NEWS_KF16THAPRIL20240930

UK Home Office Minister Laura Farris believes it would be unwise for UK Foreign Secretary Richie Sunak to call for a de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East. Labour Party Chair Anneliese Dodds also calls for calm. The Police Service of Northern Ireland is closing 40% of police station inquiry offices due to financial pressure. The UK is debating legislation to implement strict smoking laws, including banning the sale of flavored vaping products and plain packaging. There are calls to scrap VAT on bras, as they are considered a basic necessity. Hannah Waddingham is praised for her response to a photographer's inappropriate comment at the Olivier Awards. With the latest, I'm Kyle Fraser. Richie Sunak is due to speak to Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, later. He's expected to call for a de-escalation of hostilities after a missile and drone attack by Iran over the weekend. It was in retaliation for the bombing of an embassy in Syria in which senior Iranian generals were killed. Home Office Minister Laura Farris thinks that would be unwise. This is a unique moment of tension in the Middle East and for the wider region. Everything is focused on cruel heads and at this point in time, the Foreign Secretary has said he values having a direct channel of communication to Tehran. Labour Party Chair Anneliese Dodds is also joining the calls for calm. It's really important now that there are cool heads that prevail, that we don't see a further escalation because frankly, for the people of that region who are in so much fear at the moment of further escalation, we need to make sure the international community is thinking above all about them. The Police Service of Northern Ireland have announced that 40% of police station inquiry offices in Northern Ireland are to close. The PSNI says it's facing unprecedented financial pressure and that the cuts are necessary. It says that over 90% of households will still be within 15 miles of a front desk. MPs will debate legislation today designed to give the UK some of the strictest smoking laws in the world but it's thought that there will be some resistance from Conservatives. Kat Souve reports. The bill would mean anyone aged 15 or under now would never be able to legally buy cigarettes. It would also tackle vaping, banning the sale of flavoured products and forcing them to be sold in plain packaging. Rishi Sunak says it will help build a better future for children but some Tories, including two former Prime Ministers, have called the plans profoundly unconservative but the bill is expected to pass with Labour saying it'll back it. There are calls for VAT to be scrapped when buying bras. The Society of Radiographers argues that they're a basic necessity and that the levy could be considered discriminatory. Healthcare professionals who carry out X-rays and MRI scans say a poorly fitted bra can lead to problems. The proposal will be put forward at their three-day annual conference in Leeds that begins today. Sky's Daniel Henry has more. One of the other points is that women who have had breast cancer, they already don't have to pay tax. So the argument is that that's something that should be extended to all women. And in showbiz, Hannah Waddingham's being called a role model for her response to a photographer calling out, show your leg, while she was on the red carpet for the Olivier Awards. The ceremony's host replied, you would never say that to a man and have some manners. One fan online wrote, what a queen. There's more news online at gaydio.co.uk.