The Commerce Ministry has defended Beijing's export control measures on rare earths and related items as a legitimate action. It has also urged the United States to properly manage differences through dialogue and on the basis of mutual respect and equal-footed consultation. Sachin Katvi reports:

Hong Kong may have to face more powerful typhoons in the future. That's the prediction of a former assistant director at the city's Observatory. Elvis Yu reports:

Financial Secretary Paul Chan says he would promote Hong Kong's advantages to foreign investors during a trip to the United States in the coming week. Wallis Wang reports:

A 1,100-strong medical volunteer team has vowed to keep athletes and audience members safe during the upcoming National Games. As Wallis Wang reports, they'll be aiding some 1,000 medics that'll be deployed for the sporting extravaganza.

A new regulatory regime targeting clinics run by large corporations took effect on Monday. It aims to ensure that someone is clearly responsible for managing operations and maintaining proper oversight. Charlie Chun reports:

Chinese University researchers say children born to mothers with high blood sugar levels during pregnancy are 50 percent more likely to be overweight or obese during early adulthood. This came after the team followed up on more than 500 mother-child pairs for almost two decades. They also found that pregnant woman who are overweight and suffer from gestational diabetes at the same time, give birth to children who are seven times more likely to have increased body fat accumulation during childhood. Professor Ronald Ma, who heads the division of endocrinology and diabetes at the university's department of medicine and therapeutics, spoke to Charlie Chun.

US President Donald Trump and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will chair on Monday a Gaza peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. As Aaron Tam reports, it will also be attended by world leaders including the UN chief.

The president of Ukraine says he's spoken to his American counterpart about strengthening Kyiv's air defence, energy and long-range strike capabilities. It is the second such conversation between the two men in as many days. Russia has voiced concern about the possibility of Ukraine gaining access to Tomahawk missiles and warned the United States against the move. Jamie Clarke reports:

In France, Sebastien Lecornu has been reappointed prime minister by president Emmanuel Macron, just four days after he resigned from the post. Mr Lecornu's comeback surprised many, as it came after he said his "mission was over". Now he says he accepted the appointment "out of duty". The 39-year-old's first order of business is to quickly cobble together a budget bill before its Monday deadline, while it remains to be seen how long this cabinet will last before it's challenged by the opposition. Our Europe correspondent, Gavin Grey, told Ben Tse what may have led to the confusing sequence of developments:

Madagascar's president says that an attempted coup is underway in the Indian Ocean country. A youth-led protest movement has rocked the former French colony for more than two weeks. The president's whereabouts were unknown on Sunday - but, as Jamie Clarke reports, late on Saturday his office said he and the prime minister were "fully in control of the nation's affairs":

Spain's oldest active chess player has celebrated his 104th birthday with a special chess tournament in Madrid. The centenarian recently recovered from a hospital stay to take part alongside 160 other participants. Jamie Clarke has more:

Anglers from all over Sri Lanka flocked to the country's North Western province in recent days to participate in a unique competition. The aim: to cull an invasive fish at a local reservoir. Jamie Clarke has the story:

In sport, Scotland have taken yet another big step towards qualifying for next year's World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Belarus in Glasgow, as they continue their bid for their first appearance at the tournament since 1998. The Netherlands, meanwhile, closed in on a spot after a 4-nil win over Finland. Todd Harding has more: