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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 40,000ft and was the size of a small car, the White House said.

It posed a “reasonable threat” to the safety of civilian flights, said John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesman.

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It was unclear where the object came from.

“We don’t know who owns this object,” said Mr Kirby.

US officials said: “Out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of the Pentagon, President Biden ordered the military to down the object over water.”

An F-22 aircraft took down the object using a Sidewinder missile over territorial waters – now frozen.

There was no indication the object was manned, nor did the Pentagon know what speed it was travelling at.

The incident happened just days after the US downed a Chinese balloon believed to be a spy aircraft.

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How US shot down China’s ‘spy balloon’

China maintained the balloon was an airship for scientific research that had accidentally flown over the US.

That balloon was shot down by fighter jets off the coast of South Carolina – with the US military starting to collect the debris shortly thereafter.

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Photos of the operation to collect the Chinese balloon’s debris were released by the US navy

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Moment ‘spy balloon’ is shot down

The incident sparked a diplomatic row between China and the US, with secretary of state Antony Blinken postponing a visit to China that had been due to start just a few days later.

Why are US officials unable or unwilling to tell us more?

There were two news conferences today – from the White House and from the Pentagon. Yet officials were unable to give many details or answer the central question: what was it?

“We’re calling this an object, because that’s the best description we have right now,” an official from the National Security Council said from the White House podium. Over at the Pentagon they could offer little more.

They think it was unmanned – that was the assessment of the two fighter jet pilots. It was at 40,000 feet – so at least 20,000 feet lower than the Chinese balloon shot down six days ago. But what was it?

Was it another balloon carrying a payload? Was it some other type of flying object? A drone?

They had good enough sight of it, overnight and again today, to determine its approximate size (they likened it to a small car) and to determine that it was “likely not manned”. So surely they have a good idea of what type of flying object it was? Why are they unable or unwilling to tell us more?

Are they drawing any links with China? Again, they wouldn’t say, but did confirm that there had been no attempt to contact the Chinese either before or after this shootdown.

When the balloon was shot down on Saturday, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin attempted to call his Chinese counterpart.

The “spy” balloon was believed to have flown over the Aleutian Islands, off the coast of Alaska, and through Canada before entering the US.

Officials said they were “confident” the balloon was “seeking to monitor sensitive sites” and they sought “to recover it”.

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Military and defence leaders had considered shooting the balloon out of the sky but decided against it due to the safety risk from falling debris.

The balloon was flying between 60,000ft and 65,000ft before it was shot down, spreading debris across seven miles, according to US officials.

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Day 34: Why Trump really flipped the script on Ukraine

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11 hours ago

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February 23, 2025

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Day 34: Why Trump really flipped the script on Ukraine

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As President Trump claims he is “close” to signing a mining deal with Ukraine, and his secretary of state Marco Rubio talks about a lack of “gratitude” from President Zelenskyy for US military assistance, our US correspondents Mark Stone, Martha Kelner and James Matthews discuss if this is the real reason Trump’s administration appears to have turned its back on Ukraine.

And, why Canada is taking its feud with Donald Trump on to the ice.

You can email James, Mark and Martha on trump100@sky.uk

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Trump fires top US military officers – including America’s most senior commander

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11 hours ago

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February 23, 2025

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Trump fires top US military officers - including America's most senior commander

Donald Trump has purged top military figures in the Pentagon, including firing America’s most senior commander.

He also pushed out five other admirals and generals in an unprecedented shake-up of US military leadership.

The Pentagon had been bracing for mass firings of civilian staff as well as a dramatic overhaul of its budget and a shift in military deployments.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown – America’s highest-ranking general and only the second black general to serve as chairman – was fired with immediate effect.

The president will also replace the head of the US Navy, a position held by Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead a military service, and the Air Force vice chief of staff, the Pentagon said.

He is also removing the judge advocates general for the Army, Navy and Air Force, critical positions that ensure enforcement of military justice.

The campaign to rid the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks has been condemned by Democrats.

There is nothing apolitical about Trump

By David Blevins, Sky News correspondent

The purge of America’s top military officials, carried out by President Trump and his Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, is unprecedented, writes Sky News correspondent David Blevins, in Washington.

Their dismissal late on Friday sent shockwaves through the defence establishment and raised concerns about the direction of military leadership.

General Charles Q Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was abruptly removed two years into his four-year term.

America’s most senior military officer comes into office two years into a presidential term, meaning they serve under two presidents.

The role is intended to be apolitical but there is no such thing as non-partisan politics in the Trump playbook.

Brown’s tenure had been marked by a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, putting him at odds with the administration.

Prior to his appointment as defence secretary, Hegseth questioned Brown’s promotion, hinting that it had been influenced by race.

In his book, The War on Warriors, Hegseth wrote: “The military standards, once the hallmark for competency, professionalism, and ‘mission first’ outcomes, have officially been subsumed by woke priorities.”

Supporters of the administration argue the changes are necessary to refocus military priorities in line with the president’s objectives.

But critics contend that such a sweeping overhaul of leadership undermines the apolitical nature of the military and unsettles the rank and file.

Rhode Island’s senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: “Firing uniformed officers as a type of political loyalty test… erodes the trust and professionalism that our servicemembers require to achieve their missions.”

Representative Seth Moulton, a Massachusetts Democrat, said the firings were “un-American, unpatriotic, and dangerous for our troops and our national security.”

“This is the definition of politicising our military,” he said.

Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said: “Firing uniformed leaders as a type of political loyalty test, or for reasons relating to diversity and gender that have nothing to do with performance, erodes the trust and professionalism that our servicemembers require to achieve their missions.”

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During the election, Mr Trump spoke of firing “woke” generals and those he saw as responsible for the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Defence secretary and former Fox News personality Pete Hegseth has questioned whether General Brown would have got the job if he were not black.

There is no indication his appointment was not based on merit.

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On Friday, Mr Trump said: “I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

“He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family.”

It’s unclear who Mr Trump will choose to replace the judge advocates. Mr Hegseth previously criticised military lawyers, saying most “spend more time prosecuting our troops than putting away bad guys”.

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Dozens turn out in support of Luigi Mangione over killing of US healthcare boss Brian Thompson

Published

11 hours ago

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February 23, 2025

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Dozens turn out in support of Luigi Mangione over killing of US healthcare boss Brian Thompson

Dozens of supporters were outside court as the man accused of fatally shooting the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare made his first appearance.

Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of murder following the 4 December killing of Brian Thompson, 50, outside a midtown Manhattan hotel.

The 26-year-old is accused of ambushing and shooting the executive as he walked to an investor conference.

Luigi Mangione supporters stand outside the Supreme Court. Pic: AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah
Image:
Luigi Mangione supporters stand outside the Supreme Court. Pic: AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah

Dozens of people who showed up in court to support the suspect including former army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning who was jailed for stealing classified diplomatic cables.

Dozens more queued in the hallway.

More on Luigi Mangione

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Mangione is also facing federal charges that could carry the possibility of the death penalty.

The judge set a deadline of 9 April to submit pre-trial motions.

Luigi Mangione is accused of fatally shooting Brian Thompson. Pic: Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP
Image:
Luigi Mangione is accused of fatally shooting Brian Thompson. Pic: Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP

In addition to the New York cases, Mr Mangione also faces charges of forgery, carrying firearms without a licence, and other counts in Pennsylvania, where authorities arrested him at a McDonald’s.

Police say he was in possession of a gun, bullets, multiple fake IDs and a handwritten document that expressed “ill will” towards corporate America.

He is being held in a Brooklyn jail alongside several other high-profile defendants, including music mogul and rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, and disgraced crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried.

The killing prompted some to voice their resentment at US health insurers, with Mangione attracting a cult following.

A poll taken in the wake of the shooting showed most Americans believe health insurance profits and coverage denials were partly to blame for the incident.

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