NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT THURSDAY 4/25-FRIDAY 4/26/2019

(WORK IN PROGRESS, MORE UPDATES, ADDITIONS, EDITING ETC. THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING)



North Korea's ruler Kim Jong-un says the US acted in "bad faith" during his February summit meeting with President Trump in Hanoi.

The state news agency reporting Kim's comments in conjunction with a two day visit to Russia and a summit meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin.

The North Korean ruler also says peace on the Korean peninsula is entirely up to the US and its future position.

Kim reported telling Putin:

"the situation on the Korean peninsula and the region is now at a standstill and has reached a critical point"

Mr. Putin was invited by Kim Jong-un to visit North Korea and plans to take him up on the invitation.

Putin says North Korea needs international guarantees in order to scrap its nuclear program.

Putin saying in part:

"…..there is a need to restore a situation where international law and not the rule of force regulates global developments..."

More from the Russian news agency Tass…...LINK


The Muslim cleric wanted in connection with last Sunday's terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka is dead.

President Maithripala Sirisema said Friday that Zahran Hashim died in the attack on Shangri-La Hotel Sunday.    Hashim appeared in a video pledging allegiance to the Islamic State released Tuesday after ISIS claimed responsibility for the acts of terrorism.

More on this as reported by the Agence France Presse news agency and published by India's NDTV....LINK

The death toll in the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka revised downwards to 253.  The Health Ministry says there was an error in calculations.

Police continue to carry out raids across the country and have issued photos of new suspects wanted in connection with the attacks.

The total number of arrests now more than 70.

Former Vice-President Joe Biden in the race for president in 2020 attacking President Trump in a video posted Thursday morning.   Biden held a campaign rally in Wilmington, Delaware.

Biden is one of 20 Democrats seeking his party's nomination.  The large field of candidates appears designed to split up the votes against Biden and take them away from his main rival, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

The FBI raided the home of Baltimore's mayor Catherine Pugh Thursday morning.  There were also federal law enforcement searches at City Hall and a training center associated with the mayor.

Its reported that the FBI is assisting the IRS with an investigation of Pugh, on a medical leave of absence since April 1st.

One aspect of the investigation is the sale of a self-published children's health book written by Mayor Pugh to city entities.

Many of her fellow Democrats have called on the mayor to resign and on Thursday Maryland's Republican governor joined them.

A federal appeals court panel has ruled that 34 congressional and state legislative districts in Michigan are gerrymandered in favor of Republicans.

A US Supreme Court ruling on gerrymandering cases in North Carolina and Maryland could have an impact on Thursday's ruling.    That ruling expected in June.

In Massachusetts, a state judge and retired court official entered not guilty pleas in federal court Thursday.

Judge Shelley Joseph and Wesley MacGregor charged for helping an illegal immigrant get out through the back door of a courtroom to avoid arrest by federal authorities waiting outside the front door.

The incident happened in April of last year.

Word from Mexico that more than half (700) of the 1,300 mostly Cuban migrants have voluntarily returned to a detention center after they fled Thursday.

French president Emmanuel Macron opting to speak in front of reporters Thursday evening to present his response to concerns raised at his town hall meetings held in response to the Yellow Vests protests.

One firm decision was an income tax cut worth more than 5.6 billion dollars (5 billion euros) but his other proposals were not as clear, especially to his political opponents.

Macron said he wanted the people of France, who have a 35 hour work week with time off to "work more" and at least not retire early and to have equality of opportunity.

But the French president also said he had been slow in implementing policies that have been controversial like massive rises in gasoline taxes in the name of dealing with "climate change".

Some Yellow Vests reaction was that Macron was not listening.

The BBC has more.....BBC MACRON YELLOW VESTS

"He takes us for idiots"

was one example of Yellow Vests reacrtion in the French media.

Polling for the European Parliament elections next month in France from Opinion Way shows the National Rally party of Marine Le Pen leading President Macron's La Republique En Marche 24 to 21 percent with The Republicans back at 14 percent and the multiple parties of the Left lagging further behind.

A French warship intercepted in the Taiwan Strait earlier this month by China's navy.  Beijing revealed the April 7th incident Thursday.   The Chinese said they identified the warship and ordered it to leave waters it considers Chinese territory.

Responding to the announcement, France said it "reaffirms its commitment to the freedom of navigation, in accordance with the law of the sea".

Some 16-hundred civilians killed in the Syrian city of Raqqa by US led coalition forces in 2017 during the fight to oust ISIS.    That's the result of an investigation by two groups, Amnesty International and Airwars.    The groups went into Raqqa and conducted investigations at more than 200 sites hit by air attacks and artillery.

The groups urging the coalition to end "almost two years of denial" about the death toll.   The coalition only acknowledges 318 civilian deaths in the battle to take Raqqa from ISIS.

Two US carrier groups are in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time since 2016 leading to speculation about their purpose there.

Some suggest a show of strength against Russia while others suggest some action against Iranian interests following the recent declaration that the elite Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is a terrorist organization giving a legal pretext for military action.

Also a possible target the Iranian allied Hezbollah group in Lebanon and its deeply entrenched positions harboring an arsenal of missiles and launchers that could be used against Israel.

Making some firm comments to US military personnel in the Mediterranean was US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman.

Huntsman said the aircraft carriers demonstrated that Russia:

"must cease its destabilizing activities around the world"

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday that Huntsman should study history and how Russia had dealt with Napoleon and Hitler.

Zakharova also said:

"Regrettably, the language of threats and sanctions became the calling card of the US Department of State lately"

Voters in Spain go to the polls Sunday and the latest polling data shows the Socialist Party leading at around 26 percent of the popular vote and 107 seats in the 350 seat Chamber of Deputies.  The party of the "Right" the People Party at around 20 percent and 77 seats.   The "Left" Podemos Party at 14.1 percent and 44 seats, the "Right" Citizens Party at 15.1 percent and 53 seats.

Other parties in the polling include the anti-mass immigration Vox Party at 12.4 percent and 37 seats.  Vox called "far-right" by mainstream media.    The Catalan parties that favor independence for Catalonia poised to win 17 seats in the polling data as well.

If the scenario of this polling data plays out on election day it will be difficult for a new government to be formed.

Meanwhile, Facebook in Spain taking down networks said to be spreading "far-right" views to 1.7 million people.


IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS SET FOR MAY 23RD IN THE UK, ADD TOMMY ROBINSON TO THE LIST OF CANDIDATES.

ROBINSON HOLDING A BARBECUE EVENT THURSDAY EVENING IN MANCHESTER REVEALING THAT HE WILL BE A CANDIDATE FOR MEMBER OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FROM THE NORTH-WEST OF ENGLAND.  

TOMMY'S ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE LINK...….HERE

Boston Celtics great John Havlicek is dead at the age of 79.   Havlicek was on eight NBA championship teams and all time leading scorer for the Celtics.

And that's the way it really is on Friday morning April 26th, 2019.