MOSCOW (AP) — Russians are snapping up Western fashion and furniture this week as H&M and IKEA sell off the last of their inventory in Russia. Sweden-based H&M and Netherlands-based IKEA had paused sales after Russia sent troops into Ukraine. They're now looking to unload their stocks of clothing and furnishings as they wind down operations in Russia.

BEIJING (AP) — China has repeated military threats against Taiwan while appearing to wind down wargames near the self-governing island it claims as its own territory. The message issued by the Cabinet’s Taiwan Affairs Office follows almost a week of threatening Chinese military exercises near the island that have disrupted flights and shipping in a region crucial to global supply chains.

The birds no longer sing. The cows die. And if the people in this northern Myanmar forest complain, they too face the threat of death from militias. This forest is the source of key metallic elements known as rare earths, often called the vitamins of the modern world. Rare earths turn up in everything from hard drives to elevators and are vital to the fast-growing field of green energy. But an AP investigation found their cost is environmental destruction, the theft of land and the funneling of money to brutal militias.

PARIS (AP) — French environmentalists will try to move a dangerously thin beluga whale that strayed into the Seine River last week to a saltwater river basin to try and save its life. The mammal measures 13 feet and an environmentalist said Tuesday that the whale will be transported there for “a period of care” by medics who suspect it is sick.

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Palestinian Health Ministry says Israeli troops killed three Palestinians in a shootout in the occupied West Bank, during an arrest operation in the city of Nablus. Israel said its troops killed two Palestinian gunmen in the clashes in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's presidential office says Russian shelling killed at least three civilians and wounded 23 others in the past day, including an attack not far from a Russian-occupied nuclear power plant. The governor of Ukraine's southern Dnipropetrovsk region said Tuesday that the Russians fired over 120 rockets from Grad multiple rocket launchers at Nikopol, a town across the Dnieper River from the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Some of the heaviest rain in decades has swamped South Korea’s capital region, turning streets into car-clogged rivers and sending floods cascading into subway stations. At least nine people were killed — some drowning in their homes — and more rain was forecast.

PINGTUNG, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan has warned that Chinese military drills aren’t just a rehearsal for an invasion of the self-governing island but also reflect ambitions to control large swaths of the western Pacific. The warning came as Taipei conducted its own exercises Tuesday to underscore it’s ready to defend itself.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyans are voting in an unusual presidential election. A longtime opposition leader who is backed by the outgoing president faces the deputy president who styles himself as the outsider. East Africa’s economic hub could see a presidential runoff for the first time.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has announced another $1 billion in new military aid for Ukraine. Monday's pledge promises what will be the biggest yet delivery of rockets, ammunition, and other arms straight from Department of Defense stocks for Ukrainian forces.

HAVANA (AP) — A deadly fire that began at a large oil storage facility in western Cuba has spread after flames enveloped a third tank that firefighters had tried to cool as they struggle to fight the massive blaze. At least one person has died and 125 are injured, with dozens of firefighters reported missing ever since lighting struck one of the facility’s eight tanks on Friday night.

DERINCE, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish-flagged ship that was among several vessels to leave Ukraine under a deal to unblock grain supplies and stave off a potential global food crisis has been the first to arrive at its destination in Turkey. The Turkey-flagged Polarnet docked at Derince port in the Gulf of Izmit on Monday after setting off from Chornomorsk on Aug. 5 laden with 12,000 tons of corn.

SLOVIANSK, Ukraine (AP) — A lack of running water in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk means that residents must fill bottles by hand at public pumps throughout the city. The city's remaining population has adapted to this new way of life. But local officials warn that the coming of winter could set the stage for a humanitarian crisis. Most of the eastern Donetsk region is without gas for heating and public wells and municipal water pipes are likely to freeze in winter.

BEIJING (AP) — The capital of China’s Hainan province has locked down its residents for 13 hours as a COVID-19 outbreak grows on the tropical island during the summer school holidays. More than 470 new cases were recorded in the province on Sunday. The temporary lockdown of Haikou city from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. follows an ongoing and indefinite lockdown of the beach resort of Sanya since Saturday.

BEIJING (AP) — China says it is extending threatening military exercises surrounding Taiwan that have disrupted shipping and air traffic and substantially raised concerns about the potential for conflict. Military leaders say the exercises would include anti-submarine drills, apparently targeting U.S. support for Taiwan in the event of a potential Chinese invasion.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — With a cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants holding after nearly three days of violence, Gaza’s sole power plant resumed operations. That came as Israel began reopening crossings into the territory Monday. Israel also lifted security restrictions on southern Israeli communities after the Egyptian-mediated truce took effect late Sunday.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — A cease-fire between Israel and Palestinian militants has taken effect in a bid to end nearly three days of violence that has killed dozens of Palestinians. Egyptian officials had worked to bring the sides to an agreement after the flare-up of fighting that saw Israeli aircraft pound targets in Gaza and militants fire hundreds of rockets that reached deep into Israel.

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban firefighters are working with special teams sent by Mexico and Venezuela as they battle for a second day to control a fire blazing at a big oil tank farm. The area's governor says efforts Sunday are focusing on preventing the flames from spreading further.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Six more ships carrying agricultural cargo held up by the war in Ukraine have received authorization to leave the country’s Black Sea ports. The body that oversees an international deal intended to get 20 million tons of grain out of Ukraine to feed people around the world said the loaded vessels were cleared to depart on Sunday.

VIENNA (AP) — Top negotiators in renewed talks to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal say they're optimistic about the possibility of an agreement. Russian Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov said Sunday they “stand 5 minutes or 5 seconds from the finish line.” Enrique Mora, the European Union’s top negotiator, also said he is “absolutely” optimistic about the talks’ progress so far.

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s first leftist president has been sworn into office, promising to fight inequality and bring peace to a country long haunted by bloody feuds between the government, drug traffickers, and rebel groups. Gustavo Petro, a former member of Colombia’s M-19 guerrilla group, won the presidential election in June by beating conservative parties that offered moderate changes to the market-friendly economy but failed to connect with voters frustrated by rising poverty and violence.

MOSCOW (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is visiting Russia for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. They're expected to focus on a grain deal brokered by Turkey, prospects for talks on ending hostilities in Ukraine, and the situation in Syria.

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian officials say Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed at least eight people, including a senior militant, and wounded 40 others. The strikes come after days of tensions following the arrest of a senior militant in the occupied West Bank.

ISTANBUL (AP) — Three more ships carrying thousands of tons of corn have left Ukrainian ports. The movement Friday is the latest sign that a negotiated deal to export grain trapped since Russia invaded Ukraine nearly six months ago is slowly moving forward. But major hurdles lie ahead to get food to the countries that need it most.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — South Korea is on its way to the moon. SpaceX launched the Asian nation's first lunar explorer Thursday evening from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The satellite is taking a long, roundabout path and will arrive in December. It's designed to orbit the moon for at least a year, collecting scientific data.