NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT WEDNESDAY 3/25/2020  ISRAELI POLITICAL CRISIS

(LIMITED SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY SUSPENDING AT 11 PM EASTERN US TIME)

LATE WORD FROM ISRAEL TONIGHT THAT PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AND ISRAEL'S LEADING OPPOSITION POLITICIAN BENNY GANTZ OF THE BLUE AND WHITE PARTY HAVE SPOKEN BY PHONE ABOUT ESTABLISHING AN EMERGENCY GOVERNMENT IN THE FACE OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC....HAARETZ NEWS REPORT

The Likud Party Speaker of the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, resigning today.  Yuli Edelstein resigned after the Supreme Court in Israel ordered him to allow a vote for a new speaker by 5 pm today local time.

"The High Court's decision is not based on the law, but on a partisan and extreme interpretation"

was part of the message from Edelstein in his resignation.

The move will allow a majority, including Arab members of the parliament, to assert control over parliament.    The new majority may move legislation that would bar an indicted parliament member like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from forming a new government and becoming Israel's next prime minister....

YNET NEWS STORY

Israel's "Haaretz"  reports that Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz, who controls the anti-Netanyahu parliamentary majority, will install Blue and White party member Meir Cohen as Speaker and focus on parliamentary control while allowing Netanyahu's caretaker government to remain in existence.....

HAARETZ STORY

Israel's Attorney General says that Mr. Edelstein, regardless of his resignation, is obliged to convene the parliament to vote on his successor as Speaker.......

YNET NEWS STORY

In northwestern Syria today a bridge blown up along the M4 highway being used by Turkish and Russian military forces for joint patrols as part of the cease-fire agreement.....SYRIAN ARAB NEWS AGENCY REPORT

An attack on a Sikh temple in Kabul Afghanistan today with at least 25 now reported killed.    The Taliban has denied any responsibility.  Islamic State has attacked Sikhs in Afghanistan in the past and claimed responsibility for today's attack.......SCROLL INDIA REPORT....BBC NEWS REPORT

FRANCE IS PULLING ITS SOLDIERS OUT OF IRAQ.   THAT WORD FROM IRAQI OFFICIALS.    THEY SAY FRANCE HAS AGREED WITH TO THE TROOP PULLOUT.   FRENCH SOLDIERS FIGHTING IN THE ANTI-ISIS COALITION.   THE CZECH REPUBLIC ALSO PULLING SOLDIERS OUT OF IRAQ.     THE STORY AS INTERPRETED BY TURKEY'S ANADOLU NEWS AGENCY.....LINK

The Pentagon rolling out a ten year plan for the US Marine Corps this week that will involve ditching tanks and reducing infantry while increasing rocket and missile batteries, drones and transport aircraft.

The "reform" of the Marines designed to counter ChinThe ese technological advances....IRISH INDEPENDENT NEWS STORY

Some 68,203 cases of coronavirus reported in the United States tonight at 1045 pm Eastern US time with some 1,027 deaths according to the Worldometers site......WORLDOMETERS

And the 11 pm worldwide totals from the Johns Hopkins dashboard are 470,973 cases worldwide with 21,276  deaths.....

THERE'S BEEN AN UPTICK IN CORONAVIRUS CASES IN SOUTH KOREA IN RECENT DAYS WITH THE SEOUL AREA BEING OF CONCERN.   NEW CASES NOW BEING IMPORTED INTO SOUTH KOREA.......YONHAP NEWS AGENCY SOUTH KOREA

The US military restricting the movement of thousands of personnel in Asia, Europe and the Middle East due to the coronavirus.    Some 10-thousand personnel either in isolation, quarantine or some other restriction in movement.....REUTERS NEWS STORY

Portland, Oregon police noticing a spike in calls related to suicide in recent days.    Perhaps a sign of tensions rising because of the coronavirus situation.   Overall the Portland Police Bureau seeing a ten percent reduction in 911 calls.....OREGON LIVE NEWS STORY

Turkey has detained some 410 people over what the authorities call "provocative and abusive" social media posts about the coronavirus pandemic.....PRESS TV IRAN NEWS STORY

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited patients at a hospital treating coronavirus today wearing a protective suit.   He later spoke about coronavirus in a national speech.   658  cases reported there today.

"Believe me, the safest thing right now is to stay home"

was part of Putin's message.      The Russian President declaring next week a paid national holiday and cancelling a constitutional amendment referendum planned for next month that could have approved an amendment allowing Putin to run for a third term.

The coronavirus story around the world as reported by the BBC......BBC NEWS CORONAVIRUS BLOG 3/25/2020

With the multi-trillion dollar stimulus plan now moving through Congress enroute to President Trump, there was another up day on Wall Street.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average up 495.64 points closing at 21,200.55, a 2.39 percent increase in value today.

That's the way it really is Wednesday March 25th, 2020.