Lightning Secrets

The new issue of Fortean Times magazine includes an article from me on secret files and research undertaken by the U.S. military since the 1940s to try and control - and utilize as a weapon - ball-lightning. As I point out in the article, there is little doubt that at least some UFO incidents can be traced back to these clandestine operations.

Secret UFO Files

Yet more stories on the newly-surfaced British Ministry of Defense's UFO files:

Secret files reveal Tyneside UFO sightings - ChronicleLive
Hemsworth driver's UFO encounter - Hemsworth and South Elmsall Express
Crop circle and UFO reports released - This is Wiltshire.co.uk
North Yorkshire UFO files released - The Press, York

UK UFO Files: More

On the issue of the British Ministry of Defense's newly-surfaced UFO files, my good friend Micah Hanks has the following to say:

"With news breaking today of a 4500 page document being released by Ministry of Defense officials in the UK regarding UFOs, my inbox was swarmed with emails this morning regarding how this might further affect Ufology.

"After looking at the news all morning, as well as considering that this year appears to be a landmark in the number of recorded UFO sightings not only in England but perhaps worldwide, such information may do just what folks are hoping, by leading to new avenues in the future of disclosure.

"Among those who were issuing reports this morning were Dakota Waddell of the 1917 Revolution blog, who sent me a link to the CNN Europe page describing a variety of curious public encounters described within the body of the MOD document in question. Shortly afterward, I also got a link from UFO and Fortean researcher Nick Redfern disclosing a complete list of news stories involving the release of this information at his Strange Secrets Blog.

"What I found to be one of the most striking stories disclosed in the MOD document involves an incident that occurred in 1957 where Milton Torres, a RAF Pilot stationed in Europe near Norwich, was instructed to shoot down a gigantic UFO the size of an airliner. Torres was ordered to shoot a full salvo of24 rockets at the object—an action which he recognized as 'the sort of thing that happened before a war'—and approaching the bogey at nearly 700 mph, he was shocked to see the large object depart at speeds clocked at nearly 10,000 mph. 'I think it was an alien spacecraft. It had a propulsion system that was beyond us - either magnetism or anti-gravity,' Torres said of the object."

Click here for the rest of Micah's post.

UK-UFO Secrets

As the British Ministry of Defense declassifies its latest batch of UFO files, the media goes into overdrive:

Pilot's 'UFO encounter' - Mirror.co.uk
US pilot told to shoot down UFO - The Age
Declassified UFO Files Reveal Military Engagement, Near-Collision - Gizmodo.com
Passenger jet's near-miss with UFO above Kent - Independent
Pilot's close encounter with UFO over Kent - Mirror.co.uk
MoD reveals real life UFO files - Glasgow Daily Record
US pilot was ordered to shoot down UFO - Reuters South Africa
MoD bans crop circle photos over UFO fears
County UFO sighting comes to light - Shropshire Star
UFO files reveal A272 sighting
New reports: Jet had near miss with UFO - East Anglian Daily Times
UFO sightings online: British archives released - International Herald Tribune