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

Arizona Senate President Says 2020 Election Audit’s Ballot Count Doesn’t Match Maricopa Tally

By Isabel Van Brugen Arizona Senate President Karen Fann said on July 13 that the number of ballots counted in the audit of the 2020 general election differs from the tally ...

Pennsylvania Sen. Mastriano Invited Biden to Meet, Discuss Election Audit

By Beth Brelje In anticipation of President Joe Biden’s Tuesday visit to Philadelphia to discuss voter rights, Pennsylvania state Senator Doug Mastriano, a Republican, sent a letter ...

Semiconductors Key to US Supremacy in High-Tech War

By Emel Akan WASHINGTON—The global semiconductor shortage during the pandemic has intensified the battle for technological dominance between the world’s two largest economies. Supply chain shocks ...

Texas House Republicans Vote to Track Down Absent Democrats, Potentially Arrest Them

By Jack Phillips Texas House Republicans on Tuesday voted to track down and possibly arrest absent Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to avoid voting on ...

DeSantis: Disrespected Police Officers Can Relocate to Florida

By Jack Phillips Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on July 12 that police officers from around the United States are welcome to relocate to Florida for ...

Texas Democrats Plan Walkout to Block GOP’s Election Overhaul Bill: Party Chairman

By Jack Phillips Democrat lawmakers in Texas will walk out in a bid to deny Republicans the quorum they need to convene a special legislative session called ...

‘I Look Forward to It’: Trump Says He’ll Sit for Twitter, Google, Facebook Lawsuit Deposition

By Jack Phillips Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he is eager and willing to provide sworn testimony in a deposition in his lawsuits against Google, Twitter, ...

‘Devastating Situation’: South Dakota Governor Sends More Troops to Border

By Jack Phillips South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has announced that additional state National Guard members will be sent to the U.S.–Mexico border to assist immigration enforcement efforts. According ...

Alan Dershowitz: Trump Lawsuit Against Twitter ‘Will Shake Things Up Considerably’

By Jack Phillips Legal scholar Alan Dershowitz on Wednesday said that President Donald Trump’s class-action lawsuits against Facebook, Google, and Twitter are “very, very important” for the future ...

Federal Judge Rejects Challenge to Georgia Voting Law

By Jack Phillips A federal judge in Georgia declined to block portions of the recently passed Georgia election law after an organization filed a legal challenge that sought to ...

Pennsylvania Senate Chairman Initiates Forensic Probe of 2020, 2021 Elections

By Zachary Stieber A Pennsylvania senator announced on July 7 that he has triggered a forensic investigation of the 2020 and 2021 elections. State Sen. Doug Mastriano, a Republican, ...

Mike Pompeo on Critical Race Theory, 1619 Project: ‘An Attempt to Divide the Country’

By GQ Pan Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has weighed in on the national debate over the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) and The New ...