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

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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

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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

Beijing’s Influence Group Seeks Partnership With US Agricultural Officials, After Teaming up With Bill Gates for Years

By Frank Fang A number of U.S. government officials recently took part in an virtual agriculture event co-hosted by a Beijing-backed influence association that has ...

Twitter Bans Ads That ‘Contradict the Scientific Consensus on Climate Change’

By Zachary Stieber Twitter is prohibiting advertisers from running ads that “contradict the scientific consensus on climate change,” the company announced on April 22. The clampdown on ...

Court Filings Draw First Statements From Three Key Democratic Players in Sussmann Probe

By John Haughey A blizzard of petitions, motions, and counter-motions have been filed in response to Special Counsel John Durham’s April 6 request for documents from the ...

Georgia Among States Advancing Investigations Into Alleged Drop Box Ballot Trafficking: True the Vote Founder

By Masooma Haq and Roman Balmakov Catherine Engelbrecht, founder of True The Vote, said the goal of the organization is to present their findings to ...

Another Supply Chain Shockwave Is Coming Amid Pent-Up Supply, Industry Experts Warn

By Andrew Moran The global supply chain crisis is about to experience a fresh shockwave as factories reopen in China and begin a mad rush to resume ...

House Republicans Tell Twitter’s Board to Preserve All Records About Musk’s Bid to Buy Company

By Zachary Stieber All Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee on April 22 ordered Twitter board members to preserve all records regarding Elon Musk’s effort to buy the ...

Vulnerable Democrats Breaking With Biden on Immigration

By Joseph Lord Democrats facing tough reelection battles have begun to openly break with President Joe Biden in recent weeks over his plan to reverse Title ...

Breaking Down the Flurry of Legal Filings by Clinton Campaign Associates in Durham’s Prosecution of Michael Sussmann

By Jeff Carlson and Hans Mahncke News analysis In a coordinated legal action between a number of Hillary Clinton operatives and associates, almost two dozen separate documents were simultaneously ...

Biden Admin Renews Environmental Rules Rolled Back by Trump

By Nick Ciolino The White House announced this week it’s restoring environmental regulations scaled back during the Trump administration. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump moved to roll back ...

Judge Ponders If ‘Decision Tree’ That Seeded Trump ‘Secret Server’ Claim Can Be Bared in Sussmann Trial

By John Haughey In August 2016, Clinton Campaign attorneys Marc Elias and Michael Sussmann met with Neustar Senior Vice President Rodney Joffe in their Perkins Coie Washington D.C. law ...

Florida Senate Passes Bill Revoking Disney of Special Self-Governing Power

By Jack Phillips The Florida Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would remove the special tax district and self-governing status that was granted to Disney as ...

Durham Filing Reveals CIA Knew in Early 2017 That Data Tying Trump to Russia Was Fake

By Jeff Carlson and Hans Mahncke News Analysis As the trial of Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann approaches, special counsel John Durham and Sussmann’s lawyers ...