Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beloved, ”starring Javier Bardem, and Alauda Ruiz de Azua’s Goya and San Sebastián winner “Sundays” also figured in Spain’s international feature shortlist, arguably the strongest in Spanish history.
Any other Oscar entry choice from Spain than “La Bola Negra,” announced Wednesday by Alejandro Amenábar on behalf of Spain’s Academia de Cine, would have been a shock.
Amenábar, whose “The Sea Inside” won Spain’s most recent international feature Oscar in 2005, opened the envelope and announced “La Bola Negra” at the Academia de Cine’s Madrid headquarters.
The choice came after a second-round vote by Academy members, following the Sept. 3 selection of “La Bola Negra,” “The Beloved” and “Sundays” as the country’s three shortlisted titles.
World premiering in Cannes main competition, “La Bola Negra” first caught attention by scoring a 16 minute standing ovation at its world premiere on the Croisette. It caused a further splash winning best director, shared with Paweł Pawlikowski for “Fatherland.”
Picked up by Netflix for the U.S. and later Canada, “La Bola Negra” again moved waves when Netflix announced that it would open the feature theatrically on Oct. 16, setting a 47-day U.S. theatrical window the longest form any movie in the streaming giant’s history, a sure indication that the film will feature strongly among the streamer’s awards priorities for the fall.
Sweeping, unapologetically passionate and hugely ambitious, “La Bola Negra” braids three connected stories, each shot in a different film style, chronicling the travails and legacy of Spain’s gay experience in 1932, 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, and 2017. It picks up on the first four pages in an unfinished novel by legendary poet-playwright Federico García Lorca, bludgeoned and shot to death by Franco’s troops in 1936 for being a social activist and homosexual, “un maricón” in the Spanish macho slur.
The film features a feisty turn from Penélope Cruz as a cabaret dancer and a cameo from Glenn Close as a modern-day hispanist, accompanying Spanish stars Miguel Bernardeau, Guitarricadelafuente, Milo Quifes and Carlos Gutiérrez in lead roles.
From the get-go, the Javis set out to make “a super production that is auteur-driven but also very queer,” Ambrossi told Varietybefore the Cannes world premiere.
Heavily researched, “La Bola Negra” reflects not only the ambitions of Los Javis, as its writer-director are known, but also Movistar Plus, the biggest Spanish pay TV/SVOD operator which produced with Los Javis newly launched Suma Content Films. It is co-produced by Pedro and Agustín Almodovar’s El Deseo and France’s Le Pacte, with the participation of Spanish network Atresmedia. Sales agent Goodfellas has practically sold out the world.
After “lighting up” Telluride, Variety has reported, “La Bola Negra,” the film bowed Tuesday in Toronto. It won the Audience Award at Australia Sydney Festival, will open New York’s LGBTQ+ film festival NewFest on Oct. 15. “La Bola Negra” will have is Spanish premiere at the San Sebastián Festival on Saturday, where it has already sparked a feeding fever for tickets.
The shortlist for the 2027 Oscar nominations will be announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Dec. 15, with the final selection announced on Jan. 21. The 99th Academy Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on March 14 in Los Angeles.
Principal photography has commenced on “Guru,” a Bollywood psychological thriller starring John Abraham and directed by Ribhu Dasgupta.
The film also stars Danish Pandor, Arif Zakaria and Kitu Gidwani.
Dasgupta is known for his work in the thriller genre. His credits include the Netflix series “Bard of Blood,” as well as “Girl on the Train” and “Te3n.” He is also attached to the upcoming “Section 84 IPC.”
Set against a backdrop of unsettling mystery, “Guru” follows a man whose life begins to change when he realizes that something is not right, and that his memory and his reality are two distinct things. As strange events unfold around him, he starts questioning his own perception of reality and wondering whom he can rely on. The story brings together Abraham, Pandor, Zakaria and Gidwani in a plot where memory and reality steadily converge.
“The world of ‘Guru’ is unsettling. Anything which has depth in terms of story, treatment and performance, at the same time gives you something to relish, excites and challenges a filmmaker. I have been wanting to collaborate with John for a long time and ‘Guru’ is that script with that destiny,” Dasgupta said.
“‘Guru’ is the kind of story that stays with you long after you’ve read it. What drew me to the film was the uncertainty at its core – when you can’t trust your own memory, reality itself becomes a question. The storyline is layered, unsettling and deeply intriguing, and I’m excited for audiences to experience it,” Abraham added.
The film is produced by Authum Entertainment, Shibasish Sarkar, JA Entertainment and Fusion Flicks.
Cryptocurrency exchange Binance has announced it will support the network upgrade and hard fork on the Vana (VANA) network. According to the exchange’s statement, deposit and withdrawal operations on the VANA network will be temporarily suspended during the update process to ensure the secure management of users’ assets.
Binance will halt these transactions on September 21, 2026, at approximately 2:29 PM. The upgrade and hard fork on the Valve network is planned to take place at block height 10,229,958, at approximately 3:29 PM.
The exchange specifically stated that trading of tokens on the Valve network would not be affected during the network upgrade. Accordingly, users will be able to continue trading VANA on the Binance platform, even though deposit and withdrawal transactions conducted through the affected network will be temporarily suspended.
Binance also announced that it will handle all necessary technical operations for the upgrade and hard fork on behalf of users. Therefore, users will not need to take any additional action to support the network upgrade.
Deposit and withdrawal operations will be reopened once the Valve network is deemed to be operating stably and securely following the completion of the upgrade. Binance stated that it will not issue a separate announcement regarding the resumption of these operations.
Network upgrades and hard forks can cause changes to the technical infrastructure of blockchain networks. Binance’s recent announcement reveals that certain parts of the exchange’s services will be temporarily restricted during a planned technical change to the Valve network. It is important for users to take the specified times into account when planning their transactions.
United States Representative Thomas Massie is forcing fellow Republicans to vote whether to impeach Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth over the US war on Iran. A recent poll found fewer than a third of Americans support the war.
Ethereum is working on EIP-8141, known as Frame Transactions. Base developed a competing proposal called EIP-8130. Both are drafts that change the rules around who can approve a transaction, who pays for it and what happens after it is approved.
Ethereum wants its version to preserve privacy, censorship resistance and security as wallets become more programmable. The proposed standard is also designed to make it easier for accounts to move away from the cryptography most Ethereum wallets use today if quantum computers eventually make it unsafe.
Base, on the other hand, wants more freedom to optimize transactions for high volumes and different kinds of applications, including systems with compliance requirements.
Chiang said attempts to force a common standard eventually meant one side would have to give up features it considered important.
Ethereum and Base give up on common wallet standard after months of talks. (Shaurya Malwa/CoinDesk)
Ethereum is now pushing Frame Transactions toward Hegotá, its planned upgrade after Glamsterdam, which is scheduled for later this year. The Ethereum Foundation this month put EIP-8141 among the execution-layer features it says must ship with Hegotá.
That gives the proposal priority rather than a guarantee. EIP-8141 is still being developed and is not running on Ethereum today.
Read More: Ethereum commits to letting users pay gas fees without having to hold $ETH
A federal judge has again weighed in on the Kennedy Center‘s effort to brandish Donald Trump‘s name on the complex, blocking the institution from inscribing his name on its facade and designating its grounds for him.
“Simply put, Defendants cannot install memorials for President Trump or anyone or anything else at the Kennedy Center without Congress’s blessing,” U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper wrote in a ruling on Tuesday.
Last spring, Cooper ruled that the center had to remove Trump’s name from the building and other materials. The board, dominated by the president’s supporters, voted to designate the center as the “Trump Kennedy Center” months earlier. Since complying with his order, a tarp has covered the front facade and its official designation, The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Arts.
In August, the board voted for a new proposal, one that would add Trump’s name as many as three times to the complex.
On the facade, below its official name, “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” there would be an additional line reading “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump.”
The board also voted to designate “the physical site and grounds upon which the center sits” as the “President Donald J. Trump Plaza.”
Cooper did not rule on another proposal adopted by the board to add another line on the facade, reading, “Endowed by the Trump Kennedy Center Fund.” Such a designation is contingent on $100 million being raised for the endowment, and the judge ruled that because such an inscription is not about to happen imminently, the court “need not settle now whether it violates the permanent injunction.” But he expressed skepticism that even that inscription would be allowed, writing that it “appears to be another verboten memorial.” He required the center to give him at least 60 days notice before installing the inscription.
The Kennedy Center is appealing the judge’s original ruling, which also prohibited the institution from embarking on a plan to close for two years for renovations. Cooper did not bar the center from closing, only that the board had to give a fuller consideration of the impact of such a shutdown.
In August, the board adopted a new plan to close much of the complex for the renovations, while programming would still take place at The Reach, an extension of the center that opened in 2019. But that venue is only capable of hosting smaller productions, not Broadway scale shows or the National Symphony.
On Tuesday, the board was expected to meet to consider a new resolution that would immediately close the main building. The resolution cited a recent incident in which a portion of the center’s ceiling collapsed following a rainstorm.
Board members also were given a draft resolution that presented ten naming proposals for Trump, with an added sense of urgency: The center, it said, was facing financial ruin, and the president has offered to “step in and raise the necessary funds to keep the Center from bankruptcy during its much needed renovation.” The resolution added that the board “is seeking to appropriately recognize and acknowledge President Trump for his well timed proffer of fiscal rescue. The Board understands that without such appropriate recognition it is unlikely that President Trump will provide the fundamental oversight of the renovation of the main building and lead the fiscal rescue of the Center.” The center’s attorneys indicated that the new naming proposal would not come up at Tuesday’s meeting, but that it would focus on closure plans.
The acknowledgement that the center has run into financial difficulties is not a surprise: There has been little major programming since July. But ticket sales also fell last year, when Trump took control of the center, installed his own board members and president, and ensured that he would become its chairman. He also ousted the previous chairman, David Rubenstein, who had been one of the center’s largest benefactors. After Trump’s name was added to the complex, a number of artists backed out of performances in protest.
In his latest ruling, the judge accused the DOJ attorneys representing the center of playing “word games,” concluding that Congress designated the complex solely as a memorial to Kennedy. The law prohibits “additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials . . . in the public areas of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.”
The judge wrote that “common sense dictates that the words ‘renovated and restored by President Donald J. Trump’ establish a memorial.”
He wrote that his injunction “does not just prohibit the Board from renaming the institution the ‘Trump Kennedy Center.’ It also enjoins the creation of any ‘public memorial’ to anyone or anything other than President Kennedy, except in a few statutorily delineated ways that are not relevant here.”
The judge also concluded that renaming the grounds also would violate the law’s designation for Kennedy.
“Congress surely did not intend for the Board to auction off naming rights to constituent parts of the campus,” he wrote.
Cooper also responded to the center’s claims that having Trump’s name inscribed was critical to raising money for the center, and potentially saving it from ruin. He noted that the center’s attorneys had lacked evidence for that contention, and “evidence before the Court pointed in the opposite direction: The renaming of the Center coincided with declines in revenue and contributions, as artists cancelled performances, the Washington National Opera ended its 50-year residency, and ticket sales and viewership of the Kennedy Center Honors broadcast dropped precipitously”
Trump posted on Truth Social after the latest decision that the center is in “virtual state of collapse.” “The Judge has made us keep it open even though there are no performances, and no people that would have the Courage to even go in. The Board of The Kennedy Center has strongly voted to save it, and they know I’m the only one who can do so, because I have the ability to raise the money, and the ability to construct — that few others have. I also have the strength and power of the Presidency, which will be needed do what must be done, and give it a strong shot at Greatness again! Remember, The Kennedy Center was losing Hundreds of Millions of Dollars when I took over. It was failing badly! It had nothing to do with me, I am only there to help. I just got there to reveal the facts, but especially those concerning Building Safety. A very hostile and conflicted Judge (What else is new?) seems like he won’t let that happen, in which case, unfortunately, the Building is destined to doom. Isn’t that too bad? We have already wasted more than 6 months ‘playing around’ in Court.
UPDATED: President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the board of the Kennedy Center has voted to immediately close the main complex, while adding that no renovations would take place unless his name is restored to the institution.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “The Board of The Kennedy Center today agreed, almost unanimously, to close the Building for Safety reasons, and so that it can begin the process of Reconstruction. The closing will take place immediately, however, the Renovation and Reconstruction, which is a very large and complex job, cannot begin until such time as the D.C. Circuit rules on the Board’s approved name. If the ruling is a negative one, which it should not be, and is not overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Reconstruction and the Renovation of The Kennedy Center will not take place.”
Congress appropriated more than $250 million for Kennedy Center renovations last year as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Trump also wrote that $17 million that he raised for the center is being put into the Kennedy Center account “to keep it afloat.”
The board of the Kennedy Center was presented with a resolution to immediately close the main part of the arts complex, with officials citing repair needs and financial woes. The resolution outlined the structural needs of the center and a recent incident in which a piece of the ceiling collapsed amid heavy rains.
Trump, who serves as the board’s chairman, initially announced the closure plan in February. The board is dominated by members appointed by the president.
Major programming at the center largely ended in July, as the board had previously set that as the timeline to shutter the facility for two years for renovations, funding by a congressional appropriation of more than $250 million.
But Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), an ex officio member of the board, challenged the closure plan, and a federal judge last spring ruled that the center’s board had to more fully consider the impact of such an action before shuttering. In August, the board voted in favor of a plan to shut down the main complex but keep open The Reach, an extension that opened in 2019, for limited performances.
Beatty also challenged the Kennedy Center board’s vote in December to add Trump’s name to the complex. The judge, Christopher Cooper, sided with her, ruling that only Congress could make such a change, and he ordered that Trump’s name be removed. Earlier on Tuesday, Cooper also nixed an alternative plan to add “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump” to the facade below “The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.” He also ruled that designating the grounds as Donald J. Trump Plaza violates congressional statute that the complex be a memorial to Kennedy.
The center’s attorneys have argued that giving Trump such recognition is essential to raising money to bring the institution out of financial straits.
In a draft resolution given to board members over the weekend, center officials said it was facing financial ruin, and the president had offered to “step in and raise the necessary funds to keep the Center from bankruptcy during its much needed renovation.” The resolution added that the board “is seeking to appropriately recognize and acknowledge President Trump for his well timed proffer of fiscal rescue. The Board understands that without such appropriate recognition it is unlikely that President Trump will provide the fundamental oversight of the renovation of the main building and lead the fiscal rescue of the Center.”
The center, represented by the DOJ, is appealing Cooper’s decision. Trump wrote that they would seek an expedited appeal.
Roma Daravi, vice president of public relations for the center, said in a statement, “The Board’s decision today reflects sound judgment and a clear prioritization of safety above all else. As the main building closes for urgent renovations — long overdue and desperately needed to protect the safety of patrons, artists and staff — the Center remains committed to pursuing a safe and efficient renovation through all legal means. We intend to appeal today’s Court ruling and move forward with recognizing Chairman President Trump’s historic contributions to the revitalization of America’s Cultural Center.”
The center has cited extensive repair work needed, including replacement of soffit panels, water damage repair and new electrical infrastructure. According to the center, the slab that fell weighed more than 150 pounds.
Beatty’s attorneys, Norm Eisen and Nathaniel Zelinsky, indicated that they would challenge the shutdown in court. They have pointed out that the judge’s injunction prohibiting the center’s closure remains in effect.
They said in a statement, “The unlawful renaming drove audiences and artists away. Now the Board has voted to shut down yet again to hide the terrible mismanagement under its current leadership.”
In a statement, Beatty said, “For years, the Kennedy Center has planned to undergo phased renovations, in which we both renovate and maintain some performances. This is how major performing arts centers in the country operate. But donors, patrons, and artists all fled after the unlawful attempt to rename this sacred memorial after Donald Trump. Donald Trump only cares about the Kennedy Center for his vanity. That is wrong and it is a breach of his fiduciary duty as a trustee. Congress established the Kennedy Center as a living memorial to President Kennedy, and I am proud to defend this cherished institution.”
Another reaction came from Kennedy’s niece, Maria Shriver, who wrote on X, “That a sitting president would not let any renovations to a public building go on unless he gets to first put his name in the said building… What a sad state of affairs. What a tragedy. Actually, how small minded, how narcissistic. Actually great men, devoted to public service and the public good do not act like this.”
The claim that the Flight 93 National Memorial changed the time of its 2026 9/11 observance to accommodate a visit from U.S. President Donald Trump or Vice President JD Vance but neither showed up is unproven.
Though event pages for past Flight 93 National Memorial ceremonies showed the 2026 event started around an hour and 15 minutes earlier than in previous years, the 2026 program (archived) also was longer than previous years. Moreover, we found no evidence that Trump or Vance were supposed to attend the event at the memorial but failed to show.
Snopes will update this report if additional information surfaces. We have reached out to the National Park Service regarding the reason for an earlier start time in 2026 and the White House to find out whether Trump and/or Vance were supposed to attend, and are waiting for responses.
After the U.S. commemorated the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a claim (archived) circulated online that the Flight 93 National Memorial changed the time of its 9/11 observance to accommodate a visit from U.S. President Donald Trump or Vice President JD Vance but neither showed up.
United Airlines Flight 93 was one of four planes hijacked on 9/11. It was the only one that did not hit a building, instead crashing in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to retake control of the plane from the hijackers.
In sharing the claim about Trump and Vance, one X user wrote: “The 9/11 Flight 93 Memorial reportedly changed the time of their ceremony to accommodate a visit from Trump or Vance, but neither of them showed up. Trump traveled to a golf tournament instead.”
The 9/11 Flight 93 Memorial reportedly changed the time of their ceremony to accommodate a visit from Trump or Vance, but neither of them showed up.
The claim is unproven. Though event pages for 9/11 observances at the Flight 93 National Memorial from 2020 to 2026 showed the 2026 event started around an hour and 15 minutes earlier than previous ceremonies, the program(archived) also was longer than in previous years.
We found no evidence that Trump or Vance were supposed to attend the event at the memorial but did not show. Trump attended a commemoration ceremony at the Pentagon with military leaders on Sept. 11, 2026, while Vance attended a commemoration event in New York City at the site of the former Twin Towers. Trump travelled to Dublin, Ireland, in the evening for a two-day visit that included attending the Irish Open at his Doonbeg golf club on Sept. 13.
We contacted the National Park Service, which manages the Flight 93 National Memorial, to ask why the 2026 observance started earlier than in previous years. We also asked the White House press office whether Trump or Vance were supposed to attend the Flight 93 National Memorial observance and await replies to our queries.
In the meantime, because the NPS had not confirmed why the 2026 event had a different start time than previous years, we leave this claim unrated.
Longer 2026 event also memorialized other 9/11 flights
According to event programs for the 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 events, previous 9/11 observances at the Flight 93 National Memorial started at either 9:45 or 9:50 a.m., which could be in order to coincide with the exact time Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville, at 10:03 a.m. Sept. 11, 2001. The 2026 event started at 8:30 a.m.
The event programs from 2021 to 2024 generally started with welcome remarks, the Pledge of Allegiance or national anthem, followed by a reading of the names of the 40 passengers and crew on board Flight 93 who died when the plane crashed.
The event programs then listed bells of remembrance, a moment of reflection and conclusion and a wreath-laying. Some events also featured speakers such as former President George W. Bush and then-Vice President Kamala Harris in 2021 and then-first lady Jill Biden in 2022. Trump attended a smaller, live-streamed ceremony during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The 2026 program appeared longer than in previous years, and included remembrances for the three other hijacked flights on 9/11 that struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The 2026 program added musical selections and also included bell tollings and wreath-layings for American Airlines Flight 11, which hit the North Tower on 8:46 a.m., United Airlines Flight 175, which hit the South Tower at 9:03 a.m., and American Airlines Flight 77, which hit the Pentagon at 9:37 a.m.
If the 2026 event intended to honor the other three flights at the times they crashed, it would have needed to start earlier than the previous 9:45 or 9:50 a.m. start times.
For further reading, Snopes has investigated a series of other rumors about where Trump was or what he was doing on or around Sept. 11, 2001.
Sources
9/11 Memorial Timeline. https://timeline.911memorial.org/timeline/10681. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.
BINKLEY, COLLIN, et al. Trump Commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the 9/11 Attacks at the Pentagon. 11 Sept. 2026, https://apnews.com/article/trump-sept-11-pentagon-2366fe3bb4948c068eaceb392ddbd948.
Event Program – Flight 93 National Memorial (U.S. National Park Service). https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/event-program.htm. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.
Flight 93 to Offer September 11 Ceremony Livestream – Flight 93 National Memorial (U.S. National Park Service). https://www.nps.gov/flni/learn/news/flight-93-to-offer-september-11-ceremony-livestream.htm. Accessed 15 Sept. 2026.
Inside the Octagon – Defence Forces Control Hub for Trump. Aug. 2026. News. www.rte.ie, https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2026/0828/1589591-trump-ireland/.
‘Memorial Ceremony September 11, 2021 9:45 AM’. Flight 93 National Memorial, https://web.archive.org/web/20220802054740/https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/event-program.htm.
‘Memorial Ceremony September 11, 2022 at 9:45 Am’. Flight 93 National Memorial, https://web.archive.org/web/20230524100005/https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/event-program.htm.
‘Memorial Ceremony September 11, 2024 at 9:50 AM’. Flight 93 National Memorial Pennsylvania, https://web.archive.org/web/20240905163251/https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/event-program.htm.
‘Memorial Ceremony September 11, 2025 at 9:45 AM’. Flight 93 National Memorial, https://web.archive.org/web/20250911050636/https://www.nps.gov/flni/planyourvisit/event-program.htm.
Watch Live: Vance, Former Presidents Attend 9/11 Ceremony at Ground Zero. 11 Sept. 2026, https://thehill.com/video-clips/6083822-watch-live-vance-bush-clinton-obama-biden-ground-zero-nyc-911-memorial-25th-anniversary/.
WATCH: Trump Presents Lowry with Irish Open Trophy. Sept. 2026. Sport. www.rte.ie, https://www.rte.ie/sport/golf/2026/0913/1591407-watch-trump-presents-lowry-with-irish-open-trophy/.
The season premiere of 60 Minutes averaged 7.94 million viewers Sunday, off from the more than 10 million who tuned in to last year’s debut.
The first episode of the show’s 59th season was highly anticipated — and scrutinized — following the shakeup at the newsmagazine last spring, despite its status as one of the network’s top-rated programs.
The season premiere was off by 21% compared to the September 28 debut last year, but there are some caveats to the figure, as tends to be the case during the NFL season.
The broadcast was delayed in Eastern and Central time zones because of the Minnesota Vikings-Green Bay Packers game, and that football lead-in also was off by 21%, averaging 18.6 million viewers.
CBS‘s NFL coverage also faced competition from football on Fox, and the final part of 60 Minutes went up against NBC’s telecast of the Dallas Cowboys-New York Giants game on Sunday Night Football. The first quarter hour of 60 Minutes averaged 9.4 million and dropped to 6.7 million in the final quarter hour. Networks also are pointing to changes in Nielsen’s methodology.
In the adults 25-54 demo, 60 Minutes averaged 1.58 million viewers, down 33% from 2.36 million for last year’s premiere.
CBS News said in a statement, “We are so proud of the exceptional journalism on display in our season premiere and we can’t wait to bring our audience another amazing show this coming Sunday.”
Last spring, CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss replaced executive producer Tanya Simon with Nick Bilton, and three correspondents including Sharyn Alfonsi, Cecilia Vega and Scott Pelley were fired. The season premiere featured some new graphics and the introduction of a new correspondent, Ross Douthat. Stories featured included an exclusive interview with an airman shot down and rescued from Iran, a report on brokers collecting huge sums to secure clients’ pardons from Donald Trump, and a profile of the Los Angeles Rams.
The Chinese government issued a nationwide alert telling people not to communicate with aliens and to contact the United Nations if extraterrestrial life reaches out to them.
Rating:
Context
In June 2026, numerous Chinese news media outlets reported on updated international guidelines advising researchers not to independently respond to extraterrestrial signals. English-language news outlets also reported on these updated guidelines, which came from an international scientific organization. It was not possible to find any evidence of the Chinese government sending a nationwide alert telling people not to communicate with aliens, nor of the existence of a U.N. “alien hotline.”
In September 2026, a rumor circulated online that the Chinese government broadcast a warning to the country’s population of roughly 1.4 billion people, instructing them not to communicate with aliens and to instead contact the United Nations if extraterrestrial life reaches out to them.
For example, one Instagram user posted a video making the claim (archived), during which the user said the alleged warning was distributed through several channels:
Broadcast was made as if it were a giant emergency. They did it through the radio, they did it like the way that you get Amber Alerts on your phone, they did a television broadcast and they had messengers going into rural communities to tell people this and give them this information.
The supposed announcement said, “If you are contacted by aliens, do not attempt to communicate with them. Call this phone number, which will send you to the United Nations desk of the alien communications specialist, and they will take care of it for you.” The Instagram user later referred to the supposed number as an “alien hotline” and said similar messages circulated in Japan and South Korea.
The claim spread spread elsewhere on Instagram as well as on Reddit and Facebook. Readers also contacted Snopes to ask whether it was true.
In short, it was not possible to find any evidence the Chinese government issued the nationwide warning described in the posts, and a spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, D.C., said no Chinese government agency issued such a warning. The real guidance behind the rumor also did not instruct ordinary people to call a U.N. “alien communications specialist” if extraterrestrials contacted them. As such, we have rated the claim as false.
Warning did appear in Chinese media
There is a real story behind the rumor. On June 1, 2026, the International Academy of Astronautics, a Paris-based nongovernmental scientific organization, published updated guidelines for people and organizations involved in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or SETI. The document says possible signals should be independently verified and that researchers should not send a reply before international consultation.
These guidelines did receive attention in China. For instance, on June 7, IT Home, a Chinese technology news website, published an article titled (translated using Google Translate) “Do not respond to aliens without authorization! The International Academy of Astronautics updates eight guidelines.” China Science Daily, Shanghai-based digital newspaper The Paper and national television broadcaster CCTV News also reported on the updated declaration.
The article on The Paper’s website appeared in its “Government Affairs” section, which could make it seem like an official government message.
English-language news media outlets similarly reported on the IAA’s updated guidelines.
Graphic may explain how rumor spread
A blue graphic with yellow text in Chinese circulated alongside the rumor in some social media posts. Jingchu Network (荆楚网) — which is part of CnHubei, a news website in Hubei province — posted the graphic on its Douyin account (shown below). The message, translated using Google Translate, reads:
Do not reply to extraterrestrials on your own initiative; the International Academy of Astronautics recommends immediately notifying the United Nations upon the discovery of extraterrestrial life.
(Jingchu Network Douyin account)
The Douyin post cites Red Star News as its source and explains that the message concerned the IAA’s guidelines. On June 7, Red Star News published an article about the IAA update.
Jingchu Network is a state-backed news outlet. According to its website, it is supervised by the Hubei Provincial Party Committee Propaganda Department and the Hubei Provincial Cyberspace Administration. “It is the only national key provincial news website in Hubei Province approved by the State Council Information Office,” the website reads.
The graphic later circulated on English-language social media platforms, where users described it as an announcement posted in China. This may have contributed to claims that the Chinese government itself issued the warning.
Government website also links to the story
The story also indirectly appeared on at least one official Chinese government website.
On June 10, Fushun Municipal Science and Technology Bureau — a government department of the city of Fushun, in Liaoning province — listed (as shown below) a webpage titled, “Do not respond to aliens without authorization! Why did the International Academy of Astronautics call for a halt?” in the “Science and Technology Work Updates” section of its website.
(fskjj.fushun.gov.cn)
However, that webpage originated from outside the department’s website. It was not presenting the message as a new government policy or warning.
Liu Chang, a spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, D.C. said via email that the Chinese government issued no such warning:
Based on publicly available information to my knowledge, no Chinese government agency issued such a warning, distributed it through national alert channels, or instructed the public to contact the U.N. about extraterrestrial contact.
The claim may stem from confusion over a revised SETI protocol issued by the International Academy of Astronautics and reported by Chinese media. It was not a Chinese government notice.
Snopes also contacted the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment. We will update this article if we receive a response.
Guidance is for researchers, not ordinary people
The IAA document explicitly says it was written for people and organizations taking part in scientific SETI research. It does not tell ordinary people what to do if an alien personally contacts them.
The declaration says that after a confirmed detection, researchers should take part in international consultations over whether a response should be sent. Until those talks are finished, “no reply should be sent.” It also says those discussions should include the United Nations and other international bodies.
Chinese Science Daily interviewed Zhang Tongjie, a Beijing Normal University professor who took part in discussions about the revised declaration. He reportedly said the cautious approach was based on uncertainty about whether an extraterrestrial civilization would be friendly, hostile or neutral. He was also quoted as saying the declaration was not legally binding.
There is no UN ‘alien hotline’
Social media posts also claimed Chinese citizens were given a phone number for a U.N. “alien communications specialist,” but no such a number is in the IAA declaration. The document directs questions about its principles to the IAA itself.
Searching Google for a United Nations “alien communications specialist” returned no results (archived) suggesting that such a role exists.
Though the declaration says consultations about whether to respond to confirmed extraterrestrial intelligence should involve the United Nations and other international bodies, it also says the specific procedures for such consultations still need to be established in a separate agreement or arrangement.
The idea of an official U.N. representative for alien contact has appeared before. In 2010, a report in British newspaper The Times claimed astrophysicist Mazlan Othman, then-director of the U.N. Office for Outer Space Affairs, was appointed as Earth’s contact person for extraterrestrials. Othman denied this and said no specific U.N. response role had been decided, while further action would be up to member states.
Therefore, the IAA declaration’s reference to international consultation through the United Nations does not mean there is a U.N. “alien hotline.”
Snopes has contacted the U.N. and, specifically, its Office for Outer Space Affairs to ask whether such a hotline exists. We will update this article if we receive any responses.
Bottom line
All in all, there is a kernel of truth behind the story. In June 2026, Chinese news media outlets did publish messages saying people should not “respond to aliens” without authorization, and an official municipal government website did link to a webpage on the topic.
However, that information came from guidelines for SETI researchers issued by the International Academy of Astronautics. The guidelines say a possible extraterrestrial signal should first be verified and that no response should be sent before international consultation.
Finally, it was not possible to find any evidence that China sent a nationwide emergency alert or gave people a phone number for a U.N. “alien communications specialist.”
