World - USNN World News

World

CENTCOM commander doubts Russian bounty intel tied to US troop deaths in Afghanistan

by USNN World NewsJuly 8, 2020July 8, 2020

World

Jeffrey Epstein’s confidant Ghislaine Maxwell transferred to NY prison after arrest

by USNN World NewsJuly 6, 2020July 6, 2020

World

Sasse slams ‘Chairman Xi’s spy web’ after reports UK will freeze Huawei out of 5G networks

by USNN World NewsJuly 6, 2020March 26, 2025

World

China appoints Communist Party hardliner to oversee Hong Kong’s new security office

by USNN World NewsJuly 3, 2020July 3, 2020

World

Behind the top-secret Russian military intelligence unit accused of paying insurgents to kill Americans in Afghanistan

by USNN World NewsJuly 2, 2020June 13, 2025

A nationwide vote on a package of constitutional reforms wrapped up Wednesday local time. Polls have been open for a week to help reduce crowds and to bolster turnout amid the coronavirus pandemic. Putin is all but guaranteed to get the result he wants following a massive campaign to get voters to say "yes" to the changes. However, the referendum -- intended to consolidate his hold on power -- could end up undermining his position because of the unconventional methods used to boost participation and the dubious legal basis for the balloting. FILE: Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, watches the Victory Day military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the Nazi defeat in Moscow. FILE: Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, watches the Victory Day military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the Nazi defeat in Moscow. (Sergei Guneyev/Host Photo Agency via AP) Political analyst Gleb Pavlovsky said Putin's push for holding the vote despite the ongoing pandemic reflects his potential vulnerabilities. "Putin lacks confidence in his inner circle and he's worried about the future," Pavlovsky said. "He wants an irrefutable proof of public support." The balloting completes a convoluted saga that began with Putin’s state-of-the-nation address in January, when Putin first proposed the constitutional changes. He offered to broaden the powers of parliament and redistribute authority among the branches of the Russian government, stoking speculation he might continue calling the shots as parliament speaker or as chairman of the State Council when his presidential term ends in 2024. The Russian president, who has been in power for more than two decades, said he would decide later whether or not to run again in 2024. He argued that resetting the term count was necessary to keep his lieutenants focused on their work. WHITE HOUSE INSISTS 'NO CONSENSUS' ON INTEL OF RUSSIAN BOUNTIES FOR US TROOPS, AS PRESSURE MOUNTS placeholder Putin complicated his constitutional plan by putting it to voters even though parliamentary approval was sufficient to make it law. The move was intended to showcase his broad support and add a democratic veneer to the constitutional changes. The plan backfired weeks later when the coronavirus pandemic engulfed Russia, forcing Putin to postpone the referendum, which had originally been scheduled for April 22. The delay stymied Putin's campaign blitz and left his constitutional reform plan hanging as the damage from the virus mounted and public discontent grew. Amid the uncertainty, Putin rescheduled the vote immediately upon seeing the first signs of a slowdown in Russia's infection rate even though the number of new confirmed daily cases reported remains high. Political analyst Ekaterina Schulmann said the Kremlin faced a difficult dilemma: holding the vote sooner would bring accusations of jeopardizing public health for political ends, while delaying it further raised the risk of defeat. "The early date has an advantage of coming soon after lifting the quarantine restrictions that made voters feel more optimistic," she said. "And in general, people are in a better mood during the summer season." Schulmann argued that the Kremlin's focus isn't so much on boosting overall turnout, but rather on increasing attendance by the public sector workers who make up Putin's base. The authorities have mounted a sweeping effort to persuade teachers, doctors, workers at public sector enterprises and others who are paid by the state to cast ballots. Reports surfaced from many corners of the vast country that managers were coercing people to vote. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Most observers expect the Kremlin to get its way, regardless of the opposition's strategies. Pavlovsky noted, however, that the unusual methods used by authorities to boost turnout and get the result Putin wants would undermine the legitimacy of the vote. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

World

Putin nears goal of changing Russian constitution, letting him stay in power until 2036

by USNN World NewsJune 30, 2020June 30, 2020

World

How much of the United States does China really own?

by USNN World NewsJune 30, 2020May 30, 2025

World

Inside ‘Office 39’: North Korea’s illicit global smuggling network

by USNN World NewsJune 28, 2020June 28, 2020

World

Trump pushes back on NY Times report on Russian Afghan attacks, says ‘nobody briefed’ him, Pence

by USNN World NewsJune 28, 2020June 13, 2025

World

Lightning kills 83 people across India’s Bihar state

by USNN World NewsJune 25, 2020June 25, 2020

World

Everywhere Statues Are Torn Down By The Mob, History Promises People Are Next

by USNN World NewsJune 24, 2020August 15, 2025

World

Trudeau points to ‘direct link’ between detained Canadians and arrest of Huawei executive

by USNN World NewsJune 23, 2020June 23, 2020

NATIONAL NEWS

‘Enveloped in Politicization’: FBI Whistleblowers Reveal ‘Serious Abuses,’ House Report Finds

By Joseph Lord House Judiciary Republicans on May 18 unveiled a whistleblower report (pdf) showing “serious abuse” and misallocations of resources by the Federal Bureau ...

Mayorkas Impeachment Articles Introduced by Rep. Greene

By Joseph Lord Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on May 17 introduced articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Mayorkas, who ...

Deutsche Bank to Pay $75 Million to Settle Lawsuit Bought by Victims of Jeffrey Epstein: Lawyers

By Katabella Roberts Deutsche Bank has agreed to pay $75 million to settle a class-action lawsuit filed by alleged sexual abuse victims of disgraced financier ...

Rep. Jim Jordan Says Congress Must Target FBI’s Budget in Wake of Durham Report

By Caden Pearson Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has called for Congress to target the budget of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after the release ...

Kari Lake Election Challenge Heads to Trial, Maricopa Voter Signatures Under Scrutiny

By Jack Phillips A three-day trial is scheduled to start Wednesday for Republican candidate Kari Lake to prove that Maricopa County did not properly verify ...

DeSantis Signs Bills Banning Transgender Procedures, Males From Women’s Bathrooms, Forced Pronouns in Schools

By Dan M. Berger Five bills designed to “let kids be kids” were signed into law by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 17. One outlaws ...

Rep. Greene Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against Garland

By Jackson Richman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) announced on May 17 that she has introduced articles of impeachment against U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland ...

Durham Report Shows FBI Repeatedly Hamstrung Clinton Investigations

By Petr Svab FBI officials intervened again and again ahead of the 2016 election to limit agents’ ability to investigate potential criminal activity related to ...

‘Bomb in a China Shop’: AI to Wipe Out Jobs, Create Election Uncertainties, Congress Hears

By Andrew Thornebrooke WASHINGTON—Artificial Intelligence (AI) will drive massive disruptions in the American job sector and contribute to much more fraught election cycles as new ...

McCarthy Says Biden Might Have a ‘Secret Plan’ on Debt Ceiling

By Tom Ozimek As the debt ceiling standoff continues to grip Washington, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Monday that President Joe Biden might have a ...

GOP Presidential Candidates React to Durham Report: ‘Shut Down the FBI’

By Savannah Hulsey Pointer and Ivan Pentchoukov Two Republican presidential candidates have responded to news that special counsel John Durham’s report further discredits the FBI’s ...

IRS Whistleblower Removed From Hunter Biden Criminal Investigation, at Request of DOJ, Attorneys Say

By Mimi Nguyen Ly The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) removed a whistleblower and his team from a criminal investigation into Hunter Biden’s taxes and business ...