Author: WTX News Editor

The WTX News Teams works around the clock to deliver, breaking news and news Briefings to you on a daily basis. It is our opinion that sometimes you need information, not speculation so we try to cut through the bull**** and give you that in your Daily News Briefing.

Archives reveal PM’s early attempts to establish personal relationship with president after 2000 US election Tony Blair moved swiftly to place his relationship with George W Bush on a personal footing after the Republican won the 2000 US presidential election, asking him “early on” in their first telephone call if he could call him by his first name. “Bush warmly assented (but stuck himself with addressing the prime minister as ‘Sir’),” according to a note…

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Files show Downing Street felt former South African leader’s attempt to mediate was ‘unlikely to be helpful’ Downing Street believed Nelson Mandela’s attempt to play mediator between it and the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi over the question of compensation after the Lockerbie bombing was “unlikely to be helpful”, documents reveal. But despite misgivings, No 10 aides did not rule out using Mandela “back against [Gaddafi] if Libya rejected a reasonable offer”, the documents released by…

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Files show PM favoured allowing Putin ‘a position on the top table’ and encouraging him to integrate with west Tony Blair was told by officials that he would be presenting Vladimir Putin with a new set of silver cufflinks from 10 Downing Street as he took up the Russian leader’s invitation to join him on his birthday during a prime ministerial visit to Moscow. The president would be the first leader to receive the special…

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What to do in London this Christmas If you’re in London this Christmas and looking for the best ways to spend the festive period than look no further. We’ve put together the best things to do – and for free – in the capital over Christmas. London Christmas lights London has many famous Christmas light displays and all are worth a visit – especially because they are all free. From Regent Street to Oxford Street,…

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Labour mayor for North of Tyne, Jamie Driscoll, adds it will not reverse 12 years of austerity under Tories A £1.4bn devolution deal for north-east England could be “transformational” for the region but would not reverse 12 years of austerity, the frontrunner to be the region’s first mayor has said. Jamie Driscoll, the Labour mayor for the North of Tyne region, said he did “cartwheels down the street” when the levelling up secretary, Michael Gove,…

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Collaborator Rory Bremner pays tribute to Bird, calling him ‘one of our greatest satirists’ The actor and comedian John Bird has died aged 86, his representatives have said. Bird became known for sketches performed alongside John Fortune and Rory Bremner in Channel 4’s satirical show Bremner, Bird and Fortune. The show ran for 16 series, as well as one-off specials, between 1999 and 2008. Continue reading… ​Collaborator Rory Bremner pays tribute to Bird, calling him…

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