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

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

NATIONAL NEWS

The Destruction of U.S. Medical Care: Mayo Clinic to Lose 8000 Employees who Refuse the COVID-19 Shot

By Brian Shilhavy, Editor Health Impact News In another sign that the medical system in the United States is self-destructing due to COVID-19 vaccines and ...

Democrats Unveil Plan to Tax Unrealized Capital Gains

By Joseph Lord Senate Democrats plan to reveal a revenue scheme for their multi-trillion dollar budget bill that would tax unrealized capital gains, a move targeted towards the richest ...

Biden is politicizing Justice Department, Republicans say

By Naomi Lin, White House Reporter President Joe Biden is politicizing the Justice Department, according to some Republican critics, echoing a charge he made against former President Donald ...

Grassley blasts Garland over DOJ school boards memo and Hunter Biden investigation

By Jerry Dunleavy, Justice Department Reporter The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee plans to blast Attorney General Merrick Garland over his controversial school ...

Good Samaritans Rescue Distressed Woman Preparing to Jump From Bridge in Massachusetts

By Louise Brevan Seeing a distressed woman who had climbed over a railing of a bridge in West Springfield, Massachusetts, a number of good Samaritans stopped their cars and ...

Washington Post Corrects Story Claiming Crowd Was Chanting ‘Let’s Go Brandon’

By Zachary Stieber The Washington Post has corrected a story that falsely stated a crowd at a recent speech was chanting “Let’s Go Brandon.” The crowd was actually ...

DeSantis offers police $5,000 bonus to relocate to Florida amid vaccine mandates

By Elizabeth Faddis, Breaking News Reporter Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida touted a new effort from the state to recruit law enforcement officers amid job losses over ...

Protesters nearly storm arena and demand unvaccinated Kyrie Irving play

By Christopher Hutton, Breaking News Reporter A group of protesters gathered in Brooklyn to protest the Brooklyn Nets’s decision to sideline a player over his vaccination ...

Obama To Virginia Voters: Don’t Pay Attention To ‘Trumped Up Culture Wars,’ It’s All ‘Fake Outrage’

By The Daily Wire News Former President Barack Obama pleaded with Virginian voters not to pay attention to culture wars as election day nears between ...

DHS Building $455K+ Security Fence Around Biden’s Beach Home After Halting Border Wall Construction: Report

By Ryan Saavedra The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is building a nearly half a million dollar security fence around Democrat President Joe Biden’s beach ...

Greg Abbott appoints former Trump attorney as secretary of state

By Christopher Hutton, Breaking News Reporter Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appointed an attorney who helped former President Donald Trump try to overturn Pennsylvania’s 2020 election results as ...

Loudoun County can’t stop lying

By Kaylee McGhee White, Commentary Writer For the past couple of weeks, Loudoun County, Virginia, has denied that school board members knew about the rape ...