NEWS SUMMARY-INTELLIGENCE REPORT FRIDAY 5/15/2020 NEWSDUMP FRIDAY

(SERVICE WHEN ABLE THROUGH LATE FRIDAY INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING EASTERN US TIME)

BIG BEN MIDNIGHT CHIMES VIDEO

Economic conflict between the United States and China and Russia on full display today but first......

PROTESTERS IN MARYLAND'S CAPITAL OF ANNAPOLIS TODAY URGING A FULL REOPENING OF THE STATE.   THE OPEN MARYLAND PROTEST TAKING A STAND FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS AND URGING REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN TO BACK AWAY FROM HIS GO SLOW APPROACH TO ENDING HOUSE ARREST FOR MARYLAND RESIDENTS.....WBAL-TV VIDEO REPORT

PROTESTERS AT PENNSYLVANIA'S CAPITOL BUILDING IN HARRISBURG TODAY PUSHING FOR A REOPENING OF THE STATE IN THE FACE OF A LIMITED GO SLOW ENDING OF HOUSE ARREST BY DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR TOM WOLF.......VIDEO LINK

German authorities afraid as mass protests are set in major cities like Berlin, Munich and Stuttgart Saturday in opposition to the government's coronavirus policy.     Mainstream media and government officials pointing fingers at Russia and the anti-mass immigration Alternative for Germany Party dubbed as "far-right"......AFP NEWS STORY

The British police handing out some 14-thousand fines in connection with the the house arrest stay at home order in the United Kingdom.......BBC NEWS STORY

The United States imposing tighter chip controls on the Chinese tech firm Huawei in a move that was reported under consideration earlier this year.

This latest move a further tightening of the screws on Huawei seen as a competitive threat economically.     Like Russia's energy industry,  the Chinese tech industry has been classified as a "national security" threat in recent years.

China threatening to retaliate for the move.......BBC NEWS

Its also been announced that Taiwan Semiconductor will be opening a factory in the United States in Arizona.  Taiwan is an independent nation that China considers to be a province.....CNBC NEWS STORY

A German regulatory agency giving a ruling favorable to the United States by refusing to allow the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project bringing Russian natural gas to Europe freedom to operate outside European Union regulations.     The ruling will limit the amount of natural gas that can be moved from Russia to Germany through the pipeline.....TASS NEWS REPORT

(COMMENT)

It was no coincidence that a story appeared in German media this week about Russian spying on Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel.     Its been already revealed that US intelligence has done the same thing.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced today that the first shipment of US oil is on its way to a nation that is next to Russia.    Pompeo had offered US oil sales to Belarus when he met its authoritarian ruler Viktor Lukashenko earlier this year.     The first oil shipment expected to reach a Lithuanian port early next month......TASS NEWS STORY......SECOND TASS STORY

The United States is considering action in response to Iran's shipment of fuel (refined oil) to Venezuela.   Reuters quoting a senior US official saying that Iran's action:

"is not only unwelcome by the United States, but it's unwelcome by the region, and we're looking at measures that can be taken"

The US believes that Venezuela shipped gold to Iran in exchange for the fuel and the official who spoke to Reuters said that President Trump will be presented with a list of options on how to respond.     An Iranian tanker carrying fuel recently passed through the Suez Canal....REUTERS STORY PUBLISHED BY THE NATIONAL-UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

THE UNITED STATES STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESWOMAN MORGAN ORTAGUS SAYS ANY ISRAELI PLANS FOR ANNEXATION OF THE "WEST BANK"  TERRITORIES SHOULD BE IN THE CONTEXT OF A PEACE PROCESS WITH THE PALESTINIANS UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP'S "DEAL OF THE CENTURY"  PLAN.

SHE MADE HER COMMENTS IN A CONFERENCE CALL WITH ISRAELI REPORTERS.....JERUSALEM POST NEWS STORY

PROMISES MADE BY PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU AND BLUE AND WHITE PARTY LEADER BENNY GANTZ IN THE LAST ELECTION LED ISRAELI VOTERS TO BELIEVE THAT UNILATERAL ACTION ON ANNEXATION WAS IMMINENT OR COMING IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.

SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO FIRING THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S INSPECTOR GENERAL.     STEVE LINICK HAD SERVED IN THE POST SINCE HIS APPOINTMENT BY THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IN 2013......AP STORY PUBLISHED BY GLOBAL NEWS CANADA

The US government believes that Islamic State was responsible for the attack on a maternity ward earlier this week in Kabul, Afghanistan that killed at least 24 people including mothers and newborn babies.    IS also believed to have attacked a funeral in another part of Afghanistan earlier this week.....DEUTSCHE WELLE NEWS STORY

The Texas Supreme Court blocking a lower court order today allowing mail-in ballots for voters worried about the coronavirus.     The justices acting at the request of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton......ASSOCIATED PRESS STORY

TWO NFL PLAYERS WANTED FOR ARMED ROBBERY IN FLORIDA.    DEANDRE BAKER OF THE NEW YORK GIANTS AND QUINTON DUNBAR OF THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS ARE ACCUSED OF ROBBING PARTY GOERS WEDNESDAY NIGHT.     THEY TOLD POLICE THAT BAKER AND DUNBAR TOOK THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN CASH FROM THEM PLUS JEWELRY.......CNN STORY

MEANWHILE THE NFL ANNOUNCING THAT ITS FACILITIES WILL REOPEN NEXT TUESDAY.....

ICONIC RETAILER JC PENNEY ANNOUNCING ITS BANKRUPTCY AFTER 118 YEARS IN BUSINESS.   THE CORONAVIRUS SHUTDOWN OF BUSINESS FORCING THE COMPANY TO RE-EVALUATE ITS POSITION....CNBC STORY

The Director-General of the World Trade Organization stepping down in three months, one year before the expiration of his term.

Brazilian Roberto Azevedo describes his decision as "personal" one,  "a family decision".    He says it isn't health related and that he does not intend to pursue a political career......UPI NEWS STORY

IN BRAZIL THE HEALTH MINISTER CALLING IT QUITS.    NELSON TECH STEPPING DOWN FRIDAY AFTER ONLY SERVING IN THE POST FOR WEEKS.   PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO OPPOSED HIS POLICY OF GOING SLOW ON REOPENING THE NATION'S ECONOMY.    AN ARMY GENERAL ON ACTIVE DUTY WHO SERVES AS DEPUTY HEALTH MINISTER MAY REPLACE HIM.....THE NATIONAL UNITED ARAB EMIRATES STORY

Four Kurdish mayors in southeastern Turkey arrested in a  terrorism investigation.     The Erdogan government accuses the opposition Kurdish People's Democratic Party of being involved in terrorism....AHVAL TURKISH OPPOSITION NEWSPAPER

Fighting in Syria today between Turkish backed jihadists and Kurdish forces in northern Aleppo.   The pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights describes a confrontation that began when the Kurds tried to infiltrate the positions of the Turkish backed militants......SOUTHFRONT STORY

(MORE SYRIAN NEWS AT THE END OF THIS SUMMARY)

Five US sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier have tested positive for Covid-19 for a second time and have been taken off the ship along with other sailors they were close to.    18 removed from the ship in total......USNI NEWS

ITS CURRENTLY OPPOSED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP BUT TONIGHT THE DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED HOUSE NARROWLY PASSED 208-199 A THREE TRILLION DOLLAR CORONAVIRUS SPENDING BILL.    THE 18-HUNDRED PAGE PIECE OF LEGISLATION CALLED 'THE HEROES ACT'......TELEGRAPH UK NEWS STORY

The coronavirus story around the world as interpreted by BBC News on its daily blog.......BBC NEWS CORONAVIRUS BLOG 5/15/2020

In other news........

Germany criminalizing the public burning of the European Union flag and the flags of foreign countries, defining it as a "hate crime".    Its punishable by up to three years in jail.

The junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel's government, the Social Democratic Party, pushed the new law through.

SPD Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht says flag burning hurts people's feelings and that "burning flags publicly has nothing to do with peaceful protests".   Her political party started to push a foreign flag burning law after the Israeli flag as burned in 2017.

The Alternative for Germany Party calls the new law "excessive interference in free speech and artistic expression"....BBC NEWS STORY

An investigation in Hong Kong clearing police of any wrongdoing in their treatment of pro-democracy protesters during demonstrations last year......DEUTSCHE WELLE STORY

And talks between Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Vershinin and US Syria Representative James Jeffrey.     Russia's Foreign Ministry said the two talked yesterday about the present situation on the ground and issues related to a political settlement in the country.....TASS NEWS STORY.....Also the International Conflict Group (ICG) is calling for inclusion of Al Qaeda in Syria in the Russian-Turkish cease-fire agreement.     The group saying that the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham is too entrenched in northwestern Syria to be removed militarily because that would cause a humanitarian disaster......VOICE OF AMERICA NEWS STORY

And that's the way it really is Friday May 15th, 2020.....