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

Fox News Parts Ways With Lara Trump Amid Father-in-Law’s Presidential Bid

By Samantha Flom Lara Trump will no longer serve as a contributor to Fox News, the network confirmed on Dec. 3. The parting of ways follows former President Donald ...

Top FBI Official Steps Down as Republicans Prepare to Probe Into Bureau

By Samantha Flom A top FBI official has stepped down just as House Republicans have announced plans to investigate recent operations and actions at the bureau. In a Dec. 2 post to ...

Georgia Voters Head to the Polls for Senate Runoff Race Between Warnock and Walker

By Jack Phillips Voters went to the polls on Tuesday to cast ballots in Georgia’s Senate runoff race between Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Republican former football star ...

Musk Reveals Details of Behind-the-Scenes Twitter Operation to Censor Hunter Biden Laptop Story

By Hans Mahncke News Analysis Late on Dec. 2, Elon Musk started the process of releasing thousands of internal Twitter emails. Musk, whose purchase of Twitter was completed on Oct. ...

McCarthy Says Defense Bill Won’t Move Forward Unless Military Vaccine Mandate Dropped

By Katabella Roberts House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) vowed on Sunday that the fiscal 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) will not move forward unless the military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate ends. Speaking on ...

Trump Responds to Elon Musk’s Twitter Revelation

By Jack Phillips Former President Donald Trump responded to the release of “The Twitter Files” this weekend, decrying what he described as official corruption across the federal ...

FBI Coordination With Big Tech Censorship Ahead of 2020 Election Revealed in Agent Deposition, Missouri AG Says

By Petr Svab Officials from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security frequently met with major social media companies ahead of the 2020 election ...

Kari Lake Responds to Judge Who Sanctioned Her Legal Team in Lawsuit

By Jack Phillips The campaign of Arizona Republican candidate Kari Lake responded to a district court imposing a fine on her lawyers after filing an ...

Pentagon Debuts New Stealth Bomber, the B-21 Raider, Amid Rising China Threat

By The Associated Press PALMDALE , Calif.—America’s newest nuclear stealth bomber made its debut Friday after years of secret development and as part of the Pentagon’s answer to ...

IRS Warning Americans to Report $600 Transactions From Payment Processors or Risk Facing Audit

By Naveen Athrappully The Internal Revenue Service reminds taxpayers to report transactions of at least $600 made through payment networks like Venmo, Paypal, and Cash ...

Pentagon Won’t Yield on Ending COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate as Senators Threaten Budget

By Jack Phillips The Pentagon said it would continue to require that troops get COVID-19 vaccines even as Republican senators threaten to hold up the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) ...

House GOP Leader Reports That Postal Workers Stole Over $20,000 In Campaign Donations

By Joseph Lord House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) relayed reports that over $20,000 in campaign funds were stolen from her by postal workers, ...