NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT THURSDAY 4/16/2020

(SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE THURSDAY)

Facebook says it will alert users who may have interacted with " harmful misinformation" about the coronavirus.    Facebook targeting anyone who has liked, reacted or commented on the "harmful misinformation".....SKY NEWS UK STORY.....

The Russian military in Syria says that 27 jihadists who underwent training at a US military base surrendered to the Syrian army.    The Russians say they told the Syrian military that the US is planning acts of sabotage at oil and transport infrastructure sites in Syria......TASS NEWS AGENCY

RUSSIA'S DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER DENIES THAT HIS COUNTRY IS IN VIOLATION OF A NUCLEAR WEAPONS AGREEMENT AS ASSERTED BY THE US BUT GOES ON TO SAY THAT THE UNITED STATES MAY BE PREPARING A SITE IN NEVADA TO TEST NUCLEAR WEAPONS.....TASS NEWS REPORT

POLITICAL TALKS TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT IN ISRAEL CONTINUING TODAY WITH THE LIKUD AND BLUE AND WHITE PARTY TEAMS TALKING TO EACH OTHER, BUT NO SIGNS YET OF A BREAKTHROUGH.     ISRAEL'S PRESIDENT REUVEN RIVLIN HAS OPENED UP A THREE WEEK PERIOD WHERE ANY MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT WITH 61 MEMBERS IN SUPPORT CAN FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT.

THAT SCENARIO APPEARS UNLIKELY SO THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS OF ISRAEL MAYBE GOING TO ITS FOURTH ELECTION IN LESS THAN 18 MONTHS.....YNET NEWS ISRAEL STORY

A 36-year old man accused by federal authorities of plotting to attack a Jewish nursing home in Massachusetts with a five gallon container of gasoline.....ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS STORY

This week's legislative election in South Korea resulted in a landslide win for the Democratic Party of President Moon Jae-in......NEWSMAX STORY

Coronavirus in the USA and another protest slated in a key battleground state for President Trump in the 2020 election with a Democrat governor.    Pennsylvania's capital city Harrisburg will be the site of a protest Monday against the restrictive measures imposed by Democrat Governor Tom Wolf.   Yesterday a protest was held in Lansing, Michigan against Democrat Governor Gretchen Whitmer's house arrest policies.

But no such protests have materialized against Republican governors who imposed similar house arrest economy crushing policies like Ohio's Mike DeWine or Florida's Ron DeSantis.

One notable exception to that is Idaho where local residents including libertarian activist Ammon Bundy have opposed and defied the restrictive measures of Republican Governor Brad Little by holding an Easter service and potluck dinner in Emmett, Idaho last Sunday.

That defiance of the Republican governor's authoritarian measures will continue tomorrow with a "mothers protest" at Idaho's State Capitol in Boise in the afternoon......MOTHERS PROTEST IN IDAHO FRIDAY 4/17/2020-BRAD LITTLE IS A DISGRACE

US DEFENSE SECRETARY MARK ESPER SAYS THAT CHINA HAS BEEN MISLEADING THE WORLD ON THE ORIGINS OF THE CORONAVIRUS.   REGARDING THE NOTION THAT COVID-19 CAME FROM S CHINESE LABORATORY, ESPER SAID "THE RESULTS ARE INCONCLUSIVE".....ANADOLU TURKISH NEWS AGENCY REPORT

PRESIDENT TRUMP ROLLING OUT HIS VISION OF "OPENING UP AMERICA" AS EARLY AS MAY 1ST.    THE VISION CONSISTS OF WHITE HOUSE GUIDELINES THAT ARE NOT MANDATORY ORDERS TO THE STATES.     THE FINAL DECISION MAKING ON REOPENINGS IS UP TO THE GOVERNORS OF THE STATES.......NEW YORK POST STORY

Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro firing the country's health minister today over handling of Covid-19.   The left-wing opposition in Brazil controlling the major cities and the judiciary resisting Bolsonaro's opposition to strict control measures.   BBC News offers its interpretation of the story.....LINK

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expanding a state of emergency to deal with the coronavirus to additional parts of the country......BERNAMA NEWS MALAYSIA

The British government announcing a three week extension of nationwide house arrest in the name of containing Covid-19.

A loosening of the strict regime in certain Israeli communities considered hot spots for the coronavirus but house arrest measures will remain in effect until next week.....YNET NEWS ISRAEL STORY........After a long meeting a decision tonight that will see a gradual easing of restrictions in Israel next week to restart the country's economy with those over the age of 65 to remain in quarantine....YNET NEWS ISRAEL STORY

The coronavirus story reported today by BBC News on its blog......BBC NEWS CORONAVIRUS BLOG WORLDWIDE 4/16/2020

In other news today.....

The former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who revealed how the US spies on foreign leaders including allied nations,  seeking to stay in Russia for another three years.

After he fled to Russia Snowden received his first three year residency permit to stay there in August of 2014 and it was again extended in 2017.      The US wants to try Snowden for violating the Espionage Act.....TASS NEWS STORY......RECENTLY SNOWDEN WARNED THAT GOVERNMENTS ARE USING CORONAVIRUS TO BUILD 'THE ARCHITECTURE OF OPPRESSION'.....VICE STORY

A Saudi princess appealing for release from prison.    Princess Basma bint Saud said to be imprisoned at the al-Hair prison and in deteriorating health.   Princess Basma is the daughter of a former king reported to have been detained on suspicion of trying to leave Saudi Arabia....BBC NEWS STORY

That's the way it really is Thursday April 16th, 2020.