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White House says no aliens in weather balloons

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Balloons and Aliens - Level 0

Strange things are happening 12,000 metres above the USA. Fighter jets have shot down four balloons. They were a danger to airplanes. The White House said the balloons were not linked to aliens. It said the American people didn't need to worry about aliens because of the balloons.

The USA and China sent each other tit-for-tat messages. The US thinks the balloons are spy balloons. There is no proof of this. China said the balloons are for checking the weather, not for spying. China said US balloons have flown in China's airspace over ten times in the past year. The USA said this was not true.

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Balloons and Aliens - Level 1

Strange things are happening in the sky above the USA. Fighter jets have shot down four balloons. Officials said the balloons were a danger to airplanes. They were flying at an altitude of around 12,200 metres. The White House said the balloons were not linked to aliens. A spokesperson said: "I don't think the American people need to worry about aliens with respect to these crafts." Earlier, an official said aliens could not be counted out.

The USA and China sent each other tit-for-tat messages. The US believes the balloons are spy balloons. There is no proof of this. Experts are looking at the electronics from the balloons. China said the balloons were for tracking weather, not for spying. Beijing said American balloons have flown in China's airspace over ten times in the past year. The USA said this was untrue. The US Secretary of State cancelled a visit to China because of the balloons.

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Balloons and Aliens - Level 2

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Strange things are happening in the sky above North America. US fighter jets have shot down four UFOs in US and Canadian airspace. Officials said the UFOs were balloons that were a danger to airplanes. They were flying at an altitude of around 12,200 metres. The USA said there were no signs the balloons were linked to aliens. A White House spokesperson said: "I don't think the American people need to worry about aliens with respect to these crafts." Earlier in the week, a different official said aliens could not be counted out as a possible explanation for the balloons.

The USA and China exchanged tit-for-tat messages because of the balloons. The US believes the balloons are being used for spying. There is no proof of this. Experts are currently looking at the electronics they have found from the balloons. China said the balloons were for tracking weather and were not spy balloons. Beijing said US high-altitude balloons have flown in China's airspace without permission more than ten times in the past year. The White House said this was untrue. A balloon shooting in early February resulted in the US Secretary of State cancelling a visit to China.

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Balloons and Aliens - Level 3

Strange goings-on are happening in the skies above North America. This month, US fighter jets have shot down four UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) in US and Canadian airspace. Officials said the objects were balloons that were causing a danger to airplanes. They were flying at an altitude of around 40,000 feet (12,200 metres). The White House said yesterday that there were no signs the objects were linked to alien life. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said: "I don't think the American people need to worry about aliens with respect to these crafts." Earlier in the week, a US official said aliens could not be counted out as a possible explanation for the balloons.

The balloon saga has created tit-for-tat exchanges between the USA and China. US officials suspect the balloons were being used for spying. However, they have no proof of this. Rescue teams have gathered debris from the balloons off the US coast. Experts are currently looking at the electronics they have found. China said the balloons were for tracking weather patterns. It has denied they were spy balloons. Beijing has claimed that US high-altitude balloons have flown in China's airspace without permission more than ten times in the past year. The White House said this was untrue. A balloon shooting in early February resulted in US Secretary of State Antony Blinken cancelling a visit to China.

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