Diane Abbott has been dubbed “Putin’s useful idiot” after she downplayed the threat posed to the West by Russia.

The veteran Labour MP said it was “a Nato fiction” being used to justify a boost in defence spending, which she opposes.

Her comments come just a month after it emerged she had previously described the war in Ukraine as “a Nato campaign against Russia”.

Andy Burnham has insisted that the UK will hit Nato’s target of spending 3.5% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) on defence by 2035.

In a post on X, Abbott said: “The imminent threat from Russia is a Nato fiction to justify their complete capitulation to Trump’s demands for more military spending. The increase should not go ahead.”

Her comments sparked an angry backlash from politicians and pro-Ukraine campaigners.

A spokesman for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Those views are reprehensible. Ukraine is an innocent party in this. Everyone should be foursquare behind Ukraine and against Russian aggression.”

Posting on X, Tory MP Ben Obese-Jecty said Abbott was “playing the role of Putin’s useful idiot”.

“To rail against increased defence spending by claiming the threat Russia pose is ‘a Nato fiction’ shows she is dangerously out of touch,” he said.

“Over four years into the war in Ukraine, and with escalating sub-threshold activity, we are agreed that increasing defence spending is a matter of national security. It beggars belief that a senior Labour politician could be so naïve.”

The Ukraine Solidarity Campaign said: “There are legitimate debates to be had about defence spending.

“Denying the Russian regime is a threat to democracy all over the world is not legitimate, particularly when the speaker describes Russia’s war on Ukraine as ‘the Nato campaign against Russia’.”

Abbott, the longest serving female MP in the Commons, lost the Labour whip last year after she argued in a letter to The Observer in 2023 that Jewish, Irish and Traveller communities experience prejudice rather than racism.

She got the whip back after Burnham replaced Keir Starmer as prime minister in July.

Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster.

My older sister, Maria, has an intellectual disability, though it wasn’t always immediately obvious. When we were kids, she talked to herself long after imaginary play was supposed to end. She got overwhelmed by things that seemed small to everyone else. School was hard for her.

I grew up loving my sister, before I learned that the rest of the world saw her as “different.” When you’re a kid, “different” doesn’t feel like a compliment. All I wanted was to fit in, but it was hard with an older sister who stood out.

And whenever I was invited somewhere, there was usually one condition: “Take your sister.”

As a child, I hated hearing those words. Once, as if middle school wasn’t awkward enough, my parents made me take Maria to the movies when me and my friends were meeting up with some boys. I pulled her aside before we walked in.

“Don’t talk,” I told her. “Just stand over there.”

The memory still stings. But here’s the incredible part: Maria loved me anyway. She was always at my sports games. She proudly took pictures with me before every homecoming dance and prom. Eventually, she stood beside me as my maid of honor on my wedding day. Today, she’s the godmother to my three boys.

She wasn’t just my older sister. She was my biggest fan, long before I learned how to be hers.

Somewhere along the way, my embarrassment turned into fierce protectiveness. It hurt when people called my sister names like “the r-word” or stupid or slow, but at the time, I didn’t know what to do with that hurt. Looking back, I think my heart was beginning to quietly turn that pain into purpose.

I also remember the people who loved Maria exactly as she was. My high school friends didn’t just accept Maria, they included her. At one of our themed parties while my parents were out of town, she was right there dancing on the counter with the rest of us, with a cowboy hat on her head. (She also ratted us out the second my parents walked through the door. So much for keeping that little party “between us.”)

My college friends welcomed Maria whenever she came to visit me at Villanova. One night, her winter coat somehow disappeared from behind the bar where everyone had left them. Unexpected situations are incredibly hard for Maria; she can’t always process it when things don’t go according to plan. Within seconds, she was in a full meltdown.

A few of the football players stayed with her, keeping her safe and gently talking her through it while the rest of us searched for her coat. Eventually, she calmed down. Years earlier, I probably would have been mortified. Instead, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude.

My parents never let Maria’s disability become the reason she couldn’t dream big. When she was 26, she met a charming man who also had special needs at the Publix where she works. They immediately became a pair, participating together in bowling and track and field in Special Olympics. Before long, they began talking about marriage.

My siblings and I couldn’t wrap our heads around it. Maria already struggled with independent living and making everyday decisions. How could she also navigate a marriage, especially to a partner who faced challenges of his own? But my parents were supportive.

At the time, I thought they were absolutely crazy. Now I get it. That marriage didn’t last, but Maria deserved the chance to fall in love, get married, make mistakes, learn lessons and experience life just like the rest of us.

I stood beside her as her maid of honour. In my speech, I joked that she had never taught me the typical older sister things — like advice on fashion, putting on makeup or how to French kiss. Instead, she taught me the things that mattered far more. Patience. Kindness. Empathy.

Years later, I moved back to my hometown of Vero Beach, and Maria and I started hanging out regularly again. This time, it wasn’t because my parents made me.

By then, the gym had become my happy place, so I started dragging Maria with me. I still laugh thinking about a spin class we took where everyone was grinding through a steep hill while Maria, not understanding that she was supposed to turn up the resistance, pedalled like she was racing the Tour de France downhill.

The class wasn’t designed to provide the individual instruction and encouragement she needed to connect with the workout or feel motivated by it. The class simply moved at everyone else’s pace, not hers.

Then an idea hit me. What if I stopped trying to fit Maria into a class that wasn’t built for her … and created one that was?

So I asked a local gym if I could use the space on Sundays, when they were closed. Three athletes showed up to that first class. Of course, one of them was Maria.

Volunteers provided individualised coaching and modifications as they each worked through squats, presses and other functional fitness movements at their own pace. Instead of following along in the background, they were engaged and challenged.

That became the beginning of what is now Sunday Strong, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing physical activity for adults with intellectual disabilities. We pair with fitness facilities to offer weekly group exercise classes in a welcoming environment, at no cost to the community.

Maria has worked at Publix for over 25 years, so she knows and talks to just about everybody in town. Years ago, someone asked how I was feeling because Maria told them while bagging their groceries that I’d been drinking too much and throwing up. I was pregnant. Thanks, Maria.

But now she has become my unofficial marketing director. If she meets someone with a disability, she tells them, “You have to come to our exercise class!”

Once, in an airport, one of my kids pointed to a man using a wheelchair and asked about it. I explained that his legs don’t work the same way ours do and that the wheelchair helps him get around. The man thanked me. He told me so many parents panic when their kids ask questions. They rush them away or tell them not to stare.

“Kids are curious,” he said. “Just explain it.”

Inclusion starts with understanding.

Sunday Strong hasn’t just changed the lives of our athletes and their families. It’s changed the people who donate space at their fitness facilities, the coaches and instructors who donate their time and all our volunteers. People who have never spent time with someone with an intellectual disability before now leave our classes saying the same thing: “I got way more out of this than I gave.”

It’s changed my life most of all. The girl that once asked her sister to stand quietly at the movie theatre so no one would know they were together now finds purpose in providing a place in our community where people with intellectual disabilities can feel they belong.

I spent years wishing my sister wasn’t “different.” Now I can’t imagine my life without everything her differences have given me.

Laura Radocaj is the founder of Sunday Strong and the author of “We Move Together,” a children’s book that helps kids understand differences while celebrating kindness, inclusion and the idea that everyone belongs. A public relations professional for more than 20 years and a lifelong fitness enthusiast, Laura is also a happy wife, mom of four and a dog mom to an adorable pup.

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We’ve endured blistering heat this summer, which has made it pretty much impossible to do anything other than walk to the end of your road.

My gym has been impossibly busy, thanks to the fact it has both an air con and a pool. It’s no wonder that, as temperatures climb, people are flocking towards anywhere that’s cold.

It’s even seeped into our travel habits: instead of travel to another scorching hot country (that’s probably not dissimilar in clime to the UK, let’s be real) people are increasingly going on ‘coolcations’ to places where they won’t have to plan what they do around the heat.

As winter approaches, research by SportsCover Direct shows that searches for ‘coolcations’ have risen a whopping 74% year-on-year, with 65% of holidayers saying they’d rather avoid travelling during the hottest time of year. Fair.

If you’ve given in to the allure of bathing in a natural bath while surrounded by ice caps, or can think of no better excuse to get off your phone than to be surrounded by the great outdoors, you’ll want to make sure you’ve packed the right thing.

It goes without saying, but what you shove in your suitcase undoubtedly needs to be different from what you wear on the beach.

While you might have conquered the shorts and vest look for hiking in hot weather, you’ll need to prepare more for hiking or cycling in the winter, explains Natalie Wolfenden, author and hiking enthusiast at GO Outdoors.

“A change in weather shouldn’t signal an end to your outdoor plans,” she says. “Some of the most enjoyable days in the hills can come when conditions are cooler, and the trails are quieter.

“The key is being properly prepared, with the right clothing, equipment and a clear understanding of how conditions can change throughout the day.”

To save you time, we’ve asked Wolfenden to round up her ultimate packing guide for a coolcation.

Keep reading for our recommendations.

I love brushing my teeth. There, I said it. Thus, my toothbrush is probably the most important part of my day.

It wasn’t until I switched to the SURI Pro, though, that I realised I’d been using an amateur electric toothbrush for far too long.

While I was a big fan of the brand’s award-winning brush (read my full review here) there’s one thing that kept niggling at me: it costs £105. That’s a lot for a toothbrush.

I would argue that, yes, it’s totally worth it – you can choose from a range of colours and a UV-cleaning travel case that also charges it, plus the charge lasts for over a month – not everyone is at home with splashing out that much on something so banal and quotidien as a tool for keeping your gnashers clean.

That’s probably why nearly half of the UK population still uses a manual toothbrush. That, or they prefer manual.

If, like me, you’ve been sucked in by SURI’s applaudable sustainability efforts (it uses plant-based heads and an aluminium body that can both be recycled) and pastel marketing, good news: you can finally get your hands on one of its brushes for less.

We’re not talking about a sale – although the brand does excellent Amazon discounts around Prime day and Black Friday, so look out for those – but a whole new brush, designed for people who are entering the electric toothbrush realm for the first time.

SURI has now launched the Core 1.0, which will set you back £40 less than the Pro.

Having loved the Pro so much, I was keen to see how they compared. Immediately, the Core 1.0 feels pretty much the same as the Pro.

It’s the same shape, but the main visual difference is that the brush heads are white, rather than the same colour as the body.

There are also fewer colours to choose from – four, instead of six. Like I said, the Core is designed to be an entry-level toothbrush, so that’s reflected in slightly less power: 28,000 sonic vibrations per minute instead of 30,000, and a battery life that lasts up to a month, rather than over a month.

It also doesn’t come with a UV cleaning storage charging case, which definitely comes in handy when travelling with the Pro, and it’s not compatible with it if you already happen to have one.

Instead, SURI has included a cap to keep your bristles clean if you chuck it in your bag, so naturally it’s slightly less heavy, making it kind of more ideal to travel with than the original.

Apart from that, it has basically the same functions as the Pro: a haptic pressure sensor that means it adjusts the intensity to your brushing, wireless USB-C charging, and a long-lasting battery life.

To me, the 2,000 fewer sonic vibrations per minute are barely noticeable, and the brush has essentially the same mouthfeel as the Pro.

Most importantly (for me) it still comes with all the extras, too, including a wireless stand and an adhesive mirror mount, so it won’t take up space in your bathroom.

If you send the heads back to SURI, they’ll recycle them for you. You can even sign up for a new head subscription, so you get them every six months without having to think about it.

Personally, that’s huge for me, because I can never remember to change my brush head without being prompted by a concerned onlooker (usually my mother when I go to stay with her) that my bristles are looking a little worse for wear.

Considering the brush is £40 cheaper, it’s not lost much of its functionality, and I’d happily spend that on a brush from a company that champions sustainability, and also looks nice in your bathroom.

Whether you’re only just entering the electric toothbrush market, or looking for a prettier alternative to some of the clunkier models out ther, the Core is a great electric toothbrush to go with.

Thinking ahead to Christmas, it would also make a great present for any teens or health-conscious family members.

Jamie Foxx is reflecting on surviving a life-threatening brain bleed that led to a stroke in April 2023, suggesting he had some questions for God at the time.

“I was talking to him,” said the Oscar winner, 58, gesturing toward the sky on a recent episode of “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer.” “This is me, bro. I put the smiles on people’s faces. Why me? Look at all these bad people out here.”

Foxx said that after his medical emergency, when he asked his loved ones what had happened to him, he was astonished to find out he had suffered a stroke.

“[I said,] ‘What are you talking about?’ I couldn’t make sense of it,’” he shared during the Aug. 25 podcast episode. The actor called rehab “frustrating,” saying people told him, “You got a second chance.”

“I said, ‘Fuck the second chance! What was wrong with my first chance?’” Foxx recalled. “This doesn’t happen to anybody. How does it happen to me?”

The “Django Unchained” star then cracked that his health care team couldn’t do wellness checks on him because he was constantly telling jokes, noting that he “only had comedy to lean on” during the challenging time.

“So, I was just funny. I was always joking all the time. So, when they [would] come and say, ‘Who are you today, sir?’ I was somebody different [everyday]. ‘Who are you today?’” Foxx recalled before doing an impression of fellow comedian Dave Chappelle.

The actor’s daughter, Corinne Foxx, also appeared in the interview and told Palmer that her dad had imitated Denzel Washington when he was first admitted to the hospital.

“Not because he didn’t know who he was, but because he was making a joke,” she clarified before her dad interjected to say that his impersonations were “the only way I could find myself.”

Foxx also revealed that one nurse told him that his survival was a miracle.

“I said, ‘What you mean?’ She said, ‘Less than 3% of people that come in with what you have walk out of here. We usually put them in a box.’”

In April 2023, Foxx was hospitalized after he suffered what was then vaguely described as a “medical complication.”

Foxx told a group of people in downtown Phoenix in summer 2024 that his health issues began with a “bad headache.”

“Look, April 11 last year, bad headache, asked my boy for an Advil. I was gone for 20 days,” he said in a clip shared on X. “I don’t remember anything. I’m in Atlanta, they told me … my sister and my daughter took me to the first doctor. They gave me a cortisone shot.”

“The next doctor said, ‘There’s something going on up there,’” the actor added while pointing to his head.

Watch Foxx’s appearance on the “Baby, This Is Keke Palmer” podcast below. Skip to the 1:11:41 mark to hear his comments.