Iranian president killed in helicopter crash

Plus, will Trump testify in his hush money trial?

Sign up for Reuters newsletters Daily Briefing Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi dies in a helicopter crash, Donald Trump may choose to testify at his hush money trial, and how annual bird migration could spread avian flu.   Plus, the academic swapping the lecture theatre for Paris breakdance battles.   By Kate Turton Today's Top News A newspaper with a picture of the late Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi is seen in Tehran. Majid Asgaripour/WANA via REUTERS MIDDLE EAST Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardliner and potential successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a helicopter crash in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border. Follow our live coverage here. Listen to Middle East Editor Edmund Blair on the Reuters World News podcast discussing what Raisi's death means both in Iran and beyond. Israeli planes and tanks pounded areas across the Gaza Strip, residents said, as White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid US calls for a more focused military campaign. Saudi King Salman will undergo treatment at Al Salam Palace in Jeddah for a lung inflammation, the state news agency said, hours after he underwent medical tests. IN OTHER NEWS For weeks, Donald Trump has sat silently in a New York courtroom while former employees and associates have testified in his criminal hush money trial. On Monday, the former US president might seize the chance to tell his side of the story. A federal judge blocked the Biden administration from fully implementing a new rule that would require gun dealers to obtain licenses and conduct background checks when selling firearms at gun shows and online. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te asked China to stop its military and political threats, saying in his inauguration speech that peace is the only choice and that Beijing had to respect the choice of the Taiwanese people. South Africa's top court ruled that former president Jacob Zuma was not eligible to run for parliament in this month's election, a closely-watched decision as it could affect the outcome. Listen to a podcast about the key issues South African voters face later this month. Business & Markets Wall Street is betting on a blowout quarterly report from Nvidia, with its stock near record highs as investors look for evidence that the AI chipmaker can maintain its explosive growth and stay ahead of rivals. Global venture capital investment in crypto companies rose to $2.4 billion in the first three months of 2024, data showed, in a tentative sign that investor interest is returning. Apple has launched an aggressive discounting campaign on its official Tmall site in China, offering discounts of up to 2,300 yuan on select iPhone models. Shares of Chinese developers wobbled as investors fretted that China's "historic" steps to stabilize its crisis-hit property sector fell short of what is required to foster a sustainable turnaround in demand and confidence. JP Morgan raised its forecast for net interest income, or the difference between what it makes on loans and pays out on deposits, to $91 billion, excluding markets. Tesla is working to appease some European leasing companies after the automaker's repeated retail price cuts tanked their fleets' value and its slow service and expensive repairs alienated their corporate customers. This is how annual bird migration could spread avian flu Scientists are still trying to understand exactly how a virulent bird flu is spreading through farms in the United States, but one pattern is clear: poultry and cows risk exposure to sick wild birds migrating across the Americas. View our graphic. And Finally... Rachael Gunn and Jeff Dunne, Australia's first Olympic breakers. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy The athletes battling for breaking gold at the Olympics will bring an array of tricks to Paris but Australia's Dr Rachael Gunn may be the only one armed with a PhD in the sport's culture.   The 36-year-old B-girl known as 'Raygun', a portmanteau of her name, completed a thesis in 2017 on the intersection of gender in Sydney's breaking scene while training to become one of the nation's top dancers. Read more here. Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters.com Reuters Daily Briefing is sent 5 days a week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here.   Want to stop receiving this email? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're signed up for, click here. Reuters Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement © 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036