Downed Chinese ‘spy’ balloon targeted Hawaii but was blown off course, US official says
A Chinese “spy” balloon that was shot down over the US was likely heading to Guam and then Hawaii, a US official has said.
What the US has described as a suspected Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the South Carolina coast on 4 February.
Two other objects have also been shot down, on 11 February and 12 February.
But after recovering the wreckage of the balloon downed on 4 February, a US official says it’s believed it was heading to Hawaii and Guam, in the Pacific Ocean, before it was blown off course.
Read more:
What are spy balloons?
Timeline – where UFOs have been downed so far
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin refused to answer a question about the balloon’s intended destination when asked during a briefing on Thursday, instead repeating the line that the US should not “overreact”.
Since the balloon was shot down, the US says it has retrieved “key sensors” from the object, as well as a large amount of debris.
The US had been tracking the balloon since it lifted off from Hainan Island in southern China in late January, the New York Times reported.
No debris has yet been recovered from the other objects which have been shot down.
One of the UFOs fell off the coast of Alaska in ice and snow.
Another was shot down over the Yukon territory in Canada.
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How balloon and UFOs have troubled US leaders
Later on Thursday, President Joe Biden will deliver a speech about the objects, according to NBC News.
Mr Biden is expected to explain how he has tasked his administration with setting parameters about how to deal with aerial balloons and other objects spotted in US airspace in the future.
Japan has also threatened to take action against unmanned vehicles in its airspace, saying it plans to allow its military to shoot them down, and warning China that flying surveillance balloons overhead is “unacceptable”.
While in Taiwan – which China claims as its own – the remains of a weather balloon have been found.
Taiwan’s military said on Thursday it had found the remains of a suspected Chinese weather balloon crashed on a remote and strategically located island near the Chinese coast.
In a statement, the Taiwanese army said: “The preliminary investigation determined that the remains were of a meteorological detecting instrument, which have been collected by the relevant departments for further evaluation.”
Donald Trump has waded into the debate surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s jeans ad.
The American Eagle ad, which features the 27-year-old actress, who starred in the HBO series Euphoria and White Lotus, has the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”.
It has sparked a debate in the US over race and Western beauty standards.
One of the Sydney Sweeney jeans ads. Pic: AP
In a Truth Social post, the US president described it as the “hottest ad out there”.
Hailing Sweeney as a “registered Republican”, he said the jeans are “flying off the shelves”, adding: “Go get ’em Sydney!”
Most of the criticism of the ad has centred on videos using the word “genes” instead of “jeans”, with one in which Sweeney says: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”
Critics argued the play on words potentially promotes eugenics, a discredited theory that believed humanity could be improved through the selective breeding of certain traits.
But others have defended the ad, saying the critics are reading too much into its message.
The video appeared on American Eagle’s Facebook page and other social media channels, but is not part of the ad campaign.
In a statement on Instagram on Friday, American Eagle Outfitters said the campaign “is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Stocks in American Eagle Outfitters jumped by 23.3% after Mr Trump’s intervention.
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In his Truth Social post, which he reposted three times to fix various typos, Mr Trump compared the ad with “woke” ones “on the other side of the ledger” – as he criticised other companies, as well as hitting out at Taylor Swift.
“The tide has seriously turned – Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be,” he wrote.
Sky News has contacted Sweeney’s agent for comment.
Police in Tennessee have discovered 14 improvised explosive devices in a man’s home as they were arresting him, the local sheriff’s office said.
Officers were executing a warrant in the home of Kevin Wade O’Neal in Old Fort, about 45 miles (70km) east of Chattanooga, after he had threatened to kill public officials and law enforcement personnel in Polk County.
After arresting the 54-year-old, officers noticed “something smouldering” in the bedroom where he was found.
Kevin Wade O’Neal. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
On closer inspection, they discovered an improvised explosive device and evacuated the house until bomb squad officers arrived at the scene.
Fourteen devices were found inside the property – none of which detonated.
Improvised explosive devices were found in Kevin Wade O’Neal’s home. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Kevin Wade O’Neal’s home in Old Fort, Tennessee. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
O’Neal was charged with 11 counts of attempted first-degree murder, corresponding to nine officers and two other people inside the property when the suspect tried to detonate the devices.
He also faces 14 counts of prohibited weapons and one count of possession of explosive components.
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O’Neal is being held at the Polk County jail and his bond is yet to be determined.
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