China "spy" balloon shot down by American forces over Atlantic, according to BBC News

The US has shot down a giant Chinese balloon that it says has been spying on key military sites across America.

The Department of Defence confirmed its fighter jets brought down the balloon over US territorial waters.

China's foreign ministry later expressed "strong dissatisfaction and protest against the US's use of force to attack civilian unmanned aircraft".

Footage on US TV networks showed the balloon falling to the sea after a small explosion.