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

Manchin Stakes Position Against Biden’s Proposed Billionaire Tax

By Joseph Lord Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) on Tuesday decried President Joe Biden’s recently-unveiled proposal to increase taxation on billionaires, saying that the plan ...

Senators Release Bank Records Showing Payments to Hunter Biden From China

By Zachary Stieber Newly released bank records show that payments were made to President Joe Biden’s son from a Chinese Communist Party-linked company. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) ...

Matt Gaetz Enters Hunter Biden Laptop Data Into Congressional Record

By Ken Silva “I seek unanimous consent to enter into the record on this committee the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop, which I am in ...

Judge Blocks COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Entire Navy

By Zachary Stieber The U.S. military’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate has been blocked for all Navy members seeking religious exemptions. A preliminary injunction that previously covered 35 Navy SEALs now covers some 4,000 others. U.S. ...

‘100 Percent’ Vaccinated Cruise Ship Hit With COVID-19 Outbreak

By Jack Phillips Princess Cruises confirmed that one of its cruise liners, the Ruby Princess, reported a COVID-19 outbreak before docking in San Francisco. The cruise operator requires ...

CIA Officer Who Signed Hunter Biden Laptop Letter Claims Credit for Trump Loss

By Zachary Stieber One of the former CIA officers who signed a letter claiming stories about a laptop allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden were disinformation says he ...

Alabama Wine Shop Owner Files Lawsuit Against State After Losing Business During COVID Lockdowns

By Matt McGregor A former business owner in Alabama filed a lawsuit on March 19 against Republican Gov. Kay Ivey and state Health Director Scott Harris, alleging that the COVID-19 ...

Milwaukee Officials Sued in Zuckerberg-Related Election Bribery Case

By Matthew Vadum Milwaukee’s acting mayor, former mayor, and city clerk have been accused of being involved in an election bribery scheme for accepting election-assistance ...

CDC, Other Health Agencies Won’t Provide Employee Vaccination Data From 2022

By Zachary Stieber The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and three other top federal health agencies are refusing to provide employee COVID-19 vaccination ...

‘Chaos in the Sky’: Commercial Airline Pilots File Their First Lawsuit Over Transportation Mask Mandate

By Patricia Tolson Hours after the U.S. Senate voted to repeal the federal transportation mask mandate—which the White House quickly threatened to veto—a group of ...

Florida Health Department: CDC Altered State’s COVID-19 Death Data

By Jack Phillips The Florida Department of Health (DOH) alleged Friday that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) erroneously changed the state’s COVID-19 data without contacting the agency and didn’t ...

US Army Discharges More Soldiers for Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine

By Jack Phillips The Army has now discharged 27 soldiers for refusing an order to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the service said on Thursday, confirming that another 24 soldiers ...