A special office at the Pentagon probed hundreds of UFO sightings during a single year, including dozens from the Middle East, but so far none have been determined to be extraterrestrial in origin.
According to a report released on Thursday by the Pentagon's All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which investigates sightings of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, or UAPs, many of the cases involved balloons or birds, but only a fraction of the cases have been definitively solved.
One unsolved case involved a commercial aircrew reporting a near miss with a “cylindrical object” while over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New York. Three reports from US military aircrews described pilots being trailed or shadowed by an unidentified object.
And 18 reports involved unidentified drones flying over or loitering above US nuclear facilities.
The Pentagon office, known as Aaro, investigated 485 cases that were reported between May 1, 2023 to June 1, 2024 and also looked into another 272 older reports from 2023 and 2022.
Of these, US military assets deployed to the Middle East provided 57 reports. Aaro said it resolved 13 of these cases as balloons, drones or satellites.
“Aaro reached a preliminary assessment on two of the Middle East cases as possible satellite flares and is working with [other agencies] to finalise these assessments through the use of advanced modelling,” the report states.
On Wednesday, a US congressional hearing heard from a journalist who said he had heard of the existence of a video of a “white orb” rising from the ocean off Kuwait.
The US government for a long time largely dismissed UFO sightings but over the course of this decade has begun to track them much more closely amid concern that adversaries are using unknown aircraft to spy on US assets.
Forty-two Middle East cases remain in an “active archive” due to insufficient information to resolve them, the report adds.
Of the 757 cases looked at across the globe, Aaro resolved 118 of them and another 174 are pending closure. The cases typically involved “prosaic” objects such as drones, satellites, birds and aircraft.
“Many other cases remain unresolved and Aaro continues collection and analysis on that body of cases,” the report states. “It is important to underscore that, to date, Aaro has discovered no evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity or technology.”
Aaro is continuing its research into the cigar-shaped object spotted over the Atlantic. It notes that none of the incidents involved any threats to human health and said there was no indication that the objects following US planes were from foreign adversaries.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
More on Quran memorisation:
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs: 2019 BMW X4
Price, base / as tested: Dh276,675 / Dh346,800
Engine: 3.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 354hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,550rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.0L / 100km
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')
Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
