NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT SUNDAY 4/12/2020

(FINAL UPDATES POSTING WILL BE LATE TODAY AFTER 11 PM EASTERN US TIME)

BREAKING NEWS:  TORNADOES LEFT A PATH OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION IN MISSISSIPPI TODAY.     AT LEAST SEVEN ARE REPORTED DEAD WITH OTHERS INJURED.   A STATE OF EMERGENCY HAS BEEN DECLARED.......WLBT  JACKSON NEWS STORY

AN AGREEMENT AMONG THE OPEC+ NATIONS TO REDUCE OIL PRODUCTION WAS REACHED THIS AFTERNOON US TIME.

SOME 9.7 MILLION BARRELS A DAY  FROM OPEC+ COUNTRIES WILL BE COMBINED WITH 2.7 MILLION BARRELS A DAY IN CUTS COMING FROM BRAZIL, CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES.

BLOOMBERG NEWS STORY

OIL PRICES HAVE MOVED HIGHER IN LONDON WITH BRENT CRUDE OIL GOING OVER 30 DOLLARS A BARREL TONIGHT......

THE OIL PRICE TALKS CONTINUED TODAY (12 NOON EASTERN US TIME) WITH THE OPEC+ VIDEO CONFERENCE SAID TO BE CHAIRED BY RUSSIA AND SAUDI ARABIA.    PRESSURE WAS BUILDING TO CUT A DEAL IN THE TALKS THAT BEGAN THURSDAY....REUTERS NEWS STORY

THE PRESSURE COMING FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND SENATORS LIKE REPUBLICAN KEVIN CRAMER OF NORTH DAKOTA WHERE SHALE OIL PRODUCTION IS IMPORTANT.    THE OIL PRODUCTION THERE COULD END IF THE OPEC+ NATIONS DON'T CUT THEIR OIL PRODUCTION BECAUSE SHALE OIL IS NOT PROFITABLE WITH LOWER OIL PRICES.....BLOOMBERG STORY PUBLISHED BY YAHOO FINANCE

PRESIDENT TRUMP HOLDING A CONVERSATION WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TALKS AND AGREEMENT ON OIL PRODUCTION TODAY.....TASS NEWS STORY

A Turkish court this weekend accepting the indictment of 20 Saudi nationals in the killing of writer Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October of 2018......BERNAMA NEWS MALAYSIA

THE ISRAELI PRESIDENT REUVEN RIVLIN IS DENYING BLUE AND WHITE PARTY LEADER BENNY GANTZ AN EXTENSION OF TIME TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT.  RIVLIN, WHO IS FROM CARETAKER PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU'S LIKUD PARTY, SPOKE WITH  MR. NETANYAHU BEFORE MAKING HIS DECISION.

THE PLAN IS TO THROW THE MATTER BACK TO ISRAEL'S PARLIAMENT TO SEE IF A MAJORITY CAN BE FOUND THERE TO SUPPORT A CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER.

MR. GANTZ WAS ABLE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FORM A GOVERNMENT ON THE BASIS OF A PARLIAMENTARY MAJORITY THAT INCLUDED ARAB  MEMBERS.   BEHIND THE SCENES MANEUVERING WITH INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS MAY TIP  THE SCALE TO MR. NETANYAHU'S SIDE THIS TIME......

HAARETZ NEWS STORY

A stand being taken against the house arrest of the American people in the name of fighting Covid-19 with the Constitution front and center in the objections.    A church service and potluck held today at 3 pm Eastern US time in Emmett, Idaho at 800 East Locust Street.

More than 100 people were seen in attendance at the service this afternoon.

A picture taken at the event featured in a story published about Easter in the USA by "Al Khaleej Today" in Dubai, United Arab Emirates......AL KHALEEJ TODAY NEWS STORY WITH PHOTO OF AMMON BUNDY OTHERS AT EASTER EVENT

One of the organizers of that event Ammon Bundy posted on Facebook Saturday night in part:

"In a time when freedom has never been so restricted in the United States or the world, many people are saying the restriction is justified.   It is hard to comprehend the willingness of them to remain blind, to be apathetic or to justify the loss of our everyday freedoms"

AMMON BUNDY FACEBOOK POST

And a video of today's Easter Service in Emmett, Idaho was posted online via You Tube relaying social media video posts.......YOU TUBE VIDEO LINK

"It could probably start at least in some ways maybe next month"

Those words from Dr. Anthony Fauci appearing on CNN's "State of the Union" today.   Fauci discussing the restrictions imposed in the name of fighting the coronavirus here in the USA.....BNN BLOOMBERG NEWS STORY

PRESIDENT TRUMP RETWEETED A POST FROM A REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR CONGRESS ADVOCATING THE FIRING OF DR. ANTHONY FAUCI TODAY BUT NO ACTION FROM THE PRESIDENT ON THAT MATTER YET......BUSINESS INSIDER STORY

ALMOST 600 CREW MEMBERS OF THE USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT AIRCRAFT CARRIER HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19.   THAT'S MORE THAN TEN PERCENT OF THE ENTIRE CREW......USNI NEWS STORY

Coronavirus spreading in Russia according to the authorities there.    Some 2,186 new cases reported in Russia today to bring the total to 15,770.  130 deaths reported in the country with over 10-thousand of the cases in Moscow.  A World Health Organization representative in Russia says "careless behavior" by Muscovites is causing the spread......TASS NEWS STORY

GREECE IS FEARFUL THAT TURKEY MAY SEND CORONAVIRUS INFECTED MIGRANTS ACROSS THE BORDER.    IF THAT HAPPENS IT WOULD MARK A RENEWED TURKISH EFFORT TO FORCE MIGRANTS INTO EUROPE IN RETALIATION FOR THE FAILURE OF GREECE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION TO SUPPORT TURKEY'S MILITARY EFFORTS IN SYRIA.......VOICE OF AMERICA NEWS STORY

After weeks of Russian and Chinese assistance pouring into European countries hit by the coronavirus including the hard hit country of Italy, the United States  now deciding to send help to that nation.        "Southfront" offers its point of view about the US decision to help as the coronavirus appears to be receding in Italy.....SOUTHFRONT STORY

North Korea's ruler Kim Jong-un appearing at a meeting where tougher measures were called for to fight the coronavirus.      There are no official reports of any cases of Covid-19 in North Korea....AL JAZEERA NEWS STORY

Israel creating more "restricted areas" this time in four parts of Jerusalem including most of the city center.

Its an effort to stop spread of the coronavirus.    From mid-day today until Wednesday these areas will be in lockdown.....ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS STORY

The restrictions on the Orthodox Jewish areas in Jerusalem are the same as those imposed on the similar community of Bnei Brak (population 200-thousand) that neighbors Tel Aviv.    Israel's Health Minister      Orthodox Rabbi Yaakov Litzman currently serves as Israel's Health Minister and he has been critical of the decision to single out religious communities for the restrictions....YNET NEWS STORY

There was a total curfew across all of Israel when Passover began last week and its been reported that top politicians and officials were involved in violating it.....ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS STORY

Israelis ordered to wear masks in public beginning today.....ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS

In other news.......

The US military commander in Afghanistan General Scott Miller met with the Taliban this weekend in Qatar.   The talks said to be about "violence reduction" in the country following the US-Taliban peace deal signed earlier this year.....AL JAZEERA NEWS STORY...Word today of the Taliban releasing Afghan government prisoners....TASS NEWS AGENCY...On Saturday the Afghan government released 100 Taliban prisoners.

The US has a bounty on a Hezbollah leader who's operating in Iraq.    10 million dollars being offered for information about Sheikh Mohammad al-Kawrharani....JERUSALEM POST STORY

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange fathered two children while he was holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London.    That report from the UK's "Mail On Sunday" newspaper.

Assange is now in Britain's Belmarsh Prison going through the process of extradition to the United States.    His lawyers have been rebuffed in seeking his release over the Covid-19 situation.......AFP NEWS STORY

That's the way it really is Easter Sunday April 12th, 2020.