Ukraine: Russian assault on Azovstal, EU prepares oil embargo

Russian forces on Tuesday launched for the first time an assault with tanks and infantry against the Azovstal steel plant, the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol (southeast), as the Europeans prepare Wednesday an embargo against Russian oil. On Tuesday, the UN announced that it had managed to evacuate more than a hundred civilians from this steel plant, where dozens of others, entrenched in the huge underground galleries of this huge metallurgical complex, have been living a hell for weeks. In an online statement on Tuesday night, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said 156 civilians had been evacuated and arrived in Zaporizhzhia, a Ukrainian-controlled city 230 km northwest of Mariupol. The European Union will launch on Wednesday the examination of new sanctions against Moscow, including an embargo on oil and petroleum products purchased from Russia. But this measure still raises reservations among some EU countries, which are highly dependent on Russian deliveries, several European officials and diplomats told AFP.

U.S. central bank steps up fight against inflation
Barring an about-face, the US central bank will aggressively raise its key rates on Wednesday to control dizzying inflation, a delicate fight and far from being won with the risk of plunging the United States into recession. At the end of a two-day meeting, the Federal Reserve's (Fed) Monetary Policy Committee is expected to announce a half-percentage-point increase, the first of its magnitude since May 2000. In March, the Fed began raising rates for the first time since 2018. But it had acted cautiously by raising them to a range between 0.25 and 0.50%, an increase of 0.25 percentage points. However, it had indicated its willingness to make six more increases this year, as many as meetings by the end of 2022.

C1: Liverpool finalist in pain at Villarreal
Led 2-0 at the break, Liverpool, unrecognizable, woke up in the second half and managed to qualify for the final of the Champions League on Tuesday at Villarreal (3-2, first leg: 2-0), despite the resistance displayed by the modest Spanish club led by Unai Emery. Surprised from the outset by a goal from Boulaye Dia, then just before the break on a header from Francis Coquelin on a new service from his French compatriot Etienne Capoue (40th), Jurgen Klopp's men responded back from the locker room, with three goals from Fabinho (62nd), Luis Diaz (67th), and Sadio Mané (74th), on a risky exit from Geronimo Rulli. The Reds will have to wait twenty-four hours to know their opponent in the final, on May 28 at the France Stadium: Manchester City, winner 4-3 in an epic first leg, travels Wednesday (21:00) to the Santiago-Bernabéu to face the King of Europe, Real Madrid and its thirteen continental crowns.

in brief

North Korea has launched an "unidentified projectile" eastward, the South Korean military general staff said Wednesday. Since the beginning of the year, Pyongyang has already carried out more than a dozen test launches, including launching an intercontinental ballistic missile in March for the first time since 2017.

Emmanuel Macron will be sworn in on Saturday, during a "sober" ceremony at the Elysée, for his second term after his victory in the presidential election on April 24. The outgoing president won 58.55% of the vote in the second round against Marine Le Pen (RN) who won 41.45%.

Joe Biden has asked the US Congress to "quickly" release a huge budget extension to continue to deliver to Ukraine the military aid that allows it to "ridicule" the Russian military. The US president asked the parliamentarians for an extension of $ 33 billion.