The US Space Force announced in a press release that its space surveillance radar site, known as the 'Space Fence', is now operational after five years of construction.

The surveillance radar, capable of tracking tiny objects in low Earth orbit, took five years to complete and was said to cost $1.5 billion.
The US Space Force announced in a press release that its space surveillance radar site, known as the 'Space Fence', is now operational after five years of construction.
The ground-based radar, located on Kwajalein Island in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, will be used for tracking small objects in low Earth orbit and provide search capability for objects at higher orbits. All data it gathers will be delivered to the military's Space Surveillance Network, currently said to be tracking over 25,000 objects.
“Space Fence is revolutionizing the way we view space by providing timely, precise orbital data on objects that threaten both manned and unmanned military and commercial space assets,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond said.
The Pentagon claims that its so-called Space Fence provides precise positional data for what it refers to as 'Space Domain Awareness' to maintain an accurate and up-to-date catalog of space objects, ensure orbital safety and provide early warnings for conjunction events and indications of potential threats, the US Space Force noted in their press release.
On 26 March, the US Space Force launched an Atlas V rocket, its first stage powered by a Russian-made RD-180 engine.
The Space Force remains a part of the Air Force, but it is set to become the sixth branch of the US armed forces alongside the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard.

The first US service member stationed inside the Pentagon was tested positive for COVID-19 on 26/3/2020

In a Wednesday release , the Department of Defense (DoD) explained that the “Marine is in isolation at his home and will undergo further assessment by health professionals. His last day in the Pentagon was March 13.”
The release also notes that the Marine followed both US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and DoD directives and isolated himself when an immediate family member started showing symptoms of the novel coronavirus.
“His workspace has been cleaned by a Pentagon response team, and a thorough contact investigation is underway to mitigate risk and preserve the health of the workforce at the Pentagon,” the statement adds.
The Pentagon on Wednesday also raised the military's health protection level on all DoD installations globally to the second-highest setting, known as “Charlie,” as the number of COVID-19-positive service members continues to increase.
Under the Charlie designation, large-scale meetings at some DoD installations will be canceled, people's temperatures will need to be taken before they are allowed into military buildings, and some entrances to buildings will be restricted, Pentagon spokesperson Alyssa Farah told reporters Wednesday.
According to Military.com , there are at least 227 coronavirus cases among US forces and a total of 435 cases within the DoD. On Sunday, the first COVID-19 death within the DoD was announced. The patient was a department contractor based in Crystal City, Virginia.

The Philippine Department of Health said that 343 new cases have been recorded in the country in the past 24 hours, taking the tally to 1,418. The death toll stands at 71.
An aircraft destined for Tokyo, Japan with eight passengers and crew members on board has crashed near Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila, Philippines, Manila's main airport said. The flight was reportedly chartered by the Philippine government to evacuate a patient to Tokyo.
The Manila International Airport Authority has confirmed the accident, which it said took place at the end of the airport's Runway 24.
The plane was carrying three medical personnel, three crew members, a patient and a companion, Senator and Head of the Philippine Red Cross Richard Gordon said on Twitter.
The plane caught fire and exploded as it was taking off the NAIA runway 24.
— Richard J. Gordon (@DickGordonDG) March 29, 2020
Social media users have shared photos and videos of the plane. Fire crews were promptly dispatched to douse the plane with foam.
Shocks! Just in Airplane crash at NAIA Rwy 24 Lion Air aircraft registration RPC-5880 carrying Med supplies pic.twitter.com/Vkkv087Qx8
— s h é r ✈️ (@pursherrr) March 29, 2020
Plane burns in NAIA @gmanews (video from source) pic.twitter.com/YLh6sYWj7W
— Joseph Morong 🇵🇭 (@Joseph_Morong)
March 29, 2020
CTTO pic.twitter.com/eVD3wZB0yn
— ahitpogi 🔪 (@after_shave) March 29, 2020
Globally, more than 684,000 people have contracted the COVID-19 disease since the outbreak began in China in late December. Over 32,000 have died of virus-related complications.

New-York city in danger as covid19 death toll hikens today

As of today, the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Centre has registered more than 121,100 coronavirus cases in the United States, with the death toll from COVID-19 surpassing 2,000 people.
At the New York City’s Elmhurst Hospital on this Sunday as the number of coronavirus cases in the country has reached new heights: New York City alone has recorded 517 deaths from COVID-19, while over 100 fatalities have been reported elsewhere in New York state.
The United States is now the country with the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases. Italy and China are second and third, respectively.

The husband to Israelites prime minister's adviser has tested positive to covid19! Could Netanyahu be sick too?

Israel has so far reported 3,865 coronavirus cases in the country, as well as 425 fatalities from the virus.
The husband of adviser to the Israeli prime minister, Rivka Paluch, has tested positive for the COVID-19 infection as it continues to spread across the country, according to the media outlet Walla. Paluch, who not long ago met the ministers in Netanyahu's cabinet, was also tested in light of the news, but her results will only be available later in the day.
It so far remains unclear if Paluch also came into contact with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently.
Some 3,865 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Israel. Sixty-six of them remain in serious condition, according to the country's Health Ministry with 54 requiring a ventilator to breathe. Some 82 more individuals are in moderate condition, while the remainder only developed mild symptoms of the disease. There has been a total of 425 fatalities from COVID-19 in Israel since the pandemic broke out.
The Israeli government took steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, restricting citizens movements to buying food and medicine since 25 March and ordering them to stay home otherwise. A violation of these quarantine measures is punishable by a $140 fine or even imprisonment as the virus poses a grave danger to the elderly and those with chronic conditions. At least 13 people aged over 70 have died from COVID-19 in the country.

Russia finally has made an anti covid19 drug

Earlier in the day, Russia’s operational headquarters for preventing the spread of COVID-19 reported that the number of patients infected with the coronavirus in Russia has increased by 228 people over the past 24 hours, and that one more person has died.

The Russian Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA) said in a statement that it has presented a drug to treat the coronavirus, which has affected almost every corner of the globe.

Russia's FMBA is working "on an effective and safe scheme to prevent the coronavirus infection on the basis of mefloquine, which will not only overcome the peak of incidence but also effectively control it in the future", their press service said.

As of 28 March, Russia has registered 1,264 COVID-19 cases in 62 regions.

Putin Says Russia May Defeat Coronavirus in Less Than Three Months

On 26 March, Russian President Vladimir Putin shared his views on what Russia needs to do to contain the virus.

"My colleague expects we will defeat the coronavirus in two or three months. This is a fine forecast, since in many countries people say the war will be going on for a very long period of time ... We will certainly get over this situation, and I hope even earlier than you have said [two or three months]”, Putin said at a meeting with Russian business persons on 26 March.

Russia has joined nations around the globe to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. The measures include travel restrictions, quarantine for infected individuals and people over the age of 65, a week-long paid holiday for non-essential workers that starts from 28 March, funding to encourage businesses to convert their resources to the production of medical equipment, and other steps.

Russian Scientists Successfully Sequence Full Genome of Coronavirus

A week ago, the Russian Health Ministry's press service said that Russian scientists had succeeded in sequencing the full genime of covid19 that will help develop a vaccine and the necessary drugs.

According to the ministry, the sequenced COVID-19 genome will help develop vaccines and antiviral drugs to treat the infection.

"This coronavirus is new for us; therefore it is critically important to be able to determine the path of its spread and entry into the territory of our country, its change. This information will help develop vaccines and antiviral drugs to treat the coronavirus", Dmitry Lionozov, the acting director of the Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza said as quoted by the press service.

The World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a pandemic on 11 March. More than 600,000 cases were confirmed worldwide by Saturday and more than 27,000 people have died from complications caused by the coronavirus disease, according to Johns Hopkins University.

USA hassling to get a name to her newly formed space army

The fledgling military branch promised that it would continue to operate despite the coronavirus raging in the country and the US military reportedly diverting resources to help authorities combat the outbreak.

The US Space Force (USSF) is continuing to work on a name for its troops and will reveal one soon, after going through a number of suggestions coming from people who have already been assigned to the novel military branch, USSF chief General John Raymond announced.

"The naming of our space professionals, we did a crowdsourcing ... with over 700 responses to that, and we're narrowing down that list, and I think you'll be hearing an announcement on that in the very near future", he said.

The new force in its uniforms, insignia, and logo in a timely manner, the general added.

"We will not delay those announcements […] we will continue to make those announcements when they're ready", the Space Force head said.

The announcement comes as the Space Force had to cancel the Space Flag 20-2 military exercise planned for April due to the Corona virus outbreak in the country, where at least 85,356 cases have been reported - three of which are members of the newly formed American military branch.

The COVID-19 virus has claimed the lives of 1,246 people in the US so far and 28,717 globally. China was long the country with the greatest number of reported cases, but recently moved to third place, with Italy and the US taking the second and first places respectively.

© AFP 2020 / TIMOTHY A. CLARY

Pentagon Activates Special Protocols to Fight COVID-19, Can Hide Info About Infected Troops - Report

The US has ordered the National Guard to help civil authorities fight the infection, with the Pentagon reportedly initiating two contingency plans to do the same. Some 1,100 servicemen have reportedly been directed to help authorities in the states of New York and Washington.