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

Trump Lawyer Giuliani Hires Watergate Prosecutor to Represent Him in Impeachment Inquiry

BY ISABEL VAN BRUGEN President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has hired former Watergate prosecutor Jon Sale to represent him in the congressional impeachment inquiry, he confirmed on Oct. 1. The ...

Trump Intensifies Criticism of Impeachment Inquiry by Calling It a ‘Coup’

BY TOM OZIMEK Graham: Barr should be talking to Australia, Italy, UK about intelligence cooperation Anonymous sources reveal details about another Trump call; South Carolina Sen. Lindsey ...

Inspector General Admits to Changing Whistleblower Form Due to Media Scrutiny

BY IVAN PENTCHOUKOV The Office of the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG) admitted Sept. 30 that media scrutiny contributed to its decision to make a significant ...

Trump campaign, RNC breaks fundraising record with massive $125M third quarter haul

By Andrew O’Reilly | Fox News President Trump and the Republican National Committee brought in $125 million in fundraising in the third quarter of this year, setting up a hefty war ...

LA city officials pressuring Newsom to declare state of emergency amid homeless crisis

By Andrew O’Reilly | Fox News Officials in Los Angeles are pressuring California Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency as the city and state ...

Giuliani threatens lawsuits against individual House Dems amid Trump impeachment inquiry

By Danielle Wallace | Fox News President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani said Tuesday he’s considering individual lawsuits against House Democrats for allegedly violating the constitutional and civil rights of the ...

Trump dares Congress, brandishing deep-red 2016 election map: ‘Try to impeach this’

By Adam Shaw | Fox News President Trump on Tuesday dared Congress to impeach him over the Ukraine controversy, posting an image of a deep-red 2016 election map ...

Zuckerberg says if Warren becomes president, Facebook would sue U.S. gov’t: ‘You go to the mat and fight’

By Chris Ciaccia | Fox News Leaked audio comments from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg include him saying that the tech company would likely have no choice but to sue the ...

Pompeo accuses Dems of ‘bullying’ State employees with deposition demand: ‘I will not tolerate such tactics’

By Alex Pappas | Fox News Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is fighting back against House Democrats seeking to depose five State Department officials over the Trump-Ukraine controversy. In a letter and ...

Holder says Barr is ‘paying a price’ for spearheading Russia probe misconduct investigation

By Gregg Re | Fox News Former Attorney General Eric Holder told Fox News on Tuesday that current Attorney General Bill Barr “is paying a price” and sacrificing his credibility by ...

Ingraham: Democrats ‘done with democracy’

By Victor Garcia | Fox News Laura Ingraham declared that Democrats are done with democracy Monday, saying that the party has decided they can’t trust democracy to deliver them the ...

Michigan Lawmaker: Hold Gun-Free Zones Liable for Shooting Injuries

BY MATTHEW VADUM A Michigan state lawmaker’s newly introduced legislation to hold government agencies and private businesses liable for civil damages if anyone is injured during a shooting in a gun-free ...