USNN World News

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

Judge Rejects Bid to Block Citizens Monitoring Ballot Drop Boxes in Arizona

By Caden Pearson A federal judge on Friday rejected a civil lawsuit seeking to block grassroots volunteers who mobilized to monitor absentee ballot drop boxes ...

Arizona GOP Gubernatorial Nominee Thanks Liz Cheney for ‘Biggest Fundraiser Yet’

By Lorenz Duchamps Arizona Republican governor frontrunner Kari Lake responded on Friday to Rep. Liz Cheney’s (R-Wyo.) “anti-endorsement” efforts, saying a television ad she sponsored and recently broadcasted caused ...

Midterm Elections Updates: Tulsi Gabbard Endorses Republican Adam Laxalt for Senate

By The Epoch Times Staff The latest on the midterm elections. ___ Tulsi Gabbard Endorses Republican Adam Laxalt for Senate Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has handed her endorsement to ...

FBI Asks Court for 66 Years to Release Information From Seth Rich’s Computer

By Zachary Stieber The FBI is asking a U.S. court to reverse its order that it produce information from Seth Rich’s laptop computer. If the court does not, the ...

Nancy Pelosi’s Husband Attacked During Home Invasion

By Zachary Stieber U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was attacked in the early hours of Oct. 28 during a home invasion, Pelosi’s office says. A person ...

Pentagon: US to End Sea-Launched Nuclear Missile Program

By Jack Phillips The United States will stop developing nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missiles, according to new documents released by the Department of Defense (DOD). The documents ...

Senators Share Documents With Prosecutors Probing Hunter Biden

By Zachary Stieber Two senators have shared documents they’ve obtained while investigating President Joe Biden’s son with prosecutors who are probing the son, Hunter Biden, the ...

Trump to Hold Rallies in Four States Ahead of Midterm Elections

By Frank Fang Former President Donald Trump is set to go on a rally blitz for candidates he has endorsed in at least four battleground states during ...

Trump Was Right on TikTok, says Top Democrat Senator

By Victoria Kelly-Clark One of the Democratic Party’s leading figures, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), who is head of the United States Senate intelligence committee, has said former ...

Arizona County Approves Plan to Hand Count Ballots, Citing Declining Voter Confidence

By Katabella Roberts A Republican-controlled county in Arizona will hand count some ballots cast at polls in November’s midterm congressional elections after voting to approve the measure on Oct. 24. The ...

GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Zeldin Says He’ll Declare Crime Emergency in NY

By Jack Phillips Republican New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin suggested he would declare a crime emergency and end cashless bail if he’s elected, according to remarks ...

Michigan State Senator Raises Concerns About Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Election Integrity

By Tiffany Meier, Joshua Philipp and Naveen Athrappully Michigan state Sen. Ruth Johnson, a Republican, has accused Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, of incompetence, and raised concerns about election ...