Eyewitnesses on the ground in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, captured a moment which will jolt American-Chinese relations. Four hundred miles to the north at the Pentagon in Virginia, military commanders monitored a complex operation.
From the amateur images snapped on the beach, the impact of the missile was clear. 11 miles above, the hit was spot on.
The balloon, a dot in the sky which had caused days of intrigue, amusement but diplomatic drama too, deflated in seconds.
The payload below it fell away fast, falling more than 60,000ft into the Atlantic below. In Beijing, it was approaching 4am.
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Officials there would have known immediately that their “weather balloon” had been downed. There is no question that they had been watching, if not controlling, its every move.
But it was several hours before their Foreign Ministry had composed the predictably angry statement of “strong dissatisfaction and protest against the US’s use of force to attack a civilian unmanned aircraft”.
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As the sun rose over Beijing, it was disappearing on America’s eastern seaboard. But six miles off South Carolina’s shore, a flotilla of boats and ships was already beginning to arrive.
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Moment ‘spy balloon’ is shot down
Over an area spanning about seven miles, vessels and specialists from the US Coast Guard, the US Navy and the FBI had begun to collect debris.
In the days ahead, divers and unmanned submarines will comb the sea floor, conveniently shallow at just over 40ft. The weather over the next few days is good but this will still be a tricky operation.
It will be at least a day or two before a specialist recovery ship can be in place to lift larger bits of wreckage from the water.
The aim will be to harvest a potential goldmine of information and data from the debris. It’s likely that investigators will attempt to reconstruct the balloon’s payload and learn from it.
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‘They successfully took it down’
Among the things they will be interested to discover: was there any US technology inside the Chinese equipment? US officials have long suspected China of commercial and technology theft.
But beyond the spectacle on the beaches of the Carolinas, and beyond the cable news channels “balloon watch” gimmicks, make no mistake, this is an extremely serious moment.
There is no more important geo-political relationship than that between China and America.
It is a relationship that impacts us all and it was in a bad way before the curious white speck appeared in the skies over Montana.
A trove of newly released Epstein files include emails that appear to involve Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, while another suggests Donald Trump travelled on the billionaire’s private jet “many more times than previously has been reported”.
The US Department of Justice released at least 11,000 more files on Tuesday.
It went on to claim that some of them “contain untrue and sensationalist claims” about President Trump.
Here are some of the latest news lines from this release of Epstein files. Being named in these papers does not suggest wrongdoing.
Who is ‘The Invisible Man’?
Among the documents released is an email sent to Ghislaine Maxwell that speaks about “the girls” being “completely shattered” at a Royal Family summer camp at Balmoral.
It is dated 16 August 2001 and sent by a person referred to only as “The Invisible Man”, but whom Sky News is reporting appears to be the former prince, Andrew.
We have come to that conclusion from reviewing the email address used, which is assigned to the Duke of York in Epstein’s contacts book and the chain of correspondence.
Andrew pictured laying on women
In the correspondence, “The Invisible Man” asks Maxwell: “How’s LA? Have you found me some new inappropriate friends?”
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has previously denied any allegations against him.
Watch: What’s in the largest batch of Epstein files?
The Peru trip
Another email appears to show Maxwell arranging “two-legged sight seeing” for “The Invisible Man” during a trip to Peru.
She appears to forward to “The Invisible Man” part of a conversation between herself and another person.
The email says: “I just gave Andrew your telephone no. He is interested in seeing the Nazca lines. He can ride but it is not his favorite sport ie pass on the horses.”
“Some sight seeing some 2 legged sight seeing (read intelligent pretty fun and from good families) and he will be very happy. I know I can rely on you to show him a wonderful time and will only introduce him to friends that you can trust,” Maxwell said.
The context of the email is unclear and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing.
Epstein survivor speaks to Sky News after latest release of files
Trump on Epstein’s jet?
The latest bunch of files also includes an email from an unidentified prosecutor dated 7 January, 2020, in which President Trump is mentioned.
The email accuses him of travelling on Epstein’s private jet “many more times than previously has been reported”.
It adds that President Trump “is listed as a passenger on at least eight flights between 1993 and 1996, including at least four flights on which Maxwell was also present”.
The email’s sender and receiver have been redacted. However, at the bottom of the email it says assistant US attorney, Southern District of New York. The name has also been redacted.
President Trump has denied any wrongdoing in relation to his relationship with Epstein, and being on any of Epstein’s flights does not indicate any wrongdoing.
One of the documents in the release shows a report made to the FBI that was recorded on 27 October 2020.
It includes an unverified claim by a limousine driver that he overheard the US president discussing “abusing some girl” in 1995.
The driver also mentions Trump said “Jeffrey” while on the phone during a journey to Dallas Fort Worth Airport in Texas.
A significant part of the statement, along with the driver’s identity, has been redacted.
The US justice department has said that some of the documents in the latest Epstein files release “contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election”.
“To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already,” it said.
Postcard mentions ‘our president’
Also among the documents is a postcard that claims to have been sent by Jeffrey Epstein, but has been refuted by the justice department.
In it, the sender tells the recipient: “Our president also shares our love of young, nubile girls.”
It’s not clear who “our president” refers to and the context of the postcard is also unclear.
The US justice department initially said it was “looking into the validity” of the postcard but later said on X that the “FBI has confirmed” the postcard is “FAKE”.
It cited reasons including a claim that the writing does not appear to match Epstein’s and another that the letter was postmarked three days after his death.
Row over unreleased documents
It is believed that many files relating to Epstein are yet to be made public.
There has been anger at the justice department’s slow release of the files, with politicians threatening to launch legal action against Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The deadline for the release of all the documents has passed.
“The DOJ needs to quit protecting the rich, powerful, and politically connected,” Republican congressman Thomas Massie said.
Donald Trump has said he “hated” to see photos of Bill Clinton in the newly released Epstein files.
The former US president was in numerous images that were releasedby the US Department of Justice among thousands of documents related to the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
In his first engagement in front of the media since the release of the latest files, Mr Trump was asked about the images of Mr Clinton.
“I think it’s terrible,” Mr Trump said, adding: “I like Bill Clinton… and I hate to see photos come out of him.
“I’ve always gotten along with Bill Clinton. I’ve been nice to him, he’s been nice to me. I hate to see photos come out of him, but this is what the Democrats, mostly Democrats and a couple of bad Republicans, are asking for.
“So they are giving photos of me to. Everybody was friendly with this guy [Epstein], either friendly or not friendly.
“He was all over Palm Beach and other places… and Bill Clinton was a friend of his, but everybody was.”
Image: Photos released of Bill Clinton included one showing him in a pool with Ghislaine Maxwell. Pics: US Department of Justice
He added: “Bill Clinton’s a big boy. He can handle it, but you probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago.”
The US president claimed the release of the files “is a way of trying to deflect from the tremendous success that the Republican Party has”.
Image: A painting of Bill Clinton in a dress was among the images released. Pic: US DoJ
Clinton calls for release of ‘any remaining materials’
In a statement on Monday, Angel Urena, a spokesman for Mr Clinton, called for Mr Trump to “release any remaining materials referring to mentioning or containing a photograph of Bill Clinton”.
The spokesman said the materials released so far “makes it clear someone or something is being protected” but said Mr Clinton doesn’t need such protection.
“Refusal to do so will confirm the widespread suspicion the Department of Justice’s actions to date are not about transparency, but about insinuation – using selective releases to imply wrongdoing about individuals who have already been repeatedly cleared by the very same Department of Justice, over many years under presidents and attorney generals of both parties,” the spokesperson added.
Trump on Venezuela, Epstein and Greenland: Key points
The context around the photos, that were released hours before a legal deadline in the US following the passing of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, is unknown.
The same release only features one picture with Mr Trump’s name in it.
Mr Clinton has denied any wrongdoing in connection to Epstein and says he regrets meeting him.
Backlash over release of files
It comes as other Democrats and Republicans have grown angry over the length of time it is taking the US Department of Justice to release all files in the Epstein case.
Several victims of Epstein told Sky News that the incomplete release left them feeling shocked, outraged and disappointed.
Epstein was ‘a monster’: Survivors speak to Sky News
Republican representative Thomas Massie and Democratic representative Ro Khanna said they are working together on an effort to secure the release of more files, and if necessary would seek contempt of Congress charges against Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also introduced legislation that would instruct Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, to undertake “appropriate” legal steps to gain Congress access to all the documents covered by legislation that was passed by Congress and signed into law by Mr Trump.
It was not clear whether his effort might advance in the Senate when it returns on 5 January.
Donald Trump has announced a plan for the US Navy to build two new “Trump Class” battleships.
Aimed at cementing US naval dominance, the president said the vessels will be “the fastest, the biggest and 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built”.
Constructed in America, made of steel and complete with missiles, guns, lasers and hypersonic weapons, the vessels will be the “centrepiece” of the US Navy’s Golden Fleet initiative, he said.
Starting with two vessels, Mr Trump said the project would eventually expand to include 20 to 25 new ships.
The first will be christened the USS Defiant, with the US leader personally involved in how it looks.
It comes as the US continues to build a large naval military presence near the coast of Venezuela. Since early September, it has struck more than 20 vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, which Mr Trump says is to crack down on drug cartels.
The US Navy has also seized two oil tankers and is believed to be in “active pursuit” of a third, according to officials.
Image: Donald Trump speaking about the Navy’s ‘Golden Fleet’. Pic: Reuters
“There’s never been anything like these ships. These have been under design consideration for a long time,” he said.
“Each one of these will be the largest battleship in the history of our country. The largest battleship in the history of the world.
“We haven’t built a battleship since 1994. These cutting-edge vessels will be some of the most lethal surface warfare ships… other than our submarines.”
Mr Trump made the announcement at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. During the briefing, he stood next to mock-up pictures of the new vessels which had “Trump Class” written in the corner – what a senior administration official said the new class of vessel will be known as.
Image: Images of the new ‘Trump Class’ battleship. Pic: Reuters
In addition to the new battleship class, the project aims to increase the number of other types of war vessels, including a smaller, more nimble frigate class.
The term battleship has historically referred to a large, heavily armoured vessel armed with guns designed to bombard other ships or targets ashore.
This type of ship reached peak prominence during the Second World War. The largest of the US battleships was the Iowa-class.
Image: Pic: Reuters
The Trump administration has been complaining about the slow and expensive state of the current defence industry.
Just a month ago, the Navy scrapped its plans to build a new, small warship, citing growing delays and overrunning costs. It has also failed to build its other newly designed ships, like the new Ford-class aircraft carrier and Columbia-class submarines, on time and on budget.