Iranian state television says there is “no sign of life” seen at the crash site of a helicopter that was carrying President Ebrahim Raisi and others. The site was across a steep valley and rescuers had yet to reach it. As the sun rose Monday, rescuers saw the helicopter from a distance of some 2 kilometers, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Pir Hossein Kolivand, told state media. He did not elaborate and the officials had been missing at that point by over 12 hours. The helicopter crashed Sunday and was carrying Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollhian and others.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader is headed to a second term following general elections. He declared victory Sunday evening after his top competitors conceded early as he held a strong lead in early vote returns. The outcome reinforced both Abinader’s anti-corruption agenda, the government’s crackdown along its shared border with Haiti and the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing the Dominican Republic’s violence-stricken neighbor. Such policies are only likely to continue in his next term. Such policies have fueled accusations of human rights abuses but have also been highly popular with Dominicans. Dominicans also say they have seen a “different” kind of government under Abinader that wasn't plagued by corruption.

Taiwan has inaugurated Lai Ching-te as its new president. It took place in a ceremony Monday after he won an election earlier this year. He is a relative moderate who will continue the self-governing island democracy’s policy of de facto independence while seeking to bolster its defenses against China. Lai accepted congratulations from fellow politicians and delegations from the 12 nations that maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, as well as politicians from the U.S., Japan and various European states. He takes over from Tsai Ing-wen, who led Taiwan through eight years of economic and social development despite the COVID-19 pandemic and China’s escalating military threats.

An Israeli airstrike has killed 27 people in central Gaza, mostly women and children, and fighting again rages across the north. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces criticism from the two other members of his War Cabinet over the war that is now in its eighth month. Popular centrist War Cabinet member Benny Gantz has threatened to leave the government if a plan for Gaza, including a postwar vision, isn't created by June 8. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has met with Netanyahu to discuss a plan for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel and help the Palestinian Authority to govern Gaza.