USNN World News

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Chinese virologist accuses Beijing of coronavirus cover-up, flees Hong Kong: ‘I know how they treat whistleblowers’

by USNN World NewsJuly 10, 2020June 20, 2024

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CENTCOM commander doubts Russian bounty intel tied to US troop deaths in Afghanistan

by USNN World NewsJuly 8, 2020July 8, 2020

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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

NATIONAL NEWS

‘Without a Shadow of a Doubt’: Kari Lake Responds After 2-Day Election Trial Ends

By Jack Phillips Arizona GOP candidate Kari Lake released a statement Thursday saying that her lawyers proved that there was “malicious intent” that caused disruption during Maricopa County’s Nov. ...

Federal Court Releases Bankman-Fried, but His Parents Are on the Hook

By Kevin Stocklin Former FTX crypto exchange CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, just extradited to the United States from a prison in the Bahamas, was freed on $250 ...

2 Minnesota Counties Agree to Remove Duplicate Voter Registrations After Settling Lawsuits

By Matthew Vadum Two Minnesota counties have agreed to remove duplicate voter registrations from their voter rolls after an election-integrity group sued them. Nicollet County and Hennepin County, ...

Lake vs Hobbs Election Case Trial Begins in Maricopa County

By Allan Stein MESA, Ariz.—The first of a two-day-trial began Wednesday in Maricopa County in an election lawsuit filed by Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake against Democratic Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs ...

Texas National Guard ‘Border Force’ Blocking Illegal Crossings

By Tom Ozimek Texas National Guard troops deployed to El Paso have constructed a razor-wire barrier along the Rio Grande and have been blocking people from making unauthorized crossings ...

Reforms to Electoral Count Act Included in $1.7 Trillion Omnibus Bill

By Samantha Flom Republicans and Democrats have attached a bill revising the Electoral Count Act to their $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package, contending that the new law would prevent ...

House Panel Votes to Publicly Release Trump’s Tax Returns

By Zachary Stieber A U.S. House of Representatives panel voted Dec. 20 to make six years of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns public via a report. The 24-16 ...

GOP Attorney General Candidate’s Election Challenge Can Go to Trial: Arizona Judge

By Katabella Roberts An Arizona judge on Tuesday ruled that a lawsuit filed by Republican Abraham Hamadeh challenging the results of the election for attorney general can proceed. Hamadeh lost to Democrat ...

Trump Responds to Jan. 6 Committee’s Criminal Referrals, Says They Are ‘Fake’

By Frank Fang Former President Donald Trump on Dec. 19 dismissed the Jan. 6 committee’s criminal referrals, saying that the panel has leveled “fake charges” against him ...

‘Twitter Files’ Show Company ‘Directly Assisted’ in US Military Psychological Operations

By Jack Phillips Journalist Lee Fang released the latest installment of the “Twitter Files” on Tuesday, showing how the social media platform “quietly aided” U.S. intelligence ...

Judge Rules 2 of Kari Lake’s Election Lawsuit Claims Can Go to Trial

By Jack Phillips A Maricopa County, Arizona judge ruled that two out of 10 claims brought by GOP gubernatorial candidate that challenges Gov.-elect Katie Hobbs’ election ...

Congress Unveils Sweeping ‘Omnibus’ Funding Bill With $1.7 Trillion Price Tag

By Tom Ozimek Lawmakers have at long last unveiled the legislative text of the huge $1.7 trillion “omnibus” government funding bill for all of fiscal ...