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Russian airstrike hits maternity hospital, as officials warn of fast-rising civilian toll+ Photos

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Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Ukrainian emergency employees and volunteers carry an injured pregnant woman from the damaged maternity hospital in Mariupol.

MUKACHEVO, Ukraine — A Russian airstrike hit a Ukrainian maternity hospital in the besieged coastal city of Mariupol on Wednesday, injuring at least 17 staff members and patients as leaders warned of the fast-rising civilian toll of the two-week-old conflict, officials said.

The blast tore the front off one of the buildings in the hospital complex and damaged several others. One pregnant woman was evacuated on a stretcher; a long bleeding gash on her left hip was visible in images from the scene. Another pregnant woman, bleeding from her forehead, walked down a staircase, a faded rose-print blanket draped over her shoulders, her possessions in a purple plastic bag. A flaming car sat on a square that was punctuated with gnarled, burned trees.

“What kind of country is this, Russia, which is afraid of hospitals and maternity hospitals and destroys them?” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a late-night video, appearing close to tears. “Were pregnant women going to fire at [the Russian city of] Rostov? Did someone in the maternity hospital abuse Russian-speakers? What was that? Was it the de-Nazification of the hospital?”

The bombing punctuated another devastating day in Ukraine, where leaders made increasingly desperate calls for more Western help, while U.S. officials warned that Russia seemed to be launching more indiscriminate attacks and making small but strategic gains on key cities. U.S. officials also warned that Russian rhetoric about chemical weapons could mean they were plotting a “false-flag” attack.

Officials feared that the coming days could be particularly grim for refugees and Ukrainians who have camped out in basements and subway stations to try to avoid Russian bombing. The United Nations said Wednesday it had recorded 516 civilian deaths, including 37 children, in the fighting so far, but it said in a statement that “the real figures are considerably higher.”

Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Ukrainian servicemen work inside of the damaged maternity hospital in Mariupol.

The governor of the region that includes Mariupol, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said in a video posted on Telegram that the 17 injured people in the Mariupol attack were mostly staff members and that no children were hurt. It was not immediately clear how full the hospital was when it was hit, with Mariupol encircled by Russian forces and city life largely having come to a halt. Patients appeared to have been using at least a portion of the aboveground maternity wards.

The attack drew immediate global condemnation, along with promises of more support for the embattled country.

“There are few things more depraved than targeting the vulnerable and defenceless,” British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter.

The World Health Organization said earlier Wednesday it had so far verified 18 attacks on health facilities in Ukraine. The attacks inflicted 10 deaths and 16 injuries, the organization said.

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“These attacks deprive whole communities of health care,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

The Russian military appears to be throwing inexperienced soldiers into combat, acknowledging Wednesday that at least some conscripted soldiers had been sent into battle despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s orders to leave the fighting to professionals. Putin on Wednesday ordered military prosecutors to investigate who was responsible for disobeying the order, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Adding to worries about an escalation, White House press secretary Jen Psaki warned that Russia may be planning a “false-flag” chemical weapons attack, after Russian officials claimed to have evidence that the United States had supported a bioweapons program in Ukraine, and that “Ukrainian nationalists” were readying a chemical weapons “provocation” close to the Russian border near Kharkiv. U.S. officials dismissed the accusation.

“Now that Russia has made these false claims,” Psaki said on Twitter, “we should all be on the lookout for Russia to possibly use chemical or biological weapons in Ukraine, or to create a false flag operation using them.”

There were fears that the scale of the human suffering could grow even more if Ukraine’s nuclear facilities failed as a result of the fighting. Ukraine’s power grid operator, Ukrenergo, warned Wednesday that the closed Chernobyl nuclear power plant had been disconnected from the grid and that there were just 48 hours of fuel left for the diesel backup generators that keep the cooling and ventilation systems at the plant operational.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba demanded a cease-fire with Russia so repairs could be made, warning that after reserve diesel generators run out of fuel, “cooling systems of the storage facility for spent nuclear fuel will stop, making radiation leaks imminent.” The International Atomic Energy Agency was slightly less urgent, saying Wednesday on Twitter that the power loss “violates [a] key safety pillar on ensuring uninterrupted power supply” but adding that “in this case IAEA sees no critical impact on safety.”

Both Russia and Ukraine announced routes to allow people to leave hard-hit cities. But after accusing Putin’s forces of shelling the escape routes four days in a row, Ukrainian officials remained skeptical about the temporary cease-fire announcements.

Officials in Izyum, one of the cities set to be evacuated, alleged Wednesday that efforts to get civilians out were compromised by shelling from Russian forces. Other evacuations appeared to be proceeding. Local officials in the northeastern Sumy region, from which 5,000 people were able to evacuate a day earlier, said people were leaving in private cars and that they planned to load 22 buses, prioritizing pregnant women, women with children, older people and people with disabilities.

Evgeniy Maloletka/AP An injured pregnant woman walks downstairs in the damaged maternity hospital in Mariupol

By Friday morning, much of Ukraine could be hovering around 14 degrees Fahrenheit, with gusty winds from the east that make the air feel even more bitter. And parts of northeastern Ukraine could get up to four inches of snow through Friday. The bitter temperatures are expected to make the situation in the country more difficult — for soldiers and civilians alike.

A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity under rules set by the Pentagon, said Wednesday that Russia’s military campaign appears to be growing more indiscriminate as its troops make small but strategic gains on key cities.

There are “indications” the Russians are dropping “dumb munitions,” the official said, but added that it was “not totally clear whether that is by design” or because precision-guided munitions were somehow damaged.

“While we can’t prove a certain dumb bomb is hitting a certain target … what we see manifested is increasing damage to civilian infrastructure and civilian casualties,” the official said. Avoiding such casualties, the official added, “cannot be aided by the use of dumb bombs.”

The Biden administration has been adamant that it will not involve U.S. troops in the war and thus far has dismissed calls from Zelensky and others to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, saying enforcement could risk putting U.S. and NATO military personnel in direct conflict with Russian forces. But as the advance on major cities continues, the humanitarian situation is becoming more dire — particularly in places like Mariupol, which, according to the defense official, is now “isolated.”

Russia has launched more than 710 missiles, about half of which were fired from locations within Ukraine, according to the defense official. In the last 24 hours, Russian troops also made gains in their assault on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest population center, moving 20 kilometers closer to the center of the city in the country’s northeast. Russian forces also have moved about 15 kilometers to the north of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine, according to a U.S. assessment, representing another territorial gain.

If the southern city falls, it could become a staging ground for a Russian assault on the large port city of Odessa, the defense official said.

The Pentagon believes Ukraine still has the bulk of its fixed-wing aircraft “available to them and operational,” the official said, but the Russians have surface-to-air missile systems that “virtually cover the whole country.”

“One has to assume they’re taking that into effect before they decide to fly manned aircraft,” the U.S. defense official said.

Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Ukrainian emergency personnel work at the side of the shell-damaged maternity hospital in Mariupol on March 9.

That posture appears to have been driving some skepticism in the United States about the logic of sending Ukraine more attack aircraft, as Poland has been pressing to do. On Tuesday night, the United States rejected a Polish proposal to move MiG-29 warplanes to a U.S. base in Germany so they could be deployed to aid Ukraine at the United States’ direction.

Psaki reiterated Wednesday that there “obvious concerns” with such a plan.

“It doesn’t require a military expert to understand why having planes fly from a U.S. air base into … a country where there is a war is not in our interests and not in NATO’s interests,” she said.

Psaki also cited problems with alternative suggestions for transporting those planes from Poland into Ukraine. “Carting them down the street,” she said, was not as easy as people might think.

“They have to be taken apart and put back together,” Psaki said. “You have to have people who are able to put those planes back together. You have to ensure that they can be safely moved through the course of a contested country.”

But U.S. officials also acknowledged that Ukrainian leaders may feel the need to press for whatever assistance they can get.

“If I were in President Zelensky’s position, I’m sure I would be asking for everything possible … to help the Ukrainian people,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a news conference with visiting British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

Truss was more direct in her skepticism.

“The best way to defend” Ukraine, she said, is “with antitank weapons and anti-air weapons.”

Birnbaum, Demirjian and Firozi reported from Washington. Karly Domb Sadof, Elyse Samuels, Amy B Wang and Karen DeYoung in Washington and Karla Adam, Annabelle Timsit and Adela Suliman in London contributed to this report.

Washington Post

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Iran to US: No Nuclear Deal Without Guarantee of Our Rights

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2 days ago

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May 31, 2026

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Iran to US: No Nuclear Deal Without Guarantee of Our Rights
Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf

Iran to US: No Nuclear Deal Without Guarantee of Our Rights

TEHRAN – Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has firmly ruled out any agreement with the United States unless the rights of the Iranian people are fully guaranteed, signaling a major hurdle in ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East conflict that erupted on February 28.

In a video broadcast on state television on Sunday, Ghalibaf declared, “We will not approve any agreement until we are certain that the rights of the Iranian people have been upheld.” He added that Tehran’s negotiating team “neither trust the enemy’s words nor its promises,” underscoring a deep and persistent distrust of US guarantees that has defined the Islamic Republic’s bargaining stance for decades.

The强硬 Iranian position comes as the White House pushes forward with a revised proposal. On Saturday, The New York Times and Axios reported that US President Donald Trump returned a draft framework to Tehran with “tougher” terms than previously discussed. According to US officials cited by Axios, the revisions focus on stricter clauses regarding Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz —a chokepoint through which nearly 20% of global oil passes. One senior official said the changes include “more specifics about how the US gets the material and the timing” regarding Iran’s nuclear activities. President Trump, while publicly expressing a desire for a deal, has kept military action on the table. “We are making a great deal; otherwise we’ll just go back and finish it off militarily,” Trump told Fox News this week.

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Tehran has laid out a clear list of rights it says must be enshrined in any final agreement. First among these is sanctions relief: Iran demands the lifting of all US economic sanctions imposed since 2018, as the Iranian rial has lost over 80% of its value under the current regime of restrictions. Second, Tehran is seeking the release of approximately $12 billion in frozen assets held in banks abroad, which it views as Iranian property unlawfully withheld. Third, since the war began on February 28, Iran has maintained tight military and naval control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei recently stated that future management of the waterway “concerns only Iran and Oman,” and local media reports indicate a parliamentary plan to codify Iranian sovereignty over the strait is imminent.

Despite the tough rhetoric, a draft 60-day truce memorandum of understanding (MOU) had reportedly been agreed upon by negotiators from both sides pending Trump’s approval. The MOU allegedly includes provisions for mine clearance by Iran, the reopening of the strait, and preliminary discussions on sanctions relief. However, Trump’s decision to return the framework with tougher conditions has introduced fresh delays. Iranian officials are expected to issue a formal response within approximately three days. Meanwhile, a ceasefire that has largely held since April 8 remains fragile, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

The stalemate has kept the entire Middle East on edge. The war that began on February 28 has already displaced over 1.2 million people, according to UN estimates, and has drawn in proxy forces from Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen. A failure to reach a deal could trigger a wider regional conflagration, while a successful agreement—however unlikely under current terms—would reshape Gulf security and global energy markets.

Iran to US: No Nuclear Deal Without Guarantee of Our Rights

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US Warns Iran of Fresh War as Nuclear Deal Talks Hit Roadblock

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2 days ago

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May 30, 2026

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US Warns Iran of Fresh War as Nuclear Deal Talks Hit Roadblock

US Warns Iran of Fresh War as Nuclear Deal Talks Hit Roadblock

Fresh fears of renewed conflict in the Middle East have emerged after the United States warned it is fully prepared to restart military operations against Iran if ongoing negotiations fail to produce a peace agreement.

The warning came as efforts to secure a diplomatic breakthrough between Washington and Tehran remain uncertain, despite reports that an initial ceasefire extension framework is awaiting final approval from President Donald Trump.

Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit in Singapore on Saturday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth declared that Washington has the military capacity to resume hostilities if necessary.

He said the United States remains fully equipped to launch fresh strikes, stressing that American military stockpiles are strong enough to sustain operations both in the Middle East and across other global theatres.

The comments signalled growing pressure on Tehran as diplomatic negotiations continue behind closed doors.

The warning followed a two-hour high-level meeting held by President Trump and senior national security officials in the White House Situation Room on Friday to assess a proposed framework aimed at extending the current ceasefire by 60 days.

US officials familiar with the talks said the draft agreement remains under review, with Trump yet to make a final decision.

The White House has maintained that any US-Iran peace deal must meet Trump’s strict red lines, including a permanent guarantee that Iran will never develop nuclear weapons and the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted international shipping.

A White House official said Trump would only approve a deal that protects American strategic interests and prevents Iran from acquiring nuclear capabilities.

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The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime oil routes, has become a central point of contention in the talks.

The waterway carries nearly one-fifth of global oil shipments, and its disruption has triggered market instability, pushed up oil prices and raised fears of wider economic consequences.

As part of the proposed framework, Trump has reportedly demanded that Tehran remove naval mines from the waterway and guarantee toll-free commercial access.

The proposal would also reportedly require cooperation on dismantling Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, while the United States would ease certain restrictions affecting Iranian shipping and port access.

However, Tehran has sharply rejected several of Washington’s demands.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei insisted no final agreement had been reached and dismissed what he described as attempts to impose conditions on the Islamic Republic.

He said Iran had long rejected the language of ultimatums and confirmed that indirect diplomatic exchanges were still ongoing through regional mediators.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reportedly told Qatar’s Emir during a phone conversation that Tehran remains willing to pursue what he called a “dignified framework” for peace, provided Iran’s sovereignty is respected.

Meanwhile, Iranian state-linked media challenged several claims made by Trump regarding the negotiations.

The semi-official Fars News Agency reported that Tehran is demanding the immediate release of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets before agreeing to the next phase of discussions.

The report also denied claims that Iran had agreed to permanently reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls or surrender control over its nuclear material.

Military tensions have further complicated the fragile diplomacy.

Recent US airstrikes on Bandar Abbas, a strategic southern Iranian port, were met with retaliatory Iranian missile and drone attacks, raising fears that both nations could slide back into direct conflict.

Regional efforts to broker a durable ceasefire are being led by Pakistan, with support from Qatar and Oman, while parallel negotiations continue over the conflict in Lebanon, which Iran insists must form part of any broader settlement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added another layer of complexity by announcing that Israeli forces had expanded military operations, even as military delegations from both countries held separate consultations in Washington.

For many ordinary Iranians, the mixed signals from both sides have created uncertainty over whether peace is genuinely close.

A resident of Tonekabon in northern Iran said public statements from Washington and Tehran appear designed more to satisfy domestic audiences than reflect actual progress at the negotiating table.

Analysts say the next few days could prove decisive as negotiators attempt to bridge deep divisions over Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, regional security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the Gulf.

With tensions still high, the prospect of renewed military confrontation remains a serious concern for global markets and regional stability.

US Warns Iran of Fresh War as Nuclear Deal Talks Hit Roadblock

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Nigerian Catholic Priest Convicted in US for Sexually Abusing Women Seeking Spiritual Help

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2 days ago

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May 30, 2026

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Roman Catholic priest Anthony Odiong

Nigerian Catholic Priest Convicted in US for Sexually Abusing Women Seeking Spiritual Help

A Texas jury has convicted former Nigerian Catholic priest Anthony Odiong of sexually assaulting women who sought spiritual guidance, bringing to a close a closely watched criminal trial that exposed years of alleged abuse of trust and clerical authority.

The 57-year-old was found guilty on one count of first-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree sexual assault after jurors deliberated for about two hours in Waco, Texas, on Friday.

The jury, made up of eight women and four men, reached the verdict after hearing testimony from two women who accused the former priest of exploiting his role as a spiritual adviser to initiate and sustain abusive sexual relationships during periods when they were emotionally vulnerable.

The conviction means Odiong now faces a possible life sentence on the first-degree charge, while each second-degree conviction carries a prison term of between two and 20 years. Sentencing proceedings are scheduled to begin Monday before the same jury.

The case drew widespread public attention after multiple women accused the former cleric of using his religious authority to manipulate parishioners under his pastoral care.

During the trial, one of the complainants, identified in court as Mary Doe, testified that Odiong began sexually abusing her while serving as her spiritual adviser as she struggled through a difficult divorce and cared for seven children.

She told the court the abuse continued for years and recounted how one of her sons once walked in on them having sexual intercourse in her bedroom following a family gathering.

According to courtroom testimony, when confronted, Odiong allegedly attempted to justify the encounter by telling her, “We are but men.”

A second complainant, identified as Jane Doe, told jurors she sought spiritual counselling from Odiong while trapped in an abusive marriage.

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She testified that he pressured her into permitting painful sexual acts with her husband and later demanded detailed accounts of those encounters during counselling sessions.

Prosecutors argued that the conduct constituted sexual assault under Texas law, which criminalises sexual exploitation by clergy members who abuse positions of trust over vulnerable individuals receiving spiritual or emotional guidance.

A third accuser was expected to testify but prosecutors dropped that portion of the case after describing her emotional state as extremely fragile.

They said they chose not to compel her appearance in court due to concerns over her psychological wellbeing.

Both women testified that they met Odiong while he served at St Peter Catholic Student Center in Waco, a church frequented by students and employees of Baylor University, placing them within his pastoral reach.

Jurors also heard evidence that DNA testing established Odiong fathered a child in 2023 with Presley Jones, a woman he had also reportedly counselled spiritually while serving as pastor of St Anthony of Padua Church in Louisiana.

Although Louisiana prosecutors did not pursue charges because the state lacks a clergy sexual assault law similar to Texas, prosecutors in the Waco trial presented the evidence to demonstrate what they described as a broader pattern of sexual exploitation involving women under his spiritual authority.

Odiong, originally ordained in Nigeria’s Catholic Diocese of Uyo in 1993, served in churches across Texas, Louisiana and Florida before church authorities suspended him following mounting allegations.

The allegations first became public in 2024 following investigative reports that detailed accusations of sexual coercion, unwanted touching and financial manipulation involving women under his pastoral care.

Authorities later identified additional complainants, strengthening the prosecution’s case despite the age of some of the allegations.

Court observers reported that Odiong showed little visible emotion as Judge Thomas West read the verdict.

He reportedly stared straight ahead before lowering his head as deputies escorted him from the courtroom.

The conviction marks a significant moment in efforts to hold clergy accountable for abuse of trust and power within religious institutions.

Nigerian Catholic Priest Convicted in US for Sexually Abusing Women Seeking Spiritual Help

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