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

FDA Announces Recall of Dog and Cat Supplements That May Cause ‘Paralysis’ or ‘Death’

By Jack Phillips The manufacturer of cat and dog omega-3 supplements sold under multiple brands said it is recalling products amid concerns they have too ...

Biden Signs Executive Order to Ramp Up Gun Control

By Michael Clements President Joe Biden signed an executive order on March 14 to advance gun-control measures, including a step toward universal background checks, as ...

Trump’s Competitors Seek to Set Themselves Apart Without Scorning MAGA

By Nathan Worcester News Analysis As more Republicans challenge Donald Trump in the race for the party’s 2024 presidential nomination, the former president’s dramatic impact on the ...

Gun Owners of America Aghast at Potential ATF Expansion

By Michael Clements A national gun rights organization is decrying the expansion of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) in President Joe ...

Forget Ukraine, the US Military Should Annihilate the Cartels

By Roger L. Simon Commentary I’m not a great fan of Vladimir Putin, to say the least. (I suppose I have to say that for the ...

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Vetoes Bill Banning Critical Race Theory in K-12 Public Schools

By Ryan Morgan Democratic Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill this week that would have prohibited schools from teaching the concept of judging an ...

Six Major Changes Made by IRS for 2023 Tax Season

By Naveen Athrappully Tax year 2022 saw multiple changes made by the Internal Revenue Service to tax limits, credits, standard deductions, and so on. With ...

DeSantis Urges Conservatives Never to Surrender to ‘Woke Mob’ in Fiery Iowa Speech

By Tom Ozimek Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in speeches in Iowa on Friday that Republicans taking a firm stance in the nation’s culture wars ...

House Freedom Caucus Demands Spending Cuts as Condition for Raising Debt Ceiling

By Lawrence Wilson America is burdened by a “wasteful, woke, weaponized bureaucracy” that must be brought under control, leaders of the House Freedom Caucus said ...

Walmart’s Exodus From Portland Draws Attention to Retail Crime and a Troubled City

By Scottie Barnes Walmart announced in February that it will close its last two stores in the city of Portland, Oregon, by March 24. Though the ...

5 Arrested After Deadly Kidnapping of Americans in Mexico

By Jack Phillips Mexican officials arrested five people in connection to the recent kidnappings and murders of Americans near the U.S.-Mexico border, said the attorney ...

Ex-FBI Agent Charged With Working for Russian Oligarch Played Role in Trump-Russia Investigation

By Ryan Morgan Charles McGonigal, a former FBI agent who was arrested on Monday for alleged ties to a Russian oligarch, was one of the agents who ...