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"US, Ukraine have agreed on a preliminary economic deal."

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What The World is following US, Ukraine have agreed on a preliminary economic deal Credit: Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Wednesday that Ukraine and the United States have reached preliminary agreement on a broad economic deal that includes US access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals amid its three-year war with Russia. After days of negotiations, Ukraine and the US will sign the preliminary agreement, but with further details of a full agreement — including US security guarantees that Kyiv officials view as vital — still to be worked out. The preliminary agreement sets out the terms and conditions of an investment fund for the rebuilding of Ukraine, Shmyhal said. The agreement could be signed as early as Friday and plans are being drawn up for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to travel to Washington to meet Trump, officials have said. Sudan The war in Sudan appears to be reaching a critical juncture after nearly two years of fighting that has killed tens of thousands, driven millions from their homes and seen bloody atrocities. For the first time, the military has been making steady advances against its rival, the notorious paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, and it could soon wrest back control of the capital, Khartoum. The RSF responded by announcing at a gathering in Kenya that it and its allies will establish a parallel government. In recent weeks, the Sudanese military has pushed deeper into the Greater Khartoum area, including the capital and its sister cities, Omdurman and Khartoum North. Its forces aim to retake districts still held by the RSF, including the presidential palace and key ministries.  Philippines Philippine police safely recovered a Chinese student who was kidnapped by a Chinese-led gang, in a bid to force his parents to pay a huge ransom, officials said Wednesday. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the parents rejected the ransom demand. The kidnappers, who included former Filipino police officers and soldiers, abandoned the 14-year-old student Tuesday night in the middle of a busy street in Manila when police closed in on their vehicle. The Feb. 20 kidnapping of the student after attending classes at a British school in Manila set off alarms due to its brazenness and brutality. Remulla told reporters that the student's family and the Chinese leader of the kidnappers allegedly were former operators of lucrative online gambling outfits, which flourished under former President Rodrigo Duterte but were ordered shut last year. From The World Some immigrant families fear filing for financial aid Credit: CBeli001/WikiCommons Some undocumented parents and students at schools in California and around the country worry that filling out the federal financial aid form, known as FAFSA, will tip off the government to their immigration status. That information isn’t supposed to be shared with other government agencies. But, some say, the new administration means they’re in uncharted waters. Bright Spot  The Culinary & Hotel Institute of Pakistan, offering a free six-month program in the city of Lahore, Pakistan's cultural capital, welcomed its first group of 25 transgender students in January; the second group of 25 began training Feb. 1. Nadia Shehzad, the institute’s chief executive, said the project will help the trans community, a "rejected and ignored sector of society” get equal recognition. The school is also trying to get government officials to help the aspiring chefs with visas to go abroad for work. There are also talks with local hotels and restaurants about jobs once the students graduate. Credit: K.M Chaudary/AP In case you missed it on The World Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: RadioPublic, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Soundcloud, RSS Thanks to our sponsor:

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