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

Windham, New Hampshire 2020 Election Audit Starts

By Zachary Stieber A 2020 election audit in a small New Hampshire town started on Tuesday. A three-person team in Windham, which has a population of roughly 15,000, ...

Here Is Why the Democrats Are Totally Panicked About the Arizona Audit

By Stu Cvrk All eyes are on Arizona. Republicans and Trump supporters are certain that the ongoing audit will prove their over-arching allegation that election ...

Kansas Sheriff’s Office Still Probing 12 Claims of 2020 Election Fraud

By Jack Phillips The Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office in Kansas confirmed last week that it’s still investigating claims of voter fraud from the 2020 election. Twelve cases are being investigated, ...

Scholars Line Up to Join Anti-‘Woke’ Online Education Platform

By Petr Svab Hundreds of scholars, including some distinguished figures, have applied for positions at an online education startup that promises explicitly non-“woke” instruction in a number ...

Homeless Man Asks Texas Steakhouse Owner for Job Busing, and She Gives Him ‘A Whole New Start’

By Louise Bevan A Texas community came through for a homeless man in need after a social media post shared his story. Kenneth Smith went from sitting outside ...

Arizona Formally Bans Post-Election Signature Fix for Mail-In Ballots

By Allen Zhong Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed a law that bans voters from adding signatures on unsigned mail-in ballots after Election Day. The measure, Arizona Senate ...

Arizona Senate President Says She Thinks Election Audit Will Uncover ‘Irregularities’

By Zachary Stieber The 2020 election audit going on in Arizona’s largest county will likely uncover some issues, the state’s Senate president said on Thursday. “I hope we ...

Californians to Lose Congressional Seat

By Tim Shaler The results of the 2020 census are in, and California is going to lose a congressional seat. The state will only be sending 52 members to the U.S. House ...

Rally in Massachusetts Calls for Removing COVID-19 Mask Restrictions: Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai

By Learner Liu BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS—Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai, entrepreneur and former U.S. Senate candidate, spoke to more than 1,000 people in a recent rally in front ...

Republicans: Break Up Big Tech After Facebook Board Upholds Trump Ban

By Zachary Stieber Democrats cheer the board’s decision, call for ban to be made permanent. Congressional Republicans on Wednesday, upset with the decision by Facebook’s Oversight Board ...

Parents Should Oppose Critical Race Theory to ‘Save Our Kids’ from Left-Wing Indoctrination: AG Paxton

By Tom Ozimek Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday praised parents for pushing back against the teaching of the quasi-Marxist critical race theory in the nation’s schools, urging ...

Trump Endorses Elise Stefanik to Replace Liz Cheney in House GOP Leadership

By Zachary Stieber Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) should assume the position in the House Republican leadership that Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) currently holds, former President Donald Trump said on ...