NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT MONDAY 10/15/2018

                            (UPDATES AND EXPANSION, EDITING UNTIL 8AM)

Political parties aligned with the German government of Chancellor Angela Merkel lost over 21 percent of the popular vote in yesterday's Bavarian state election.   The Christian Social Union lost its majority and the Social Democratic Party lost half of its support from the last election in 2014.

The leftist Greens doubled their support with the anti mass-immigration Alternative for Germany picking up just over 10 percent of the vote to enter the state parliament for the first time.

The beating that the Social Democrats took may cause them to consider leaving the Merkel government.

All eyes now turn to the election 13 days from now in the German state of Hesse to see if the trend continues.

The pickups in support for the AfD and Greens show that both sides of the mass immigration-migrant debate are gathering support while the "mainstream" parties are falling apart losing support from a disillusioned electorate.

The Speaker of Sweden's Parliament, the Riksdag, will now give the task of forming a government to another party leader.

Moderate Party leader Ulf Kristersson abandoned his effort to form a new government yesterday.   While he had the support of Christian Democrats to go forward with a government that would depend on support from the anti mass-immigration Sweden Democrats to stay in power, the leaders of the Center and Liberal parties, his traditional allies, found that unacceptable.

A very disturbing lead story appeared on the BBC website overnight.  A story detailing the notion of chemical attacks in Syria with 106 such attacks claimed since mid-2014.

The Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad has been fighting opposition forces including Al Qaeda and other jihadists backed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar with the claims of chemical attacks being used to justify Western military intervention in the conflict in support of the Saudi-Qatari side.

Last week a Russian representative told the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons that jihadists in Syria in cooperation with Western intelligence agencies are preparing  for a false flag chemical attack that will be blamed on the Syrian government.

Saudi Arabia is warning through its state media against any political or economic actions against the kingdom over the disappearance and likely death of opposition journalist Jamal Khashoggi.   A government source says any actions taken against Saudi Arabia will be met with a bigger action in return.

Khashoggi disappeared after he entered the Saudi consulate on October 2nd and Turkish authorities say they believe he was murdered with a source revealing to government aligned media in Turkey that there is audio and visual proof of Khashoggi's murder.   They also add that the evidence has been shared with the United States.

THERE'S LATE WORD THAT TURKISH OFFICIALS WILL SEARCH THE SAUDI CONSULATE IN ISTANBUL LATER TODAY.  THERE'S ALSO WORD KING SALMAN OF SAUDI ARABIA HAS ORDERED AN INVESTIGATION.

Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JP Morgan, has dropped plans to attend an investment conference in Saudi Arabia later this month.

President Trump was interviewed by Sunday night radio talk host Bill Cunningham Friday.  The 13 minute interview broadcast last night focused on economic matters and the upcoming mid-term elections.

Trump said that the European Union was formed:

"to take from the United States"

He wants a better deal for trade with the EU and with China as well.  The President says he has a good relationship with Chinese President Xi and is hopeful agreement can be reached on trade differences.

A Chinese official said recently that China would like to see a more positive tone from the United States.

The President also hopes for Republican success on Election Day next month.

The legendary US retailer Sears has filed for bankruptcy.   Sears also owns the classic K-Mart retail brand and filed for Chapter 11 protection today in the face of a 134 million dollar repayment it could not meet.

Israel's internal security service Shin Bet is joining a police investigation into an incident last Friday that killed a Palestinian woman.  Her husband and Palestinian officials say she was stoned in her vehicle by Jewish settlers in the West Bank region.

The Jerusalem Magistrates Court has imposed a gag order on the case.  Mainstream media reports in Israel say there are fears of retaliation for recent Palestinian terrorist attacks in Judaea and Samaria.

Meanwhile today an attempted attack by Palestinians holding hammers on an Israeli Supreme Court Justice who got away and also a terrorist attacker shot dead before he could stab Israeli soldiers in the West Bank region.

Police in Portland, Oregon say they are continuing to investigate after a brawl between the Patriot Prayer Group and Antifa outside a popular downtown bar Saturday night.

The Patriot group came downtown to march for law and order after a recent Antifa march entrapped a 74-year old motorist.

The "Portland Oregonian-Oregon Live" reported that bear spray, bare fists and batons were used in the fight which only lasted a minute or two before police fired pepper balls to break it up.

And there's word from Kensington Palace that Meghan and Harry are expecting a baby.    The Duchess of Sussex is to give birth in the spring.