Latest news with #PeterWright
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Luke Littler shows off new look for World Matchplay Darts as fans are left divided
LUKE LITTLER has left fans divided with a new look for the World Matchplay Darts. The Nuke takes on Ryan Searle in his round one clash in Blackpool. 2 2 Littler, 18, however, has ditched his iconic shirt that he has worn since last year. The teenager has kept his traditional purple and yellow but with a new design. The new shirt features yellow paint strokes on the sleeves with a main purple body. However, the nuclear logos have been removed from the body, as has the yellow panelling under the sleeve. And fans have been left split with the Warrington thrower's new kit as they took to social media. A second wrote: "I don't see the difference." JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS A fourth said: "More yellow looks really nice." Another added: "I actually really like that." Littler has recently admitted that he "knows what he has done for the sport". The teenage prodigy has risen to become one of the best at the oche since his emergence at the 2024 PDC World Championship. He has already won multiple titles and will be hoping to add to them at the World Matchplay Darts. Peter Wright has already been knocked out despite rocking a more reserved look.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Orgreave inquiry: Why now and what are the crucial questions it seeks to answer?
Ministers have announced an inquiry into the violent policing at Orgreave and the collapsed prosecutions of 95 miners accused of offences there, 41 years after the infamous scenes of 18 June 1984. Here we set out some key details about why the inquiry has been set up and the crucial questions it may seek to answer. The revival of campaigning about the Orgreave injustices developed after the Guardian published an article in April 2012 making the link between the South Yorkshire police operation in 1984 and a collapsed trial in 1985, and the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, in which 97 people were unlawfully killed. The same force, led by the same chief constable, Peter Wright, was responsible for the disaster, and orchestrated a false narrative to blame the victims. The BBC in Yorkshire then broadcast a documentary in October 2012, highlighting that dozens of police officers' statements alleging criminal behaviour by miners at Orgreave had the same opening paragraphs, apparently dictated to them by detectives. The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) formed after that, and it has argued for 13 years that the injustices endure today and an inquiry is needed. Yvette Cooper began calling for an inquiry in 2015 when she was shadow home secretary, and Labour has pledged to hold an inquiry in every election manifesto since 2017. OTJC founding member Joe Rollin said they expect the inquiry to finally access all relevant documents, including some that have remained classified on grounds of national security. The overall police operational plan has never been made public. The National Union of Mineworkers has always believed the police attacks were pre-planned, kettling miners into a field and deploying strategically positioned mounted officers, dog handlers and units with short shields and truncheons. During the miners' strike police set up roadblocks across routes to mining areas to prevent people picketing, but many miners who were at Orgreave still talk with bewilderment about the police directing them into the site that day. No police officer has ever been held to account for the apparently dictated statements and false evidence that was used to charge 95 men with riot and unlawful assembly. All defendants were acquitted in July 1985 after a 48-day trial in which defence barristers repeatedly accused police officers in court of lying and fabricating evidence. A 2015 report by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (now the Independent Office for Police Conduct) said it found suggestions that senior South Yorkshire police officers later acknowledged there was evidence of perjury, and in effect covered it up. The IPCC referred to a note regarding the force's 1991 settlement of a civil claim, paying 39 miners £425,000 compensation but with no admission of liability. 'The note also raises further doubts about the ethical standards and complicity of officers high up in [South Yorkshire police],' the report said. The inquiry will be a panel of relevant experts, chaired by Pete Wilcox, the bishop of Sheffield. This builds on the pioneering Hillsborough Independent Panel (HIP), chaired by the then bishop of Liverpool, James Jones. Unlike that panel, the Orgreave inquiry will be statutory, which means it has powers to compel people to provide information. Wilcox will develop the terms of reference, format and panel membership in consultation with the Home Office. He said that he expects the panel to begin its work this autumn. After it emerged last month that Northumbria police had destroyed their documents relating to Orgreave, Cooper, now the home secretary, said she has written to all police forces believed to have relevant records, saying they must be preserved. The inquiry may follow the model of the HIP, which considered only documentary evidence and did not hold hearings where witnesses such as retired police officers would be questioned in person. It is presumed the Orgreave inquiry will produce a report that will seek to illuminate the full truth of the police operation and prosecutions. Campaigners also hope that it will help redress the broader historical narrative, the negative portrayal of the miners in large sections of the media, and prime minister Margaret Thatcher labelling them 'the enemy within', while her government fully supported the police. Given the four decades since these traumatic events of the 1980s, it appears unlikely anybody could be prosecuted, whatever the inquiry finds. But Cooper did not rule it out, saying she could not pre-empt the inquiry's findings, or any outcome.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Peter Wright shocks fans with reserved new look as he sports tame blonde mohawk and clean shaven face
PETER WRIGHT has shocked fans with a reserved new look at the World Matchplay in Blackpool. The darts star did not last long in the tournament as he was beaten by Jermaine Wattimena in round one. 2 Peter Wright had a much more reserved look at the World Matchplay Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 2 He had shaved his goatee and ditched the colourful mohawk Credit: PA The 2021 champion was beaten 10-8 by the Dutch ace as he made an early exit. Snakebite is best known for his bold looks that include a colourful mohawk and goatee. However, he stunned fans as he appeared to do away with all that. READ MORE ON DARTS He took to the oche clean-shaven and with a much tamer-looking blonde mohawk. Fans reacted to Wright's new look on social media. One posted: " A second commented: "Peter Wright looks great!" Most read in Darts JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS A third wrote: "A much cleaner look to Wright." A fourth said: "Almost didn't realise it was Snakebike." Darts star Cameron Menzies has nightmare as he busts with incredible 180 and is left with head in hands Another added: "Where is his goatee??" Wright fell well behind early on in the match as Wattimena stormed into a 4-1 lead. This led him to change his darts, which appeared to turn the tide as he closed the gap, but he could not complete the comeback.
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Peter Wright shocks fans with reserved new look as he sports tame blonde mohawk and clean shaven face
Fans reacted to the new look on social media WRIGHT OR WRONG Peter Wright shocks fans with reserved new look as he sports tame blonde mohawk and clean shaven face Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PETER WRIGHT has shocked fans with a reserved new look at the World Matchplay in Blackpool. The darts star did not last long in the tournament as he was beaten by Jermaine Wattimena in round one. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Peter Wright had a much more reserved look at the World Matchplay Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 2 He had shaved his goatee and ditched the colourful mohawk Credit: PA The 2021 champion was beaten 10-8 by the Dutch ace as he made an early exit. Wright, 55, still managed to make an impression with his more conservative look. Snakebite is best known for his bold looks that include a colourful mohawk and goatee. However, he stunned fans as he appeared to do away with all that. READ MORE ON DARTS SHOT DOWN Luke Humphries furious with darts fan after shock loss in World Matchplay opener He took to the oche clean-shaven and with a much tamer-looking blonde mohawk. Fans reacted to Wright's new look on social media. One posted: "Peter Wright looks fantastic." A second commented: "Peter Wright looks great!" JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS A third wrote: "A much cleaner look to Wright." A fourth said: "Almost didn't realise it was Snakebike." Darts star Cameron Menzies has nightmare as he busts with incredible 180 and is left with head in hands Another added: "Where is his goatee??" Wright fell well behind early on in the match as Wattimena stormed into a 4-1 lead. This led him to change his darts, which appeared to turn the tide as he closed the gap, but he could not complete the comeback.
The Herald Scotland
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Thank you, UK, for coming to Scotland's rescue yet again
May I thank these organisations for their foresight and confidence in Scotland, as I am certain that our SNP Government will not be doing so any time soon. Peter Wright, West Kilbride. Whataboutery is irrelevant I was disappointed but not surprised when Alan Carmichael (Letters, July 9) shouted "Oh look, a squirrel" in reply to my letter of July 8 about the economy. He refuses to accept that after 17 years of SNP government Scotland is worse off than ever. We have a devolved government with huge control over all the major issues we face and we've squandered hundreds of millions on things I mentioned. Isn't it marvellous how when the nationalists are challenged on the use of cash in Scotland they immediately rush into whataboutery? What about England? What about Wales? We have a £50 billion budget in Scotland so I'm talking about and the Scottish Government's performance. It's got nothing to do with the UK. Does anyone believe an independent Scotland could raise more cash to run the country than the £50bn we currently get as part of the UK? If the answer is yes, then could they explain how they would achieve this? So far they have steadfastly refused to do so. Maybe consider minutiae like currency, banking, international borrowing et al. In summary I will quote James Carville again, "it's the economy, stupid". John Gilligan, Ayr. Read more letters The indy ship has sailed It is time to accept that the independence ship has sailed, it's a done deal and has been for the past 11 years. Today, we as a nation need to focus, we need to look after those in need and pave the way to allow future generations to prosper again. Scotland's Government has over the past 18 years deferred blame to Westminster and continues to do so, yet we in Scotland have nothing to complain about when it comes to spending per head of population. We have falling standards in education, health, a soft-touch judicial system, delayed ferries, high drug deaths, high taxes and poor infrastructure, all of which are devolved matters, the blame for which lies firmly at the door of the Scottish Government. Fergus Ewing MSP has left the sinking ship, not because he has become a unionist, but because he cares about his constituents and he cannot and will not align himself with continued propaganda and failed promises. He should be applauded for taking a common sense, morally sound stance. His decision sees John Swinney licking his wounds. The current trend away from stale governance will continue with Reform on course to become the opposition in Holyrood next year. The sooner the better in my humble opinion. Conrad Ritchie, Fraserburgh. Lift two-child cap now Your article ("State restaurants plan to aid deprived households", The Herald, July 8) made me wonder: is this plan actually coming from the UK Government, which only last week secured MPs' support for welfare reforms that will reduce the incomes of many deprived households? Should the UK Government be in any way be serious about tackling food inequality, then the two-child cap on benefits needs to be lifted immediately and the introduction of a UK-wide Child Payment must follow. Labour's spending priorities leave a lot to be desired, especially when it comes to tackling poverty at source. Catriona C Clark, Falkirk. Wrong tax hikes coming Ian Lakin (Letters, July 9) is broadly right when he talks about making enterprise the No 1 priority. Both the UK and Scottish economies are in a precarious state due to their governments' failure to heed this message. But how to bring about growth? Clearly there should be no fiscal disincentive to work, otherwise those who can afford it will opt for more leisure, or even up their tents. SMEs also need affordable land, so speculation in that must be ended by substantially higher recovery of publicly created site values. The failure to distinguish between earned and unearned income (mainly land rent) has beset tax policy since the Thatcher years, but neither Shona Robison nor Rachel Reeves seem able to grasp that. The latter's autumn tax hikes will be of the wrong kind, and could even see a Truss-like humiliation. George Morton, Rosyth. Scotland's net zero success Hugh McAdams (Letters, July 8) suggests that the Holyrood Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, Gillian Martin, is being economical with the truth. He uses a blizzard of statistics to prove his point. Mr McAdams correctly states that 1990 is an internationally accepted baseline to mark progress in reducing emissions. This ensures a level playing field for all countries as they seek to avoid climate catastrophe. The Scottish Government, therefore, is well justified in claiming that Scotland is "half-way to net zero" when our net emissions have fallen by 51.3% over the period 1990 to 2023. This compares with a fall of 37% across the European Union over the same period. We must be doing something right. Jeff Rogers, Banchory. Don't proscribe direct action The proscription of Palestine Action shows how horribly muddled policymaking on terrorism has become. The group's vandalism of military aircraft is criminal damage. There are extensive grounds for prosecution under the common law – and have been for centuries already. The perpetrators deserve to be held fully accountable for their actions. However, in what way is this terrorism? Any air force worth its salt surely does not live in terror just because its poorly guarded airfield is infiltrated without them even noticing and aircraft lightly doused in paint. There is a fine but important conceptual distinction between, on the one hand, full-throttled direct action that by design often involves serious nuisance, disruption, economic cost and vandalism and, on the other, acts of terrorism whereby credible threats of significant personal violence are used purposely to intimidate people for specific political purposes. Both ought to attract criminal sanctions – and both long have. But proscribing as terrorists direct action protest groups, no matter how tiresome they may be, further reduces the space for robust expressions of protest that are fundamental within a free country. Emily Davison throwing herself before the erstwhile King's horse at the Derby is a case in point. Christopher Ruane, Lanark. Keep supporting the Palestinians John Kelly's letter (July 9) is headed 'Keep talking about Palestine'. Never was a more appropriate sentiment expressed. I have been keeping track of the letters and opinion pieces in The Herald and The Herald on Sunday since the beginning of this month (a remarkably short period of time) and I have counted 13 letters condemning not only Israel for its genocide but the West's shameful support for Benjamin Netanyahu. I have also counted six condemnatory opinion pieces in Herald Voices and in the appropriate section of The Herald on Sunday. These 19 items compare favourably with the two letters in support of Israel in the first two days of the month. The Herald and Herald on Sunday are to be congratulated on 'keeping talking about Palestine'. They, and their contributors, must continue to do so. This ongoing expression of support for our humanity must continue, particularly in the light of Keir Starmer's and the Conservatives' past and ongoing support for Israel's ethnic cleansing. I shall certainly do so. John Milne, Uddingston. Fergus Ewing is to stand as an Independent at the next election (Image: PA) A poke in the conscience As a devout atheist I often find myself in conflict with the usually excellent Kevin McKenna but find myself marvelling at his latest tirade against satnav socialists ("How Scotland's satnav socialists abandoned working-class people", The Herald, July 8). It takes true genius to channel his (fully justified) rage into a rant that is joyous to read. Mr McKenna and I are clearly on the same page on this one. Remarkably, Neil Mackay on the opposite page ("So this is what it's come to: arresting pensioners and priests for protesting", The Herald, July 8) managed to stoke a similar rage in my blood and caused my head to hang in shame for not being on the streets with banners and loudhailers. With columnists like this on a regular basis, The Herald is an indispensable poke in the conscience. Steve Brennan, Coatbridge.
