New evidence of China's 'spy' balloon programme - including flights over Japan and Taiwan has been uncovered, media reports said.
Japan has confirmed balloons have flown over its territory and said it's prepared to shoot them down in future, BBC reported.
US-China relations were thrown into turmoil earlier this year, when an alleged Chinese spy balloon was shot down off the US coast.
China claimed the balloon seen over north-western US in late January was a civilian airship, used for scientific research such as meteorology - and that it was an unintended and isolated event.
John Culver - a former East Asia analyst for the CIA - told BBC Panorama that this "had been not just a one-off, but a continuing effort dating back at least five years."
He said the Chinese balloons were "specially designed for these long-range missions" and some had "apparently circumnavigated the globe".
Working with Synthetaic, an artificial intelligence company which sifted through huge amounts of data captured by satellites, the BBC has found multiple images of balloons crossing East Asia.
The company's founder, Corey Jaskolski, found evidence of one balloon crossing northern Japan in early September 2021. These images have not been published before.
Jaskolski also believes the evidence points to this balloon having been launched from deep inside China, south of Mongolia, BBC reported.
Japan is a close ally of the US and more American forces are stationed there than in any other foreign country.
PM inaugurates Charlapalli Railway Terminal in Hyderabad for regional development
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday virtually inaugurated the Charlapalli Railway Terminal in Hyderabad and said this would accelerate regional development. It is the fourth terminal station in Telangana after Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Kacheguda.
8 jawans, driver killed as Maoists blow up security vehicle in Chhattisgarh
In the most gruesome Maoist attack in the New Year, eight jawans and a driver have been killed after the rebels blew up a security vehicle in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police sources said on Monday.
Historic milestone in J&K's integration into national railway network, says PM Modi
"The inauguration of the Jammu railway division is a historic milestone in the integration of J&K into the national railway network as also in the development of infrastructure and connectivity of J&K," he said.
Protesting farmers have agreed to hold talks with court-appointed panel: Punjab govt tells SC
The Punjab government on Monday apprised the Supreme Court that the farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border have agreed to hold talks with the court-appointed panel.
Atishi breaks down at press conference, says Ramesh Bidhuri is abusing her father
With tears in her eyes, an emotionally disturbed Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Monday hit out at BJP candidate from Kalkaji seat Ramesh Bidhuri for stooping so low to attack his 80-year-old educationist father.
GRP arrested 35 human traffickers in Tripura in 5 months
The Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested 35 human traffickers in the last five months in Tripura for facilitating illegal entry of Bangladeshi nationals and Rohingyas into India, officials said on Monday.
23 injured in two separate road accidents in Tripura
At least 10 students and a woman suffered breathing problems and six of them immediately shifted to the government-run Govind Ballabh Pant Medical College and Hospital and their condition stated to be not serious.
Abhinaba Banik to represent Tripura in National Youth festival 2025 as state youth icon student-scientist
The Directorate of Youth Affairs & Sports of Tripura government has nominated Abhinaba Banik to represent the state as State Youth Icon Student-Scientist at the National Youth Festival.