World - USNN World News

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

World

Trudeau slams ‘political’ detentions, after China spy charges

by USNN World NewsJune 23, 2020June 23, 2020

NATIONAL NEWS

Individual races in the House of Representatives may matter more than usual this year

By Chad Pergram | Fox News House and Senate are the ultimate arbiters of determining how many electoral votes go to each presidential candidate. Individual races in the ...

Washington Post slams Harris for botching ‘little’ lesson about Honest Abe

By Joseph A. Wulfsohn | Fox News Harris insisted ‘Honest Abe’ said filling a vacant Supreme Court seat during an election was ‘not the right thing to ...

Sen. Loeffler calls for probe into China’s use of US nonprofits to meddle in election

By Adam Shaw | Fox News China has experience using nonprofits to carry out policy goal, she said. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., wrote to top government officials on Thursday, ...

Debate moderator Steve Scully raises eyebrows with tweet asking Scaramucci ‘should I respond to Trump’

By Joseph A. Wulfsohn | Fox News Scully’s role as a former intern for Joe Biden sparked backlash. Presidential debate moderator Steve Scully raised eyebrows on Thursday night with a ...

Trump-Biden presidential debate schedule now in limbo amid fight over format change

By Brooke Singman | Fox News The presidential debate schedule was thrown into uncertainty on Thursday. The presidential debate schedule was thrown into uncertainty on Thursday amid a ...

Top 5 vice presidential debate moments between Pence, Harris

By Tyler Olson | Fox News Coronavirus, packing the Supreme Court and more were on the table in the debate between the vice presidential candidates. In a debate that was ...

Vice presidential debate: Kamala Harris ducks Pence’s court-packing question

By Brooke Singman | Fox News Vice President Mike Pence hammered Sen. Kamala Harris Wednesday night over whether Democrats would pack the Supreme Court should they not “get their way,” and ...

Washington Post’s Megan McArdle knocks gender defense of Harris: ‘Pence is actually a good debater,’ she ‘is… not’

By Joseph A. Wulfsohn | Fox News ‘Stop grading us on a curve. We can make the grade,’ the columnist said. Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle dismissed the various ...

Biden and Harris spar over Supreme Court, COVID and economy in closely fought debate

By Paul Steinhauser | Fox News The VP nominees clashed over coronavirus, the Amy Coney Barrett nomination and taxes. Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence didn’t waste ...

Vice presidential debate: Pence blasts Biden as ‘cheerleader for communist China’

By Brooke Singman | Fox News Pence said China is ‘to blame’ for the coronavirus. Vice President Mike Pence slammed Democratic nominee Joe Biden for being a “cheerleader ...

Biden falsely claims Obama gave 18,000 people clemency, was actually less than 2,000

By Joseph A. Wulfsohn | Fox News The Obama administration actually denied over 18,000 clemency requests. Joe Biden appeared to have his facts way off regarding the Obama administration’s ...

Biden raises eyebrows after telling ‘these beautiful young ladies’ he wants to ‘see them dancing when they’re four years older’

By Joseph A. Wulfsohn | Fox News This isn’t the first time Biden’s remarks have gone viral this week. Joe Biden has been raising eyebrows again with remarks he ...