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.

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

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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

Twitter Suspends Key mRNA Vaccine Contributor Dr. Robert Malone

By Jack Phillips Dr. Robert Malone, a key contributor to mRNA vaccine technology and an outspoken critic of COVID-19 mandates and rules, was suspended by Twitter. Writing on his ...

CNN Says Producer Resigned Same Day Allegations of Potential Child Abuse Surfaced

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Arizona Drug Bust Nets 1.7 Million Deadly Fentanyl Tablets, Fake Pills

By Allan Stein A joint federal and local drug task force seized in mid-December a record 1.7 million fentanyl pills in a sweeping crackdown on illegal drugs ...

Judge for Ghislaine Maxwell Trial ‘Trying to Avoid a Mistrial’ Over Omicron

By Dave Paone NEW YORK CITY—The judge presiding over the Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking trial has asked jurors to continue attending court ahead of the New Years ...

Judge Dismisses Claims That LinkedIn Overcharged Advertisers

By Reuters A U.S. judge dismissed a lawsuit accusing Microsoft Corp.’s LinkedIn of inflating the number of people who watched video ads so the networking platform could overcharge hundreds ...

Report Puts Fauci’s Retirement at $350K Per Year, Biggest in US Government Pension History

By Mark Tapscott Dr. Anthony Fauci has been on the federal payroll for 55 years and he currently has no plans to retire, but when ...

FAA Vaccine Policy Violates Its Own Rules, Attorneys and Doctors Say

By Enrico Trigoso The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is breaking its own rule that states pilots should not fly after having taken medications that have been approved ...

Gallup Poll Shows Dismal Approval Ratings for McConnell, Pelosi, Biden

By Joseph Lord A Gallup poll that asked respondents to rank their approval of major federal leaders found that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts ...

Thousands More Flights Canceled as COVID-19 Continues to Disrupt Holiday Travel

By Katabella Roberts Thousands more flights were canceled across the United States on Monday amid the ongoing CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus nationwide surge in Omicron variant cases. Around 3,259 flights were canceled ...

Addictive ‘Brain Hijacking’ Methods of Social Media Platforms Harmful to Users, Especially Children: Insider

By Isabel van Brugen and Joshua Philipp Addictive “brain hijacking” methods used by social media giants to keep users on their platforms have harmful effects, particularly on children, according to industry ...

Georgia Tries to Be Less Taxing

By Gregory Bresiger Georgia, with its strong economic recovery from the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, may become the 10th state without a state an income tax. A former ...

Dem Senators Tell Virginia Supreme Court Redrawn Electoral Map Doesn’t Protect Democrats Enough

By Matthew Vadum Virginia’s two Democratic U.S. senators urged the state’s Supreme Court to reject proposed changes to the state’s congressional map, claiming that the ...