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

Suspect in Killing of 5 People in Texas Was Illegal Immigrant Deported Multiple Times: Sheriff

By Tom Ozimek The suspect who shot and killed five people in Texas—including an 8-year-old child—had been deported from the United States multiple times, according ...

Democrat Cities Have Highest Homicide Rates, Report Finds

By Naveen Athrappully Cities governed by Democrat mayors have seen the largest increases in homicide rates over the past year as well as registered the ...

FBI Warrantless Searches of Americans Dropped 96 Percent in 2022

By Naveen Athrappully Based on a recent government report, under the controversial Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Security Act (FISA), there has been a ...

3 Soldiers Killed in Alaska Apache Helicopter Crash Identified

By Melanie Sun The Army has released the identities of the three soldiers who were killed in a crash involving two Apache helicopters on Thursday. The tragic collision near Healy, ...

Appeals Court Upholds Election Integrity Law in Florida

By Gary Bai A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a law that, among other modifications of election rules, added security measures on the use ...

Federal Court Rejects Google’s Motion to Dismiss Antitrust Lawsuit

By Caden Pearson A Virginia district court on April 28 rejected Google’s request to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ) ...

Sen. Hawley Demands Probe Into 85,000 Missing Unaccompanied Alien Children

By Caden Pearson Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has demanded the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigate the exploitation of thousands of unaccompanied alien children (UAC) ...

Elon Musk Blasts Child Sex Changes, Calls Term ‘Cisgender’ a ‘Slur’

By Lorenz Duchamps Since his takeover of Twitter, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has been outspoken in his disapproval of gender-transitioning minors on several occasions. In a post on ...

First State Passes Law Defining Gender as a Person’s Biological Sex at Birth

By Alice Giordano Kansas has become the first state to adopt a definition of gender with the passage of legislation that keeps men, no matter ...

IN-DEPTH: States Fight ESG Industry, Despite Costs and Long Odds

By Kevin Stocklin As conservative states push back against the progressive agenda of Wall Street banks and asset managers, some analysts are warning that “anti-ESG” ...

Florida Legislature Clears Way for DeSantis to Run for President Without Resigning

By Bill Pan Florida’s Republican-led Legislature has approved a bill clarifying that Gov. Ron DeSantis may run for president in 2024 while keeping his current ...

State Supreme Court Gives Republicans Major Win in Key Swing State

By Jack Phillips The North Carolina Supreme Court on April 28 overturned a prior ruling that struck down alleged partisan gerrymandering, giving the state GOP a ...