The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified files on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) on Friday (8 May), following an order from President Donald Trump. U.S. officials described as a push for “unprecedented transparency”.
The release includes around 160 documents, photos and videos covering decades of alleged UFO sightings, though analysts say many of the materials had already been partially disclosed in earlier government releases.
The Pentagon said the declassification process will continue, with additional material expected in future tranches.
Among the newly published records is a 1947 report describing “flying discs”, along with imagery from NASA’s Apollo missions, including Apollo 12 and Apollo 17.
A transcript from Apollo 17 includes astronaut Ronald Evans describing “very bright particles or fragments” observed during lunar manoeuvres, which mission control acknowledged at the time.
However, experts note that such observations have long been attributed to space debris, optical effects, or asteroid impacts on the lunar surface.
While the release has renewed public interest in UFOs, analysts say the documents do not provide evidence of alien technology or extraterrestrial life.
Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb said the records reflect the government’s continued collection of UAP data but do not confirm non-human origins.
“I think we've already proven the existence of UAP, but that doesn't mean we've proven they're alien,” said journalist Leslie Kean, who has reported extensively on Pentagon UAP programmes.
UFO researcher Mick West said many of the newly released materials resemble earlier disclosures and show difficulty in identifying distant or unclear objects rather than evidence of advanced technology.
The release has been welcomed by some lawmakers, including U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett and Anna Paulina Luna, who have advocated for declassification of UAP-related material.
Luna said further documents are expected within the next month.
However, critics suggested the timing of the release could serve as a political distraction from other controversies facing the Trump administration, including foreign policy tensions and ongoing calls for additional transparency in unrelated investigations.
Former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene dismissed the release as a “shiny object” distraction from pressing political issues.
Despite scepticism, officials say the declassification effort will continue as part of broader efforts to increase public access to historical defence records involving unexplained aerial phenomena.
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Efforts to end the U.S.-Iran war appeared to stall as the two sides exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz. A reported CIA assessment suggested Tehran could withstand a U.S. naval blockade for months despite mounting sanctions and renewed Gulf attacks.
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, days after an outbreak on a cruise ship left three people dead and several others infected.
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
The U.S. military said on 8 May that it struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people and leaving one survivor, in the latest in a series of controversial maritime operations targeting suspected drug trafficking routes.
The U.S military said it carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran on Thursday (7 May). Meanwhile, Iran's Joint Military Command accused the U.S. of breaching the ceasefire, by striking an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks on several Iranian cities.
The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, though both sides signalled they did not want escalation. The clashes come as Washington awaits Tehran’s response to a proposed deal to end the war while leaving key disputes, such as Iran’s nuclear programme, unresolved for now.
Singapore has isolated and is testing two of its residents who travelled aboard a cruise ship linked to a deadly hantavirus outbreak, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Thursday.
Latvian authorities said two drones entered NATO member Latvia from Russian territory and crashed on Thursday morning, with officials linking them to Ukraine’s wider drone operations against targets in Russia.
Ukraine’s military said it struck a Russian Karakurt-class small missile carrier in the Caspian Sea near Russia’s Dagestan region on Thursday. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, according to Kyiv.
Health authorities are monitoring a widening hantavirus alert after new suspected cases emerged in Spain and on a remote South Atlantic island, days after an outbreak on a cruise ship left three people dead and several others infected.
Russia is holding a significantly scaled-back Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2026, reflecting heightened security concerns and the ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year.
The U.S. military said on 8 May that it struck a vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people and leaving one survivor, in the latest in a series of controversial maritime operations targeting suspected drug trafficking routes.
Libya’s largest operating oil refinery has been shut down and an emergency declared after clashes erupted near the facility in Zawiya, west of Tripoli, according to two engineers and the refinery’s operator.
Indonesian rescue teams are searching for 20 hikers trapped on Mount Dukono after a major volcanic eruption sent ash 10 kilometres into the sky on Friday.
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