NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT TUESDAY 3/24/2020

(LIMITED SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE TUESDAY EVENING AFTER 11 PM EASTERN US TIME WITH SERVICE SUSPENDED AT 1120 PM EASTERN US TIME)

"the continued refusal to allow or a full vote in the Knesset for the election of a permanent Knesset speaker undercuts the foundations of the democratic process"

The words of Israel's Chief Justice Esther Hayut in her Monday ruling that current parliament Speaker Yuli Edelstein must allow a vote on a new speaker by 5 pm Wednesday.

A majority of the 120 member parliament (Knesset) is poised to replace Edelstein, of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, as speaker but Edelstein suspended parliament last week.

On Monday night parliament met to establish committees chaired by Benny Gantz's Blue and White Party and other parties supporting it who constitute a majority of the parliament with members supporting Mr. Netanyahu boycotting the meeting.

The end game objectives of the new majority in Israels' parliament will be the election of a new speaker and the passing of legislation that would prohibit a member of parliament under indictment from forming a new government.     This would preclude Benjamin Netanyahu, under indictment and facing trial on corruption charges, from forming the next government.

YNET NEWS ISRAEL REPORT

Conservative Israeli politician and former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked says she believes that Mr. Edelstein will honor the order of the court and allow a vote on his successor.....JERUSALEM POST

Police in India ending an anti-government protest in opposition to the country's new citizenship law because of its effect on the country's Muslim minority.    Dozens of protesters staging a sit-in in the capital city Delhi.

Authorities citing the ban on public gatherings due to the coronavirus for sending hundreds of riot police to end the protest.    The story as interpreted by Turkey's TRT World....LINK

The United States appointing a special energy representative to Saudi Arabia.   The move comes amid a price war involving Russia and the Saudis that has slashed the price of a barrel of oil in half threatening the US energy industry.

Victoria Coates, a security aide to President Trump, will be based in Saudi Arabia to do her job but her start date for the new post is unknown because of the coronavirus situation.....REUTERS NEWS STORY PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES...Word is that the United States is seeking an "oil alliance" with the Saudis.

Russia's navy shadowing two NATO frigates, one Italian the other Canadian, that entered the Black Sea Monday.   NATO conducting land, sea and air military maneuvers near Russia......TASS NEWS AGENCY

In northwestern Syria's Idlib region today a mine (Improvised Explosive Device) explosion as a Turkish military convoy passed.    One Turkish soldier wounded according to one report with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting two Turkish soldiers wounded.   A truck also reported damaged.......SOUTHFRONT STORY

THE NUMBER OF WORLDWIDE CORONAVIRUS CASES MORE THAN DOUBLING IN THE LAST SIX DAYS NOW STANDING AT SOME 422,652 as of 1120 pm Eastern US time.....The number of deaths standing at 18,901.

The total number of coronavirus cases in the US showing at some 52,145 by 5 pm today with the number via Worldometers at 1120 pm Eastern US time tonight 54,823 with  778 deaths reported......

"400 ventilators?  I need 30,000 ventilators.  You want a pat on the back for sending 400 ventilators?  You're missing the magnitude of the problem.......You pick the 26-thousand people who are going to die"......VIDEO LINK

Tough talk from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo at a news conference Tuesday morning saying he expects a quicker spread of the coronavirus and an early peak of cases in New York.

ITS BEEN CALLED THE 'CHINESE VIRUS' BUT A NEW TALKING POINT MAY BE EMERGING ONLINE AND FROM GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS NAMELY:

'THE NEW YORK VIRUS'

THE WHITE HOUSE PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERT FRONTING NEWS BRIEFINGS NOW DR. DEBORAH BIRX SAYS THAT 'NO MATTER WHERE THEY HAVE GONE' ANYONE WHO LEFT NEW YORK SHOULD SELF-QUARANTINE FOR 14 DAYS......CNN REPORT WITH EMBEDDED VIDEO

The Canadian province of Quebec which neighbors New York state registering an increase in Covid-19 cases to 1,013 today.   Four deaths reported there.

"I would love to have the country opened up and raring to go by Easter"   President Trump said during a live "town hall" event on the Fox News Channel this afternoon......NEW YORK POST STORY

A three-week nationwide lockdown imposed in India to prevent spread of the coronavirus......NDTV INDIA NEWS STORY

The ruler of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, says that 10-thousand test kits from Russia have been received.......TASS NEWS STORY....So far the country reports 84 cases of Covid-19.

China's government ending the lockdown in Hubei province tomorrow March 25th and in Wuhan considered to be the origination point of Covid-19 on April 8th.

The leaders of the G20 nations to hold a video conference this Thursday......

In Spain 514 more reported dead today bringing the death toll to 2,696.    The number of coronavirus cases now stands at 39,673....BBC NEWS STORY

The Mayor of Moscow, who heads up Russia's effort against the coronavirus, is saying that all people over age 65 living in major cities with over one million population should be in quarantine....TASS NEWS REPORT

In Switzerland some 8,836 coronavirus cases reported today, 776 more than yesterday.   20 more reported today to bring the total to 86.....TASS NEWS AGENCY REPORT

Some 1,930 cases reported in Israel of Covid-19 where three have died....

The story of the coronavirus around the world today as reported by the BBC.....BBC NEWS CORONAVIRUS BLOG 3/24/2020

Wall Street sharply higher today in early trading following comments online and in person from President Trump suggesting the US will be getting "back to business" soon.    There was a 2,100 plus point gain over 11.3 percent in value on Wall Street today.

Oil prices up a little but still at 24.24 a barrel.   The downward pressure on gas pump prices gaining the upper hand with pump prices here in York, PA moving down three cents a gallon to 2.12.9.

Other news....

A federal lawsuit against US Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina by a shareholder of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.   The plantiff alleging that the Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee may have committed securities fraud by selling stock ahead of the recent sharp drop on Wall Street triggered by coronavirus concerns.....BREITBART STORY

Russia calling on the United States to lift sanctions on Iran.   The Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says its time amidst the coronavirus situation to lift the "anti-human" sanctions against Iran.....TASS NEWS REPORT

Film director Woody Allen's autobiography-memoir that was dropped by one publisher earlier this month has been published by another one.....JERUSALEM POST

That's the way it really is Tuesday March 24th, 2020........