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

Guy Benson: Here’s why Democrats are ‘in trouble’ with impeachment push

By Nick Givas | Fox News Democrats may go too far with their impeachment probe into President Trump and forget about the public’s exhaustion from dealing with the Mueller investigation for two years, said Fox ...

Trump campaign manager claims Dems are ‘freaked out’ over campaign’s digital dominance

By Kristin Fisher | Fox News The valuable voter data amassed by presidential campaigns is typically kept secret, but President Trump’s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, is bucking the trend ...

Donald Trump Jr. blasts ‘The View’ hosts for Joy Behar’s ‘blackface’ and Whoopi Goldberg comments on Polanski

By Brian Flood | Fox News Donald Trump Jr. went into enemy territory on Thursday prepared for a fight, and a fight he got. Minutes into his appearance on ...

State Dept. official flagged Hunter Biden’s ‘conflict of interest’ in Ukraine, testimony shows

By Gregg Re | Fox News George Kent, a career official at the State Department, told House investigators conducting the impeachment inquiry against President Trump that he raised concerns ...

Elizabeth Warren’s candidacy is in ‘big trouble,’ says Chris Stirewalt

By Julia Musto | Fox News Elizabeth Warren’s steady rise to become a 2020 Democratic frontrunner is now reversing course, Fox News digital politics editor Chris Stirewalt said Thursday. Appearing on “Outnumbered Overtime” with host Harris Faulkner, the ...

‘Coup has started,’ whistleblower’s attorney said in 2017 posts calling for impeachment

By Gregg Re | Fox News Mark Zaid, one of the attorneys representing the whistleblower at the center of the Democrats’ ongoing impeachment inquiry, tweeted conspicuously in ...

Can Trump factor carry GOP to victory in Kentucky, Mississippi governor races?

By Paul Steinhauser | Fox News He’s not on the ballot, but President Trump is on the minds of voters casting ballots in state-level elections across ...

Varney: Media ‘panic’ over Elizabeth Warren’s ‘major gaffe that cannot be taken back’

By Matt London | Fox News ‘Woah, I was shocked this morning when I scanned the headlines in the liberal media. They’ve woken up to the economic lunacy ...

Trump touts Baghdadi’s ‘one-way ticket to hell’ ahead of pivotal elections in Kentucky, Virginia, Mississippi

By Gregg Re | Fox News At a rally on friendly turf in Kentucky Monday night, President Trump urged voters to send a powerful “signal” to Democrats and the world by electing staunch White House ...

Obama administration took out Michael Flynn over audit of the ‘Deep State’: Flynn lawyer

By Matt London | Fox News In a new interview, the attorney for former national security adviser Michael Flynn suggested that the Obama administration may have been out to get her client because ...

Joy Behar: Don’t tell Americans before you take their guns

By Nick Givas | Fox News Politicians seeking to confiscate guns from Americans shouldn’t share their plans with the public beforehand and should seek to maintain an element of surprise, Joy ...

Black conservative dismantles Michelle Obama’s ‘white flight’ theory

By Matt London | Fox News Black conservative Chicago native Gianno Caldwell picked apart recent controversial comments from former First Lady Michelle Obama, who claimed that “white folks” fled Chicago neighborhoods in the 1970s because black ...