Asia

A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Mont., on Wednesday. The U.S. is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace.

Blinken postpones his Beijing trip after a Chinese balloon is spotted over Montana

9:33pm February 03, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

China's foreign ministry described the balloon as "a civilian airship" for meteorological research that had blown far off course by winds. The Pentagon suspects it's collecting sensitive information.

Blinken postpones China trip after discovery of surveillance balloon

5:57pm February 03, 2023

by Michele Kelemen

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has postponed his trip to China after the discovery of what the Pentagon alleges to be a Chinese surveillance balloon. China's government says it's a weather balloon.

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What we know about the alleged Chinese government spy balloon

5:57pm February 03, 2023

by Geoff Brumfiel

A spy balloon from China has been causing alarm in the U.S. What is it doing, and is it a threat to national security?

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President Biden stands with Chinese President Xi Jinping before a meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit meeting, Nov. 14, 2022, in Bali, Indonesia.

World News

Chinese balloon punctures Blinken's plans, leaving U.S.-China ties adrift

5:20pm February 03, 2023

by John Ruwitch

Secretary of State Antony Blinken called off his trip to China after the discovery of a Chinese "surveillance" balloon over the U.S. It's the latest setback in an increasingly fraught relationship.

China says balloon spotted over U.S. is a 'civilian airship' that blew astray

11:27am February 03, 2023

The State Department announced Secretary of State Antony Blinken will not go ahead with a planned trip to China, after the surveillance balloon was detected over U.S. airspace Thursday.

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Spy balloon is spotted over Montana. Will it interfere with Blinken's China trip?

7:23am February 03, 2023

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be the first Cabinet secretary in the Biden Administration to visit China. His trip this weekend comes as tensions between the U.S. and China continue to boil.

National

Tensions continue to increase between the United States and China

7:23am February 03, 2023

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to David Finkelstein, vice president of the Center for Naval Analyses, about the Pentagon saying a Chinese surveillance balloon is floating over Montana.

Indian couple Utkarsh Saxena, left, and Ananya Kotia, chat inside a public park in New Delhi, India, Jan. 18, 2023. The couple, now 15 years into their relationship, is joined by three other couples who have filed a petition to India's Supreme Court that seeks the legalization of same-sex marriage.

In India, couples begin their legal battle for same-sex marriage

3:04am February 03, 2023

by The Associated Press

Couples have filed petitions to India's Supreme Court seeking the legalization of same-sex marriage. The decision could make India the second economy in Asia after Taiwan to recognize the unions.

Pentagon is tracking a spy balloon, which it suspects belongs to China, over the U.S.

6:46pm February 02, 2023

by Greg Myre

U.S. military officials say they are tracking a Chinese high altitude surveillance balloon that's been over the continental U.S. for the past couple of days.

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Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder speaks during a briefing on Jan. 17. On Thursday, he said a suspected Chinese spy balloon is "currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground."

Pentagon says a suspected Chinese spy balloon has been spotted over the Western U.S.

6:07pm February 02, 2023

by The Associated Press

The balloon has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a couple days, The Pentagon decided not to shoot it down due to risks of harm for people on the ground, officials said.