US President Donald Trump said Alex Pretti shouldn’t have been carrying a gun, even though he was legally armed when a federal agent shot him during an immigration raid in Minneapolis. He then called it a ‘very unfortunate incident’ before vowing to carry out an ‘honest’ investigation into his death.
Newcastle United players certainly looked the part as the team bus pulled up outside Molineux earlier this month.
The squad emerged from the coach wearing re-released replica away shirts from the ‘Entertainers’ era, when the Magpies strutted into stadiums up and down the country.
But the visitors did not play with quite the same swagger of Kevin Keegan’s free-scoring 1995-96 side.
In fact, Newcastle did not muster a first shot on target until the 85th minute in a goalless Premier League draw against bottom club Wolves.
It was a familiar story.
Travel-sick Newcastle have won only three away games in all competitions this season.
That dire record has to change – and fast – as Eddie Howe’s men travel to the Parc des Princes, Anfield and Etihad Stadium in the space of just 10 days.
Yet could one of the toughest runs in the club’s recent history bring the best out in them?
“Sometimes, the bigger the game and the harder the challenge, the more you have to rise to it,” said Newcastle head coach Howe before Wednesday night’s Champions League match at Paris St-Germain.
Getty ImagesNewcastle certainly need to start delivering on their travels.
Such a patchy run of results on the road has only increased their reliance on home comforts.
Teams always tend to be stronger in their own stadium, but there are those inside the Newcastle dressing room who believe St James’ gives them an extra 10% when it’s at its febrile best.
However, it might even be a higher percentage than that – Newcastle have a 62% win rate on Tyneside compared to just 21% in away games this season in all competitions.
Newcastle may have lost against Aston Villa on Sunday, but only four sides have picked up more points (23) at home than Howe’s men in the Premier League this season.
Just three teams have scored more goals (22) than them on their own turf in the top flight.
Three of Newcastle’s four wins in this term’s Champions League have come at St James’, while the holders reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals following three straight home victories.
Remarkably, even when they were 3-2 down against Leeds United in the 90th minute a few weeks ago, the hosts still managed to win the game following an incredible stoppage-time turnaround on Tyneside with two goals.
Defender Sven Botman admitted it was “hard to tell” why Newcastle have been unable to deliver more of those victories away.
“You ask yourself and your team-mates,” he said. “The results haven’t been great away from home this season and we definitely want to change that.
“It’s hard to put a finger on what the reason is.
Getty ImagesIt is clear where the issue lies.
As relatively solid as Botman and Newcastle have tended to be at the back, only Wolves and Sunderland have scored fewer Premier League goals (10) away from home than Howe’s men.
They have averaged just 1.2 goals per game away compared to exactly two per match at St James’ in all competitions.
They have also had two fewer shots and around eight fewer touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes on their travels.
No wonder, then, Nick Woltemade, Harvey Barnes and Anthony Gordon have each scored just three goals away this season, while Yoane Wissa and captain Bruno Guimaraes have only bagged one apiece.
Many months have passed since Alexander Isak’s painful departure to Liverpool, but Newcastle still appear to be adapting to life after the striker, whose movement in behind was crucial to how the side played, particularly on the road, when they hurt teams on the counter.
Nearly half of Isak’s 27 goals for Newcastle last season came away from St James’, including a decisive strike in the Carabao Cup final as the club lifted major silverware for the first time in 70 years.
Yet that is easier said than done.
There is a belief internally that there have been times on the road this season where Newcastle have been dragged into the games the opposition wanted rather than imposing their own style on them as planned.
As much as it has been influenced by the need to pick their moments to aggressively press during a relentless schedule, they have, on average, had more of the ball and more 10-plus open play passing sequences per game this season.
But Newcastle have not always made the most of all that possession, and they failed to find a breakthrough in the goalless stalemate against Wolves earlier this month despite having 67% possession of the ball.
Toothless Newcastle’s pass completion rate of 94% in the first half at Molineux was the highest any Premier League team has registered in a half without hitting a shot on target.
Howe’s side have often lacked the guile to find a way through a low block, which then feeds into their main issue on the road – a lack of goals.
As season-ticket holder Adam Stoker observed, it is rather telling that on the rare occasions Newcastle scored inside two minutes, the visitors went on to beat both Everton and Burnley – even if the latter success was far from straightforward.
“When we play against teams at home who do sit in a bit more, the crowd can get the players over the line,” he said.
“Whereas, against Wolves away, when they were the ones sitting, and their crowd got behind them, that helped them.
“It feels like we’re able to play slightly differently at home than we are away. We just look a bit of a different beast.”
It has got to the stage where Howe has tried to move the focus away from where a game is taking place with his players.
Rather than overthinking the venue, he has instead called on his side to simply attack each fixture – regardless of where it is played.
Starting with Wednesday’s trip to the holders in Paris.
“There’s rightly been a lot of questions asked about our away form and our ability to handle pressure, to be resilient in times where we’re not the dominant team,” added Howe.
“We probably haven’t done that well enough this year and then, of course, when you get the moments, you need to show your quality the other way,
A South Korean court has sentenced former First Lady Kim Keon Hee to one year and eight months in prison after finding her guilty of accepting bribes from the Unification Church, according to South Korea’s official Yonhap news agency.
The Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday cleared Kim, the wife of disgraced ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol, of additional charges of stock price manipulation and violating the political funds act.
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Kim was accused of receiving bribes and lavish gifts from businesses and politicians, as well as the Unification Church, totalling at least $200,000.
The prosecution team had also indicted Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja, now on trial, after the religious group was suspected of giving Kim valuables, including two Chanel handbags and a diamond necklace, as part of its efforts to win influence with the president’s wife.
Prosecutors in December said Kim had “stood above the law” and colluded with the religious sect to undermine “the constitutionally mandated separation of religion and state”.
Prosecutor Min Joong-ki also said South Korea’s institutions were “severely undermined by abuses of power” committed by Kim.
The former first lady had denied all the charges, claiming the allegations against her were “deeply unjust” in her final testimony last month.
But she has also apologised for “causing trouble despite being a person of no importance”.
“When I consider my role and the responsibilities entrusted to me, it seems clear that I have made many mistakes,” she said in December.
Kim’s husband, the country’s former President Yoon, was ousted from office last year and has been sentenced to five years in prison for actions related to his short and disastrous declaration of martial law in December 2024.
Yoon could still be facing the death penalty in a separate case.
In 2023, hidden camera footage appeared to show Kim accepting a $2,200 luxury handbag in what was later dubbed the “Dior bag scandal”, further dragging down then-President Yoon’s already dismal approval ratings.
The scandal contributed to a stinging defeat for Yoon’s party in general elections in April 2024, as it failed to win back a parliamentary majority.
Yoon vetoed three opposition-backed bills to investigate allegations against Kim, including the Dior bag case, with the last veto in November 2024.
A week later, he declared martial law.
Novak Djokovic’s bid to make more tennis history is still alive as he scraped into the Australian Open semi-finals after Lorenzo Musetti retired injured when leading by two sets.
Djokovic, aiming for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam singles title, was wayward, error-strewn and irritable against the inspired Italian in front of a stunned crowd.
Musetti was 6-4 6-3 up and looked set for the semi-finals when he pulled up early in the third set.
The fifth seed took a medical timeout for treatment on his thigh but, unable to serve or move properly, he walked to the net and shook hands at 3-1 down in the third.
A heartbroken Musetti had to be helped down the corridor by a member of his team as he left the court.
“He was a far better player – I was on my way home tonight,” the 38-year-old Serb great said.
“I don’t know what to say except that I feel really sorry for him.
Djokovic received treatment for blisters on his feet at the end of the second set and could also have been tested physically had the match continued.
It is another stroke of luck for Djokovic after fourth-round opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew before their match with injury.
Djokovic has not won a set since his third-round victory over Botic van de Zandschulp on 24 January.
For Djokovic to move ahead of Margaret Court’s record of 24 major singles titles, he will need to limit his time on court, keep the points short and hope some good fortune goes his way.
Djokovic started sharply against Musetti, going an immediate break up, but then spectacularly lost his way.
A dreadful miss on an overhead handed the break back to Musetti and Djokovic never recovered, sending down just one ace and committing 18 unforced errors to nine winners on his way to losing the first set.
Djokovic frequently turned to his box in disbelief and annoyance – but he only had himself to blame at the start of the second set.
After breaking Musetti and getting out to a 30-0 lead on serve, Djokovic hit five unforced errors in six points to hand the initiative back.
Anchored by a one-handed backhand that kept Djokovic guessing and an improved serve, Musetti held off his opponent to move within touching distance of a first Australian Open semi-final.
Musetti’s level just made the injury all the more surprising. After being broken in the third set, he immediately called for the trainer and, after a valiant attempt at his next service game, called it quits.
Djokovic had warm words for his opponent at the net and afterwards – and, having struggled with physical issues early in his career, would know how devastated the 23-year-old was.
Despite the good fortune, Djokovic will know he will need to improve if he is to win an 11th Australian Open title, with two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner potentially waiting in the last four.
US Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota was sprayed with an unknown substance by an assailant during a public meeting in Minneapolis, where she called for immigration agency ICE to be abolished. She was unharmed, and police arrested the man on third-degree assault charges.
Luis Enrique rarely lets slip any admission of his team’s weaknesses.
The Spaniard described Paris St-Germain’s defeat at Sporting in the Champions League last week as their best away performance since he took over as manager in 2023.
That is a bold claim, given the European champions have won in Barcelona and scored seven in Leverkusen this season alone.
But the statistics do not necessarily contradict his assessment, even if the PSG boss may have been looking to shield his players from increased criticism.
PSG appeared to have a firm grip on the match, with three-quarters of the possession, 28 shots, and three disallowed goals, but were undone by a late double from Sporting’s Colombia striker Luis Suarez.
“We deserved to win, but that’s how it is in football,” said Luis Enrique.
Despite controlling the game, issues which plagued the start of the Parisians’ Champions League campaign last season – as they went winless in four fixtures – seem to have resurfaced.
Just like in the autumn of 2024, their otherwise authoritative displays have been undermined by defensive mistakes and poor finishing.
Last year, the spectacular turnaround in form which culminated in a treble was helped by some clinical finishing, especially in away matches where chances were few and far between.
At the same time, low blocks were taken apart by a fluid front three led by Ousmane Dembele in an all-action false-nine role.
However, the free-flowing attacks from last season have been replaced by long passages of stale possession this term – as the league defeats by Marseille and Monaco illustrated.
Those results could be explained by the injury crisis which meant Dembele, Desire Doue, Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi were all sidelined in the autumn.
The Coupe de France loss to Paris FC earlier this month, though, seemed to confirm something is not clicking for PSG.
A convincing win over Lille a few days later, in which Dembele scored an improbable lob from the edge of the box, only briefly hinted at a return to their best.
PSG were then wasteful in defeat in Portugal and again in the 1-0 win at Auxerre last Friday.
“We created a lot of chances, but we’re lacking a bit of confidence and accuracy to finish them,” Luis Enrique said after the latter victory which meant his side moved above Lens to the top of Ligue 1.
Getty ImagesFor the better part of a calendar year, the Parisians could afford to go without a nominal centre-forward.
Dembele was enough of a focal point to draw defenders out of position, while pressing intensely and notching a career-best goalscoring return.
This season, the other PSG forwards have been too inconsistent to make up for the Frenchman’s absences.
Dembele, who is only just returning to full fitness, came off the bench to assist Bradley Barcola’s late winner against Auxerre.
Until then, Goncalo Ramos had struggled to make a decisive impact – as has often been the case when the Portugal forward starts.
Ramos undoubtedly has the skillset to be the focal point of PSG’s star-studded attack, but struggles to find enough space to involve himself.
To his credit, the former Benfica man does link up well with his team-mates when dropping deeper, but has struggled to score consistently outside of late-game cameos.
While PSG’s recent fast-tracking of academy graduates into the first team has been a success, their rise in playing time has inevitably come with uneven performances as young players find their feet in senior football.
Senny Mayulu, for instance, has filled in at centre-forward, winger, midfielder and right-back to varying degrees of success.
Ibrahim Mbaye, who starred for Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations as an impact substitute, looked slightly off the pace as he was brought straight back into PSG’s starting XI on Friday.
Warren Zaire-Emery, now in his fourth season in the first team but still only 19, has been a more than serviceable stand-in for Hakimi at full-back.
The Moroccan’s influence in the final third, though, has been difficult for the France international to replicate.
Hakimi’s imminent return to action, having been out with an ankle injury since November, could offer PSG a new attacking dimension – and give Zaire-Emery some much-needed rest.
PSG’s short summer break, with the Super Cup coming exactly a month after the Club World Cup final, may also have contributed to their middling performances this season.
A travel-heavy schedule, which included a midweek trip to Kuwait for the Trophee des Champions earlier this month – when PSG beat Marseille on penalties – will also not have helped a depleted squad.
Luis Enrique, though, has dismissed any suggestion of fatigue as a deciding factor.
“It’s all in the head,” he said before their 2-1 league win over Paris FC at the start of January.
This season’s summer signings, meanwhile, have struggled to win fans over.
Lucas Chevalier has fended off competition from Matvey Safonov for now, notably thanks to his heroics in the Trophee des Champions, but Gianluigi Donnarumma’s replacement in goal remains under pressure after some high-profile errors.
In Lisbon, the France keeper was first called into action 20 minutes from time, when he was beaten by Suarez for Sporting’s opening goal.
The 24-year-old then parried a shot straight into Suarez’s path for the Colombian’s second goal.
Illia Zabarnyi, who has similarly been under fire over a series of individual mistakes, was also too passive in his defending for Sporting’s winner.
Luis Enrique has reiterated his support for the new arrivals, pointing out the spotlight of the French capital does not make for the easiest environment in which to adapt.
“The first thing I like to do whenever we sign a player, is to tell them to be careful – at Paris St-Germain you’ll be criticised in your first season whatever you do,” the manager said.
Before Wednesday’s match against Newcastle, the 55-year-old urged his team to play with more authority.
“We have to control matches and passages of play,” Luis Enrique said. “We have to know that the ball is ours, and defend how we want. We’re going to try to dominate and win the match.”
At this stage last year, PSG were on the verge of crashing out of Europe entirely – before an upturn in form culminated in the greatest night in the club’s history.
The stakes are not as high this time around, although a winner-takes-all battle for a top-eight spot with Newcastle will be enticing nonetheless.
The prospect of two extra European matches would not be too serious a setback for PSG, given their domestic cup exit has already thinned out their fixture list.