By VASILISA STEPANENKO

PRYLUKY, Ukraine (AP) — At least five people, including a 1-year-old child, his mother and grandmother, were killed Thursday in a nighttime Russian drone attack on the northern Ukrainian city of Pryluky, officials said.

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Six drones hit a residential area in the city shortly before dawn, injuring nine others, according to authorities. The child killed was the grandson of the local fire chief, Ukraine’s Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.

The fire chief, identified by local officials as 50-year-old Oleksandr Lebid, “arrived to respond to the aftermath right at his own home,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram. “It turned out that a Shahed drone hit his house.”

The attack came just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Trump, Putin said “very strongly” that Russia will retaliate for Ukraine’s stunning drone attacks on Russian military airfields on Sunday.

U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to stop the more than 3-year-long war have delivered no significant progress, and the grinding war of attrition has continued unabated.

Child’s mother feared drone attacks

The mother of the 1-year-old killed in Pryluky was a police officer called Daryna Shyhyda, Ukraine’s National Police said.

“Today our hearts are scorched by pain,” the police force wrote on Telegram. “This is not just a loss — it is three generations of life uprooted.”

Liudmyla Horbunova, 55, who lives across the street from where the Shahed drone hit, said Shyhyda had moved with her son last weekend to her parents’ house from her home in Kyiv because she was scared of potential Russian attacks on the capital.

“She ran away from Shaheds in Kyiv, but they found her here, in Pryluky,” Horbunova told The Associated Press.

Firefighters worked through charred debris and extinguished the remains of a fire that engulfed the home of Shyhyda’s parents, leaving only a brick carcass and scattered toys, clothes and a family photo book.

Drones struck across regions

Pryluky, which had a prewar population of around 50,000 people, lies about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of Kyiv, the capital. The city is far from the front line and does not contain any known military assets.

The last time Pryluky was struck was in November last year, when a Russian missile hit an administrative building and injured one person.

Zelenskyy said a total of 103 drones and one ballistic missile targeted multiple Ukrainian regions overnight, including Donetsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipro and Kherson.

“This is another massive strike,” Zelenskyy said. “It is yet another reason to impose the strongest possible sanctions and apply pressure collectively.”

US peace effort remains stalled

Zelenskyy, who has accepted a U.S. ceasefire proposal and offered to meet with Putin in an attempt to break the stalemate in negotiations, wants more international sanctions on Russia to force it to accept a settlement. Putin has shown no willingness to meet with Zelenskyy, however, and has indicated no readiness to compromise.

Germany’s new leader Friedrich Merz was due to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday as he works to keep the U.S. on board with Western diplomatic and military support for Ukraine.

Ukraine’s top presidential aide, Andriy Yermak, met with senior American officials in Washington on Wednesday and called for greater U.S. pressure on Russia, accusing the Kremlin of deliberately stalling ceasefire talks and blocking progress toward peace, according to a statement on the presidential website.

Yermak, who traveled to the U.S. as part of a Ukrainian delegation, met with senior American officials to bolster support for Ukraine’s defense and humanitarian priorities. He said Ukraine urgently needs stronger air defense capabilities.

More people wounded in Kharkiv

Hours later, 19 people were injured in a Russian drone strike on the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Those hurt included children, a pregnant woman, and a 93-year-old woman, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.

At around 1:05 a.m., Shahed-type drones struck two apartment buildings in the city’s Slobidskyi district, causing fires and destroying several private vehicles.

“By launching attacks while people sleep in their homes, the enemy once again confirms its tactic of insidious terror,” Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.

Russian aircraft also dropped four powerful glide bombs on the southern city of Kherson, injuring at least three people, regional authorities said.

Russia reports another rail explosion

In Russia, an explosion damaged a railway line Thursday in the Voronezh region bordering Ukraine, Russia’s Federal Security Service said, as cited by state news agencies.

The damage forced 26 trains to stop running, Russian rail operators said.

The incident came after Putin described recent attacks on Russian railway infrastructure as “terrorist acts” by Ukrainian saboteurs. Seven people died and two trains were derailed after road and rail bridges were damaged in Russia’s Kursk and Bryansk regions during the night between May 31 and June 1.

Hanna Arhirova and Illia Noviko in Kyiv, Ukraine and Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England contributed.

By The Associated Press

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel has recovered the bodies of two hostages held in the Gaza Strip.

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Israeli American Gad Haggai and Judih Weinstein — who was Israeli, American and Canadian — were killed during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel that ignited the war in Gaza. Their remains were returned to Israel in a special operation by the army and the Shin Bet internal security agency, Netanyahu said.

Hamas-led terrorists killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages in the Oct. 7 attack. More than 54,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, have been killed in the ensuing conflict, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The ministry doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants. Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, Canada and the European Union.

Here are details on the hostages:

Total hostages captured on Oct. 7, 2023: 251
Hostages taken before the Oct. 7 attack: 4, including 2 who entered Gaza in 2014 and 2015 and the bodies of 2 soldiers killed in the 2014 war
Hostages released in exchanges or other deals: 148, of whom 8 were dead
Bodies of hostages retrieved by Israeli forces: 43
Hostages rescued alive: 8
Hostages still in captivity: 56, of whom Israel believes 33 are dead. Netanyahu has said there are “doubts” about the fate of several more.
The hostages in captivity include: 5 non-Israelis (3 Thais, 1 Nepalese, 1 Tanzanian), of whom 3 (2 Thais and 1 Tanzanian) have been confirmed dead

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

By JOHN CARUCCI and MARIA SHERMAN, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — It began as it always should, with her voice.

The second solo album from Cynthia Erivo, fresh off a herculean press run with the success of the first “Wicked” film, was always meant to be “vocal-focused,” she told The Associated Press recently. It may be the understatement of a lifetime: to know her is to know her instrument — that range, the notes few else can hit but many attempt.

And Erivo’s new soulful album, the evocatively titled “I Forgive You,” hits the mark.

In the studio, that meant using her vocals “as the pads, as the stacking,” like an artist might with a guitar or piano. “The meat of each of the pieces that you listen to is the voice,” she says, “So that you can hear the lyrics, you can hear the song, you can hear the emotion in it,” she explains. The other instruments, too, were performed live. “Everything you hear in there is real and tangible.”

For that reason — and other expressions of autonomy take across the album — she says it felt like her first. For the listener, it evokes a real feeling of intimacy.

Erivo spoke to the AP about “I Forgive You,” life after “Wicked” and the forthcoming “Wicked: For Good,” and the ways in which acting, singing and writing inform one another.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

AP: The title is “I Forgive You.” What’s the significance?

ERIVO: This album is a collection of stories and songs that are both personal for things that are happening now, things that have happened in the past, and I think some of which I have had to forgive people for. And honestly, some of which I’ve had to forgive myself for. And I loved the idea of calling it this title, because it’s a simple concept, but not an easy one. And not one that we as humans are very good at, often.

A part of me was feeling, like, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people had to keep repeating the words, ‘I forgive you?’” So even if you’re finding it difficult to say this album will give you the permission to actually say the words, even if you’re not quite ready.

Cynthia Erivo poses for a portrait on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in New York. (Photo by Matt Licari/Invision/AP)

AP: There’s a lot of candor on the album. Like in the song “Replay.”

ERIVO: The concept of being a work in progress — who still gets scared of things, who still has to deal with things — that won’t ever necessarily stop. It might get quiet, but that feeling doesn’t necessarily always go away. I just wanted to be honest, and I think that “Replay” was probably the first song that I put out was because I felt like it was sort of a reintroduction to the inner part of me that most people might not really know.

But it’s also a tricky song in that it’s fun, it’s kind of upbeat, and if you actually listen, you hear that there’s like a person who’s a little bit fragile, a person whose trying to figure some things out, a person who’s been through some things, who’s dealt with things, who has abandonment issues, who has fear, who an inferiority complex sometimes, who wants to help everyone, who wants to save everyone, but gets it wrong.

Those are human, human things that I want to share.

AP: So, there was no apprehension in being so forthright?

ERIVO: No apprehension about writing it, a little apprehension about sharing it, because it’s honest. But once it’s done, what can you do? It’s time to share.

AP: Writing, singing, acting — how does one inform the other?

ERIVO: They feed each other. When I sing, I feel free and I feel open, which means that when I go and act — because I’ve given myself that experience — the want to close off again sort of goes away. So, when I’m on a set, I’m as open as I am when I am singing. I’m waiting to receive whatever I’m getting from my counterpart or whoever’s opposite me so I can actually listen. Because the act of writing and singing actually is also the act of listening.

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AP: You’ve long been a powerhouse in theater. “Wicked” has launched you to the heights of mainstream culture. What’s the biggest adjustment you’ve had to make?

ERIVO: I had a sort of level of anonymity that I think I got used to and I really kind of enjoyed. That isn’t necessarily there anymore, which is still really lovely because people are kind and sweet, and I’m really grateful for it. But that’s an adjustment, to realize that you can’t just walk into a store and no one will know who you are, or you can’t get on a plane, and no one will there you are. That’s a new thing that I didn’t expect or wasn’t seeking.

AP: Are you done shooting “Wicked”?

ERIVO: We have a couple pickups and then we’re done.

AP: Is there anything else you’d like to add about the album?

ERIVO: I’m so proud of it. We spent a lot of time on it. We worked really, really hard on it. There was no stone unturned on it because I love what I do, and I love music, and I loved making it.

So just know that this was made with a lot of love.

By ELISE RYAN, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Kimberly Belflower knew “John Proctor is the Villain” needed its final cathartic scene to work — and, for that, it needed Lorde’s “Green Light.”

“I literally told my agent, ‘I would rather the play just not get done if it can’t use that song,’” the playwright laughed. She wrote Lorde a letter, explaining what the song meant, and got her green light.

Starring Sadie Sink, the staggering play about high schoolers studying “The Crucible” as the #MeToo movement arrives in their small Georgia town, earned seven Tony nominations, including best new play — the most of any this season. It’s among a group of Broadway shows that have centered the stories of young people and attracted audiences to match.

This image released by O&M/DKC shows Sadie Sink, left, and Amalia Yoo during a performance of “John Proctor Is the Villain” in New York. (Julieta Cervantes/O&M/DKC via AP)

Sam Gold’s Brooklyn-rave take on “Romeo + Juliet,” nominated for best revival of a play and led by Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler with music from Jack Antonoff, drew the youngest ticket-buying audience recorded on Broadway, producers reported, with 14% of ticket purchasers aged 18-24, compared to the industry average of 3%.

The shows share some DNA: pop music (specifically the stylings of Antonoff, who also produced “Green Light”), Hollywood stars with established fanbases and stories that reflect the complexity of young adulthood.

“It was very clear that young people found our show because it was doing what theater’s supposed to do,” Gold said. “Be a mirror.”

Embracing the poetry of teenage language

The themes “John Proctor” investigates aren’t danced around (until they literally are). The girls are quick to discuss #MeToo’s impact, intersectional feminism and sexual autonomy. Their conversations, true to teenage girlhood, are laced with comedy and pop culture references — Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, “Twilight,” and, of course, Lorde.

This image released by O&M/DKC shows, from left, Maggie Kuntz, Morgan Scott and Amalia Yoo during a performance of “John Proctor Is the Villain” in New York. (Julieta Cervantes/O&M/DKC via AP)

Fina Strazza, 19, portrays Beth, a leader who is whip-smart and well-intentioned — but whose friendships and belief system are shaken by the play’s revelations.

“You have so much empathy and are so invested in her, but she still has these mishaps and slip-ups that young people often have,” said Strazza, nominated for best featured actor in a play. Some audience members have given her letters detailing how Beth helped them forgive themselves for how they handled similar experiences.

The script is written in prose, with frequent line breaks and infrequent capital letters. Director Danya Taymor, nominated for best direction of a play a year after winning a Tony for another teenage canon classic, “The Outsiders, ” was drawn to that rhythm — and how Belflower’s depiction of adolescence captured its intensity, just as S.E. Hinton had.

“There’s something about the teenage years that is so raw,” Taymor said. “None of us can escape it.”

Classic themes, made modern

During his Tony-winning production of “An Enemy of the People,” Gold found himself having conversations with young actors and theatergoers about climate change, politics and how “theater was something that people their age and younger really need in a different way, as the world is becoming so addicted to technology,” he said.

That conjured “Romeo and Juliet.” The original text “has it all in terms of what it means to inherit the future that people older than you have created,” Gold said.

Alyah Chanelle Scott,from left, Kathryn Gallagher and Julie Lester appear in a scene from “All Nighter” in New York. (Evan Zimmerman/MurphyMade via AP)

Building the world of this show, with an ensemble under 30, was not unlike building “An Enemy of the People,” set in 19th century Norway, Gold said: “I think the difference is that the world that I made for this show is something that a very hungry audience had not gotten to see.”

Fans, Gold correctly predicted, were ravenous. Demand ahead of the first preview prompted a preemptive extension. Word (and bootleg video) of Connor doing a pullup to kiss Zegler made the rounds. “Man of the House,” an Antonoff-produced ballad sung by Zegler mid-show, was released as a single. With the show premiering just before the U.S. presidential election, Voters of Tomorrow even registered new voters in the lobby.

This image released by Polk & Co. shows Rachel Zegler as Juliet, left, and Kit Connor as Romeo, during a performance of “Romeo + Juliet” in New York. (Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman /Polk & Co. via AP)

Audiences proved willing to pay: Average ticket prices hovered around $150. Cheaper rush and lottery tickets drew lines hours before the box office opened. Every week but one sold out.

“The show was initially really well sold because we had a cast that appealed to a really specific audience,” said producer Greg Nobile of Seaview Productions. “We continued to see the houses sell out because these audiences came, and they were all over online talking about the ways in which they actually felt seen.”

Building a Gen Z theater experience with Gen Z

Thomas Laub, 28, and Alyah Chanelle Scott, 27, started Runyonland Productions for that very reason.

“We both felt a lot of frustration with the industry, and the ways that we were boxed out of it as students in Michigan who were able to come to New York sparingly,” Laub said. Runyonland was launched in 2018 with the premise that highlighting new, bold voices would bring change.

This image released by O&M/DKC shows, from left, Maggie Kuntz, Morgan Scott, Fina Strazza and Amelia Yoo during a performance of “John Proctor Is the Villain” in New York. (Julieta Cervantes/O&M/DKC via AP)

This spring, Scott, known for playing Whitney in HBO’s “Sex Lives of College Girls,” acted off-Broadway in Natalie Margolin’s “All Nighter.”

“I was standing onstage and looking out and seeing the college kids that I was playing,” Scott said. “I was like, ‘I respect you so much. I want to do you proud. I want to show you a story that represents you in a way that doesn’t belittle or demean you, but uplifts you.’”

Producing “John Proctor,” Scott said, gave Runyonland the opportunity to target that audience on a Broadway scale. Belflower developed the show with students as part of a The Farm College Collaboration Project. It’s been licensed over 100 times for high school and college productions. The Broadway production’s social and influencer marketing is run by 20-somethings, too.

This image released by O&M/DKC shows, from left, Amelia Yoo, Morgan Scott, Sadie Sink, Fina Strazza, Nihar Duvvuri and Hagan Oliveras during a performance of “John Proctor Is the Villain” in New York. (Julieta Cervantes/O&M/DKC via AP)

Previews attracted fans with a $29 ticket lottery. While average prices jumped to over $100 last week (still below the Broadway-wide average), $40 rush, lottery and standing room tickets have sold out most nights, pushing capacity over 100%. The success is validating Runyonland’s mission, Laub said.

“Alyah doesn’t believe me that I cry every time at the end,” Laub said. Scott laughs. “I just want to assure you, on the record, that I do indeed cry every time.”

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Harnessing a cultural catharsis

The final scene of “John Proctor” is a reclamation fueled by rage and “Green Light.” Capturing that electricity has been key to the show’s marketing.

“The pullup (in ‘Romeo + Juliet’) is so impactful because it’s so real. It’s like so exactly what a teenage boy would do,” Taymor said. “I think when you see the girls in ‘John Proctor’ screaming … it hits you in a visceral way.” That screaming made the Playbill cover.

“In my opinion, the look and feel of that campaign feels different from a traditional theatrical campaign, and it feels a lot closer to a film campaign,” Laub said. The show’s team indeed considered the zeitgeist-infiltrating work of their sister industries, specifically studios like Neon and A24.

In May, “John Proctor is the Villain” finished its second “spirit week” with a school spirit day. Earlier events included an ice cream social — actors served Van Leeuwen — a silent disco and a banned book giveaway. For those not in their own school’s colors, the merch stand offered T-shirts, including one printed with the Walt Whitman-channeling line said by Sink’s Shelby: “I contain frickin’ multitudes.”

Julia Lawrence, 26, designed the shirt after the show’s team saw her TikTok video reimagining their traditional merch into something more like a concert tee.

“It’s just so incredible to bring Gen Z into the theater that way, especially at a time when theater has never been more important,” Lawrence said. “In a world that’s overpowered by screens, live art can be such a powerful way to find understanding.”