Scientists Assert 'Alien Mummies' in Peru are Really Dolls Made from Earthly Bones

An X-rays and study carried out by the Institute of Legal Medicine of Peru on the 'alien mummies' that concluded that they are dolls made with animal bones is displayed in Lima, Peru, January 12, 2024. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda
An X-rays and study carried out by the Institute of Legal Medicine of Peru on the 'alien mummies' that concluded that they are dolls made with animal bones is displayed in Lima, Peru, January 12, 2024. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda
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Scientists Assert 'Alien Mummies' in Peru are Really Dolls Made from Earthly Bones

An X-rays and study carried out by the Institute of Legal Medicine of Peru on the 'alien mummies' that concluded that they are dolls made with animal bones is displayed in Lima, Peru, January 12, 2024. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda
An X-rays and study carried out by the Institute of Legal Medicine of Peru on the 'alien mummies' that concluded that they are dolls made with animal bones is displayed in Lima, Peru, January 12, 2024. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda

A pair of "alien mummies" that mysteriously turned up at the airport in Peru's capital last October have entirely Earthly origins, according to a scientific analysis revealed on Friday.
The two small specimens were described as humanoid dolls by experts at a press conference in Lima, and likely fashioned from both human and animal parts. A separate three-fingered hand believed to be from Peru's Nazca region was also analyzed, with experts ruling out any connection to alien life, Reuters reported.
"They're not extraterrestrials. They're dolls made from animal bones from this planet joined together with modern synthetic glue," said Flavio Estrada, an archeologist with Peru's Institute for Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences.
"It's totally a made-up story," Estrada added.
The two figurines turned up in the Lima airport offices of courier DHL in a cardboard box, and were made to look like mummified bodies dressed in traditional Andean attire. Some media outlets subsequently speculated about possible alien origin.
Last September, two tiny mummified bodies with elongated heads and hands with three fingers were featured at a Mexican congressional hearing, generating widespread media coverage. Mexican journalist and UFO enthusiast Jaime Maussan claimed those bodies were about 1,000 years old and recovered from Peru in 2017, but not related to any known species.
Most experts later dismissed them as a fraud, possibly mutilated ancient human mummies combined with animal parts, but certainly from Earth.
At the Lima press conference on Friday, which was organized by Peru's culture ministry, experts did not say that the dolls found in the DHL office were related to the bodies presented in Mexico, and they stressed that the remains in Mexico are also not extraterrestrial.



Fast-Moving Wildfire Near Greece’s Thessaloniki Sparks Evacuations as Smoke Blankets Suburbs

Α building burns during a wildfire in Oreokastro, near Thessaloniki, Greece, 05 July 2026. (EPA)
Α building burns during a wildfire in Oreokastro, near Thessaloniki, Greece, 05 July 2026. (EPA)
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Fast-Moving Wildfire Near Greece’s Thessaloniki Sparks Evacuations as Smoke Blankets Suburbs

Α building burns during a wildfire in Oreokastro, near Thessaloniki, Greece, 05 July 2026. (EPA)
Α building burns during a wildfire in Oreokastro, near Thessaloniki, Greece, 05 July 2026. (EPA)

A fast-moving wildfire broke out Saturday evening near the suburbs of Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, the country's fire service said, and residents of three small suburbs north of the city were told to evacuate.

The fire ignited in a ravine in a mountainous area around 8:30 p.m. and spread quickly to the plains, burning mostly through brush, the Hellenic Fire Service said. While residences were spared, several businesses were damaged, the service said.

Residents of the small settlements of Anthoupoli, Filothei and Galini were notified by text to evacuate.

Also evacuated was a facility housing 157 people with special needs. About 120 of those who could walk were being sheltered in a gym, while the rest were housed in a psychiatric hospital, local authorities said.

Authorities announced overnight that a 76-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of starting the fire. He “appeared not to be sober,” the Hellenic Fire Service said.

Residents of Thessaloniki could see the flames and even heard explosions as flammable materials inside businesses burned. A heavy cloud of smoke blanketed several suburbs and western areas of the city.

About 115 firefighters along with 38 fire engines and an unknown number of volunteers battled the blaze, the fire service said. Firefighting planes briefly engaged but could not operate after dark.

There was no indication that the fire was heading toward the city, but firefighters remain on alert and more were expected to join the fight. Strong winds made it difficult to contain the fire.

Greece, with its long, hot, dry and often windy summers, is no stranger to wildfires. But it managed to get through June without serious damage. The first major wildfire hit Wednesday in central Greece, killing a man and his 12-year-old son, and prompting evacuations.

Additional blazes were burning around Thessaloniki Saturday, including in the Halkidiki Peninsula, a favored vacation spot, and the city of Kilkis to the north.

Greece has been spared, so far, the extreme heat that engulfed much of the rest of Europe.


New Mural Recreates Famous Japanese Wave Painting

The artist said he wanted to reinterpret the world-famous artwork through a distinctly Manx setting (The artist's Facebook page)
The artist said he wanted to reinterpret the world-famous artwork through a distinctly Manx setting (The artist's Facebook page)
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New Mural Recreates Famous Japanese Wave Painting

The artist said he wanted to reinterpret the world-famous artwork through a distinctly Manx setting (The artist's Facebook page)
The artist said he wanted to reinterpret the world-famous artwork through a distinctly Manx setting (The artist's Facebook page)

Manx artist David Britton has unveiled what is believed to be the Isle of Man's largest mural - inspired by a famous Japanese artwork, the BBC reported.

The mural, entitled Shining by The Sea, has been painted on the rear of Ramsey's bowling alley near St Paul's Square.

Inspired by the instantly-recognizable Great Wave off Kanagawa, it was commissioned by Ramsey Town Commissioners as part of efforts to brighten up the town and support local artists.

The mural re-imagines Katsushika Hokusai's work by placing its familiar wave image in Ramsey Bay with a Viking longboat riding the swell, as the sun rises behind familiar Manx landmarks.

For Britton, the project marked the largest mural he has undertaken, the BBC reported.

He said he wanted to take the dramatic Japanese work and create "a more hopeful scene", using brighter colors and depicting the Viking boat riding above the waves rather than being overwhelmed by them.

 

Another view of the artwork at the rear of the town's bowling alley (The artist's Facebook page)

Britton said working on the mural had given him the opportunity to meet residents and visitors who regularly stopped to watch its progress and discuss the artwork.

He also thanked his sister, Rachael Britton, along with fellow artists Andrew Kaighen and Loki Stonehouse for helping complete the project.

Funding for the mural came from the Department for Enterprise's Local Economy Fund.

The Commissioners said the mural formed part of a wider program of public art across Ramsey and hoped it would add to the town's appeal.


Prince Harry to Visit London without Wife, Children

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, arrive at Rushcutters Bay following a sail on Sydney Harbour with veterans from the Invictus Australia community, in Sydney, Australia, April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, arrive at Rushcutters Bay following a sail on Sydney Harbour with veterans from the Invictus Australia community, in Sydney, Australia, April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo
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Prince Harry to Visit London without Wife, Children

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, arrive at Rushcutters Bay following a sail on Sydney Harbour with veterans from the Invictus Australia community, in Sydney, Australia, April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, arrive at Rushcutters Bay following a sail on Sydney Harbour with veterans from the Invictus Australia community, in Sydney, Australia, April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Hollie Adams/File Photo

Prince Harry will stay in London without his wife Meghan and their two children while visiting the UK in July, a source close to him told AFP Saturday.

The prince had previously been expected to make his first family trip back to the UK in four years, but the source close to the Duke of Sussex said his wife, son Archie and daughter Lilibet would not accompany him on the London part of the trip, with the rest of the trip still under consideration.

According to Reuters, Harry has repeatedly expressed a desire to bring his children to Britain, which they have not visited ⁠for several years, but has said concerns about security ‌have complicated those plans.

"The Duke continues ‌to explore every available option to enable the ​visit to proceed safely and ‌to give his children the opportunity to enjoy the UK," his spokesperson ‌said earlier this week.

The prince has long argued that security concerns put his family at risk when visiting Britain.

Last year he lost a legal challenge against a government decision to remove the automatic police protection afforded to him after ‌he stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States with Meghan.

The planned ⁠visit had raised ⁠the prospect of a rare meeting between Archie and Lilibet and their grandfather, King Charles, who has seen little of the children in recent years as relations between Harry and the royal family remain strained.

Harry said in a BBC interview last year that he wanted a reconciliation with his family after years of public disputes, including criticism of royal life in television interviews and in his memoir, "Spare".

His trip next week also coincides with a closely watched court ruling in his privacy claim against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Daily Mail.