By HANNA ARHIROVA and JUSTIN SPIKE, Associated Press
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A framework economic deal with the United States is ready, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday, but U.S. security guarantees that Kyiv views as vital for its war with Russia remain to be decided and a full agreement could hinge on talks in Washington as early as Friday.
Today in History: February 26, World Trade Center bombing of 1993
The agreed upon framework deal is a preliminary step toward a comprehensive agreement that will be subject to ratification by Ukraine’s parliament, Zelenskyy said during a news conference in Kyiv.
Ukraine needs to know first where the United States stands on its continued military support, Zelenskyy said. He said that he expects to have a wide-ranging conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump during a visit to Washington.
“This (economic) agreement may be part of future security guarantees, but I want to understand the broader vision. What awaits Ukraine?” Zelensky said.
Since returning to office last month, Trump let Ukraine know that he wanted something in return for tens of billions of dollars in U.S. help to fend off the full-scale invasion that Russia launched just over three years ago on Feb. 24, 2022.
The agreement, seen by The Associated Press, says that the United States “supports Ukraine’s efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace.”
“Participants will seek to identify any necessary steps to protect mutual investments as defined in the … agreement,” it says.
A White House official made clear again Wednesday after Zelenskyy spoke that accepting the agreement was a necessary precondition of Trump’s invitation to Zelenskyy to meet on Friday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the invitation.
“This agreement may either be a great success or quietly fade away,” Zelenskyy said. “And I believe success depends on our conversation with President Trump.”
“I want to coordinate with the U.S.,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to journalists during press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Zelenskyy said the main topics that he wants to discuss with Trump are whether the U.S. plans to halt military aid and, if so, whether Ukraine would be able to purchase weapons directly from the U.S.
He also wants to know whether Ukraine can use frozen Russian assets for the purchase of weapons and investments and whether Washington plans to lift sanctions on Russia.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz won’t seek Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate seat next year and is instead considering a run for a third term as governor, the Democrat’s spokesman announced Wednesday.
“He loves his job as governor,” Walz’s spokesman Teddy Tschann said in a written statement.
The news comes nearly two weeks after U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, a Democrat from Minnesota, announced she would not seek reelection in 2026. Walz was among a flurry of those from both major political parties said to be considering runs to fill the seat.
Other Democrats considered contenders for the seat include Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and Secretary of State Steve Simon.
Walz rose to national prominence last year when he was tapped as Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ running mate.
Walz’s office indicated he does not plan to endorse any candidate in a primary race.
Several Republicans have also expressed interest. No Republican has won statewide office in Minnesota since 2006, but the traditionally Democratic state has become increasingly competitive in recent years.
Republican Royce White, who lost to U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar in 2024, had already said he would challenge Smith in 2026. Other potential Republican candidates circulated following Smith’s announcement included state Rep. Kristin Robbins, state Sens. Karin Housley and Julia Coleman, former state auditor candidate Ryan Wilson and attorney Chris Madel.
CAIRO (AP) — Observant Muslims the world over will soon be united in a ritual of daily fasting from dawn to sunset as the Islamic holy month of Ramadan starts. For Muslims, it’s a time of increased worship, religious reflection, charity and good deeds. Socially, it often brings families and friends together in festive gatherings around meals to break their fast.
Ramadan is followed by the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr.
Ramadan’s religious rituals and spiritual essence unite diverse Muslim communities around the world. The plights of some fellow Muslims and some issues that have resonance beyond borders — including conflicts and political turmoil — can become part of the focus of the month’s prayers, giving or advocacy for many.
Israel’s military offensive has killed over 48,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and destroyed vast areas of Gaza. The war was sparked by an Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel in which Hamas killed some 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages.
For some Muslims, Ramadan also comes amid changes in their countries. In the Middle East, for instance, this will be the first Ramadan for Syrians since the Syrian government fell in a stunning end to decades of the Assad family rule.
WHEN IS RAMADAN?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; the month cycles through the seasons.
FILE – Worshippers attend Friday prayers during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, at Al-Azhar mosque, the Sunni Muslim world’s premier Islamic institution, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, April 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
The start of the month traditionally depends on the sighting of the crescent moon. This year, the first day is expected to be on or around March 1.
The actual start date may vary among Muslim communities due to declarations by multiple Islamic authorities around the globe on whether the crescent has been sighted or different methodologies used to determine the start of the month.
WHY AND HOW DO MUSLIMS FAST?
Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, along with the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving, and pilgrimage.
Muslims see various meanings and lessons in observing the fast.
It’s regarded as an act of worship to attain God-conscious piety and one of submission to God. The devout see benefits including practicing self-restraint, growing closer to God, cultivating gratitude and empathizing with people who are poor and hungry.
The daily fast in Ramadan includes abstaining from all food and drink – not even a sip of water is allowed – from dawn to sunset before breaking the fast in a meal known as “iftar” in Arabic. Those fasting are expected to also refrain from bad deeds, such as gossiping, and to increase good deeds.
Muslims typically stream into mosques for congregational prayers and dedicate more time for religious contemplation and the reading of the Quran, the Muslim holy book.
Charity is a hallmark of Ramadan. Among other ways of giving, many seek to provide iftar for those in need, distributing Ramadan boxes filled with pantry staples, handing out warm meals alongside such things as dates and juice or helping hold free communal meals.
Muslims eat a pre-dawn meal, called “suhoor,” to hydrate and nurture their bodies ahead of the daily fast.
ARE THERE EXEMPTIONS FROM FASTING?
Yes. There are certain exemptions from fasting, such as for those who are unable to because of illness or travel. Those unable to fast due to being temporarily ill or traveling need to make up for the missed days of fasting later.
WHAT ARE SOME CULTURAL AND SOCIAL TRADITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH RAMADAN?
Muslims are ethnically and racially diverse and not all Ramadan traditions are rooted in religion. Some customs may transcend borders, while others can differ across cultures.
FILE – A man looks at members of the Malaysian Islamic authority as they perform the “Rukyah Hilal Ramadan,” the sighting of the new moon to determine the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File)
FILE – Mohammed El-Dahshan, 38-year-old “mesaharati,” or dawn caller, accompanies his donkey wrapped with colored led lights to wake Muslims up for a meal before sunrise, during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, in the Delta city of Dikernis, Egypt, about 93 miles (150 kilometers) north of Cairo, early Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Each night, El-Dahshan, sets out after midnight with his donkey banging his drum, chanting traditional religious phrases and calling out on residents by name to wake them in time for the vital pre-dawn meal known as “suhoor”. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
FILE – Muslim girls carry torches during a parade to celebrate the eve of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, in Polewali Mandar, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Friday, April 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil, File)
Muslims pray during Friday prayers at Al-Azhar mosque, the Sunni Muslim world’s premier Islamic institution, during Ramadan, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, April 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
FILE – Muslims perform an Eid al-Fitr prayer marking the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan on Ampera Bridge in Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia, Saturday, April 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Binsar Bakkara, File)
FILE – A volunteer distributes free juice ahead of Iftar, the evening meal breaking the Ramadan fast, at El-Gamaliyya district in Cairo, Egypt Friday, April 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
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FILE – A man looks at members of the Malaysian Islamic authority as they perform the “Rukyah Hilal Ramadan,” the sighting of the new moon to determine the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian, File)
Many social rituals center on gathering and socializing after the daily fast. Some Muslims decorate their homes, put out Ramadan-themed tableware and centerpieces or throng to markets and Ramadan bazaars.
In Egypt, the Arab world’s most populous country, Ramadan is typically a festive time.
Colorful lanterns, in different shapes and sizes, dangle from children’s hands and adorn homes or the entrances of buildings and stores. Ramadan songs may be played to welcome the month.
Ramadan’s soundscape in Egypt has traditionally included the pre-dawn banging on drums by a “mesaharati” who roams neighborhoods, calling out to the faithful, sometimes by name, to awake them for the suhoor meal.
NEW TV SHOWS, COMMUNAL MEALS
A line-up of new television series is another fixture of the month in some countries, and advertisers compete for the attention of viewers.
In various regions, some Muslims worry that the month is being commercialized, and that an emphasis on decorations, TV shows, outings or lavish iftar banquets, especially in the social media era, can detract from Ramadan’s religious essence. Others feel that a balance can be struck and that, done in moderation, such rituals are part of the month’s festive spirit.
In Indonesia, some Ramadan rituals vary across regions, reflecting the diversity of local cultures.
People in Indonesia’s deeply conservative Aceh province slaughter animals during Meugang festivities. The meat is cooked and shared in a communal feast with family, friends, poor people and orphans.
Hundreds of residents in Tangerang, a city just outside the capital of Jakarta, flock to the Cisadane River to wash their hair with rice straw shampoo and welcome the fasting month with a symbolic spiritual cleansing.
Across Sumatra island, after evening prayers, many boys and girls parade through the streets, carrying torches and playing Islamic songs.
In India, where the country’s Muslim minority encompasses more than 200 million people, stalls lining many streets sell such things as dates, sweets and freshly cooked food. At night, some New Delhi neighborhoods become lively as Muslims head to mosques to attend prayers.
Some Indian Muslims also visit Sufi shrines decorated with lights and colorful flowers.
In the United States, where Muslims make up a diverse minority, gathering at mosques and Islamic centers when possible for iftar meals and prayers provides many Muslim families with a sense of community. Some Muslims also organize or attend interfaith iftar meals.
Some big U.S. retailers have started catering to Ramadan shoppers, selling such things as Ramadan-themed decor.
Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi contributed.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
LONDON (AP) — Apple is fixing a bug within the dictation feature on some iPhones that briefly suggests the word “Trump” when a word with an R consonant is spoken, including “racist.”
The company is responding to the controversy after some iPhone owners posted videos on social media this week to detail how the glitch works.
When users activated the dictation feature and said the word “racist,” the word “Trump” appears in the text window before quickly being replaced by the correct word, according to various videos posted online.
“We are aware of an issue with the speech recognition model that powers Dictation and we are rolling out a fix today,” Apple said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The company said that the speech recognition models that power the voice-to-text feature might show words with some phonetic overlap.
It also said that other words that have an “r” consonant were also erroneously triggering the bug. The Associated Press could not duplicate the problem on Wednesday, a day after it emerged.
This week the company announced a plan to invest more than $500 billion and hire 20,000 people in the United States over the next four years as well as build a new factory in Texas, amid Trump’s threats to impose tariffs on imports. Separately, Apple shareholders rebuffed an attempt to pressure the company into joining Trump’s push to scrub corporate programs designed to diversify its workforce.
