USNN World News

World

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

World

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

Arizona Audit Finishes With Hand Count, Closing In on End of Paper Evaluation

By Zachary Stieber The 2020 election audit in Arizona’s largest county is projected to end by June 26, officials said in a new update. Audit teams led by Florida-based ...

Texas Governor Demands Biden Return Border Wall Land Seized by Federal Government

By Jack Phillips Texas Gov. Greg Abbott demanded that President Joe Biden’s administration return border property that was seized by the federal government for building a wall ...

Michigan Senate Passes Legislation to Add Voter ID Requirements: ‘Overwhelmingly Popular’

By Jack Phillips Michigan’s GOP-led Senate on Wednesday passed several bills that, if signed into law, would implement more voter identification requirements for in-person voters ...

Biden’s Oil and Gas Lease Ban Blocked by Federal Judge

By Tom Ozimek A federal judge in Louisiana has blocked President Joe Biden’s suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal land and water, delivering ...

Newsom Insists California’s Pending COVID-19 Verification System Not a ‘Vaccine Passport’

By Zachary Stieber California is developing a COVID-19 vaccine verification system that will enable people who have gotten a jab to show proof of the shot to businesses, ...

McConnell: GOP Would Likely Block Biden Supreme Court Pick in 2024

By Jack Phillips Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suggested that Republicans, if they controlled the Senate in 2024, wouldn’t advance President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nominee due ...

Arizona Senate Audit Liaison Disputes Report Claiming Hundreds of Thousands of Ballots Missing

By Zachary Stieber Spokespersons for the audit taking place in Arizona’s largest county are pushing back on a report that claimed auditors have discovered hundreds of thousands ...

GOP Mayor-Elect of Town That Is 85 Percent Latino Says Latinos Are ‘Opening Their Eyes’

By Jack Phillips The mayor-elect of a Texas border city with a population that is around 85 percent Latino claimed that Latino voters are switching from Democrat ...

Election Assessment in Pennsylvania County Uncovers Five ‘Issues of Note’

By Zachary Stieber An election assessment conducted in a Pennsylvania county months ago and quietly released to the public in recent weeks uncovered five errors, including three linked to ...

California Woman Who Got Both Moderna Vaccine Shots Dies of COVID-19: Officials

By Jack Phillips An elderly woman in Napa County, California, who had received both Moderna vaccine shots died from COVID-19, county health officials said. While scant details ...

Report: Zuckerberg-Backed Grants, Which Were Irregularly Distributed, Increased Voter Turnout for Democrats in Wisconsin 2020 Election

By Li Hai A Wisconsin-based think tank analyzed the impact of private election administration grants on the 2020 presidential election in Wisconsin, claiming in its newly released ...

Lawmakers From Other States Descend on Arizona to See Election Audit

By Zachary Stieber Lawmakers from multiple states have visited the 2020 election audit in Arizona’s largest county in recent days, with more visits planned. Delegations from Pennsylvania, ...