TikTok: Trump reporte encore l’échéance, ByteDance évoque des “questions clefs” à résoudre

Donald Trump a annoncé vendredi qu’il reportait de 75 jours supplémentaires la date limite fixée pour la vente du réseau social TikTok, la maison mère du réseau social, ByteDance, faisant état de “questions clefs” encore à résoudre.Le président américain avait déjà reporté une première fois, de 75 jours fin janvier, l’entrée en vigueur d’une loi votée en 2024 par le Congrès et qui impose à ByteDance d’en céder le contrôle sous peine d’interdiction aux Etats-Unis.Ce texte visait à empêcher que les autorités chinoises ne puissent mettre la main sur des données personnelles d’utilisateurs de TikTok aux Etats-Unis ou ne soient en mesure d’influencer l’opinion américaine via le puissant algorithme du réseau social.L’échéance est désormais déplacée au 19 juin.La cession de la filiale américaine de TikTok nécessite le feu vert de ByteDance mais aussi des autorités chinoises, qui n’ont, ni l’une, ni l’autre, validé jusqu’à présent l’idée même d’une vente.”Des questions clefs doivent encore être résolues”, a prévenu vendredi le groupe chinois, confirmant des discussions mais rappelant que toute transaction devrait être “approuvée en conformité avec la loi chinoise”.La tonalité de ces communications contraste avec l’assurance affichée par Donald Trump et son vice-président JD Vance, chargé du dossier à la Maison Blanche, qui avaient affirmé à plusieurs reprises ces derniers jours qu’un accord final serait trouvé avant la date limite du 5 avril.”Nous espérons poursuivre, dans un esprit constructif, notre travail avec la Chine qui, de ce que j’entends, n’est pas ravie des droits de douane réciproques” imposés au pays par Donald Trump, a écrit le chef de l’Etat dans un message posté sur son réseau Truth Social.Cette nouvelle taxe de 34% s’ajoute, dans le cas de la Chine, aux 20% déjà en vigueur, ce qui porte le total de droits supplémentaires à 54%.- “Monnaie d’échange” -La Chine a riposté et annoncé vendredi la mise en place d’une taxe de 34% sur les produits américains importés dès le 10 avril.”Le report (de la date limite) permet de maintenir TikTok en vie et d’accréditer l’idée que les droits de douane font leur effet” et incitent la Chine à une inflexion, a commenté Jeremy Goldman, analyste du cabinet Emarketer.”Trump peut continuer à utiliser TikTok comme une monnaie d’échange dans sa saga géopolitique avec la Chine”, a-t-il poursuivi.”Nous ne voulons pas que TikTok disparaisse”, a redit Donald Trump, qui après avoir tenté de forcer la cession de la plateforme en 2020, s’est posé, depuis la dernière campagne présidentielle américaine, en sauveur du réseau social aux 170 millions d’utilisateurs aux Etats-Unis.”Nous sommes impatients de travailler avec TikTok et la Chine pour finaliser cette opération”, qui “nécessite davantage de travail pour s’assurer de la signature de tous les accords nécessaires”, a décrit l’ancien promoteur immobilier.Selon plusieurs médias américains, des discussions sont en cours, avec comme scénario central la scission de TikTok de sa maison mère.Les actionnaires de ByteDance se verraient alors confier des actions de cette nouvelle entité à concurrence de leur participation actuelle dans le géant chinois.Selon TikTok lui-même, environ 60% du capital de ByteDance est aux mains d’investisseurs non chinois, ce qui reviendrait à ce que la plateforme vidéo ne soit plus contrôlée majoritairement par une entreprise chinoise, principale exigence du Congrès.Si ce scénario l’emportait, il écarterait tout paiement et éviterait aussi l’entrée au capital d’un ou plusieurs prétendants qui se sont manifestés ces derniers mois pour racheter TikTok.Cette liste comprend notamment le “Project Liberty” de l’entrepreneur Frank McCourt, propriétaire de l’Olympique de Marseille, le YouTubeur MrBeast ou la startup d’intelligence artificielle (IA) générative Perplexity AI.Ces derniers jours, se sont aussi manifestés, selon des médias américains, Amazon et Walmart, qui avaient présenté, en 2020, une offre conjointe avec Microsoft pour racheter TikTok, proposition restée lettre morte.Quelques acteurs américains, notamment le spécialiste de l’informatique à distance (cloud) Oracle, qui héberge déjà les serveurs de TikTok aux Etats-Unis, ou la société d’investissement Blackstone, pourraient prendre une participation minoritaire, selon des médias américains.Mais l’enjeu est tout autant financier que technologique avec, au centre du dossier, le fameux algorithme de recommandation de TikTok, qui explique la popularité de l’application.Or, c’est bien au contrôle de ce programme par une entité chinoise que voulait mettre fin le Congrès.Le New York Times a suggéré que la nouvelle entité pourrait obtenir une licence auprès de ByteDance pour l’exploiter.

California to defy Trump’s tariffs to allay global trade fears

California Governor Gavin Newsom said Friday that he will seek agreements with the rest of the world to avoid the expected retaliations against US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.”California is not Washington, DC,” Newsom said in a video posted to social media.”Donald Trump’s tariffs do not represent all Americans, particularly those that I represent here in the fifth largest economy in the world, the state of California.” The majority of goods that enter the United States from China pass through Californian ports, and the state has considerable trade with Mexico and Canada. These three countries represent 40 percent of California’s imports and are also the countries the state exports to most.”The Golden State will remain a steady, reliable partner for generations to come, no matter the turbulence coming out of Washington,” Newsom added in a statement.He did not specify how new agreements could bypass Trump’s protectionist policies.Newsom, 57, faces term limits that bar him from running for re-election in 2026. His political ambitions remain unknown, but the Democrat is seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.In a trade offensive that is unprecedented since the 1930s, Trump unleashed broad spanning global tariffs this week, sending markets into a record-breaking slump and resulting in retaliatory tariffs.Trump’s latest levies mean Chinese products must be taxed at a total of 54 percent, and those from the European Union at 20 percent.On Friday, China retaliated by announcing additional tariffs of 34 percent on American products starting April 10, “in addition to the currently applicable tariff rates.” “We will not stand idly by during Trump’s tariff war,” Newsom said on X.As the most populous state in the country, with nearly 40 million inhabitants, California accounts for 14 percent of the American GDP and would be the fifth-largest economy in the world if it were a country, Newsom said.The cradle of tech, California is also a leading manufacturer and agricultural producer in the country.After fires ravaged Los Angeles in January, California faces concerns that tariffs will hinder the city’s reconstruction by making frequently imported construction materials like wood, steel, aluminum, and drywall more expensive.

California to defy Trump’s tariffs to allay global trade fears

California Governor Gavin Newsom said Friday that he will seek agreements with the rest of the world to avoid the expected retaliations against US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.”California is not Washington, DC,” Newsom said in a video posted to social media.”Donald Trump’s tariffs do not represent all Americans, particularly those that I represent here in the fifth largest economy in the world, the state of California.” The majority of goods that enter the United States from China pass through Californian ports, and the state has considerable trade with Mexico and Canada. These three countries represent 40 percent of California’s imports and are also the countries the state exports to most.”The Golden State will remain a steady, reliable partner for generations to come, no matter the turbulence coming out of Washington,” Newsom added in a statement.He did not specify how new agreements could bypass Trump’s protectionist policies.Newsom, 57, faces term limits that bar him from running for re-election in 2026. His political ambitions remain unknown, but the Democrat is seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate.In a trade offensive that is unprecedented since the 1930s, Trump unleashed broad spanning global tariffs this week, sending markets into a record-breaking slump and resulting in retaliatory tariffs.Trump’s latest levies mean Chinese products must be taxed at a total of 54 percent, and those from the European Union at 20 percent.On Friday, China retaliated by announcing additional tariffs of 34 percent on American products starting April 10, “in addition to the currently applicable tariff rates.” “We will not stand idly by during Trump’s tariff war,” Newsom said on X.As the most populous state in the country, with nearly 40 million inhabitants, California accounts for 14 percent of the American GDP and would be the fifth-largest economy in the world if it were a country, Newsom said.The cradle of tech, California is also a leading manufacturer and agricultural producer in the country.After fires ravaged Los Angeles in January, California faces concerns that tariffs will hinder the city’s reconstruction by making frequently imported construction materials like wood, steel, aluminum, and drywall more expensive.

Venezuela: 16 tonnes de cocaïne saisies près de la Colombie depuis mars

Plus de 16 tonnes de cocaïne ont été saisies au Venezuela depuis le mois de mars dans le cadre de l’opération “Eclair” menée dans une région frontalière avec la Colombie, a annoncé vendredi le ministre de l’Intérieur Diosdado Cabello. Au “total 16.308 kilos de cocaïne d’une pureté extrêmement élevée” ont été saisies dans cette région de l’ouest du pays, a déclaré lors d’une conférence de presse M. Cabello, qui avait déjà annoncé le chiffre de 10 tonnes fin mars. Le ministre a indiqué que la cocaïne était “fabriquée en Colombie” et transportée dans des bateaux et submersibles” de fabrication “rudimentaire” vers le lac de Maracaibo, plus grand lac d’Amérique du Sud et qui a un débouché sur la mer des Caraïbes.M. Cabello a assuré que ce réseau de trafic de drogue finançait un complot contre le président vénézuélien Nicolas Maduro et a accusé des dirigeants de l’opposition, comme Maria Corina Machado, de “liens” avec un homme d’affaires arrêté dans ce dossier, José Enrique Rincon. Le président de gauche et le pouvoir vénézuélien dénoncent fréquemment des projets visant à renverser le chef de l’État. “Tout cela est lié aux secteurs extrémistes de l’opposition”, a déclaré Diosdado Cabello sans fournir de preuves, évoquant une “réunion” entre Mme Machado et M. Rincon en Colombie.  Au moins sept maires de la région ont été arrêtés dans le cadre de cette opération, selon le ministre, dont quatre appartiennent au parti au pouvoir. 

Israel expands ground offensive in Gaza City

Israeli forces have launched a ground offensive in Gaza City, the military said Friday, expanding their operations as rescuers reported at least 30 killed across the Palestinian territory since dawn.Since renewed military operations last month ended a short-lived truce in its war with Hamas, Israel has pushed to seize territory in the Gaza Strip in what it said was a strategy to force militants to free hostages still in captivity.Israel has also escalated attacks on Lebanon, where a US envoy was visiting on Friday, hours after a pre-dawn strike on the port city of Sidon killed a Hamas commander.In Gaza City, the Israeli army said ground troops were operating in the Shujaiya area “in order to expand the security zone” established by the military inside the Palestinian territory.”The situation is very dangerous, and there is death coming at us from every direction,” Elena Helles told AFP via text message, saying her family were trapped in her sister’s house in Shujaiya.Others fled the area following an Israeli evacuation order on Thursday, AFPTV footage showed.The civil defence agency said Israeli military operations across Gaza killed at least 30 people on Friday.A single strike on Khan Yunis killed at least 25 people, a medical source at the southern city’s Nasser Hospital told AFP.Ahmed al-Aqqad, whose family owned the bombarded building, told AFP more bodies may be buried “under the rubble, but we cannot get them out due to the lack of necessary equipment”.”We call on the entire world to stand together to stop the bloodshed,” said relative Diaa al-Aqqad.- ‘Couldn’t find our children’ -Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the military would bolster its presence inside Gaza to fight militants and “destroy… terrorist infrastructure”, with unspecified “large areas” to be “incorporated into Israeli security zones”.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the army was dividing Gaza and “seizing territory” to force Hamas to free the remaining Israeli hostages taken captive during the October 2023 attack that sparked the war.Out of 251 people abducted during the Hamas attack on Israel, 58 remain hostage in Gaza including 34 the military says are dead.Hamas’s armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, on Friday warned that the offensive was putting hostages’ lives at risk.”Half of the living Israeli (captive) are located in areas that the Israeli occupation army has requested to be evacuated in recent days,” spokesman Abu Obeida said.One Israeli strike on Thursday hit a school used as a shelter for displaced Palestinians in the Gaza City area, the civil defence agency said, reporting at least 31 killed including children.”They bombed us with missiles and everything went dark… We couldn’t find our children,” sobbed Raghda al-Sharafa, who was among the displaced civilians sheltering at the Dar al-Arqam School compound in the Al-Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City.The Israeli military confirmed it struck the school, telling AFP it targeted “prominent terrorists who were in a Hamas command and control centre”.In Nuseirat in central Gaza, Ziad Abu Rialah said on Friday: “I’m afraid to close my eyes during the night, out of fear that when I get up I will not find my family members, because of the shelling that we witness on a daily basis.”- Lebanon strike -Doctors Without Borders said on Friday that its staff member Hussam Al Loulou, 58, was killed along with family members in an air strike earlier this week in central Gaza, one of hundreds of aid workers killed during the war.”We strongly condemn his killing and call yet again for the immediate restoration of the ceasefire and protection of civilians,” the medical charity said.The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said 1,249 people have been killed since Israel resumed intense bombing last month, bringing the overall death toll since the war began to 50,609.The October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war resulted in 1,218 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.In Lebanon, Hamas’s military wing said its commander Hassan Farhat was killed in an Israeli strike that hit “inside his apartment” in Sidon, also killing his son Hamza and daughter Jenan.The Israeli military, confirming it had killed Hassan Farhat, accused him of orchestrating attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians including deadly rocket fire on the town of Safed last year.Lebanon condemned a “flagrant attack” on its sovereignty and what it said was a violation of a November truce between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, a Hamas ally.The US deputy special envoy for the Middle East, Morgan Ortagus — whose country has helped oversee the truce — was in Beirut for meetings with top officials, Lebanon’s official National News Agency said.burs/ami/jsa

Deuxième journée de très forte baisse du pétrole, face aux attaques douanières

Les cours du pétrole ont terminé en très forte baisse pour la deuxième journée consécutive, tombant vendredi à leur plus bas niveau depuis 2021, les opérateurs s’inquiétant de l’impact sur l’économie mondiale de la guerre commerciale lancée par Washington.”Il existe une forte corrélation entre la croissance du PIB mondial et la demande de pétrole”, relève Rob Thummel, de Tortoise Capital. Or “les tensions douanières actuelles créent des incertitudes quant aux perspectives de croissance économique mondiale”, ajoute l’analyste.Le prix du baril de Brent de la mer du Nord, pour livraison en juin, a perdu 6,50%, à 65,58 dollars, à son plus bas depuis août 2021.Son équivalent américain, le baril de West Texas Intermediate (WTI), pour livraison en mai, a chuté de 7,41% à 61,99 dollars, à son niveau le plus faible depuis avril 2021.Jeudi, le Brent avait déjà perdu 6,42% et le WTI 6,64%.La Chine, premier importateur de pétrole mondial, a annoncé vendredi imposer à son tour des droits de douane supplémentaires de 34% sur les produits américains dès le 10 avril, “en plus du taux des droits de douane actuellement applicables”.Cette riposte fait suite à l’imposition, par la Maison Blanche, de droits de douane massifs sur l’ensemble de ses partenaires commerciaux. Ces nouvelles surtaxes sont particulièrement punitives pour la Chine, qui verra ainsi au total les taxes sur ses produits atteindre 54%.Pour Donald Trump, l’annonce chinoise traduit la “panique” de Pékin. L’exécutif américain avait prévenu les partenaires commerciaux des Etats-Unis de ne pas riposter à ses droits de douane, au risque de subir des surtaxes additionnelles sur leurs produits.Les craintes entourant les conséquences pour l’économie mondiale de cette guerre commerciale de grande ampleur “combinées à l’augmentation de l’offre de brut de l’Organisation des pays exportateurs de pétrole et ses alliés (Opep+) augmentent le risque d’une surabondance de l’offre sur le marché mondial du pétrole”, souligne Rob Thummel.L’Opep+ va “mettre en œuvre un ajustement de la production de 411.000 barils par jour” en mai 2025, selon un communiqué paru jeudi. Une décision qui continue de surprendre les marchés vendredi et à faire chuter les cours.Le marché anticipait plutôt “une hausse de 135.000 barils par jour en mai, conforme au calendrier” de retour progressif sur 18 mois de 2,2 millions de barils quotidiens retenus par huit membres de l’Opep+, souligne Mukesh Sahdev, analyste chez Rystad Energy.

Democrats slam Trump’s dismissal of NSA chief

Democrats expressed outrage on Friday that President Donald Trump had fired the head of the highly sensitive US National Security Agency at the apparent urging of far-right conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer.Loomer, who is known for claiming that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job, is reported to have pushed for the dismissal of various senior US security officials including NSA chief Timothy Haugh, putting her in an unprecedented position of influence over some of the most secretive and powerful parts of the government.”I am alarmed and angered that, at the insistence of a far-right conspiracy theorist, President Trump dismissed one of the most skilled, accomplished officers in the US military,” Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement.Democratic Senator Mark Warner, the ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, referred to the Trump administration’s inadvertent inclusion of a journalist in a Signal group chat on plans for Yemen air strikes in his criticism of Haugh’s dismissal.”It’s so crazy it defies belief: Trump refused to fire the people that embarrassed America and risked service members’ lives in the Signalgate scandal,” Warner wrote on X, “but fired Gen. Haugh, a nonpartisan national security expert, at the advice of a self-described ‘pro-white nationalist.”And a group of Democrats from the House Armed Services Committee issued a joint statement condemning the firing of Haugh and his deputy Wendy Noble, saying reports that the dismissals were the result of them “being accused of being disloyal by a far-right conspiracy theorist are deeply disturbing.”Loomer posted on X early on Friday — after Haugh’s firing was reported — that he and Noble “have been disloyal to President Trump. That is why they have been fired.”- ‘I listen to everybody’ -“Given the fact that the NSA is arguably the most powerful intel agency in the world, we cannot allow for a Biden nominee to hold that position,” Loomer wrote, adding, “This is called VETTING.”Trump, whose reality TV show catchphrase was “you’re fired,” on Thursday addressed reports that officials at the National Security Council had also been sacked, saying “we’re always going to let go of people — people we don’t like… or people that may have loyalties to someone else.”But while he claimed that Loomer did not play a role in the decision, Trump also said aboard Air Force One that “she makes recommendations” and “sometimes I listen to those recommendations… I listen to everybody and then I make a decision.”The New York Times reported Thursday that six people from the NSC were fired after Trump met with Loomer the previous day, including three senior officials on the body that advises the president on top foreign policy matters from Ukraine to Gaza.Loomer confirmed the meeting, but said on X that “out of respect for President Trump and the privacy of the Oval Office, I’m going to decline on divulging any details.”The 31-year-old — who often flew with Trump on his campaign plane during the 2024 election — later said she had presented “opposition research” to the Republican president.She previously sparked accusations of racism when she said on social media that Trump’s Democratic rival Kamala Harris — whose mother was of Indian descent — would make the White House “smell like curry” if she won.Trump has led a major shake-up of the armed forces’ leadership since taking office in January.The president fired top US military officer general Charles “CQ” Brown in February, offering no explanation for the dismissal less than two years into his four-year term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also sacked the head of the Navy and other top officers, while Trump’s administration is presiding over sweeping layoffs of federal workers and moves to dismantle government institutions.

His way: Trump brushes off trade chaos with defiance and golf

Donald Trump hit the golf course ahead of a candlelight dinner Friday despite global turmoil over his tariff plans — underscoring his desire to do things his way in an increasingly hardline second term.As he spent a long weekend at his Florida getaway, the 78-year-old US president was increasingly defiant even as markets plunged, insisting it was a “great time to get rich.”And as he punishes America’s trade rivals, Trump is also hitting out at perceived political opponents at home, purging his national security team at the apparent urging of a far-right conspiracy theorist.”He’s at the peak of just not giving a f— anymore,” The Washington Post quoted a White House official as saying.Trump relished being the boss in his first term as president too, but since his return to the White House he has appeared more unbowed than ever in the face of criticism.Less than 24 hours after his world-shaking tariff announcement, and as markets were still plunging into the red, Trump headed to Florida for dinner on Thursday at Trump National Doral golf club.The club is hosting an event this weekend by the Saudi-owned LIV Golf tour, for which Trump is trying to broker a merger with the PGA tour.Television footage showed Trump, wearing a read “Make America Great Again” hat, being driven in a golf cart after arriving on his Marine One helicopter.”What a disgrace,” said the Republicans Against Trump group in a post on X sharing the footage, noting that it came as  “the market is crashing, a recession is looming, and the country is more isolated than ever.”On Friday morning Trump then headed to another of his golf courses near his grand Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, just as US markets were opening for a second day’s bloodbath.”This is a great time to get rich,” he declared in a social media post shortly before heading to the course, adding that “my policies will never change.”- ‘Fired’ -Democrats criticized Trump for missing the return ceremony on Friday for four US troops killed during an exercise in Lithuania.As battered US markets close, Trump will be attending a “MAGA Inc Candelight Dinner” on Friday night at Mar-a-Lago, according to the White House.Trump is due to speak at the dinner and tickets cost $1 million each, CBS News reported, with the funds going towards MAGA Inc, a pro-Trump so-called “Super PAC” — an entity used for political funding.The gilded trappings of Trump’s weekend come amid growing fears that the tariffs may spark a recession and tank his promises to foster a new “Golden Age” for the US economy.”The irony is that while everyone but the super-rich will feel pain, his base of blue collar, middle-income whites will feel the most pain,” Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political scientist, told AFP.Trump made the final decision on his strategy at the last minute after a “ping pong match” between officials trying to meld apparently contradictory goals, The Wall Street Journal reported.The first rumblings of Republican dissent have already started.Senator Ted Cruz — who fought a bitter battle with Trump for the 2016 Republican nomination — said on his podcast that if there is a recession, next year’s US midterm elections “in all likelihood politically, would be a bloodbath.”But Trump’s allies say that he should be left to be in charge.”Let Donald Trump run the global economy. He knows what he’s doing,” Howard Lutnick, the US commerce secretary and major cheerleader for the president, said on Thursday.Trump’s tariffs gamble is also in tune with a growing sense that he wants to be the sole captain of a ship where everyone is loyal.Trump on Thursday fired National Security Agency chief Timothy Haugh, his deputy and other senior national security officials following an intervention by right-wing conspiracist Laura Loomer.Both NSA officials were appointed by Trump’s predecessor as president, Joe Biden.Loomer, who is known for claiming that the 9/11 attacks were an inside job, said on X that Haugh and Noble “have been disloyal to President Trump. That is why they have been fired.”