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Russian intelligence services are building up their presence in Mexico for spy operations targeting the United States, a return to Cold War tactics by an increasingly aggressive regime, according to U.S. officials and former intelligence officers. The Mexican Embassy and the Russian Embassy did not respond to a request for comment. “Part of this is a function of the fact that so many Russian intelligence officers have been kicked out of Europe. Those are Russian intelligence personnel, and they keep an eye very closely on their opportunities to have influence on U.S. opportunities and access,” VanHerck said. Russian intelligence could conceivably also take advantage of Mexico’s proximity to target Putin’s political enemies inside the U.S., former intelligence officers said.

Persons: Biden, William Burns, ” Burns, ”, Vincenzo Circosta, “, Paul Kolbe, Glen VanHerck, ” VanHerck, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, Trotsky, —, ideologues, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, Ramon Mercader, John Sipher, ” Sipher, Christopher Boyce, Andrew Daulton Lee, Lee, Boyce, Harold “ Jim ” Nicholson, Hector Cabrera Fuentes, Fuentes, Douglas London, enforcement’s, Natalia Sedova's, Claudio Cruz, ” Kolbe Organizations: U.S, NBC News, Mexican Embassy, Russian Embassy, CIA, “, Kremlin, Getty, . Air Force, U.S . Northern Command, Senate Armed Services Committee, TRW, Soviet Embassy, Bettmann, Museum Locations: Mexico, United States, Russia, Mexico City, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, Mexican, Russian, Europe, London, Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast, Anadolu, Balkans, U.S, “, Cuba, Soviet Union, Spanish, Los Angeles, Soviet, manacles, Seattle, surveilling, Miami, American, AFP, Colombia

☆ Why did Israel blow up hundreds of Hezbollah pagers — and what might happen next?
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-18 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Yuliya-Talmazan-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Yuliya Talmazan | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

A region fearing all-out war may have been taken to the brink by a legion of pagers. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the operation, but Hezbollah laid the blame squarely on its adversary, and two U.S. officials told NBC News that Israel was behind the attack. It follows months of tensions between Hezbollah and Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks and Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip. Israel announced a new war objective late Monday — the safe return of residents displaced from their homes by months of fighting with Hezbollah across the northern border with Lebanon. Israel could benefit on several different levels from such a massive and shocking operation, Horowitz said.

Persons: Israel, Yoav Gallant, ” Michael Horowitz, Horowitz, ”, —, ” Horowitz, Mohanad Hage Ali, Malcolm H, ” Hage Ali said, What’s, “, Masoud Pezeshkian, ” Hage Ali, Ori Gordin, Washington, Ben Rhodes, Barack Obama, ” Rhodes Organizations: Hezbollah, NBC News, NBC, Israeli, U.S, Le Beck, Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, Kremlin, Israel Defense Forces ’ Northern Command, BBC Locations: Lebanon, Beirut, Israel, Russia, Jordan, Gaza, Iran, Israeli, U.S, doesn’t

Tensions were running high on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border on Monday in anticipation of an escalation in hostilities, after Israel’s security cabinet authorized its leaders to decide on the nature and timing of an Israeli military response to a deadly rocket attack from Lebanon last weekend. The Israeli military said overnight that its aerial defense systems successfully intercepted an unmanned aircraft that crossed from Lebanon into northwestern Israel. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on those attacks. Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the rocket attack Saturday that struck a soccer field in Majdal Shams. But the Israeli military said the type of rocket used in the attack is Iranian-made and carries more than 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of explosives.

Persons: Majdal Shams, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Antony J, Blinken, Isaac Herzog, “, Matthew Miller, Adrienne Watson, Gallant, ”, Mohamed Awada, Hwaida Saad, Edward Wong, Gabby Sobelman, Myra Noveck Organizations: Hezbollah, Israel’s, United, State Department, U.S . National Security Council, Lufthansa Group, East Airlines, Lebanon’s Locations: Lebanon, Majdal, Golan, Israel, Iran, United States, Gaza, Tokyo, Majdal Shams, Iranian, Beirut’s, Beirut, Jerusalem

☆ NORAD intercepts Russian TU-95 Bear, Chinese H-6 bombers operating together near Alaska in first such flight
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-24 | by ( Oren Liebermann | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what a US defense official said was the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together. The US and Canada, which together comprise NORAD, intercepted the Russian TU-95 Bear and Chinese H-6 bombers. It also marks the first time H-6 bombers, which are a derivative of older Soviet bombers, have entered the Alaska ADIZ, the defense official said. The intercept was carried out by US F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, as well as Canadian CF-18 fighter jets, according to the defense official. In May, Russia flew four aircraft into Alaska’s ADIZ, which NORAD said at the time “occurs regularly.”But the presence of Chinese aircraft appears to be a new development.

Persons: Gregory Guillot, ” Guillot, ” Organizations: CNN, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, Canadian CF, US Northern Command, Senate Armed Services Committee Locations: Alaska, Canada, Russian, Russia, China

☆ Fact-checking night 4 of the Republican National Convention
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The final night of the Republican National Convention has kicked off in Milwaukee. Pompeo’s claim about the southern border under TrumpFormer Secretary of State Mike Pompeo claimed at the Republican National Convention Thursday that the US-Mexico border was “closed” during Donald Trump’s presidency. Facts First: This characterization of Trump’s tariffs is misleading. It’s true that Trump’s tariffs on China raised billions of dollars for the US government, but the duties were paid by US companies – not China. For example, Trump’s tariffs were imposed, in part, to boost the US manufacturing sector – but that industry lost jobs.

Persons: Donald Trump, Mike Pompeo, Donald Trump’s, Trump, Joe Biden, Devan Cole Trump, “, Daniel Dale Pompeo’s, “ We’d, ” Pompeo, Glen VanHerck, CNN’s Haley Britsky Linda McMahon’s, Linda McMahon, Erica York, Katie Lobosco, Ronald Reagan’s, Jimmy Carter, Carter, Affairs didn’t, Joe Biden ”, Daniel Dale Organizations: CNN, Republican National Convention, Trump Former, Republican, Convention, Trump, Biden, Republicans, Democrats, Electoral, Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Small, US International Trade Commission, Tax Foundation, Federal Reserve, Foreign Affairs, Affairs Locations: Milwaukee, Mexico, Afghanistan, United States of America, China, America, United States

CNN —US officials have serious concerns that in the event of a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group could overwhelm Israel’s air defenses in the north — including the much-vaunted Iron Dome air defense system, three US officials told CNN. Israeli officials have told the US they are planning to shift resources from southern Gaza to northern Israel in preparation for a possible offensive against the group, US officials told CNN on Wednesday. “We assess that at least some” Iron Dome batteries “will be overwhelmed,” said a senior administration official. Earlier this month, Hezbollah released a video purporting to show a drone striking and damaging an Iron Dome battery on an army base in northern Israel. The Iron Dome is fundamental to Israel’s defense and the US government has spent over $2.9 billion on the program, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Persons: “, ”, “ We’re, Amos Hochstein, Hochstein, Israel, Israel ‘, Antony Blinken’s, Yoav Gallant, Hassan Nasrallah, Nasrallah, Assad Organizations: CNN, Hezbollah, Congressional Research Service, Israel Defense Forces, Islamic, Biden, US, IDF, Hamas, Israeli, Command, Radwan Force, Rocket Locations: Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Lebanese, Jerusalem, Beirut, Rafah, ”, Cyprus, Syria

Beirut CNN —Israel warned Hezbollah on Tuesday of the prospect of “all-out war” after the Lebanese militant group published a 9-minute video, purportedly taken by a drone, showing Israeli military and civilian locations in several Israeli cities. “In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed, and Lebanon severely beaten,” he added. Those locations include a number of sensitive areas, including at least two military installations: a base in northern Haifa and the port of Haifa. The drone also flew over the oil tanks that sit north of Haifa, the Haifa airport and several residential areas. Hezbollah has said in the past that it will only stop firing on Israel if Israel stops the war in Gaza.

Persons: Beirut CNN — Israel, Israel Katz, ”, Rafael –, Katz, Hassan, Nasrallah, Wim Zwijnenburg, AlMayadeenNews, Yona Yahav, ” Yahav, ” Ibrahim Mousawi, Israel, Amos Hochstein Organizations: Beirut CNN, Hezbollah, Iron, Israel Defense Forces, CNN, PAX, Reshet Bet, Haifa “, Haifa ”, Northern Command, US Locations: Beirut, Lebanese, Lebanon, Haifa, Israel, Gaza, “, China, India, Iran, Haifa Port

☆ Hezbollah says it attacked 9 Israeli military sites with rockets, drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An artillery unit moves near the Israeli northern border with Lebanon on November 8, 2023 in Tel Aviv, Israel. Hezbollah said it had launched rockets and weaponized drones at nine Israeli military sites in a coordinated attack on Thursday, ramping up hostilities on Lebanon's southern border for the second consecutive day. The attacks were carried out in retaliation for an Israeli strike on Tuesday that killed a senior Hezbollah field commander. Hezbollah said in a statement it had fired volleys of Katyusha and Falaq rockets at six Israeli military locations. Its Al-Manar television reported more than 100 rockets fired at once.

Persons: Kan, David Mencer Organizations: Reuters, Seven Locations: Lebanon, Tel Aviv, Israel, Gaza, Iran, Safed, Italy

☆ The Russian submarine that just showed up off Cuba is one of a new class of subs that has worried the US and NATO for years
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementThe Russian Yasen-class nuclear-powered submarine Kazan off the Arctic coast in 2021. Lev Fedoseyev\TASS via Getty ImagesThe shift in capability with the emergence of the Yasen-M class submarines suggested a change in use. A US naval intelligence official previously said that the Russian subs are "holding the United States at risk in some of their patrol areas." AdvertisementThe Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, part of the Russian naval detachment visiting Cuba, arrived at Havana's harbor Wednesday. In the past, NATO officials have flagged the Yasen-class submarines as "one of the big strategic challenges" the alliance faces.

Persons: —, Gorshkov, Lev Fedoseyev, Glen VanHerck, YAMIL LAGE Organizations: Service, Kazan, Western, Business, NATO, Getty, Naval Sea Systems Command, Royal United Services Institute, US Air Force, US Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Russian Locations: Cuba, Kazan, Caribbean, United States, Russia, Havana's, AFP, Ukraine

☆ The US military doesn't have the icebreakers to compete in the Arctic and is 'severely outnumbered' by Russia, commander warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe US does not have enough icebreaker ships to compete in the Arctic the way Russia can with its much larger fleet, a US military commander warned. Russia has deployed nuclear-powered icebreakers called Arktika and Sibir, which have been characterized as the largest and strongest icebreaker ships in the world. "We need to make sure that we are trying to close a very very significant icebreaker gap, Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan said at the time. For more than 20 years, the Coast Guard has been asking for funds for the Arctic, but those requests have been deferred, US Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter W. Gautier said last year. AdvertisementWith growing threats in this region, the US military has been increasingly looking at Arctic training.

Persons: —, Gregory M, Guillot, Maine Sen, Angus King, Alaska Sen, Dan Sullivan, Peter W, Gautier Organizations: Service, US Air Force, Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Business, Coast Guard, Services, USCGC Polar Star, US Coast Guard, US Navy, Army Locations: Russia, Maine, Sibir, Alaska, China

☆ Fishermen delivering possible spy balloon to FBI in Alaska
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Evan Perez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Commercial fishermen off the coast of Alaska have found what officials are concerned could be another spy balloon and are bringing it to shore with them, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN. The existence of high-altitude surveillance balloons burst into US consciousness last year, when a Chinese spy balloon appeared to blow off course and transited across the continental US. The US assessed that the spy balloon was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, as CNN reported at the time. There were three additional shootdowns of unidentified high-altitude objects in the weeks following the Chinese balloon incident. NORAD later said in a statement that the balloon was “likely a hobby balloon” that posed no threat.

Persons: Biden, Trump, Glen VanHerck, CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz Organizations: CNN —, CNN, FBI, Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, Pentagon Locations: Alaska, Quantico , Virginia, China, Taiwan, Beijing, United, American

☆ Few things worry NATO like Russia's Yasen-class submarines, and Moscow may be planning to build even more of them
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Despite high-profile losses, Russia's navy has been largely untouched by the war in Ukraine. Russian submarines, especially Yasen-class cruise-missile subs, are a top concern for NATO. A Russian defense industry source told state media outlet Tass in mid-2022 that Moscow was considering adding two more subs to the nine Yasen-class subs it had planned to build. AdvertisementYasen-class sub Severodvinsk during its launch ceremony at a shipyard in the city of Severodvinsk in June 2010. AdvertisementRussian Yasen-class sub Kazan at its home base in Severomorsk in June 2021.

Persons: —, Sasha Mordovets, Glen VanHerck, Lev Fedoseyev, Ine Eriksen Søreide, Jim Mattis, Severodvinsk, Adm, Michael Studeman, LPhot Dan Rosenbaum, Ben Key, what's Organizations: NATO, Service, Tass, US Northern Command, Zircon, Getty, Naval Sea Systems Command, US, Pentagon, CBS News, Chatham, of Naval Intelligence, Russia's, British Royal Navy, US Navy, British navy's Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Russia, Moscow, Northern, Pacific, Severodvinsk, Europe, North America, Severomorsk, Washington DC, NATO, Soviet, Western

CNN —China appears to have suspended its surveillance balloon program following a major diplomatic incident earlier this year, when one of the country’s high-altitude spy balloons transited the United States, multiple sources familiar with US intelligence assessments told CNN. The apparent suspension of the program comes as both the US and China have sought to stabilize an increasingly tense relationship. The US assessed at the time that the spy balloon was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, CNN has previously reported. “We believe that (the balloon) did not collect while it was transiting the United States or flying over the United States, and certainly the efforts that we made contributed,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. The more sensitive radar systems led the US military to spot more unidentified objects in US airspace, however, leading to three additional shootdowns of unidentified high-altitude objects in the weeks following the Chinese balloon incident.

Persons: Liu Pengyu, majeure, ” Liu, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi “, Xi, ”, Biden, Antony Blinken, Nancy Pelosi, enraging Xi, Christopher Johnson, Johnson, ’ ” Johnson, Pat Ryder Ryder, Trump, Glen VanHerck Organizations: CNN, Communist Party, US, Economic Cooperation, CIA, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Foreign Ministry, FBI, Pentagon, Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command Locations: China, United States, American, Beijing, Taiwan, Hainan, Alaska, Canada, Idaho, Montana, Asia, San Francisco, United

☆ Seen by the US military as a threat for years, Russia's Yasen-class submarines are now on track to get hypersonic missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia's Yasen-class submarines have long been seen as a tough challenge for the US Navy. A Russian shipbuilding official said that work is underway to arm them with Zircon hypersonic missiles. Russia's Yasen-class nuclear-powered cruise-missile submarines are quiet, difficult to track, heavily armed, and able to conduct attacks against land- and sea-based targets. The Russian Yasen-class submarines "are designed to deploy undetected within cruise-missile range of our coastlines to threaten critical infrastructure during an escalating crisis," the commander said a year later in congressional testimony. It may still be some time before Russia's Yasen-class submarines deploy with hypersonic weapons, but the Admiral Gorshkov set sail earlier this year on a deployment that took it into the Atlantic Ocean armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles.

Persons: Russia's, Alexei Rakhmanov, Dave Johnson, Lev Fedoseyev, Glen VanHerck, Gorshkov, Vladimir Putin, Gorshkov —, Putin, Zumwalt Organizations: US Navy, Service, United Shipbuilding Corporation, US, Naval, Systems, Getty, US Air Force, US Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NATO, Russian Navy, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP, Army, Navy, Ingalls Shipbuilding Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Severomorsk, Russia, Barents, China, Virginia, San Diego, Pascagoula , Mississippi, Ingalls

☆ US military responded to Chinese and Russian vessels near Alaska
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Russian and Chinese naval patrol consisting of several vessels operated off the coast of Alaska last week, defense officials and lawmakers said over the weekend – a show of force that prompted a US military response but did not pose a threat to the US or Canada, a US Northern Command spokesperson told CNN. NORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command deployed planes and ships to monitor the Russian and Chinese patrol, which stayed in international waters, the spokesperson said. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski said in a statement Saturday that a total of 11 Russian and Chinese vessels had been operating near the Aleutian Islands, and were met in response by four US Navy destroyers. “For that reason, I was heartened to see that this latest incursion was met with four U.S. Navy destroyers, which sends a strong message to (Chinese President) Xi Jinping and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin that the United States will not hesitate to protect and defend our vital national interests in Alaska,” Sullivan said. Russia and China have intensified their defense and economic partnership considerably since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, according to a July US intelligence report, and the countries have repeatedly pledged to strengthen their military ties.

Persons: Alaska’s Republican Sens, Dan Sullivan, Lisa Murkowski, Murkowski, Sullivan, Liu Pengyu, ” Sullivan, Xi Jinping, Vladimir, Putin Organizations: CNN, Northern Command, NORTHCOM, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Alaska’s Republican, US Navy, Alaska Command, US Coast Guard, U.S . Navy Locations: Alaska, Canada, U.S, Aleutians, Russian, United States, Russia, China, Ukraine

☆ The US Navy has its eyes on a new submarine base that will help it keep track of China's growing undersea fleet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

As part of the AUKUS agreement, US and British subs will operate out of western Australia by 2027. The deal on the base comes as rivals, mainly China, increase their submarine activity in the region. Ray Mabus, then US navy secretary, departs a Chinese Yuan-class submarine in Ningbo in November 2012. The Defense Department report also says China's six operational Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic-missile subs are likely already conducting "near-continuous at-sea deterrence patrols," a sign that China's submarine force continues to improve its operational capabilities. For the US Navy, those developments make the ability to base subs closer to the Western Pacific a greater priority.

☆ Opinion: Fentanyl is killing a shocking number of young Americans. What the US can do to respond
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Opinion Joni Ernst | Tim Kaine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Illicit fentanyl that originates abroad is one of the most damaging weapons employed against our homeland, destroying lives and families across our country. Cartels’ fentanyl trafficking far surpasses the US government’s response. Between 2017 and 2021, the number of fentanyl trafficking offenders increased 950%, from 146 to 1,533 in the US. Curbing fentanyl trafficking and breaking up cartel networks demands an aggressive and clear approach. Mexico and the US need to be active partners in combating criminal organizations and curtailing illicit drug trafficking.

☆ Austin lambasts ‘irresponsible’ and ‘unprecedented’ Republican hold on military nominations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote a letter strongly criticizing an ongoing hold on senior military promotions and nominations in the Senate led by Republican lawmakers, saying it would create a “perilous precedent” for the military and impose “unconscionable” burdens on military families. The Senate approves thousands of civilian and military nominations every year, typically through unanimous consent. But Austin warned in his letter to Warren that the nominations need to be approved as quickly as possible. The United States military relies on the deep experience and strategic expertise of our senior military leaders,” he said. “The longer that this hold persists, the greater the risk the US military runs in every theater, every domain, and every service.”

☆ Russia's military is more active in the Atlantic, and NATO fears it could sabotage undersea cables to disrupt countries supporting Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia's military is more active in the Atlantic than in previous years, Western militaries say. NATO's intelligence chief warns that this could lead to the targeting of undersea infrastructure. Officials have warned for years about an increasing threat against undersea pipelines and cables. AP Photo/Elena Ignatyeva, FileThe possibility that a foreign adversary might target undersea cables and other critical infrastructure has long worried officials in NATO countries. Two years later, then-British parliament member Rishi Sunak described undersea cables as "indispensable yet insecure."

☆ The US Navy is putting its submarines on rare public display in a message to Russia's growing undersea force
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The US Navy has announced several visits by its subs to North Atlantic ports in recent years. Since 2020, when Norway allowed NATO subs to use a port near Tromsø, announcements of such visits appear to have increased. 'We're in your backyard'British Royal Navy attack submarine HMS Astute sails to the base at Faslane in November 2009. Russian Navy Yasen-class submarine Kazan at its base in Severomorsk on Russia's Arctic coast in June 2021. During the Cold War, US attack subs operated in the high north to get the Soviets to keep their attack subs close by to protect their ballistic-missile subs.

☆ PHOTO: A U-2 pilot took a selfie with the Chinese spy balloon the day before the Air Force shot it down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A US Air Force pilot took a selfie with the Chinese spy balloon before it was shot down. The pilot, flying a U-2 spy aircraft, took the image a day before the balloon was downed by an F-22. A US Air Force pilot looked down at the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovered over the Central Continental United States February 3, 2023. Photo courtesy of the Department of DefenseThe U-2's involvement in gathering intelligence on the spy balloon was first reported by The Drive on February 6. Just days later, US Air Force fighter jets downed three unidentified aerial objects flying in North American airspace in three separate engagements on February 10, 11, and 12.

☆ Blinken meets with senior Chinese diplomat in Munich amid tensions over suspected spy balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Andrea Mitchell | Christina Zhao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday met with a senior Chinese diplomat at a conference in Munich, a State Department spokesperson said. Diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and China have risen since the shooting down of the alleged Chinese spy balloon, which China has insisted was not intended for spying. Earlier Thursday, Biden delivered his first remarks about the Chinese balloon and three unidentified objects flying above North America that were downed by the U.S. military. One was shot down Feb. 10 over Alaska, another was shot down Feb. 11 over Canada, and a third was shot down over Lake Huron on Feb. 12. U.S. Northern Command said Friday it recommended an end to the search for debris from two objects shot down in United States airspace this month.

But U.S. and Canadian authorities also announced they had called off searches for three unidentified objects shot down over last weekend, without locating any debris. The last of the debris from the Chinese balloon, which was downed by a Sidewinder missile, is heading to an FBI laboratory in Virginia for analysis, the U.S. military's Northern Command said. Reuters was first to report the conclusion of the recovery efforts for the suspected Chinese spy balloon, which were halted on Thursday. Kirby said the United States had already learned a lot about the balloon by observing it as it flew over the United States. "We will maintain the perspective that we have in terms of what should be the relationship between China and the United States," she said.

☆ U.S. military completes recovery of Chinese balloon downed off South Carolina
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The U.S. military said on Friday it had successfully concluded recovery efforts off South Carolina for a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon shot down by a U.S. fighter jet, and the last of the debris was being shipped to a laboratory for analysis. Recovery operations concluded on Thursday and Navy and Coast Guard vessels have left the area and safety perimeters around the site have been lifted, the statement said. The U.S. military said earlier this week it had recovered all of the priority sensor and electronics pieces identified as well as large sections of the balloon's structure. The Chinese balloon, which Beijing denies was a government spy vessel, spent a week flying over the United States and Canada before being shot down off the Atlantic coast on orders from President Joe Biden. The episode has strained ties between Washington and Beijing, leading America's top diplomat to postpone a trip to China.

☆ The mystery objects shot down by US fighter jets were 'most likely' harmless civilian objects, Biden says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Three mysterious objects were shot down by the US military in North American airspace last weekend. The three unidentified objects are "most likely" just civilian objects, he said on Thursday. Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. Biden on Thursday also said he's directed his team to create "sharper rules" for dealing with unidentified objects moving forward, distinguishing between those that pose a security risk and those that don't. In total, four objects — one Chinese surveillance balloon and the three smaller objects that remain unidentified — have been shot down over North American airspace since early February.

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