US

The White House has determined that China has a “high-altitude balloon programme” for intelligence gathering. It comes as tensions are mounting between the US and China after the US shot down a fourth unidentified object over North American airspace. It was downed over Lake Huron in Michigan at 2.42pm local time on Sunday on President

The unidentified objects shot down over Alaska and Canada in recent days do not resemble the Chinese “spy” balloon downed near South Carolina a week ago, the White House has said. A spokesperson for its National Security Council said they were “much smaller” but added: “We will not definitivelycharacterise them until we can recover the

The US has shot down another unidentified object that it says flew near sensitive military sites and could have been used for spying. It was downed over Lake Huron in Michigan at 2.42pm local time on Sunday on President Biden‘s orders. A US F-16 jet fired a missile at about 20,000ft amid concerns that its

A US F-22 stealth fighter jet has shot down an unidentified cylindrical object over Canada – the second incident of its type in as many days. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the latest shootdown had occurred over the mountainous and sparsely-populated territory of Yukon in the northwest. Canada’s Defence Minister Anita Anand would not

Alec Baldwin is attempting to have one of the charges of involuntary manslaughter, which could see him jailed for five years, thrown out by a US court. Lawyers for the actor argued that New Mexico prosecutors had committed an “unconstitutional and elementary legal error” by charging him under a statute that did not exist at

The US has shot down an unknown object flying in its airspace, off the coastline of Alaska – just days after it downed a Chinese “spy” balloon. The object, shot down on the order of President Joe Biden, was flying at a high-altitude of about 40,000 feet and was the size of a small car,

What happens when a minor league hockey team goes awol for a home game? Vermilion County Bobcats failed to show up for a match against Quad City Storm on Sunday, leaving everyone bemused. Fans had travelled to Danville, Illinois for the weekend game, and Quad City took to the rink. The national anthem played as

Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts have been restored after he was banned in the wake of the deadly Capitol riot two years ago. Users of the social media sites can again see the former US president’s pages, with the last post on his Facebook made on 6 January 2021, when he wrote: “I am

American football player Damar Hamlin – who collapsed mid-game after suffering from a cardiac arrest – will play professional football again, an NFL doctor has said. Speaking on American radio station SiriusXM, Dr Thom Mayer, medical director for the NFL Players Association, guaranteed the 24-year-old’s career was far from over. “I guarantee you, I guarantee

Chinese “spy” balloons have been spotted in skies above countries across five continents, according to US officials. The US has also been in touch with its allies on the issue of the balloons, according to the White House. It comes after US fighter jets shot down a suspected Chinese spying device off the coast of

Joe Biden has vowed to work with political rivals in his latest State of the Union address. The US president was speaking before Congress for the first time since Republicans took control of the House of Representatives last month. While he acknowledged that America’s democracy is bruised, Mr Biden stressed it is “unbowed and unbroken”.

Rail crews in Ohio have been burning off toxic chemicals from a freight train that derailed last week, after ordering nearly 2,000 residents to evacuate their homes. The train, operated by Norfolk Southern Railroad and consisting of three locomotives and 150 freight cars, was travelling from Illinois to Pennsylvania when it derailed shortly before 9pm

A suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by the US over the weekend was 60m (200ft) tall – comparable to a 20-storey building. Glen VanHerck, commander of North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), told reporters that the balloon was also carrying a load similar in size to a commercial plane. He added that

A suspected surveillance balloon spotted over Latin America is for “civilian usage” and entered the region’s airspace by accident, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman has said. The balloon has been spotted after US fighter jets shot down an initial suspected Chinese spying device off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman

China has threatened “further actions” in response to America’s “serious overreaction” in the downing of a suspected spy balloon. The white aircraft was shot out of the sky off the South Carolina coast on Saturday after days of intrigue, while diplomatic relations soured further between Washington and Beijing. US President Joe Biden ordered the object

The US has shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon that had been flying over its airspace. Television footage showed a small explosion, followed by the balloon descending toward the water off the Carolina coast. The balloon was shot down with a missile fired by an F-22 fighter aircraft, about six nautical miles off the

Flights have been suspended at several airports in the US as the country prepares to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon. Flights have been paused at three airports including Myrtle Beach International Airport in South Carolina because of a “national security effort”, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. The US has also temporarily blocked

Parts of the US are experiencing a record-breaking wind chill factor that is so cold it’s literally off the National Weather Service’s official charts. The northeast of the country has been struck by a powerful arctic blast, with the temperature at New Hampshire‘s Mount Washington plummeting to a new low of -46F (-43C). But the

China has claimed the flight of an “airship” over the US was an accident and accused politicians and the media of taking advantage of the situation. The US claims the craft is a suspected spy balloon and said it had committed a “clear violation” of US sovereignty. China insisted it is used for meteorological and

The US defence department has said the Chinese spy balloon is heading eastwards but poses “no physical or military threat” to civilians. The Pentagon’s press secretary would not confirm the current location of the balloon, which is operating at around 60,000ft. There is also no evidence of any nuclear or radioactive material on board but