World news

One of the scariest sounds in the world used for human sacrifices has been recreated by scientists.

Used by Aztecs thousands of years ago, the Aztec Death Whistle has been reproduced by seemingly unfazed boffins using 3D printing technology. The new version was made based on the only well-preserved model found during digs in Mexico in the 1990s.

Shaped like a skull, it makes a horrific high-pitched shriek when blown into, and is thought to have been used right before a human sacrifice to honour the God of Wind, Ehecatl, was made. The noise that comes out of the object sounds like a blood-curdling scream – and it has now been recreated by the experts at Action Lab.

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James Orgill, from the YouTube channel of AL, said: “This has been deemed the most terrifying sound in the world. Believe it or not, this is not a human scream. The sound that the death whistle makes innately strikes fear into your heart.

“For some reason, the effect of making it sound like a scream is stronger when you don’t actually watch the person blowing into the whistle, probably because your brain knows it’s a whistle.”

He goes on to explain that the whistle is shaped like a human larynx, all with a mixture of frequencies – with the 1000hz range being the strongest. He added: “The most fearful scream humans make is around the 1000hz range.”

He then uses the four whistles he made using a 3D printer, with one of them sounding like a woman screaming in the most horrific fashion possible. It has been claimed that the bloke who first blew into the whistle discovered in Mexico City scared his colleague so much that they started crying and vowed never to blow it again.

However, until the moment he decided to blow into it, it was thought the mysterious object was just a toy, as it was found buried with a body. In hindsight, it’s probably better if he had never have blown into it . . .

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Out-of-favour airline

This week, Love Island star

‘Our poor Charlie was meant to embark on a flight early this morning. Instead he has been left a the airport in a crate for over 9 hours without food,’ she explained on

‘Qantas thought it was ok to attempt to put him on a later flight tonight at 5pm which would mean he was in a crate with no care for over 14 hours. In what world is that ok?’

However, Qantas has disputed Tayla’s allegations and claimed that Charlie was regularly checked on, looked after and provided with water.

‘Unfortunately the pet was unable to travel on its scheduled flight and was put onto the following available flight later in the day,’ a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

The complaint coincides with a parliamentary committee tasked with grilling Qantas bosses hearing that Australians would have benefitted from cheaper airfares by

The dramas are the latest in a series of troubles that have plagued Qantas in recent weeks – with the biggest two potentially costing the airline hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is taking the airline to Federal Court, claiming it sold tickets on thousands of already-cancelled flights.

While the High Court earlier this month agreed the airline’s sacking of 1700 workers during the Covid pandemic was illegal under the Fair Work Act.

The parliamentary committee is looking into what role Qantas played in the transport minister’s decision to knock back Qatar Airway’s application.

On Thursday, Today hosts Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo accused the Albanese government of a ‘sweetheart deal’ with Qantas at the expense of consumers and said they were ‘up to their eyeballs’ in questions over the decision.

Transport Minister Catherine King has not elaborated on what ‘national interest’ she used to deny the flights, though has said an invasive strip search of 13 Australian women at Doha airport in 2020 played a role.

Qatar’s 28 flights compares to Emirates’ 84 weekly flights and Etihad’s 63.

Qantas chairman Richard Goyder and new CEO Vanessa Hudson appeared before the committee to address the mounting criticism on Wednesday afternoon.

But the committee was unable to summon former boss Alan Joyce as he is overseas.

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil said Mr Joyce is ‘entitled to do what he wants to do but has got public responsibilities, I think, to front up.’

Ms Hudson said she was not involved in any discussions about blocking Qatar Airways with the government and did not learn their application was knocked back until it was publicly revealed.

Today co-host Abo asked Simon Harrison, chairman of the Australia Qatar Business Council: ‘Is this a sweetheart deal between Qantas and the government?’.

He replied: ‘I can only surmise… there is a high probability that is the case.’

Treasurer Jim Chalmers who was also on the program flatly denied that claim.

Stefanovic quipped back that ‘it looks to me like (the government) is saying ‘nothing to see here,’ when, in fact, you guys are up to your eyeballs in this and don’t know how to get out.’

Qatar senior vice-president Matt Raos told the parliamentary committee the airline found out its bid was rejected via the media on July 10 and then received a letter 10 days later that was sent on July 14.

‘We were surprised and shocked by the decision… to reject our application for additional flights to Australia,’ Mr Raos told the hearing.

‘Even more surprising was the government gave us no reason for rejecting our application, we really can’t understand why.’

But Mr Raos said the airline hadn’t given up hope of doubling its 28 flights per week and would be ready to deliver the extra services this year.

‘We had plans to deploy those aircrafts well in advance, we have to make sure… aircrafts are aligned,’ he said.

‘We aim to operate before Christmas, we hope we manage to do that.’

Coalition senator Simon Birimingham remarked in response ‘that would be great news for travellers and our tourism sector’.

Qatar estimated the additional flights would add $3 billion of economic benefits to Australia, adding the Victorian government was forecasting a second daily flight from Doha to Melbourne would create 900 jobs.

New Qantas CEO Hudson has promised to win back customer confidence and will spend potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to do so – bringing back overseas call centres and implementing measures to ensure flights run on schedule.

Mr Goyder, who previously steered Wesfarmers though the 2008 global financial crises, has seen growing calls from pilots and shareholders for him to resign.

However, he assured the committee he was the right person to lead Qantas forward and believed he had the confidence of ‘major shareholders’.

‘I have had meetings with our major shareholders two weeks ago, and they are very strongly supportive of me staying, and I would also argue my history in business has been one of high ethics, looking to create value for all our stakeholders.’

He added neither he, not any other Qantas board member, had lobbied the government to block Qatar Airway’s application for more flights.

Inquiry chair Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie did not say whether Mr Goyder should resign.

However she said the board had contributed to the airline’s loss in public standing.

‘Our once great national carrier that we’re all proud to call the spirit of Australia has had its reputation trashed and not just by the board but by the former CEO’s behaviour and perceived cosy relationship with the Albanese government,’ she told ABC Radio.

The Australian Shareholders’ Association is the latest to add its voice to the call, with chief executive Rachel Waterhouse saying a slew of recent Qantas scandals makes his position untenable.

Four Brits alleged to be members of a major drug trafficking organisation have gone on trial in Greece – while a mystery fifth man dubbed the ‘British Pablo Escobar’ could still be at large.

MailOnline reports Neil Jones, 46, Anthony Bennett, 49, John Ellis, 39, and Stephen Wray, 52 – all from Liverpool – were named for the first time in court in Thessaloniki this week. Ryan Ellis, another scouser, was charged along with them but remains in custody in the Netherlands.

The four in Greece were arrested in June last year after armed police raided their luxury villa close to Thessaloniki. It came after police seized a 297kg consignment of cocaine, hidden in bananas, that had arrived in the port city. The load was said to be worth £42million.

Greek authorities say the arrests has sparked a global manhunt for the mysterious alleged ringleader. The gang are accused of being responsible for 10% of all the cocaine that comes into Europe.

Wray did not appear in court. He was reportedly rushed to hospital just hours before the trial with severe abdominal pains.

According to the Greek authorities, one of the men attempted to grab an officer’s gun during the arrest operation but was restrained. Alongside blocks of cocaine, Greek police seized a pistol and bullets, radios, cash and 11 mobile phones.

Officials allege the men are linked to another consignment of cocaine totalling 700kg. It was also in a load of bananas and came from South America via Italy. Investigators believe the men to have been working with the Mafia in Calabria, Southern Italy.

The alleged kingpin is a 41-year-old Brit. Greek media described him as “one of the biggest players in international cocaine trafficking”. He is reportedly a target for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

MailOnline reports it is unclear whether he is the man being held in the Netherlands as “officials refused to disclose any details”. The publication writes that Dutch authorities are refusing to hand him over due to the “conditions in Greek jails”.

The men in Greece are yet to enter pleas and the case has been adjourned until next month.

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