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The price of gold hit a record high Monday as the shock death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash boosted support for the precious metal seen as a haven investment.

Air strikes and shelling hit Gaza on Monday, witnesses said, as battles raged in the besieged territory's north and the far-southern city of Rafah where Israel's defence minister vowed to expand ground operations.

A playwright and a theatre director went on trial in Moscow on Monday accused of justifying terrorism in an award-winning play in a case that points to the dwindling artistic freedom in Russia.

Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi was confirmed dead on Monday after search and rescue teams found his crashed helicopter in a fog-shrouded western mountain region, sparking mourning in the Islamic republic.

An attack claimed by the Islamic State group which killed foreign tourists visiting a market in central Afghanistan has also dealt a blow to the country's nascent tourism sector.

The Paris Paralympics are expected to give the movement the biggest boost since the mould-breaking 2012 London Games – and organisers hope they will help to move the rights of disabled people to the top of the list of global priorities.

South Africa's top court ruled Monday that graft-tainted former president turned firebrand opposition challenger Jacob Zuma is ineligible to stand for parliament in next week's general election.

Mining behemoth BHP must overcome major hurdles to salvage its faltering pursuit of rival Anglo American, analysts said Monday as a midweek deadline over the seismic takeover bid approaches.

England captain Harry Kane will face his old club Tottenham Hotspur and former strike partner Son Heung-min for the first time in August after Spurs announced a pre-season fixture against Bayern Munich in Seoul.

Equities rose Monday, extending a rally in New York that saw the Dow close at a record high, with sentiment boosted by China's plan to support its struggling property sector and hopes for a US interest rate cut.

Raphael Brandao beams with pride as he describes the high-end Brazilian coffee he produces with beans sourced exclusively from Black farmers in a country where many still associate the product with slavery.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi was declared dead on Monday after rescue teams found his crashed helicopter in a fog-shrouded western mountain region, sparking mourning in the Islamic republic.

Police in Australia's most populous state announced Monday they had arrested and charged 554 domestic violence suspects in a four-day operation, as the country reckons with a series of high-profile attacks on women.

South Korea and Britain kick off a major international summit on artificial intelligence in Seoul this week, where governments plan to press tech firms on AI safety.

New Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Monday vowed to defend the island's democracy, as he called on China to end its military intimidation of the self-ruled island.

The naysayers said the maddening multicoloured cube that Erno Rubik invented 50 years ago would not survive the 1980s.

Donald Trump's trial on charges of covering up hush money payments to a porn star enters its closing stages Monday with the door still open to the former president taking the stand.

Irish no-frills carrier Ryanair on Monday said group net profit jumped a third to 1.92 billion euros in its financial year as higher demand and fares offset ballooning fuel costs.

The two highest-priced players in the IPL -- Australia teammates Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc -- will go head-to-head Tuesday for a place in the final as the cash-rich Twenty20 league enters the playoffs.

Iranian state media said President Ebrahim Raisi died on Monday after his helicopter crashed in a mountainous region of the country.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader was re-elected Sunday for another four-year term, an endorsement of his handling of the economy and tough policies toward migration from Haiti.

India's financial capital Mumbai began voting when six-week national elections resumed on Monday, with much of the megacity's business and entertainment elite vocal in their support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

New Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on Monday hailed the arrival of a "glorious era" for the island's democracy, as he called on China to cease political and military intimidation.

Separatists in riot-hit New Caledonia refused Monday to abandon road blocks that have paralysed much of the Pacific archipelago and halted commercial air traffic, defying a major security operation by French forces.

The Minnesota Timberwolves erased a 20-point deficit to stun Denver 98-90, knocking the defending NBA champions out of the playoffs Sunday as Indiana ousted the New York Knicks.

A Donald Trump biopic and the latest dark creation by David Cronenberg premiere in Cannes on Monday as the world-famous film festival reaches its midway point.

Rescue teams in northwest Iran early Monday located the missing helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi but no signs of life had been detected so far, state TV reported.

The 2024 French Open gets underway at Roland Garros on Sunday with Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek defending their singles titles.

Men's volleyball is flying high in Japan with the national team ranked fourth globally ahead of the Paris Olympics and the sport's soaring popularity fuelled by a manga blockbuster.

The Minnesota Timberwolves erased a 20-point deficit to stun the Denver Nuggets 98-90 on Sunday, knocking the defending champions out of the NBA playoffs.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could find out on Monday whether he has won a reprieve in his last-ditch UK legal battle to avoid extradition to the United States.

India's financial capital Mumbai began voting Monday when six-week national elections resumed, with much of the megacity's business and entertainment elite vocal in their support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.