Winds picked up on Monday morning as Severe Tropical Storm Tapah came within 170km to Hong Kong as it moved towards western Guangdong. Gusts as fast as 151km per hour have been recorded at Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, though urban areas have largely remained unscathed. Still, heavy squally showers and significant winds were expected. Schools have been closed for the day as the Observatory says the T8 signal would remain in force until 11 o'clock at the earliest. And as Damon Pang reports, transport links have been affected by the storm:

Hong Kong's sole deputy to the country's top legislative body, Starry Lee, says she's proposing efforts to further streamline border-crossing arrangements between Hong Kong and the mainland. Wendy Wong has more.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan says an upcoming Belt and Road summit will help to create more opportunities among member countries and regions. Wallis Wang reports.

All 21 seats in a by-election for the Election Committee sub-sectors were successfully returned on Sunday. As Damon Pang tells us, officials say the process served as a dress rehearsal for the larger Legco election later this year.

Transport minister Mable Chan says the government's new rules on ride-hailing vehicles will strike a balance between safety and flexibility. This comes as the government proposed that cars used for ride-hailing will have a 12-year age cap - five years longer than the original proposal. Charlie Chun has more.

Chief Executive John Lee says he wants to see the further promotion of horse racing among tourists. His comments came on the first day of the racing season, as Todd Harding reports.

A member of the Advisory Committee on Mental Health says the number of student-suicide cases in Hong Kong remains at a high level. As Wallis Wang tells us, Paul Yip says it’s important to make schools "a happy place".

Adopting a pet is more accessible than many think. That's according to local veterinarian Nigel Kwan from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. His department's rehoming scheme has found forever homes for animals for over a decade. At the New Territories South Animal Management Centre, he conducts health checks and temperament evaluations on stray or surrendered animals. Once ready for adoption, these animals are transferred to welfare groups that match them with suitable owners. Dr Kwan spoke to Hailey Yip:

South Korea says it has reached a deal with the United States for the release of its citizens detained during an immigration raid in the US state of Georgia. Hundreds of South Koreans were among those detained at a Hyundai plant last week. The raid stunned many in South Korea, with the country seen as a key US ally – as Jamie Clarke reports:

RTHK's Washington correspondent, Simon Marks, quoted US authorities as saying the raid by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, had been planned for months:

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced he will step down from his post. That’s following growing calls from his party to take responsibility for defeat in parliamentary elections earlier this year. As Jamie Clarke reports, the move ushers in a potentially lengthy period of policy uncertainty, at a shaky moment for the world’s fourth-largest economy:

Tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul has taken office as the prime minister of Thailand, after an endorsement from the king started the conservative's tenure as the nation's new leader. Lau Hon-ting has details.

Ukrainian officials say Russia launched its largest air attack of the war on Ukraine overnight into Sunday. The attack set the main government building on fire in central Kyiv and killed at least four people, including an infant. Ukraine’s air force says Russia attacked with 810 drones and decoys, adding it shot down 747 drones and four missiles – as Jamie Clarke reports:

Sports and in football, Germany have bounced back in their World Cup qualifying campaign, defeating Northern Ireland 3-1, days after slumping to defeat to Slovakia. Raymond Yu has more:

South Africa's national bird, the blue crane, is now at greater risk of extinction in the wild. Once a common site feeding in farmlands, the birds have officially been uplisted to vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List - reflecting growing concern about their future. Jamie Clarke reports: