WASHINGTON/TOLEDO, Ohio (Reuters) -If Joe Biden accepts the United Auto Workers' invitation to visit their picket line, the U.S. President

On Monday, the Rolling Stones announced they will release their first album of original material in 18 years

A large share of independents don’t support President Joe Biden across multiple polls as he launches his 2024 re-election campaign. Interactive Polls tweeted out four surveys that showed Mr Biden has a net negative 29 per cent approval rating. A survey from The Washington Post and ABC News showed that in a rematch against former president Donald Trump, 42 per cent of independents said they would back Mr Trump compared with 34 per cent who said they would support Mr Biden. In addition, 30 per cent of independents approve of the job Mr Biden is doing compared to 60 per cent who disapprove. By comparison, Mr Biden beat Mr Trump with the group by nine points in 2020, according to the Pew Research Centre. Mr Biden also lags in other polls among independent voters. A The Economist/YouGov poll found that 33 per cent of independent voters approve of Mr Biden. Meanwhile, a Civiqs poll found that 29 per cent of independent voters approve of him compared to 58 per cent who disapprove of Mr Biden. An Investors Business Daily/TIPP found that 27 per cent of independent voters approve of Mr Biden’s job performance while 63 per cent disapprove. The numbers come as Mr Biden announced his re-election campaign last month, aiming to create a contrast between himself and Mr Trump as well as “MAGA Republicans” who want to restrict abortion and ban books. But Mr Biden faces significant headwinds as he faces re-election. The Post/ABC poll found that 44 per cent of people polled said they would vote for Mr Trump and only 38 per cent said they would vote for Mr Biden. Similarly, 42 per cent said they would vote for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis while 37 per cent said they would back Mr Biden. Read More Biden trails Trump in brutal new poll Two days, three attacks, 18 dead: Texas reels from weekend of horror

World shares and crude oil prices have slipped ahead of an update on the state of the U.S. economy in the last quarter

Amer Al Atti is hoping to start production after importing his firm's roasting equipment from Kyiv.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said on Monday that Washington's reports last week warning of a big build-up of Serbian troops on the Kosovo border "were not fully accurate."

Venezuelans have come to feel the decade-long crisis that undid their country as one numbingly featureless expanse of struggles

Britain celebrates the 60th anniversary of science-fiction series "Doctor Who" Saturday as fans hail a programme that has enthralled generations since...

War-torn Ukraine is reeling from the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka hydroelectric dam, which saw its reservoir burst causing chaos for miles around. The catastrophe on Tuesday forced thousands of residents of nearby towns and villages to evacuate their homes as the floodwater barrelled towards them and left some climbing onto rooftops or into trees to escape the raging torrents. Hundreds of thousands more have been left without access to clean drinking water in the region as a result of the eco-disaster on the Dnipro River, prompting relief workers to rush fresh supplies to the area as they struggle with the problems of mass resettlement. While the official tallies report that over 2,700 people have fled from flooded areas on both the Ukrainian and Russian-controlled sides of the river, a true picture of the disaster has yet to emerge given that more than 60,000 people live in the vicinity. Kyiv has blamed Russia for deliberately destroying the Soviet-era infrastructure, with Moscow, inevitably, protesting its innocence and contemptuously suggesting that Ukrainian saboteurs are responsible. Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has called the incident “a war crime” and the “largest man-made environmental disaster in Europe in decades”. Russia would certainly appear to have the most to gain from the disaster and President Zelensky did warn as long ago as last November that he believed enemy soldiers had mined the dam and were plotting its destruction. He reiterated that stance in a tweet on Tuesday: “It is physically impossible to blow it up somehow from the outside, by shelling. It was mined by the Russian occupiers. And they blew it up.” For now though, the priority remains coming to the aid of the stricken people of Kherson. Ukraine’s deputy prime minister Oleksandr Kubrakov has warned of the threat to their wellbeing posed by hazardous chemicals and infectious diseases carried by the water as well as from landmines previously placed near the war’s frontline, which have been disturbed by the floods and are now likely to explode. The water in the reservoir feeds a wide area of southern Ukrainian farmland, including the annexed peninsula of Crimea, as well as providing all-important cooling water to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, lying nearby as indicated on the map below. A United Nations nuclear watchdog has attempted to reassure the public by saying that there is “no immediate risk” to the plant, even if it were to run out of water for its cooling systems. There is no such good news for the region’s farmers, however, with the flooding expected to spell instant disaster for this year’s harvest: crops are likely to be washed away, fields left waterlogged and livestock drowned in water that is at serious risk of being contaminated by machine oil, already seen gushing into the Dnipro. The depleted reservoir is also considered unlikely to be able to supply adequate irrigation to the surrounding fields for several years to come, a huge setback for Ukraine’s eventual hopes of economic recovery. All of which is also likely to have consequences for a global food market that has increasingly relied upon Ukraine for the supply of agricultural produce since the end of the Cold War. “There is no doubt that this will lead to large-scale environmental, economic and human consequences,” Mykhailo Podolyak, a chief adviser to President Zelenksy, told The Independent. “The instantaneous death of a large number of fish and animals, the waterlogging of drained lands, and the change in the climatic regime of the region, will later be reflected in the food security of the world. “A one-time reduction of water in a huge reservoir will lead to unpredictable ecological consequences.” Mr Podolyak warned that he expected the floodwaters to reach Mykolaiv, lying 56 miles from the dam and decried the drowning of the entire population of animals at the Kazkova Dibrova zoo on the Russian-held eastern bank of the river as particularly tragic. President Zelensky has already rebuked the officials installed by Moscow to run occupied territories along that bank for failing to respond adequately to the emergency. The Russian authorities he criticised have conceded that they have evacuated fewer than 1,300 people so far in an area where as many as 40,000 people were said to be affected. That compared unfavourably with the estimated 1,700 evacuated on the Ukrainian side to the west, where the population was reportedly around 42,000. According to the independent Russian news outlet Vyorstka, residents of the Moscow-run village of Oleshky, for one, remain stranded, the publisher quoting one woman as saying that her mother, who could not make it to the roof, was in the water clutching a ladder. A volunteer confirmed to Vyorstka that those still awaiting evacuation included children and disabled people. Civilians in Kherson itself were seen clutching personal belongings as they waded through knee-deep water in the streets and rode rubber rafts. Video on social media showed rescuers carrying others to safety and what looked like the triangular roof of a building floating downstream. Aerial footage showed flooded streets in the Russian-controlled city of Nova Kakhovska itself, where Mayor Vladimir Leontyev said seven people were missing, although they were believed to be alive. But perhaps most striking of all has been the aerial shots of the region captured by Maxar Technologies, which give the fullest picture of the damage done seen so far. Additional reporting by agencies Read More Ukraine-Russia war news – live: Exploding mines float through floodwater after Kherson dam attack Massive destruction after Ukraine dam collapse revealed in new satellite images Watch view of flooding in Kherson after destruction of Dnipro river dam The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

Judge Aileen Cannon has set a date for the trial in the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump. The Trump-appointed judge has signed a court order listing the trial as starting on 14 August of this year in Fort Pierce, Florida. “This case is hereby set for a Criminal Jury Trial during the two-week period commencing August 14, 2023, or as soon thereafter as the case may be called,” the court order states. “Any change of plea must be taken prior to 5:00 p.m. on the last business day before trial is scheduled to begin,” it adds. The court order is likely to be challenged as motions are filed, including requests for the trial to be delayed. “All pre-trial motions and motions in limine must be filed by July 24, 2023,” the court order states. Scott MacFarlane of CBS News noted that “This timeline seems quite aspirational.. not likely to hold”. Judge Cannon appears to have created what’s called a “rocket docket” seemingly in an attempt to push the trial through the judicial system. Most federal trials take as long as a year as both parties prepare for the proceedings, The Daily Beast noted. Legal experts have previously indicated that Judge Cannon can be unpredictable and that she has ruled in favour of Mr Trump in the past after he appointed her shortly before leaving the White House. While overseeing Mr Trump’s challenge to the raid of his Mar-a-Lago estate last year, she added more red tape, slowing down the FBI probe. Former federal prosecutor Brandon Van Grack told The New York Times that the proposed trial date probably won’t stand as the discovery process of handing over classified evidence to the defence legal team hasn’t started yet. But he said that the date “signals that the court is at least trying to do everything it can to move the case along and that it’s important that the case proceed quickly”. “Even though it’s unlikely to hold, it’s at least a positive signal — positive in the sense that all parties and the public should want this case to proceed as quickly as possible,” he added. As Mr Trump struggles to retain lawyers to represent him, it’s unclear if the defence wants the case to move quickly and for the case to be resolved ahead of the 2024 election or if there will be attempts to delay it until after the election. But Mr Trump has for decades attempted to delay legal cases and this case is likely to be given the same treatment. If the trial goes beyond the election and Mr Trump is elected, he may theoretically attempt to pardon himself. He may also order his attorney general to drop the charges against him, The Times notes. Following Mr Trump’s indictment in Miami, Special Counsel Jack Smith indicated that he wanted a speedy trial. Judge Cannon wrote in the court order that the trial is set to be held at her home courthouse in Fort Pierce, a small town in the north of the Southern District of Florida. More follows...

Tucker Carlson has made strong comments about Barack Obama’s personal life in his new Twitter show, Tucker on Twitter. On Friday, the 54-year-old American political commentator posted a new episode titled “Cling to your taboos!” where he said Mr Obama has a “highly creepy personal life”. In his 13-minute monologue, Mr Carlson spoke about how “fast” taboos are changing and how “American society isn’t overtly religious, but it’s governed by taboos”. The television personality claimed what Americans “are allowed to dislike is being dictated to us from above” before giving examples. Speaking of “the current behaviour of our politicians” and how “adultery was considered disqualifying [in 1992] for anyone seeking higher campaign”, Mr Carlson referenced Bill Clinton’s alleged extramarital affair with Gennifer Flowers, and how he went to “elaborate lengths to lie about the relationship, because he had no choice”. The commentator then pivoted to speaking about Mr Obama, saying: “By 2008, it was obvious to anybody who was paying attention that Barack Obama had a strange and highly creepy personal life, yet nobody ever asked him about it. “By that point, a leader’s behaviour within his own marriage, the core relationship of his life, had been declared irrelevant. It was Barak Obama’s business, not yours.” Mr Carlson did not elaborate on his reference to Mr Obama. The presenter went on to say that “one by one, with increasing speed, our old taboos have been struck down. “Those that remain have lost their moral force”. This isn’t the first time Mr Carlson has slammed Mr Obama in public. In 2021, he was widely mocked on Twitter after calling Mr Obama a “hater”. Carlson was responding to Mr Obama’s comments to CNN about right-wing news outlets, which he said were making money out of stoking fear and resentment among white Americans. “[They] do everything they can to give people a sense that their way of life is threatened,” Mr Obama told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “Lo and behold, the single most important issue to them currently right now is critical race theory.” he said. “Who knew that that was the threat to our republic?” Speaking to his Fox News audience about Mr Obama’s comments, Mr Carlson said: “He’s back to let you know that if you’ve got any problem with your kids’ teachers telling them that some races are better than others that you, my friend, are a racist.” He went on to say that Mr Obama should have “retreated to Hawaii and Martha’s Vineyard”, where the former president and his wife, Michelle Obama, bought a $12m beachfront property. “That guy is a hater. For real.” he added. Mr Carlson’s latest episode of Tucker on Twitter has amassed over 45m views and almost 500k likes so far. Read More Madeleine McCann news – latest: Soil from reservoir compared to samples from prime suspect’s van Is Donald Trump going to prison? Trump lashes out at ‘deranged lunatic’ and ‘psycho’ Jack Smith as startling secret papers charges revealed Why did Fox News fire Tucker Carlson? Here are six theories Ukraine tells ‘clown’ Tucker Carlson to check his facts after pro-Kremlin rant Fox News accuses Tucker Carlson of breaching contract with new Twitter show

By Laurie Chen and Yew Lun Tian BEIJING (Reuters) -Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against decoupling from China as he