World - USNN World News

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

World

Pompeo urges China to release detained Canadians after ‘groundless’ charges

by USNN World NewsJune 23, 2020June 30, 2020

NATIONAL NEWS

Millions of Americans’ medical images and data left ‘unprotected’ online, investigation reveals

By Christopher Carbone | Fox News Medical images and health data belonging to millions of Americans — including X-rays and CT scans — are unprotected online and ...

Microsoft’s Bill Gates regrets Jeffrey Epstein meeting: ‘I wish I hadn’t’

By Melissa Leon | Fox News Microsoft founder Bill Gates says he regrets ever meeting with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to discuss philanthropy, according to a ...

Major Democratic donor Ed Buck arrested, charged with running drug den

By Edmund DeMarche | Fox News Ed Buck, the California Democratic megadonor, was arrested Tuesday and charged with operating a drug house after a ...

Car plows into lobby of Trump Plaza condominium complex

By Danielle Wallace | Fox News A car reportedly lost control and plowed through the lobby of a Trump Plaza condominium complex just outside of New York City Tuesday evening. TRUMP ...

RNC raises record-setting $23.5M in August, as GOP momentum builds

By Gregg Re | Fox News EXCLUSIVE: The Republican National Committee (RNC) is expected to announce this week that it raised a record-setting $23.5 million in August and had $53.8 ...

Iranian cruise missiles and drones used in Saudi oil facilities, US officials say

By Hollie McKay, Lucas Tomlinson | Fox News It has been more than three days since Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure was crippled and, as the investigation continues, fingers are pointing toward Iran as ...

Trump blitzes into California for major $15M fundraising push, irritating celebrities, activists

By Gregg Re | Fox News President Trump sent liberal California activists into a tizzy on Tuesday, as he executed a lunch-dinner-breakfast-lunch fundraising blitz expected to scoop up ...

OxyContin Maker Files for Bankruptcy, Faces Thousands of Lawsuits

BY BOWEN XIAO Pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma—which made billions of dollars selling its prescription painkiller OxyContin—has filed for bankruptcy after giving way to financial pressure from thousands of ...

Father of Parkland shooting victim: ‘Guns didn’t kill my daughter, Democratic policies did’

By Yael Halon | Fox News On “No Interruption,” Fox Nation host Tomi Lahren sat down with Andrew Pollack, father of Parkland shooting victim Meadow Pollack. Pollack became an outspoken advocate for school safety since the Parkland shooting, and he ...

Jesse Watters on New York Times’ Kavanaugh report: ‘I think they made the mistake on purpose’

By Victor Garcia | Fox News Jesse Watters says he believes The New York Times reported, then corrected, questionable allegations against Supreme Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh deliberately, to push its anti-Trump agenda. “I ...

New York Times criticized from both sides of aisle over now-revised Kavanaugh allegations

By Brian Flood | Fox News The New York Times has taken heat from both sides of the aisle for walking back its now-revised allegations against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh ...

Washington Post says it passed on New York Times’ now-revised Kavanaugh story

By Brian Flood | Fox News The Washington Post has revealed it passed on a questionable story about Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh back in 2018 because it “could not independently ...