A pair of filmmakers believe they may have captured the strongest evidence yet of one of America's most enduring monster mysteries lurking beneath the waters of Lake Champlain.

The creature, known as Champ, is a legendary lake monster said to inhabit the 125-mile-long body of water that stretches between New York, Vermont and Canada.

Often compared to Scotland's Loch Ness Monster, Champ is typically described as a massive serpent-like beast or a prehistoric plesiosaur with a long neck, humped back and dark body, which some have dubbed 'America's Nessie.'

Despite decades of sightings, no one has ever produced definitive proof that the monster exists.

Now, filmmakers Richard Rossi and Kelly Tabor told the Daily Mail that they may have stumbled across exactly that while shooting a family movie inspired by the legend.

The pair discovered footage showing what appeared to be a large unidentified creature moving through the water behind their boat, a detail they did not notice until reviewing the video nearly two years later.

What Tabor believed she saw was a shape unlike any fish she had encountered on the lake. 'When I saw it, I saw it was like a skinny neck, and that the body got larger,' Tabor said. 'It looked like the skinny neck was oscillating back and forth, as if it was grazing underwater. My eyes were just popping out.'

The footage was captured during the production of Lucy and the Lake Monster, a children's film centered on the mystery of Champ.

The creature, known as Champ, is a legendary lake monster said to inhabit the 125-mile-long body of water that stretches between New York, Vermont and Canada. A woman claimed to have taken a picture of the monster in 1977

(pictured)

The footage remained hidden in plain sight for nearly two years after filming wrapped.

It was only while reviewing footage during the editing process in 2025 that Tabor spotted something unusual trailing behind their 11-foot wooden boat.

Rossi recalled receiving an excited phone call from his longtime friend.

'I was skeptical at first. But then Kelly, in the editing process, called me one day, and she said, "I have the footage up on my large screen TV. You've got to take a look behind the boat."'

According to Rossi, Tabor told him: 'There's a large creature swimming behind the rope.' When he reviewed the footage himself, he was stunned. 

While stories linking strange creatures to Lake Champlain stretch back centuries, the first widely documented modern sighting occurred in 1819.

According to local lore, Captain Crum reported seeing an enormous black creature in Bulwagga Bay.

Richard Rossi and Kelly Tabor caught a glimpse of the monster while filming a children’s film ‘Lucy and the Lake Monster’

The captain reportedly described a snake-like animal measuring roughly 187 feet long with eyes resembling a peeled onion.

Since then, hundreds of sightings have been reported around the lake.

Believers have suggested Champ could be anything from a surviving plesiosaur to a zeuglodon, an ancient whale ancestor that lived millions of years ago.

Others argue the sightings are likely the result of misidentified fish, floating logs, waves or optical illusions.

The mystery has become deeply woven into the culture of the region, as Port Henry, New York, markets itself as the home of Champ.

Businesses, festivals and tourist attractions celebrate the creature, while locals regularly share stories of unusual encounters on the water.

Tabor grew up in nearby Crown Point and spent much of her childhood searching for the elusive monster.

'Our town, Crown Point, borders Port Henry, and Port Henry is known as the home of Champ, because in that area there have been over 300 eyewitness accounts of the Lake Champlain monster,' she said, adding that her fascination began early.

'My family spent summers there,' Tabor said. 'We had a boat that we would go out in, and so I was always scanning the lake, trying to get my chance to see Champ.'

'As many times as I looked as a child, I never saw it.'

She believes she may have experienced something unexplained years later while attending college.

The pair discovered footage showing what appeared to be a large unidentified creature moving through the water behind their boat, a detail they did not notice until reviewing the video nearly two years later

One evening, she and several others were sitting on the porch of her family's lakeside cabin when they noticed an unusual disturbance on the otherwise calm water.

'There was a big stirring out a little ways from the front porch,' she said, explaining that the group watched as a wake appeared and moved directly toward them.

'It wasn't going from the left or the right. It wasn't bearing up and down. It was a straight wake, at least an inch high, coming straight at us.'

Everyone waited for whatever was causing the disturbance to surface. Instead, the object suddenly changed direction.

'It came right towards the cabin, and it made a 90-degree turn,' Tabor said.

'It went off to the left of the next point across the bay, and it never surfaced.'

Because Lake Champlain's water is often murky due to its clay-rich bottom, nobody could determine what had caused the wake.

'I like to believe that I actually saw the effects of Champ,' she said.

After discovering the new footage, Rossi shared it with scientists and researchers for analysis.

The clip eventually attracted the attention of The UnXplained, the History Channel series hosted by William Shatner.

According to the filmmakers, producers told them the footage represented the strongest evidence of Champ since a famous 1977 photograph taken by tourist Sandra Mansi.

That image appeared to show a long-necked creature emerging from the water and remains one of the most famous pieces of alleged Champ evidence.

Unlike the Mansi photograph, Rossi notes that the new footage includes a boat in the frame, providing viewers with a reference point for scale.

The video has since generated hundreds of thousands of views online and sparked renewed debate among believers and skeptics alike.

For Rossi and Tabor, the discovery has only deepened their fascination with the mystery.

The pair are returning to Lake Champlain this summer for the annual Champ Day festival and are already working on two additional films exploring the legend.

Whether the footage ultimately proves anything remains uncertain.

But more than 200 years after the first reported sighting, Champ continues to capture imaginations and keep people watching the waters of Lake Champlain for signs that something enormous may still be swimming below the surface.

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Scientists issue first-contact plan as they await message from alien civilization

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

Scientists have issued a new blueprint for the day Earth receives a message from an alien civilization.

Released Friday, the eight-point plan lays out how researchers should handle a potentially world-changing signal from deep space, laying it out like a playbook for humanity's most extraordinary moment.

Scientists are instructed to treat any potential alien signal with extreme caution, verify it through multiple independent teams and keep unconfirmed findings tightly controlled to avoid false alarms.

If evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life is confirmed, researchers must rapidly inform the public, the scientific community and even the United Nations (UN) while releasing the underlying data for scrutiny.

The protocols also call for protecting the signal from interference, preserving all records in secure archives around the world and creating a dedicated international team to help manage the fallout from the discovery.

Researchers are warned not to send a reply to any alien civilization without first consulting the international community through bodies such as the United Nations.

The plan further acknowledges the dangers of the social media age, urging scientists to combat misinformation, respond quickly to rumors and protect researchers who could find themselves at the center of one of the biggest stories in human history.

With the Trump administration releasing dozens of UFO files in recent weeks, the creators of the plan say they want to prevent the world from being thrown into chaos by a false alarm. 

Newly released FBI files have revealed an alleged message from 'outer space people' containing chilling warnings for humanity (stock) 

The plan lays out a detailed roadmap for what should happen if scientists believe they have detected evidence of an intelligent alien civilization.

Under the protocols, researchers for Astrophysics and the chair of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) committee for the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) are instructing other experts not to rush to announce a discovery to the world.

SETI is an acronym standing for Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, a scientific field dedicated to scanning the cosmos for artificial radio and laser signals. 

Researchers said that any mysterious signal must undergo extensive scrutiny, with independent teams, observatories and organizations using different instruments and methods to determine whether it is genuine or merely a false alarm.

Scientists are warned that initial findings could be incomplete, misleading or impossible to interpret, meaning the verification process could take months or even years.

If the evidence survives that scrutiny and researchers become convinced it originated from an extraterrestrial intelligence, the protocols call for an immediate public announcement. 

The discovery would be shared not only with the scientific community but also with the United Nations and a network of international organizations involved in astronomy, space exploration and communications.

The plan also requires the release of the underlying evidence, allowing scientists around the world to inspect the data, challenge the conclusions and attempt to independently verify the finding.

Recognizing the dangers of the social media era, the guidelines devote significant attention to controlling misinformation and rumors. 

With the Trump administration releasing dozens of UFO files in recent weeks, the creators of the emergency plan say they want to prevent the world from being thrown into chaos by a false alarm. Pictured is an image from a release taken  during the Apollo moon missions

Researchers are encouraged to communicate openly and honestly with the public while clearly labeling speculation and unconfirmed claims.

The protocols also acknowledge that a scientist who discovers evidence of alien intelligence could suddenly become one of the most famous people on Earth. 

Institutions are urged to protect researchers from harassment, security threats and professional fallout while ensuring accurate information continues to flow to the public.

In the event a signal is confirmed, every piece of evidence must be preserved and archived in multiple secure locations around the world. 

The data, analysis methods and computer code used to study the signal would be stored so that future generations of scientists can revisit the discovery.

The plan even includes measures to protect the signal itself. If the evidence arrives in the form of radio transmissions or other electromagnetic signals, scientists are encouraged to seek international agreements to safeguard the frequencies from interference or disruption.

An international post-detection committee would then be assembled to help interpret the discovery and guide the world's response. 

The group would include experts in science, ethics, law, communications and social sciences tasked with helping humanity navigate the implications of learning we are not alone.

Perhaps the most striking provision concerns what happens next.

Even if humanity receives a message from an alien civilization, scientists are explicitly instructed not to answer.

Instead, any decision about responding would first require international consultations involving the United Nations and other global organizations. Until those discussions are completed, no reply should be sent.

The final section emphasizes that any discovery of intelligent extraterrestrial life must be handled with transparency, integrity and a sense of responsibility to all of humanity, recognizing that such a moment would rank among the most profound events in human history.

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Avi Loeb questions rejection of positive results from Viking probes on Mars

Mysterious triangular aircraft spotted over Area 51 sparks secret tech theories

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

A mysterious aircraft was reportedly spotted near the highly classified Area 51 base, sparking speculation that it could be a secret military prototype.

A thermal image appears to show a triangular-shaped craft flying close to the infamous testing facility in Nevada, long associated with some of America's most closely guarded aerospace programs.

The image was shared online by the Project Fear YouTube channel, which described it as 'a craft the public has never seen before.'

Some observers believe the object could be a classified X-plane, a highly experimental aircraft used to test advanced technologies before they enter military service.

For decades, Area 51 has served as the premier testing ground for these secretive 'black projects,' including spy planes and stealth aircraft that remained hidden from the public for years.

The unusual shape of the craft has fueled speculation that it may be linked to a next-generation military aircraft. Among the theories circulating online is that it could be the Boeing F-47, the future centerpiece of the US Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance program.

Others have suggested it could be an entirely separate classified aircraft being developed for future military operations.

While no official explanation has been provided, the sighting has reignited debate over what exactly is being flown behind the fences of America's most secretive air base.

A thermal image appears to show a triangular-shaped craft flying close to the infamous testing facility, long associated with some of America's most closely guarded aerospace programs

Several groundbreaking military programs, including stealth and reconnaissance aircraft, were flown at the remote Nevada facility years before they were publicly acknowledged. 

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Project Fear said on X that the image was captured using a 10-micron thermal scope. 

While the identity of the aircraft remains unknown, some observers have speculated that it could be Boeing's F-47, the centerpiece of the US Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.

The sixth-generation fighter is expected to serve as a flying command hub, coordinating swarms of AI-powered drones alongside piloted aircraft in future combat operations.

Reports have suggested that prototype aircraft are already under development, with operational deployment anticipated in the early 2030s.

The speculation comes just days after the Air Force requested $5.03 billion for the F-47 program in its Fiscal Year 2027 budget, citing growing concerns over China's rapidly advancing next-generation military aviation capabilities.

The image has fueled intense debate online, with one X user writing: 'Any unidentified aircraft near Area 51 automatically creates more questions than answers.'

Among the theories circulating online is that it could be the Boeing F-47, the future centerpiece of the US Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance program

Area 51 is a highly classified US Air Force facility located within the Nevada Test and Training Range, approximately 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas

Area 51 has long been the stuff of alien lore, with whispers of crashed UFOs and extraterrestrial autopsies behind its barbed-wire-laced fence.

The base, established in 1955, remained largely unknown until 1989, when Robert Lazar claimed on TV that he worked at a secret site near Groom Lake, 'S-4,' studying alien technology and spacecraft.

While the remote US Air Force base in Nevada, approximately 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas, has kept a tight lid on its activities, the CIA finally lifted the lid in 2013, officially admitting Area 51's existence.

The agency declassified a more than 400-page report that detailed how testing its secret spy planes 'accounted for more than one-half of all UFO reports during the late 1950s and most of the 1960s.'

The U-2 spy and A-12 reconnaissance planes were being flown in the shadows of the desert amid the Cold War, but the extreme altitudes sparked fears of an alien invasion.

'High-altitude testing of the U-2 soon led to an unexpected side effect, a tremendous increase in reports of unidentified flying objects (UFOs),' the report states.

'Once U-2s started flying at altitudes above 60,000 feet, air-traffic controllers began receiving increasing numbers of UFO reports.'

However, the CIA report does not mention Area 51's purpose after 1974.

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NASA's $247 million (£183 million) 'Son of Concorde' jet is about to take to the skies for its first supersonic test flight.

Travelling at speeds up to Mach 1.6, or 1,218 miles per hour (1,960 km/h), the jet could cut the trip from London to New York to just four hours.

However, unlike Concorde, NASA's experimental jet, the X-59, has been designed to replace the deafening crash of a sonic boom with a softer 'thump'. 

The X-59 has already undergone months of test flights since launching for the first time in October last year.

Now, NASA says it is getting the plane ready to fly at faster speeds and higher altitudes, including its first test flight beyond the speed of sound. 

With a new series of tests starting in early June, the space agency plans to fly X-59 at speeds of over 630 miles per hour (1,014 km/h) at an altitude of 43,000 feet.

This will be followed by a 'mission conditions flight', during which the jet will hit Mach 1.4, 925 miles per hour (1,490 km/h), at 50,000 feet.

Finally, test pilots will push the jet to its absolute limit, reaching a top speed of Mach 1.6 at 60,000 feet - around twice the height and speed of a commercial airline.  

NASA's experimental supersonic jet, dubbed the 'Son of Concorde', will take to the skies in its first faster-than-sound flight in July 

The X-59 has been specifically designed to solve a major problem that currently stands in the way of supersonic travel becoming more common.

When a plane flies at sub-sonic speeds, it pushes the air out of the way like a boat moving through water, creating ripples in the form of sound waves.

But when something reaches the speed of sound, it starts to outrun these sound waves, and the ripples bunch up and merge together into a powerful shockwave.

This means that supersonic jets are constantly generating shockwaves, which people on the ground hear as a deafening boom as they sweep past. 

Because these booms can be as loud as 110 decibels, similar to a loud rock concert, supersonic flights are generally banned over populated areas. 

To solve this problem, NASA has been working to develop 'Quiet SuperSonic Technology (Quesst)' that would muffle the boom into a muted 'thump'.

The jet has been developed by American aerospace firm Lockheed Martin after being awarded the $247.5 million design contract by NASA in 2016. 

The X-59 features a radically redesigned geometry in which every feature is designed to diffuse and muffle the sonic boom.

The X-59 jet has been designed to produce a much quieter sonic boom when flying at supersonic speeds, creating a 'thump' rather than a bang 

Part of the reason that Concorde was eventually discontinued was that the sonic boom produced by breaking the sound barrier could be extremely loud for people on the ground 

During the upcoming tests, the experimental aircraft will be chased by a standard supersonic jet equipped with a probe to record the shockwave

The most obvious difference from a normal jet is the thin, tapered nose, which accounts for almost a third of the plane's entire length and is shaped to break up the shockwave.

The downside of this novel design is that the cockpit is located around halfway down the length of the vehicle and doesn't have any forward-facing windows.

Instead, the single pilot uses a system of cameras and augmented reality displays, known as the eXternal Vision System, to see out the front. 

Reaching these new speed and altitude records is a key milestone for Quesst, since they are NASA's targets for the X-59 to eventually fly over American communities.

Cathy Bahm, project manager for NASA's Low Boom Flight Demonstrator, says: 'Every step of envelope expansion brings us closer to demonstrating the quiet supersonic capability that is at the heart of the Quesst mission. 

'Completing the first mission-conditions flight is especially meaningful - it's the moment where we begin validating the aircraft in the environment it was designed for.'

While the eventual goal is to produce quiet sonic booms, this upcoming batch of test flights will not be designed to assess the volume of the flight.

The X-59 will be accompanied by a standard supersonic chase plane, which would drown out any useful data with its own, much louder boom.

According to NASA, the sonic thump produced by X-59 passing overhead will be quieter than the sound of a car door shutting 20 feet away 

The X-59's aerodynamic profile has been designed so that it breaks up the shockwave formed by passing the sound barrier and is much quieter in flight. Pictured: The sonic boom from a scale model of the aircraft during wind tunnel tests 

Travelling at speeds up to Mach 1.6, or 1,218 miles per hour (1,960 km/h), the X-59 could cut the trip from London to New York to just four hours

The X-59's long nose accounts for a third of its total length, which means the cockpit doesn't have room for a forward-facing window. Test pilots instead use a system of cameras and augmented reality displays to see where they are going (pictured)

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However, the chasing jet will be equipped with a specialised probe to take initial measurements of the X-59's shock waves.

Strain gages throughout the aircraft's body will also gather data on how it handles higher speeds and whether it is structurally safe to fly.

This data will pave the way for a new set of tests later this year, dubbed Quesst Phase 2, in which NASA will begin to check whether it is really producing a quiet supersonic thump as intended.

Ms Bahm says: 'As we look ahead to the upcoming flights, we're poised to open the envelope even further - moving boldly toward the mission test point this aircraft was built to achieve.'

The history of Concorde  

Concorde was a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger jet that was operated from 1976 until 2003.

It had a maximum speed over twice the speed of sound at Mach 2.04 (1,354mph or 2,180k per hour at cruise altitude) and could seat 92 to 128 passengers.

It was first flown in 1969, but needed further tests to establish it as viable as a commercial aircraft. Concorde entered service in 1976.

It is one of only two supersonic transports to have been operated commercially. The other is the Soviet-built Tupolev Tu-144, which ran as a passenger aircraft only for a few years in the 1970s due to safety issues.

Concorde was the world's first supersonic airliner and operated for 27 years, but it was grounded in October 2003. Pictured is British Airways Concorde G-BOAB taking off with its landing gear still extended over the Cotswolds town of Fairford, Gloucestershire on July 20, 1996, during the annual RAF Fairford airshow

Concorde was jointly developed and manufactured by Aérospatiale and the British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) under an Anglo-French treaty. Concorde's name, meaning harmony or union, reflected the cooperation on the project between the UK and France.   

Concorde was retired in 2003 due to a general downturn in the commercial aviation industry after its only crash in 2000, the September 11 attacks in 2001, and a decision by Airbus, the successor to Aérospatiale and BAC, to discontinue maintenance support. 

It wasn't the first plane to break the sound barrier, however; that achievement was managed by the Bell X-1, piloted by Chuck Yeager, in October 1947.

The legendary rocket engine-powered aircraft, designed and built in 1945, achieved a speed of 700 miles (1,127 kilometers) per hour.

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NASA astronauts were forced to shelter in their spacecraft and prepare for potential evacuation on Friday due to an escalating air crisis on the International Space Station.

The extraordinary precaution came as US and Russian officials clashed over how to tackle a growing air leak aboard the orbiting laboratory. 

In a dramatic attempt to reach the source, Russian cosmonauts used a saw to cut into a section of the station where they believed the leak was coming from. 

The four members of NASA's Crew-12 mission, two Americans, a French astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut, were instructed to enter their docked SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and put on spacesuits while Russian crews attempted repairs. Another NASA astronaut also joined them.

But roughly 90 minutes later, the safe-haven procedures were lifted after Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, paused the repair operation to gather additional data and measurements. 

The dispute had been brewing for months, with NASA and Roscosmos unable to agree on either the source of the persistent air leaks or the best way to stop them. 

While the leaks have plagued the station on and off for years, Reuters reported that the rate of air loss recently doubled from about one pound per day to two. 

The decision by Russian cosmonauts to use a saw heightened concerns aboard the orbiting laboratory, prompting NASA to place astronauts into safe-haven procedures as a precaution. 

NASA ordered astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to take shelter over 'worsening air leaks'

Bethany Stevens, NASA press secretary, said in a statement on X: 'Roscosmos has paused Friday’s structural repair efforts inside the Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, as more measurements and data are assessed. 

'Given this development, NASA has instructed the crew members inside the Dragon spacecraft to end the safe haven procedures and return to planned operations aboard the International Space Station.'

The Zvezda service module transfer tunnel is a pressurized cylindrical passageway in the rear of the Russian part of the station. 

Its function is to connect the Zvezda's main living quarters with the docking port where cargo is brought aboard the ISS.

While the module arrived in space in 2020, some parts of this section were constructed in the 1980s and have been a site of worsening leaks for years. 

A leak has been ongoing since 2019, when air began escaping from the module's transfer tunnel. 

NASA has a plan in place for an emergency evacuation of the ISS, and it could be used amid cracks and leaks on the ship

Bethany Stevens, NASA press secretary, said that the astronauts have now been told to 'return to planned operations' after Roscosmos called off their attempted repairs at the last minute 

These leaks rapidly accelerated as the repair attempts failed to stem the flow, leaking 1.68kg (3.7lb) of precious air into space every day by 2024. 

The issue has become so serious that NASA has reportedly ranked it among the highest-risk challenges facing the station, with the possibility of a 'catastrophic failure' discussed during internal meetings. 

This new leak, detected on May 1, initially allowed roughly one pound of air to escape into space each day - about the weight of a loaf of bread. 

However, this rate doubled, a senior NASA official told Reuters on condition of anonymity, prompting the space agencies to act.   

In the past, Roscosmos astronauts have used sealants to attempt to plug the hole and prevent more air from escaping.

However, the Russian agency's planned repairs carried a higher risk, and the remaining astronauts were ordered to take shelter as a precaution.

The astronauts are taking shelter inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in preparation for an emergency evacuation 

Stevens said in a statement: 'The Zvezda service module transfer tunnel, known as PrK, has suffered from cracks and leaks for some time, and has been mitigated by Roscosmos as much as possible to date.'

'Following new leaks, Roscosmos has elected to proceed with a more extensive repair operation on Friday, June 5,' she added.

'Out of an abundance of caution, NASA has directed all four of the agency's SpaceX Crew-12 members and NASA astronaut Chris Williams to assume an elevated safety posture in the Dragon spacecraft while the repair is underway.   

'The cracks have always been a concern that NASA watches very closely. NASA and Roscosmos have been working to determine the root cause of the cracks, and Roscosmos manages the issue through operational mitigation measures and periodic partial-repair efforts' 

The Crew-12 members include Americans Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, Sophie Adenot of France and Russia's Andrey Fedyaev. There are a total of seven astronauts on board. 

NASA has a plan in place to evacuate the space station in case of an emergency, and had been ready to put that into action until Roscosmos called off the risky repair.  

The moment Houston gave the signal, astronauts moved to their assigned spacecraft to shelter in place in case the station lost pressure. 

The four astronauts of NASA's Crew-12 mission include, from left, Americans Jack Hathaway and Jessica Meir, Sophie Adenot of France and Russia's Andrey Fedyaev

The capsules have been stocked with emergency suits, allowing the crew to quickly put on the proper gear as they flee the orbiting laboratory, saving valuable time. 

It can take up to 30 minutes to get inside a spacesuit, according to NASA, which makes early preparation vital. 

If the station became unsafe and NASA was forced to call for a full evacuation, the crew would launch their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and return to Earth. 

NASA's commercial crew program manager, Steve Stich, has previously said that in the event of an emergency, SpaceX's Dragon could be powered up within minutes.

This comes amid growing concern that the ageing space station needs to be retired before disaster strikes. 

Since 1998, when construction began on the first modules, the ISS has hosted more than 250 visitors from 20 different countries and produced over 400 research papers.

But after roughly 146,000 orbits, the systems and hardware installed on the ISS are beginning to show their age. 

The ISS was only intended to stay in orbit until 2015 and has now been in orbit for more than a decade longer than planned.

NASA is tracking 50 'areas of concern' related to a leak in the Russian Zvezda Service Module, Transfer Tunnel (labelled), which sprang a leak in 2019

This is not the first time the ISS has sprung a leak. In 2018, astronauts rushed to fix a hole (above), which had appeared in the outer wall of the Soyuz capsule on the orbiting laboratory

ESA astronaut Tim Peake took this photo from inside Cupola in 2016, showing a 7mm-diameter circular chip gouged out by the impact from a tiny piece of space debris

How will the ISS be brought back to Earth?

1. Starting from 2026, the ISS will be allowed to gradually fall from 250 miles to 200 miles above Earth.
2. Meanwhile, the last human crew will depart the ISS and take anything of historical importance they can carry.
3. As the ISS falls from 200 miles to 175 miles, a modified SpaceX Dragon capsule will dock with the station.
4. Once the station hits the point of no return at 175 miles, the Dragon capsule will begin to guide the ISS into an elliptical orbit.
5. When the time is right, the space tug will deliver one last kick and push the station into Earth within less than half an orbit.
6. The ISS and tug will hit the atmosphere at 17,000 mph and be destroyed.  
7. Hopefully, whatever doesn't burn up in the atmosphere will splash harmlessly into the Pacific Ocean near Point Nemo.  

In September last year, NASA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) identified 588 replacement parts that were operating beyond their operational lifetimes.

This has come with a risk of worsening leaks and damage from impacts with micrometeorites and space junk, especially in the oldest Russian modules.

In 2018, astronauts rushed to fix a hole that had appeared in the outer wall of the Soyuz capsule on the orbiting laboratory

Weighing 400 tons (880,000lb), equivalent to more than 400 elephants, the ISS is so large that it can't actually stay in such a low-Earth orbit unassisted. 

This means that the station's thrusters need to be regularly fired in order to keep it in a stable orbit of around 250 miles (400km) above Earth. 

If these thrusters failed, the station would gradually fall out of orbit and crash uncontrollably to Earth. 

To bring the football-pitch laboratory down to Earth safely, NASA will need to deliberately push the station out of orbit.

NASA currently plans to bring the ISS down to Earth in 2030, bringing an end to three decades of international collaboration in Earth's orbit.

NASA estimates it will cost $1 billion (£800 million) to convert a Dragon capsule into a vehicle capable of pushing the ISS out of orbit 

Starting from the end of this year, the station will be allowed to fall naturally under the effects of atmospheric drag until it reaches an altitude of around 200 miles (320km).

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At this point, the last ISS crew will depart the station, taking with them any equipment or items that are deemed historically important. 

Once the last crew has gone, the station will continue to fall over several months until it reaches the 'point of no return' at an altitude of 175 miles (280 km). 

To deliver the finishing blow, NASA has commissioned a 'space tug' which will launch from Earth, dock with the ISS, and then push the station out of orbit.

The space agency plans to use a modified SpaceX Dragon capsule, which will dock with the station before pushing it into the atmosphere at an estimated cost of $1bn (£800m).

EXPLAINED: THE $100 BILLION INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION SITS 250 MILES ABOVE THE EARTH

The International Space Station (ISS) is a $100 billion (£80 billion) science and engineering laboratory that orbits 250 miles (400 km) above Earth.

It has been permanently staffed by rotating crews of astronauts and cosmonauts since November 2000. 

Crews have come mainly from the US and Russia, but the Japanese space agency JAXA and European space agency ESA have also sent astronauts. 

The International Space Station has been continuously occupied for more than 20 years and has been expended with multiple new modules added and upgrades to systems 

Research conducted aboard the ISS often requires one or more of the unusual conditions present in low Earth orbit, such as low-gravity or oxygen.

ISS studies have investigated human research, space medicine, life sciences, physical sciences, astronomy and meteorology.

The US space agency, NASA, spends about $3 billion (£2.4 billion) a year on the space station program, with the remaining funding coming from international partners, including Europe, Russia and Japan.

So far 244 individuals from 19 countries have visited the station, and among them eight private citizens who spent up to $50 million for their visit.

There is an ongoing debate about the future of the station beyond 2025, when it is thought some of the original structure will reach 'end of life'.

Russia, a major partner in the station, plans to launch its own orbital platform around then, with Axiom Space, a private firm, planning to send its own modules for purely commercial use to the station at the same time. 

NASA, ESA, JAXA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) are working together to build a space station in orbit around the moon, and Russia and China are working on a similar project, that would also include a base on the surface. 

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Washington archbishop removes priest as exorcist after comments on UFOs and demons

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy, on Wednesday removed a well-known priest as an exorcist of the archdiocese after he made public comments suggesting that UFO sightings were the work of demons.

McElroy said the archdiocese also was cutting ties with the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a Washington-based nonprofit headed by the priest, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti.

The archbishop said Rossetti´s statements "linking UFOs to demonic presence and the Center´s recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church´s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism."

"There´s a danger here," Rossetti said in a May 29 video posted on his Facebook page addressing UFO sightings and the existence of aliens. "As an exorcist I wanted to raise that danger. And that is that demons like to hide. ... They don´t want us to know what they´re doing because they´re more effective when we don´t realize it."

"They can kind of get into your head, you know, and manipulate things in the world to influence us to do evil."

"It´s my personal belief that probably many if not most of these UFO sightings are in fact demons," Rossetti added.

FILE - Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington attends a press conference at the North American College in Rome, Friday, May 9, 2025.

(AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia,File)

Rossetti also said that people can be good Catholics and believe there´s life on other planets, though he does not personally believe life exists elsewhere.

In a statement posted on the St. Michael Center website, Rossetti said he was saddened by the action of the archdiocese.

"I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church´s Magisterium, particularly in the cited video on 'aliens and the demonic,'" he said. "I believe it is of the utmost importance to be obedient to the Church and I will continue to endeavor to subject all that I do and the Center to be thus obedient."

Rossetti, who has over 148,000 followers on Instagram, is a prominent psychologist as well as an exorcist. His center has specialized in offering spiritual healing for priests troubled by various difficulties.

In 2023, he told The Associated Press there was increasing and renewed appetite for information about demonic possession and exorcism.

• Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP´s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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A prominent DC exorcist has been removed by the Catholic Church for saying UFOs are demons 👽🛸

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{ https://www.dailymail.com/news/index.html }

Shocking twist after America's top exorcist claims UFOs are actually demons

By ROB WAUGH

One of America's most prominent Catholic exorcists has been stripped of his official role after claiming that many UFO sightings may actually be manifestations of demonic forces. 

Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a priest, psychologist and longtime exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington, sparked controversy with a video warning Christians about what he believes is a hidden spiritual danger behind the UFO phenomenon. 

In the video posted Friday to the YouTube page of his St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, Rossetti suggested that many unexplained aerial sightings are not extraterrestrial visitors but demons attempting to deceive humanity. 

Citing Ephesians 6:12, which describes humanity's struggle against spiritual forces of evil, Rossetti urged Christians to remain vigilant and to 'put on the armor of God.'

Drawing on his experiences as an exorcist, he said demons and spirits can sometimes manifest as unusual entities, including 'beast-like creatures,' mysterious glowing orbs and so-called 'shadow men.'

'There's no question in my mind, personally, again, this is not de fide, but it's my personal belief that probably many, if not most, of these UFO sightings are, in fact, demons, and they can do things that we can't do, such [as] the speed and all sorts of things that human beings can't do,' Rossetti said.

'The reason why it's important is that they will try to manipulate us.'

The remarks triggered a swift response from church leaders, with Cardinal Robert McElroy subsequently removing Rossetti from his position as exorcist for the Washington archdiocese.  The archdiocese also severed ties with Rossetti's St Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal. 

Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a priest, psychologist and longtime exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington, sparked controversy with a video warning Christians about what he believes is a hidden spiritual danger behind the UFO phenomenon

Rossetti served as the exorcist for the Archdiocese of Washington for 19 years and has built a large following through his public ministry, including more than 148,000 followers on Instagram. 

A licensed psychologist and author of several books on exorcism and spiritual warfare, he is widely regarded as one of the most prominent Catholic exorcists in the United States.

Rossetti made the comments in a video posted to t

Rossetti made the comments in a video posted to the YouTube and Facebook channels of the St Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, where he discussed the possibility that UFO encounters have a supernatural rather than extraterrestrial explanation.

The video centered on Rossetti's belief that many UFO sightings may not involve visitors from another world at all, but rather deceptive manifestations of demonic forces. 

It was this claim, more than any other, that triggered the controversy now surrounding the priest. 

He recounted the story of a woman who believed she was communicating with her deceased grandmother through occult 'automatic writing' before concluding she had been deceived by evil spirits.

'There's a danger here ... as an exorcist, I wanted to raise that danger: and that is that demons like to hide, they don't want us to know they're around,' Rossetti said in the video that has since been removed.

A video released in the first wave of UFO files appeared to show a glowing object resembling an 'eight-pointed star' with uneven arms moving across the sky

'They don't want us to know what they're doing because they're more effective when we don't realize it. And they can kind of get into your head ... and manipulate things in the world to influence us to do evil.'

The Archdiocese of Washington publicly rejected Rossetti's comments, saying his statements 'linking UFOs to demonic presence and the Center's recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church's very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism.'

Following the decision, Rossetti issued a statement expressing disappointment over the archdiocese's actions.

'I am saddened by the decision of the Archdiocese of Washington to cut its affiliation with St Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal (SMC),' he wrote. 

'I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church's Magisterium, particularly in the cited video on "aliens and the demonic."'

Rossetti did not retract his belief that some UFO sightings may have a demonic origin, but emphasized his commitment to remaining obedient to Church authority. 

Despite the setback, Rossetti said the St Michael Center would continue operating independently and serving people seeking spiritual guidance and deliverance ministry.

'I believe it is of the utmost importance to be obedient to the Church and I will continue to endeavor to subject all that I do and the Center to be thus obedient. Also, I will continue to encourage all to do so as well,' he wrote.

Congress recently requested 46 UFO videos from the Department of War, and eight of them were leaked to an investigative journalist

'As I often say: 'Stay in the Boat!', that is, stay in the barque of Peter, it will lead you safely home.'

The controversy sparked fierce debate online. One supporter wrote, 'The Saints were hated and persecuted. Thank you for speaking out and being courageous. My daily prayers are with you.'

Other supporters praised Rossetti for discussing what they believe is a neglected spiritual aspect of the UFO phenomenon, while critics accused him of promoting speculation not supported by official Church teaching.

Rossetti's views are controversial but not unique. Vice President J D Vance remarked during a podcast appearance in March, 'I don't think they're aliens, I think they're demons.'

The idea has also surfaced among academics and former government officials involved in UFO investigations. A 2022 paper titled Ultraterrestrial Models by parapsychologist Hal Puthoff explored supernatural explanations as one possible interpretation of UFO encounters.

Earlier this year, Diana Pasulka, a professor of religious studies at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, said some government and military officials who study unidentified aerial phenomena interpret certain cases through a religious lens.

'There is, incidentally, a high percentage of devout Catholics in the military who study this,' she said.

'They believe there are probably a variety of phenomena. Some they would categorize as being caused by angels and demons.'

Luis Elizondo, who was involved in the Pentagon's Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, has also claimed that a senior official once warned him against investigating UFOs because they were believed to have a Satanic connection.

Father Carlos Martins, another Catholic exorcist, previously told DailyMail.com that he believes the UFO phenomenon could be part of a broader effort to undermine belief in scripture.

'If the devil brings it about, they can put it into the human imagination that there is extraterrestrial life, that there are civilizations out there, then he can cause doubt in the Scriptures,' Martins said.

'What he's done then is set up a competing account to the Christian scriptures, something the Judeo-Christian scriptures cannot account for, and so there's an indirect repudiation of the truth of revelation. He's accomplished that.'

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Mars structure found in NASA Rover Photo, UFO UAP Sighting News.

Date of discovery: June 4, 2026

Location of discovery: Mars Sol 526

Source photo: 

• http://www.midnightplanets.com/web/MSL/image/00526/0526ML0020740010203151E01_DXXX.html

Now check this out. I was searching through Mars photos and came across something very unusual and clearly intelligently made. This strange objects is an alien structure, yes building. We alien researchers have found numerous small statues of aliens about 1 foot tall on Mars in NASA photos, so many that they number is about 20 or more and here is a structure with a doorway entrance the same size. Also the structure is non reflective black, stealth fighter black which makes it even more interesting since this color was created to hide things from others. There also seems to be a huge handle at the top area where the creatures may exit and look out from the roof area safely holding on. Life has been and always will exist on Mars. 

Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily

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{ https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/ }

UFO Tracked By USAF Jet Over EUCOM region, Aug 1, 2022, From Second UAP Dump files, Paranormal News

Date of sighting: August 1, 2022

Location of sighting: EUCOM region

Source: 

• https://www.war.gov/ufo/?releaseDate=Release+02#DOW-UAP-PR054-Spherical-UAP-Erratic-movement-CALLSIGN-Mission-2022

This video is from the recent Trump UAP file drop and this particular craft shows how it changes shape from a disk to a diamond, to a thin rectangle and it does loops while it's being watch. It's actually showing off for the USAF! Like it has nothing better to do but mess with the military aircraft and let them know what kind of technology they are flying next too. Aliens like to claim to be superior to humans, and they are usually so, however there are times they mess up, UFOs crash, bodies get found. As they said in the movie Top Gun, "your ego is writing checks your body can't cash." So arrogance is their biggest most obvious flaw. 

Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily 

 

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{ https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/ }

8 Alien Beings Described In UFO Encounters, UFO UAP paranormal sighting news 👽 wow!

 

Hey all, a lot of news is coming out about four different types of aliens, but there are endless species out there for alien life, but for intelligent alien life...the number would boggle the mind. I believe it's closer to billions in our universe and most of them are older than us since Earth is only 3.5 billion years old but most of the universe is 13.5 billion years old. That leaves most the universe thats older than us, have intelligent species far more advanced than us and I want to show you a few right here. 

 

These eight species of aliens have all been talked about in UFO files spanning the globe and I decided to make this to give people a heads up about a few alien species that exist and visit earth. 

Scott C. Waring - UFO Sightings Daily 

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{ https://www.ufosightingsdaily.com/ }

The Varginha Mystery Deepens: Doctor Breaks Decades of Silence About Brazil’s “Roswell”

One of the most intriguing UFO cases in history has returned to the spotlight after a Brazilian doctor publicly spoke about what he claims to have witnessed during the infamous Varginha incident in 1996.

Often referred to as the “Brazilian Roswell,” the Varginha Case has fascinated researchers, journalists, and UFO enthusiasts for nearly three decades. Now, for the first time, a physician who says he personally examined one of the alleged creatures has decided to share his story publicly.

A Shocking Encounter

According to the doctor, the encounter took place on January 20, 1996, when he was asked to provide a professional medical opinion regarding a mysterious being that had reportedly been captured in the city of Varginha, Brazil.

• Varginha UFO incident in Brazil

What he saw, he says, changed his understanding of reality forever.

The doctor described the being as small, roughly the size of a seven-year-old child, with pale skin and unusual violet-colored eyes. Contrary to some of the more sensational stories surrounding the case, he stated that the creature appeared calm, peaceful, and surprisingly aware of its surroundings.

“It was not aggressive, frightened, or in visible pain,” he explained. “It seemed to understand what was happening.”

According to his testimony, the being repeatedly looked at him, then toward a nearby window, before returning its gaze. The doctor said he had the distinct impression that the creature possessed intelligence and awareness far beyond what one might expect.

Not Seeking Fame or Fortune

The physician emphasized that he has remained silent for decades and has no financial motivation for speaking now. Instead, he says he felt compelled to share what he witnessed before it was too late.

He repeatedly stated that he considers himself an eyewitness and stands by his account despite the skepticism that inevitably surrounds such extraordinary claims.

“I saw the being,” he said. “People may doubt me, but I know what I witnessed.”

The Legendary Varginha Incident

The Varginha Case began in January 1996 when multiple residents reported seeing strange creatures in the area. The most famous witnesses were three young women who claimed to have encountered a small humanoid being crouching near a wall.

Rumors quickly spread throughout the city. Reports of unusual military activity, mysterious transports, and alleged creature captures soon followed. Over the years, the story grew into one of the most famous UFO cases outside the United States.

While official investigations have generally dismissed the claims, many researchers argue that unanswered questions remain, keeping the mystery alive nearly thirty years later.

Why This Testimony Matters

What makes this latest statement particularly significant is the doctor’s professional background and his long period of silence. Unlike many public UFO witnesses, he spent decades avoiding interviews and media attention.

His testimony does not provide definitive proof of extraterrestrial life. However, it adds another layer to a case that continues to generate debate among believers and skeptics alike.

Whether the Varginha incident was a misunderstanding, a secret military operation, or something far more extraordinary remains unknown. But with new witnesses continuing to come forward, the mystery refuses to disappear.

Nearly thirty years after the events in Brazil, the Varginha Case remains one of the world’s most compelling UFO enigmas, and this latest testimony ensures that the debate is far from over.

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{ https://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/ }

A NASA orbiter around Mars suffered an abrupt demise

By  Elisha Sauers

NASA will begin to decommission Maven, a Mars orbiter, which unexpectedly went silent in December 2025 after more than a decade of operations at the Red Planet. 

Credit: Lockheed Martin

A healthy NASA orbiter disappeared as usual behind Mars back in December. When the spacecraft reemerged from the other side, it was never the same again.

The U.S. space agency announced June 3 that the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission, aka Maven, is over, after a review board determined the orbiter that has circled Mars for over 11 years is now unreachable.

Though all of Maven's systems were normal before it rounded the bend on Dec. 6, 2025, something mysterious happened to the spacecraft when it slipped out of view. A snippet of data transmitted to Earth indicates Maven began rapidly tumbling. While mission control would normally only lose contact with the spacecraft for 20 to 30 minutes when it passed behind Mars, the team never regained its signal. 

NASA's anomaly review board, which convened in February, determined this erratic rotation, coupled with dwindling battery power, meant there was no viable way to recover Maven. At a teleconference Wednesday, officials delivered something of a eulogy to the mission, which continued 10 years longer than the team had originally planned.

"I think the team has really experienced the loss of a loved one with the end of the mission here," said project manager Mike Moreau from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

• A missing signal from hot exoplanets may have revealed a secret all along

Whether a meteor is to blame for Maven's demise is not known right now. NASA has yet to conclude its investigation into the root cause for the incident. The agency is expected to deliver a final report later in the year.

The Maven orbiter captured ultraviolet views of Mars in 2023. 

Credit: NASA / LASP / CU Boulder

Arriving at Mars in September 2014, Maven has focused on "atmospheric escape" — the leak of gas from the top of Mars' atmosphere into space. Its measurements showed that this surges during solar storms, when bursts of energy and particles erupt from the sun. A major space‑weather event in May 2024, one of the strongest seen at Mars in 20 years, triggered a torrent of particles that stripped away gas and lit up the planet with glowing auroras.

"We now have a better understanding of atmospheric escape at Mars than at any other planet, including Earth," said Shannon Curry, Maven's principal investigator, based at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Maven found several kinds of auroras at Mars and helped the Perseverance rover capture the first visible‑light aurora from the surface, giving scientists a sense of what astronauts might see with their own eyes. The orbiter also showed how a planet‑wide dust storm in 2018 boosted the loss of water to space, tying together dust, climate, and the fate of Mars' ancient oceans.

One of Maven's most important results involved a process called "sputtering." Put simply, charged particles slam into the upper atmosphere and knock neutral atoms into space, like a cannonball splashing water out of a pool. This process has likely stripped Mars' atmosphere for billions of years, with implications for other planets.

The mission also made some surprise finds. Maven’s particle detector picked up hard X‑rays from a distant black hole system known as Scorpius X‑1, and the team used that odd signal to learn more about the density of Mars' upper atmosphere. 

Beyond science, Maven played a vital behind‑the‑scenes role as a communications relay. The spacecraft passed data between Earth and surface missions such as Spirit, Opportunity, Curiosity, and Perseverance. Though it handled only about 8 percent of all relay sessions, it delivered nearly 18 percent of the total data, according to NASA, thanks in part to a new coding scheme that boosted how much information it could send during each contact. At one point, Maven set the solar system record for most data returned in a single relay session.

For now, Maven will remain in a stretched‑out orbit around Mars. NASA expects the dead spacecraft to stay in space for 50 to 100 years before the orbit naturally shrinks and it falls into Mars' atmosphere. Officials say it doesn't threaten other orbiters circling the Red Planet.

To make up for Maven's lost relay capacity, Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and European orbiters have adjusted their operations. NASA also plans a new Mars Telecommunications Network in the 2030s, with help from commercial partners, to provide more robust communications and navigation services for future robotic and human missions.

For the people who worked on Maven, though, the loss feels personal. Curry said the team was "broken up" about it. When asked what she'd inscribe on the orbiter's tombstone, she didn't hesitate with her answer: 

{ https://mashable.com/? }

The ominous sign a SUPER El Niño is inching closer: Satellite image reveals how large areas of the Atlantic Ocean are 5°C hotter than usual – suggesting the unusual climate event could be imminent

• READ MORE: Scientists warn temperature records will continue to be broken 

By XANTHA LEATHAM, EXECUTIVE SCIENCE EDITOR

Large areas of the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea are currently 5°C (9°F) hotter than usual, amid warnings a Super El Niño is imminent.

Satellite images show an ongoing marine heatwave off the northern and western coasts of France, the southern coast of Spain and in the sea off Monaco.

The waters off the coast of Dover, Eastbourne and Brighton are also significantly warmer than usual, with areas of dark red indicating soaring temperatures.

The image is based on recorded sea surface temperatures on 30 May, provided by the Copernicus Marine Service.

And it comes amid warnings that a 'Super El Niño' – marked by sustained warm temperatures across the Pacific Ocean – is inching closer.

Experts from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) recently predicted there is an 80 per cent likelihood of the weather phenomenon occurring during June–August 2026.

Current signs point to this year being one of the strongest El Niño patterns ever recorded.

While elevated temperatures in parts of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean are not used as part of an El Niño diagnosis, the weather phenomenon is expected to bring extreme heat 'nearly everywhere', with the potential for global average temperatures to rise by as much as 3°C (5.4°F) this summer. 

Satellite images show an ongoing marine heatwave off the northern and western coasts of France, the southern coast of Spain and in the sea off Monaco. The waters off the coast of Dover, Eastbourne and Brighton are also significantly warmer than usual, with areas of dark red indicating soaring temperatures

El Niño years form part of a natural cycle known as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and are marked by sustained warm temperatures across the Pacific Ocean.

Where this ocean surface warming exceeds 2°C (3.6°F), the event is often referred to as a 'super El Niño'.

While each El Niño varies, the event typically brings increased rainfall in parts of southern South America, the southern United States, parts of the Horn of Africa and central Asia.

In contrast, there will be drier conditions over Central America, northern South America, the Caribbean, Australia, Indonesia, and parts of southern Asia.

Meanwhile, scientists say there's a strong chance 2026 will be the hottest year ever recorded.

That could mean beating the record set in 2024, when global warming exceeded 1.5°C (2.7°F) above the pre–industrial average for the first time.

From late April to mid–May, the sea–surface temperature in the central–eastern Equatorial Pacific – the area used as a monitoring reference – was approaching El Niño thresholds, according to the WMO.

These increasing surface temperatures are being fed by unusually warm subsurface water in the tropical Pacific, where temperatures are a whopping 6°C (10.8°F) above average.

A Super El Niño is on its way, and is almost certain to arrive this summer. That's according to scientists from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), who warn there's now an 80 per cent likelihood of an El Niño event during June–August 2026, and a 90 per cent chance this will continue until at least November

The world is on track for 'extraordinary extreme weather' later this year, scientists have warned, as global ocean temperatures indicate a record–breaking heat is likely  

The UK's top 5 warmest years 

2025: 10.09°C

2022: 10.03°C

2023: 9.97°C

2014: 9.88°C

2024: 9.79°C

While its effects on the UK are yet to be determined, meteorologists say El Niño's intensity will likely be comparable to the 1997/98 event which saw global temperatures reach their highest on record.

During its development, the UK experienced an exceptionally hot, sunny and humid August characterised by heatwaves.

The average maximum temperature at Heathrow in August 1997 was 25.8°C (78.4°F), with a top temperature of 31.5°C (88.7°F) reached.

However, while the phenomenon typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the UK during summer months, it also increases the likelihood of colder winters.

WMO Secretary–General Celeste Saulo said: 'We need to prepare for a potentially strong El Niño event – which will exacerbate drought and heavy rainfall and increase the risk of heatwaves both on land and in the ocean.

'The most recent El Niño, in 2023–24, was one of the five strongest on record and it played a role in the record global temperatures we saw in 2024.

'The WMO community will be carefully monitoring conditions in the coming months to inform decision–making by governments, humanitarian agencies and climate–sensitive sectors.

'Advance seasonal forecasts and early warnings are vital to save lives and cushion the impact on our economies and our communities.'

Scientists say there is an extremely high, 86 per cent, chance that one year between now and 2030 will smash the temperature record last set in 2024

Yesterday, it emerged that the impending weather phenomenon could add hundreds to your grocery bill.

'We import two–fifths of our food from overseas,' Gareth Redmond–King, international lead at the Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), said.

'Extreme conditions that are driven by climate change, turbocharged by El Niño, are a threat to crops we can't grow here.

'Things like bananas, rice, tea, coffee and lots of fresh fruit.'

Food prices in the UK are already on track to be 50 per cent higher by November than they were five years ago, he added.

It comes as campaigners warned the weekly shop will keep getting more unpredictable – and more unaffordable – for millions of households. 

Meanwhile, scientists have also raised concerns that an imminent Super El Niño could trigger global famine.

Benjamin Selwyn, Professor of International Relations and Development at the University of Sussex, said extreme heat and drought could damage harvests and worsen global food insecurity this summer.

El Niño alters rainfall, shifts jet streams and raises global temperatures,' he wrote on The Conversation.

'Human‑induced global heating intensifies these dangers.

READ MORE

• Super El Niño of 1877 caused over 50 MILLION deaths worldwide – now scientists warn the 2026 event could be even worse

'A study by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Meteorological Organization shows that rising heat could make farm work unsafe for much of the year across South Asia, sub‑Saharan Africa and parts of the Americas.

'Crop yields have dropped sharply above 30°C, while heat stress reduces livestock productivity and survival.'

WHAT IS THE EL NINO PHENOMENON IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN?

El Niño and La Niña are the warm and cool phases (respectively) of a recurring climate phenomenon across the tropical Pacific - the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or 'ENSO' for short.

The pattern can shift back and forth irregularly every two to seven years, and each phase triggers predictable disruptions of temperature, winds and precipitation. 

These changes disrupt air movement and affect global climate. 

ENSO has three phases it can be: 

* El Niño: A warming of the ocean surface, or above-average sea surface temperatures (SST), in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Over Indonesia, rainfall becomes reduced while rainfall increases over the tropical Pacific Ocean. The low-level surface winds, which normally blow from east to west along the equator, instead weaken or, in some cases, start blowing the other direction from west to east. 

* La Niña: A cooling of the ocean surface, or below-average sea surface temperatures (SST), in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. Over Indonesia, rainfall tends to increase while rainfall decreases over the central tropical Pacific Ocean. The normal easterly winds along the equator become even stronger.

* Neutral: Neither El Niño or La Niña. Often tropical Pacific SSTs are generally close to average.

Source: Climate.gov

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Lawmakers host whistleblowers, UFO investigators to press feds to come clean about space aliens

A group of lawmakers and a former Pentagon whistleblower are spearheading a new drive for the government’s full disclosure about extraterrestrials.

They will bring fresh attention to the issue at a Capitol Hill event scheduled for June 9. It will feature whistleblower David Grusch, a former Air Force and Pentagon intelligence officer who revealed to Congress in 2023 that the U.S. government is secretly retrieving and reverse-engineering spacecraft of non-human origin.

At the event, he is expected to elaborate on Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, or UAPs, and non-human intelligence-related evidence he encountered in classified channels, believing that they should now be publicly released.

“President Trump now has an historic opportunity; this press conference is about moving from testimony to action,” he said in a statement. “Let the American people judge the facts for themselves.”

Other participants include GOP Reps. Eric Burlison of Missouri, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, Tim Burchett of Tennessee and Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz of Florida.

Mr. Burchett co-chairs the bipartisan House UAP Caucus alongside Mr. Moskowitz, while Ms. Luna chairs the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, which has conducted congressional investigations into UAP and other classified federal records.

The members of Congress are expected to rally around the passage of the UAP Disclosure Act, which requires the president to direct each federal agency to declassify all agency records related to UAPs and make such records available on a public website of the agency.

Investigative journalist Leslie Kean and documentary filmmaker James Fox, who both have produced projects about UFOs, will host the event.

“The public deserves real answers, Congress deserves access, and reality should not be classified,” Mr. Fox said in a statement. “If our requests are fulfilled, this could change the course of history.”

The Trump administration has been rolling out now-declassified documents related to extraterrestrial sightings: firsthand eyewitness testimonies, intelligence reports and sensor data of UAPs.

The second release of documents came last week.

Federal officials have clarified that while the documents contain real, unexplained sightings, “unidentified” does not mean “alien.”

“President Trump is the first president to take concrete steps towards transparency on UAP,” Mr. Burlison said. “The recent releases are an important start, so now it’s the obligation of Congress to make sure career intelligence officials don’t obstruct his directive in order to prevent selective disclosure or another dead end.”

{  https://www.ufofeed.com/ }

‘We found Nessie almost a decade ago, now my underwater drone will help us reach new depths in Loch Ness’

Deep Sea Vision president of operations Craig Wallace found a 1969 film prop in Loch Ness.

Craig Wallace and his underwater drone. Image: Maria Strang/DC Thomson

By Alex Banks

New technology will help the annual hunt for the Loch Ness Monster reach new depths this year.

Deep Sea Vision’s autonomous underwater vehicle, Micro Millie, has been scoping out the surface of the famous loch today.

The drone’s research is part of The Loch Ness Experience’s annual quest, which takes place this weekend.

Deep Sea Vision’s president of operations Craig Wallace said exploring Loch Ness is one of his favourite hobbies, and something he’s been doing for 15 years.

The piece of equipment, which has a value of around £75,000, is able to showcase Loch Ness in high resolution.

Something Craig claims we only currently know around 2% of.

The Press and Journal joined Deep Sea Vision on the waters of Loch Ness to learn more about their search. 

‘Everybody thinks Loch Ness has been done to death’

Craig funds the hobby through the business, Deep Sea Vision, which covers deep-ocean exploration.

He said: “From a personal perspective, I do it because I love Loch Ness, and I’ve been coming here for 15 years doing this.

“The reality is we only know maybe 2% of Loch Ness to a very high resolution.

“Everybody thinks Loch Ness has been done to death, but the reality is it’s mostly been explored with surface sonar. We wouldn’t even have found a bus if it was at the bottom yet.

Craig Wallace of Deep Sea Vision on board the Natalie J vessel. Image: Maria Strang/DC Thomson

“A guy from Sutherland called Sir John Murray — who’s regarded as the godfather of modern oceanography — mapped 562 Scottish lochs between 1895 and 1903 using a rope and a lead weight to measure depths.

“Even today, for many Scottish lochs, that’s still the most advanced information we have.

“We’ve now got all this new technology, but most Scottish lochs still haven’t been properly mapped.”

Craig holding Micro Millie.

Image: Maria Strang/DC Thomson

Craig may have come closest to finding the real Loch Ness Monster in 2016, when he found an old film prop from The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.

But he is on the hunt for a number of the loch’s secrets.

He added: “We found the Loch Ness Monster back in 2015, a film prop from a movie made in 1969.

“We also found Sir John Cobb’s boat in Loch Ness a few years ago.

Hooking the autonomous underwater vehicle back in after it had explored Loch Ness. Image: Maria Strang/DC Thomson

“There’s a Spitfire that was lost in the north end of the loch that’s never been found. I’d love to find that story.

“When you finally find something after spending so long searching, it’s a huge buzz.

“There’s a lot of work and a lot of frustration that goes into it, so when you finally get a result, it’s a great feeling.”

Craig’s biggest dream is to find Amelia Earhart.

Loch Ness Exploration lead on ‘deep, dark and mysterious’ surface

Loch Ness Exploration leader Alan McKenna is also part of this year’s hunt and was on the boat as Micro Millie was put into Loch Ness today.

He said: “I’ve known Craig for many years now and used to follow his work closely, so having the opportunity to work with him and use some of this technology on Loch Ness is really exciting.

“Maybe we’ll see the Loch Ness Monster — maybe not. We don’t know.

“But for me, I’m more fascinated by the natural environment itself. Loch Ness is such a unique location. It’s incredibly deep, dark and mysterious beneath the surface.

“It’s amazing to see the process. The images and data they can produce are really high resolution and pretty beautiful to look at.

Alan McKenna of Loch Ness Exploration. Image: Maria Strang/DC Thomson

“Craig has been really generous in showing us the 3D mapping they’ve created and it’s seriously impressive.

Nessie hunters are to launch a new search for the monster

The underwater drone will scan the depths of Loch Ness

“We’ve been around Loch Ness for years now and know the place like the back of our hands on the surface.

“But the one place that remains a real mystery is below the water because of how deep and dark it is.

“Having people like Craig come in with this technology gives us a chance to look at Loch Ness in a completely different way.

“Some people might call it a lost cause, but to me it’s just as fascinating as ever.”

Experts reckon only about three per cent of the vast bed of the loch – which has a surface area of 21 square miles – has been mapped at this high resolution

Credit: Alamy

Today in History : Operation Deepscan: The 3-Day Sonar Hunt That SCANNED Loch Ness For Nessie

{ https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/ }

In the paper, The Ethical Impasse of Current Consciousness Science, the researchers argue that current scientific tools may not be capable of reliably detecting consciousness.

The Measurement Problem

Consciousness research relies heavily on methods such as visual masking, binocular rivalry, and the detection of perceptual limits. These methods usually compare brain responses when a person is aware of something versus when they are not. The idea is that the difference between these two cases shows whether conscious experience is present or not.

Lau and his team challenge this assumption. When experiments make a stimulus invisible, they often reduce both conscious awareness and the brain’s ability to process information about that stimulus. This means that what appears to be a marker of consciousness in the brain may actually reflect general cognitive activity.

Researchers caution that a similar situation could occur again. As AI systems become more advanced and public interest in machine consciousness increases, scientists are under pressure to provide answers. If researchers make strong claims about consciousness in AI, organoids, or fetuses that lack robust methods to support them, scientific credibility could be undermined.

Better Science Required

The authors suggest a different approach. Conditions like blindsight, in which people with brain damage can respond to stimuli they do not report seeing, offer a more controlled way to study consciousness. Another example is hemispatial neglect, where patients fail to notice one side of their visual field while still having basic perception. For researchers, these conditions provide a rare opportunity to separate awareness from information processing and investigate each process on its own.

These conditions show that subjective experience and information processing are distinct from one another. The team says that building experiments around this difference is needed to make reliable scientific claims about consciousness.

The implications of this study extend far beyond the academic world. Deciding whether non-human entities are conscious has direct legal and ethical concerns. The researchers say that the science behind these decisions must meet high standards.

“Questions about consciousness increasingly carry ethical and societal implications,” Lau said. “If scientific claims about consciousness are going to influence discussions about animal welfare, AI ethics, or bioethics, then the scientific foundations supporting those claims must be especially rigorous.”

The researchers conclude that the most urgent challenge is not deciding whether AI, animals, or organoids are conscious, but developing better tools to identify consciousness if it emerges.

• Austin Burgess is a writer and researcher with a background in sales, marketing, and data analytics. He holds an MBA, a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, and a data analytics certification. His work focuses on breaking scientific developments, with an emphasis on emerging biology, cognitive neuroscience, and archaeological discoveries.

{ https://thedebrief.org/category/science/ }

China's Nostradamus issues chilling warning about Trump's UFO file release: 'Atrocities are coming'

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

A professor dubbed 'China's Nostradamus' has made a chilling prediction after the Trump administration released previously classified UFO files.

Jiang Xueqin, a Chinese-Canadian educator and political commentator, earned the nickname after making a series of geopolitical predictions that supporters say later came true.

Among them were forecasts that Donald Trump would return to the White House in 2024 and that the United States and Israel would become involved in a conflict with Iran under his administration.

Now, Jiang has turned his attention to the government's growing UFO disclosure effort, warning that the fallout could have consequences far beyond questions about extraterrestrial life.

Speaking with YouTuber Nico Ken De Balinthazy, known online as Sneako, Jiang dismissed the idea that alien visitors are behind the unexplained sightings documented in the UFO files.

'Everyone knows it's complete nonsense,' he said. 'It's complete BS. There are no aliens; there's no alien technology. It's a hallucination. You just distract people.'

Instead, Jiang argued that society is becoming increasingly fractured as people embrace competing fears and belief systems.

Some focus on UFOs, he said, while others become consumed by concerns about artificial intelligence, government conspiracies or even supernatural forces. 'And people retreat into their own bubble. Just think about the atrocities that are going to happen in the future; it's going to overwhelm people,' Jiang warned.

His comments come as the Trump administration continues rolling out previously classified records related to unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs.

A video released in the first wave of UFO files appeared to show a glowing object resembling an 'eight-pointed star' with uneven arms moving across the sky

The disclosure effort, which began on May 8, has already produced two major releases containing videos, photographs and intelligence documents that had remained hidden from the public for years.

The latest batch included 46 videos that members of Congress had been demanding the Pentagon release for months.

Some of the footage appears to show strange metallic spheres or orb-like objects moving at high speeds over mountains, oceans and military facilities.

Other documents detail sightings stretching back decades and include accounts from military personnel, intelligence officers and pilots who reported encounters they could not explain.

The releases have reignited debate over whether governments possess evidence of extraterrestrial life and whether the public is finally being shown information that was previously withheld.

Jiang, however, believes the fascination with UFOs is distracting people from deeper social problems.

The greatest danger, he argued, is not alien life but a society increasingly driven by fear, uncertainty and distrust.

He warned that people may turn to comforting narratives rather than confront difficult realities, creating divisions that can weaken entire nations.

Jiang Xueqin dismissed the idea that alien visitors are behind the unexplained sightings documented in newly released government records

'They would rather close their eyes and shut off their ears and just live in the normal world,' Jiang said.

'We've seen this happen historically before, where empires decline because of civil war, because they get exhausted.'

The analyst then ventured into more controversial territory, suggesting that some of the world's most ambitious scientific and technological projects may be driven by motives far beyond their publicly stated goals.

Pointing to CERN, the European particle physics laboratory that operates the Large Hadron Collider, Jiang questioned why governments have spent enormous sums studying subatomic particles.

'You have to ask yourself, why are they investing a trillion dollars to find particles?' he said.

Jiang then referenced longstanding online conspiracy theories claiming that CERN's experiments are designed to open interdimensional portals rather than simply advance scientific knowledge.

He made similar claims about artificial intelligence, citing comments from an anonymous OpenAI employee quoted in a New Yorker article about the company's ambitions.

{ https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/index.html }

‘Out of the Shadows’ Memoir From Senior U.S. Official to Investigate Truth About Non-Human Intelligent Life

Dan Farah, who directed and produced ‘The Age of Disclosure’ doc, has secured the film and television rights to Stratton’s memoir with plans to develop it as a scripted series. The memoir releases this October.

'Out of the Shadows' book by Jay Stratton. 

Courtesy of William Morrow

Jay Stratton, the central figure in the U.S. government’s modern investigation of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and non-human intelligent life, is set to detail their investigation in his memoir Out of the Shadows: Revealing the Truth About Non-Human Intelligent Life.

The memoir, to be published by HarperCollins imprint William Morrow, will release on Oct. 13. His book deal was first announced in 2024.

For over 16 years, Stratton has investigated UAP and non-human intelligent life on behalf of the federal government.

The synopsis of his memoir reads: “While serving at the Defense Intelligence Agency, Stratton learned of UAP incursions over nuclear weapon sites, leading him to co-found the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications Program (AAWSAP), the first official U.S. Government program to investigate UAP since the closure of the Air Force’s Project Blue Book. Operating in the shadows of the intelligence community, Stratton discovered an 80-year coverup of the existence of non-human intelligent life and fought back against powerful gatekeepers who have hid the truth from the public, Congress, and even Presidents.”

Jay Stratton  Jason Shook

While risking everything in pursuit of the truth, he created and led the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), the first whole-of-government investigation of UAP, forcing the nation to confront the unknown. Now, Stratton breaks his silence to provide a startling first-hand account of the shocking discoveries, encounters, challenges and behind-the-scenes revelations that profoundly altered his understanding of humanity’s place in the universe and took a disturbing toll on him and his family,” the synopsis concludes.

The announcement of the memoir’s release, described as one that “reads like a political thriller,” comes amid the Trump administration releasing a batch of long-promised declassified evidence related to UFO sightings and non-human intelligent life. The 162 files consist of documents, photos and videos that detail government employee reports of anomalous aircraft.

Apart from the government’s release of the files, intrigue over the existence of extraterrestrial life continues to grow. Steven Spielberg is making his anticipated return to the UFO genre with his upcoming film Disclosure Day. Last year, the UFO documentary The Age of Disclosure, had its world premiere at South by Southwest Film Festival and heavily featured Stratton. Dan Farah, who directed and produced The Age of Disclosure doc, has secured the film and television rights to Stratton’s memoir with plans to develop it as a scripted series.

Farah said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter: “In Out of the Shadows, Jay Stratton delivers the most revealing and definitive testimony ever written about the government’s investigation and cover-up of UAP and non-human intelligent life. After discovering the related national security concerns and a potential existential threat, Jay defied powerful institutional gatekeepers and risked everything in order to reveal that humanity is not alone in the universe and to ensure the government takes action. Out of the Shadows has the propulsive storytelling of a high-stakes political thriller and exposes the biggest cover-up in human history, and the deeply personal, harrowing toll Jay’s pursuit of the truth had on him and his family.”

In addition to releasing his memoir, Stratton continues to work closely with the White House, Director of National Intelligence, and the Department of War “to identify and obtain access to all the evidence that exists within the various compartmentalized silos of the U.S. Government.”

Stratton and the UAP Task Force were honored in October 2024 for their efforts with the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation, known as the highest level of recognition for a unit within the Intelligence community. Stratton has also been honored with the DIA Director’s Award.

• Out of the Shadows isavailable for preorder and releasing on Oct. 13.

{ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/ }