challenged on the programme by former Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf, who claimed that more than 90% of those on the boats were men.

In actual fact, Home Office data indicates that adult males made up 73% of small boat arrivals between January 2018 and March 2025.

Jones has been under pressure to correct his statement all day, and finally did so in a post on X on Friday evening.

However, he said his comments had been “misrepresented” by Labour’s opponents.

He said: “Of course the overall majority of people arriving illegally on small boats are men – but not “north of 90%” as Reform claimed.

“On Question Time, I shared a story from my visit to the Border Security Command about a dinghy that arrived mostly carrying women, children and babies who had suffered horrific burns.

“I’m happy to clarify this given how this is now being misrepresented. Labour committed new funding this week to secure our borders while Reform have voted against giving our police the powers needed to smash the gangs fuelling this vile trade.”

Why Rachel Reeves Faces Dark Clouds Despite Her Multi-Billion Pound Spending Spree

Posted on 13/06/2025 by Boris Clair

Labour MPs saw a different side to Rachel Reeves on Wednesday evening.

Fresh from delivering her spending review, the chancellor faced a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party, telling them to go out and “sell” what she had just announced to voters.

“People are only going to know the good news that we set out today if we campaign on it, if we deliver the leaflets, if we speak to people on the doorstep, if we write those pieces for our local papers, that is how people are going to know that it is Labour making these differences,” Reeves told them.

So far, so unsurprising. But those present detected a marked change of tone from the chancellor, who has often appeared to have the weight of the world on her shoulders over the past 11 months.

“She joked, she laughed and she looked well,” said the MP. “She was like a woman released.”

When the winter fuel debacle was raised, Reeves acknowledged that mistakes had been made since Labour won the election.

“That shows she gets it,” one backbench MP told HuffPost UK. “She knows where she is in the popularity stakes and there’s no way you don’t feel that personally. She’s not Cruella de Vil. But this felt like a reset moment for her.”

Among the jokes, however, there was a nod to the often-fractious negotiations with her Cabinet colleagues as their departmental budgets were set.

The last hold-out was home secretary Yvette Cooper, whose refusal to accept the real-terms cuts she was facing eventually led to Reeves taking the highly unusual step of imposing a settlement on her.

At the PLP meeting, Reeves admitted to being “peed off” with police chiefs complaining about a lack of cash after receiving a 2.3% increase in their budget.

“I don’t think they would have said that without Yvette giving them the nod,” one MP said.

For the moment, however, Labour MPs from across the party’s various factions seem pretty pleased with what Reeves announced.

Chris Curtis, co-chair of the Labour Growth Group, said: “We were pushing for greater investment in affordable housing, infrastructure, and research and development and we’ve seen major commitments on all three.

“These are the foundations of sustainable economic growth, and with them we can start to deliver what the British people rightly expect: rising wages, economic security, and properly funded public services.”

Jo White, the MP for Bassetlaw and chair of the Labour Red Wall Group, said the spending review – which included billions for better transport links in the north and Midlands – had been “the starting gun” on the next election.

“We welcome that the government is listening to the Red Wall,” she said.

Reeves might find her spending spree is a tougher sell across the country, however.

A focus group carried out in Coventry after the spending review by the More in Common think-tank offered further proof of the widespread disillusionment there is in the country with politicians.

All of those taking part had voted Labour last year, but been unimpressed so far by the party’s time in office.

“Growing up when you voted for Labour, you knew what you were voting for,” said Deena. “I think at the moment, they’ve just gone back to blaming things on the Tories and not giving stuff they promised.”

On what Reeves had announced, therapy assistant Caroline said: “She just says what she thinks we want to hear. And we do want to hear it. But will we see it? I definitely won’t hold my breath.”

Ed Hodgson, More in Common’s associate director of polling and analysis, said: “Behind all the numbers from the spending review, it’s clear from the voters we spoke to in Coventry that they’re running out of patience and want to see real improvements in their day-to-day lives.

“That’s going to be the real test of whether the chancellor’s financial calculations, and her belief in UK growth giving her future headroom, can actually pay off politically.”

“She knows where she is in the popularity stakes and there’s no way you don’t feel that personally. She’s not Cruella de Vil”

The ink on Reeves’ spending review speech had barely dried before the Office for National Statistics announced on Thursday morning that the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) shrunk by 0.3% in April.

For a government’s whose number one mission is supposedly growing the economy, this was sub-optimal.

A senior No.10 aide was sanguine telling HuffPost UK that they had been braced for bad news.

“You can overdo the month-to-month stuff,” he said. “The month before growth was up 0.7%.

“But we’ve never shied away from the fact that there’s a lot to do on GDP and we always knew that April was going to be tricky.”

Critics have dubbed Reeves the “Klarna chancellor”, insisting that the billions of pounds of spending she announced on Wednesday will have to be paid for later, most likely by hiking taxes in the Budget.

Reeves, who put up taxes by £40 billion in what was meant to be a once-in-a-parliament move last autumn, has refused to rule out coming back for more this autumn, while also insisting that the spending review was “fully funded”.

“We didn’t put up taxes in the autumn for no reason, we had to do it, and the choices we had was either to put up VAT on everyone or ask businesses to pay a bit more,” said one senior government figure.

“We don’t relish tax rises, but we need to put the public finances first.”

But one Labour insider accused the chancellor of “boxing herself in” by sticking to her fiscal rules, which forbid any borrowing to pay for day-to-day government spending.

“It’s their starting position on everything,” the source said. “You can argue that’s the best possible starting point, but equally you can say at some point, shouldn’t your starting point be how do we win that election or deliver the plan for change?”

With all the talk of more tax rises, one seasoned observer suggested that Reeves may in fact have something much more radical in mind.

“The big unknown, and which will only begin to take shape in 2027, is will this hairshirt being worn now give Rachel a war chest that will allow her to do a big tax cut before the next election?” they said.

“Mind you the recent track record or pre-election tax cuts is not great, given Jeremy Hunt did three of them and the Tories still got hammered.”

If Labour are to avoid the same fate in 2029, Reeves needs to hope that the spending spree she announced on Wednesday delivers tangible improvements to the lives of ordinary voters – and soon.

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‘Dry Begging’ Is A Form Of Emotional Manipulation That Is All Too Common

Dry begging weaponises emotion.

In some cases (but not all), it can be a narcissistic tendency.

It can lead to resentment.

People likely do this because they don’t know how to ask for what they want.

Here’s how to deal with dry begging:

Can Trump Prevent A Massive Middle East War?

Darren Jones Admits He Was Wrong To Say Most Migrants On Small Boats Are ‘Children, Babies And Women’

Why Rachel Reeves Faces Dark Clouds Despite Her Multi-Billion Pound Spending Spree