Espagne: le FC Barcelone renverse l’Atlético Madrid et conforte sa première place

Mené 1-0 sur sa pelouse, le FC Barcelone a surmonté sa fébrilité défensive pour renverser l’Atlético Madrid mardi (3-1) en match avancé de la 19e journée de Liga, signant une victoire clé dans la course au titre.Toujours pas serein, mais encore renversant, le Barça ne parviendra peut-être pas à conserver sa couronne, en mai prochain.Mais il continuera, jusqu’au bout, de rester fidèle à l’idée de jeu ultra-offensive de son entraîneur Hansi Flick, victorieuse mardi soir pour la première fois dans un grand match cette saison, après des défaites face au PSG (2-1), au Real Madrid (2-1) ou Chelsea (3-0).D’abord douché par l’international espagnol Alex Baena (20e, 1-0), son Barça (1er, 37 points) a trouvé les ressources pour revenir et s’imposer, grâce au Brésilien Raphinha (26e, 1-1) et aux Espagnols Dani Olmo (65e, 2-1) et Ferran Torres (90e+6, 3-1), au bout du suspense, pour prendre provisoirement quatre longueurs d’avance sur le Real Madrid (2e, 33 points), sous pression mercredi à Bilbao (8e, 20 points).L’Atlético (4e, 31 points), qui avait l’opportunité de prendre la tête en cas de succès, voit lui sa belle série de sept succès consécutifs prendre fin et se retrouve à six longueurs.- Lewandowski maladroit, Olmo décisif -Sur la pelouse du Camp Nou, qui connaissait mardi son premier grand frisson depuis sa réouverture partielle fin novembre, c’est bien l’équipe de Diego Simeone qui a pris les devants, en sanctionnant l’alignement très haut de la défense catalane, prise à défaut par Baena (20e, 1-0), parti à la limite du hors-jeu dans le dos du jeune Pau Cubarsi, encore dépassé.Les hommes d’Hansi Flick, dont les tentatives en début de partie avaient été détournées par une ligne de cinq joueurs rojiblanco difficile à franchir (8e, 12e), ont fini par trouver la faille avec un ballon lumineux de Pedri, de retour comme titulaire, pour le capitaine blaugrana Raphinha (26e, 1-1), qui a effacé Jan Oblak pour égaliser dans le but vide.Les Catalans, qui ont retrouvé plus de contrôle de jeu grâce à leur métronome canarien, auraient alors pu se faire surprendre sans une bonne sortie de leur gardien Joan Garcia (31e) devant Baena. Ils auraient ensuite pu prendre l’avantage, quelques minutes plus tard, mais le buteur polonais Robert Lewandowski, si adroit dans l’exercice, a envoyé le penalty obtenu par Dani Olmo dans les tribunes (36e).L’attaquant de 37 ans, trouvé en position idéale par la patte gauche prodige Lamine Yamal, a bien tenté de se rattraper dans la foulée, mais sa tête claquée a trouvé les gants d’Oblak (38e).Largement dominateurs avec 73% de possession de balle, les Blaugranas, corrigés la semaine passée à Chelsea (3-0), ont failli se saborder une nouvelle fois juste avant la mi-temps. Mais Gerard Martin, contraint à un tacle désespéré pour stopper l’Argentin Giuliano Simeone, n’a écopé que d’un jaune, plutôt clément (45e+2).Le fils de l’entraîneur rojiblanco, servi au point de penalty, a raté une occasion en or de redonner l’avantage aux siens (53e) au retour des vestiaires, et c’est finalement Dani Olmo, décalé avec de la réussite par Lewandowski, qui a placé le Barça en tête du gauche (65e, 2-1). L’ancien Lyonnais Thiago Almada, entré en deuxième période alors que l’Atlético poussait pour revenir, a lui aussi manqué le cadre alors qu’il avait effacé toute la défense (79e).Après un dernier frisson dans sa surface, le géant catalan a fini par creuser l’écart grâce à son joker Ferran Torres, qui a libéré le Camp Nou au bout du temps additionnel (90e+6, 3-1).

Steve Witkoff, neophyte diplomat turned Trump’s global fixer

The American at the forefront of negotiating an end to the Ukraine war is not a veteran diplomat or the US secretary of state but a billionaire real estate developer, Steve Witkoff.Much like President Donald Trump — for years his friend and golfing partner — Witkoff came to the world stage without traditional experience. Instead, he relies on what the two men believe is a successful instinct in human relations and deal-making.For Trump, the 68-year-old Witkoff brings the quality the president most cherishes: personal loyalty. But Witkoff has drawn wide criticism from those who believe he is out of his depth and has shown too much deference to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he met in Moscow on Tuesday.”I liked him. I thought he was straight up with me,” Witkoff said in March after meeting Putin, who has ruthlessly targeted opponents at home and abroad.”I don’t regard Putin as a bad guy. That is a complicated situation, that war, and all the ingredients that led up to it,” Witkoff said.More recently, Bloomberg News reported a telephone conversation in which Witkoff offered advice to one of Putin’s advisors on the best way to present to Trump a plan to end the Ukraine war.According to the transcript, Witkoff said during the call that he believes Russia — which started the war in Ukraine by launching a full-scale invasion in February 2022 — “has always wanted a peace deal” and that he has “the deepest respect for President Putin.”Witkoff flew to Moscow with Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, after meeting Ukrainian negotiators in Florida. An initial version of the plan would ask Ukraine to cede territory that Russia has not won on the battlefield in return for security promises to Ukraine that fall well short of Kyiv’s hopes to join NATO.Trump has fumed about billions of dollars in US assistance to Ukraine and mused in the past that time was on Russia’s side.- Unorthodox approach -It was the latest trip this year to Russia by Witkoff, who was tapped after Trump’s election victory last year as his special envoy on the Middle East and quickly expanded his remit beyond negotiating two ceasefires in Gaza.Witkoff quickly showed he was willing to break traditions to get deals. He worked alongside the outgoing administration of Joe Biden for the first of the ceasefires.At one point, Witkoff flew from the discussions in Qatar to Israel to personally press Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept. It was an unusual meeting held on Saturday, when official Israel is closed due to the Jewish Sabbath — Witkoff is also Jewish.In another break with protocol, Witkoff has met directly with representatives of Hamas, which the United States bans as a terrorist group, to push them on a deal.After Israel targeted Hamas leaders meeting in September in Qatar, a close US partner, Witkoff personally offered condolences in Cairo to the top Hamas negotiator, Khalil al-Haya, whose son was killed in the Israeli strike.”I told him that I had lost a son, and that we were both members of a really bad club, parents who have buried children,” Witkoff later told CBS News program “60 Minutes.” Witkoff often speaks of his son Andrew, who died of an opioid overdose at age 22 in 2011.Witkoff was born in the Bronx and made his fortune in real estate, first as a lawyer and later as head of a property group. Forbes estimates his wealth at $2 billion.

Tech boss Dell gives $6.25bn to ‘Trump accounts’ for kids

Computer tycoon Michael Dell and his wife Susan said Tuesday they were giving $6.25 billion to children’s trust funds under a scheme set up by US President Donald Trump.So-called “Trump accounts” containing $1,000 for all children born after January 1, 2025 were part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that the Republican president pushed through Congress in July.But the Dell donation will now fund $250 deposits in saving accounts for at least 25 million children aged 10 and under, who were born before the cut-off point for the original program.”This will give millions of children a stake in American prosperity, a benefit from the rising stock market, and a better shot at the American dream,” Trump said in a ceremony at the White House.”This is truly one of the most generous acts in the history of our country.”The Dell Technologies founder and CEO, 60, said he hoped the accounts would teach children to save for their own futures.”We kind of started with a smaller amount to be honest” but then decided to donate more money, Michael Dell said.”We believe this is the greatest investment we can possibly make in children,” added Susan Dell.The “Trump accounts” will be available to children once they turn 18.The Dells’ gift will reach nearly 80 percent of children aged 10 and under, particularly targeting those in areas with the lowest income, their charitable foundation said in a fact sheet.The “Trump accounts” for newborns were part of the unpopular tax and spending bill that Trump pushed Republicans to get through a reluctant Congress and cement his second term agenda.The bill also included massive new funding for Trump’s migrant deportation drive, while gutting health and welfare support and sparking concerns that it would balloon the US national debt.

Foot: Manchester City se fait peur contre Fulham (5-4), 100e but record pour Haaland

Manchester City a mené 5-1 puis a tremblé avant de s’imposer 5-4, mardi à Fulham, lors d’une affiche complètement débridée et lancée par un but d’Erling Haaland, son 100e en Premier League à 25 ans seulement.L’équipe de Pep Guardiola avait déjà connu une frayeur similaire samedi contre Leeds (3-2), où son avance de deux buts avait fondu en seconde période. Phil Foden avait marqué le but vainqueur dans le temps additionnel.L’attaquant anglais a encore mis un doublé, cette fois de chaque côté de la mi-temps (44e, 48e), pour permettre aux siens de mener 4-1. L’avance a été portée à 5-1 sur un tir de Jérémy Doku dévié par un adversaire (54e).Mais la belle mécanique des visiteurs, déjà abimée par un but d’Emile Smith Rowe (45e+2, 3-1) avant la pause, a complètement déraillé au passage d’Alex Iwobi (52e) et Samuel Chukwueze (72e, 78e).Cela aurait pu être pire si l’arbitre avait offert à Fulham le pénalty qu’il réclamait (84e), ou si Josko Gvardiol n’avait pas dégagé un ballon juste devant son but dans l’interminable temps additionnel (90e+8).Cette débandade défensive a fait passer au second plan la bonne opération comptable de Manchester City (2e, 28 points), revenu à seulement deux longueurs du leader Arsenal (1er, 30 pts), qui reçoit Brentford mercredi.Elle a aussi éclipsé les débuts tonitruants dans le match d’Erling Haaland, auteur d’un but (17e, 1-0) et d’une passe décisive pour Tijjani Reijnders (37e, 2-0).L’avant-centre arrivé en 2022 du Borussia Dortmund a inscrit pour l’occasion son 100e but en Premier League, en seulement 111 matches, un temps de passage record puisqu’il dépasse celui d’Alan Shearer (en 124 apparitions).

Trump hints economic adviser Hassett may be Fed chair pick

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday hinted that he wants to nominate his chief economic adviser Kevin Hassett to replace outgoing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell next year.Introducing guests at a White House event attended by Hassett, Trump said: “It’s a great group, and I guess a potential Fed chair is here too.”He added: “I don’t know, are we allowed to say that, potential? He’s a respected person that I can tell you. Thank you, Kevin.”At a meeting of his cabinet earlier in the day, Trump said he would announce his pick “probably early next year for the new chairman of the Fed.””I think we probably looked at 10 and we have it down to one,” he said.Hassett, a PhD economist, is currently chair of the National Economic Council, a White House body which advises the president and his cabinet on policymaking.He frequently appears on television touting the president’s policies.During Trump’s first term, he served as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, another body more dedicated to research and analysis.While Hassett’s loyalty to Trump could open the doors to a Fed nomination, it is also likely to be a key discussion topic among the political and financial class as he seeks confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate.He will have to convince Senators — and markets — that he is capable of preserving the central bank’s independence and won’t let inflation spiral out of control in the world’s biggest economy.He has joined Trump in publicly criticizing the Fed over its interest-rate decisions, calling for more cuts this year, though he has not used harsh language against Powell like the president.The term of current Fed Chair Powell ends in May 2026.Trump tried unsuccessfully to hasten Powell’s departure, hurling insults and recriminations at the man he picked for the job during his first term in the White House.Since then, Trump has said he bitterly regrets this choice as Powell has resisted pressure to lower interest rates quickly enough.On Tuesday, Trump referred to the Fed chairman as a “stubborn ox” and alleged that the decision to not lower rates more quickly was motivated by personal animus.