live Ukraine-Russia war: Sweden, Finland scramble jets to intercept Russian aircraft
Finland and Sweden deployed fighter aircraft on Thursday after a group of Russian military planes was detected over the Gulf of Finland, the Finnis...
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would order agencies to begin releasing files on extraterrestrial life and Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), calling for more openness while criticising Barack Obama over his recent alien remarks.
In a social media post, Donald Trump said he would direct the Secretary of War and other agencies to start identifying files on extraterrestrial life, UAPs and Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), calling the subjects "extremely interesting and important."
He did not give details on what material would be released or when.
He said public interest justified greater openness, adding that he would direct agencies "to begin releasing" files on the issue.
Trump also accused former U.S. President Barack Obama of improperly revealing classified information when speaking about aliens, though he offered no evidence.
He said Obama "made a big mistake" and added, "He took it out of classified information ... He's not supposed to be doing that."
Obama had discussed the subject during an interview with podcast host Brian Tyler Cohen on 14 February.
Cohen asked Obama if aliens were real, he replied, "They're real, but I haven't seen them, and they're not being kept in ... Area 51. There's no underground facility unless there's this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States."
Area 51 is a classified Air Force site in Nevada and has long fuelled speculation about alien bodies and a crashed spacecraft. CIA archives released in 2013 identified it as a testing ground for top-secret spy planes.
There was no indication in Obama's remarks that he disclosed classified information. His office did not respond to a request for comment.
On Instagram, Obama said, "I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!"
He explained that he believed alien life likely exists somewhere because the universe is vast but said the chance of extraterrestrial visitors reaching Earth was low.
In recent years, the Pentagon has investigated reported sightings. Senior military leaders said in 2022 they found no evidence that aliens had visited Earth or crash-landed.
A 2024 Pentagon report said U.S. government probes since World War Two had uncovered no extraterrestrial technology and that most sightings were misidentified ordinary objects or natural phenomena.
The National Archives says it holds UFO-related records across numerous collections, reflecting decades of public curiosity and official scrutiny.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained low on Thursday, as Iran reiterated that it will neither enter into new negotiations with the United States nor re-open the Strait as long as its conditions are not met, despite recent indirect talks in New York mediated by Qatar.
As the Ukraine war is highlighted by some leaders during the United Nations' 81st General Assembly meeting in New York, Russian forces attacked the Ukrainian capital Kyiv early on Thursday with ballistic missiles, killing two people and injuring six, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
The 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York on Wednesday, with another day of high-level speeches and diplomatic meetings. The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, global security and international cooperation remain at the centre of discussions.
The 81st UN General Assembly has wrapped up its third day in New York on Thursday, with world leaders delivering high-level speeches and holding diplomatic meetings.
Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan will hold an urgent high-level meeting under a joint defence pact to discuss ways to support the kingdom amid attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis. The meeting comes as Tehran seeks to distance itself from the rapid advance of its Houthi allies.
Finland and Sweden deployed fighter aircraft on Thursday after a group of Russian military planes was detected over the Gulf of Finland, the Finnish Air Force reported on Friday (25 September).
The Middle East arrived at the United Nations this week with the consequences of a war that is no longer contained to one front. From Israel and Iran to Syria and Yemen, leaders have used the General Assembly to set out competing positions on the situation in the region.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 25 September 2026, with five key developments from the third day of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Xi Jinping touched down at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday evening to a welcome that was fairly unprecedented. President Donald Trump was there on the tarmac to greet him personally, which is something no sitting U.S. president had done for a visiting foreign leader in six decades.
The U.S. Senate narrowly rejected a resolution on Thursday that would have required President Donald Trump to end the war in Iran or seek congressional authorisation, as Democrats sought to put Republicans on the record over the increasingly unpopular conflict ahead of November's midterm elections.
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