Latest news with #HoracioVillalobos
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
Cruise Ship Deaths: Hundreds Occur Per Year, Here's What the Data Reveals
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The death of a passenger aboard the Carnival Dream last week has reignited scrutiny on safety standards and investigative protocols on cruise ships. While hundreds of cruise ship deaths occur each year, that translates to roughly one death per 150,000 guests, according to analysis cited by Emma Cruises. Why It Matters As cruise vacations attract tens of millions annually, there's a renewed interest in the data behind the likelihood of dying aboard a cruise ship. The FBI confirmed to Newsweek it was "aware of an incident that occurred around July 23, 2025, on the Carnival Dream cruise ship." Coordination is ongoing with the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the cruise line regarding the death of a 48-year-old Texas man. Carnival Miracle, a 88,500 GT Spirit-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line, sails the Tagus River after departure from the cruise terminal on June 03, 2025, in Lisbon, Portugal. Carnival Miracle, a 88,500 GT Spirit-class cruise ship operated by Carnival Cruise Line, sails the Tagus River after departure from the cruise terminal on June 03, 2025, in Lisbon, Portugal. Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images What To Know The FBI is currently investigating the death of Euvelester Villarreal Jr. of Rio Grande City, Texas, aged 48. Carnival Cruise told Fox 26 Houston that the FBI investigation is a standard protocol for all deaths that occur at sea and doesn't necessarily imply suspicious circumstances. "It is standard practice for the FBI to review deaths that occur on cruise ships. This routine protocol ensures transparency," Carnival said in a statement. "It does not automatically imply suspicious circumstances, and the facts of this matter do not suggest any such activity. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to our guest's family and loved ones in this difficult time." However, the death has sparked larger questions over your chances of dying at sea and the larger protocols of if a death occurs onboard a cruise ship. Approximately 200 cruise ship deaths occur each year, according to Emma Cruises, but that number is likely underrepresented due to limited reporting requirements across international jurisdictions. With 30 million passengers in 2019 alone, this translates to about one death per 150,000 guests or an average of three to four deaths each week. Most deaths are natural, resulting from heart attacks or medical emergencies. However, accidents, suicides, and rare cases of violence contribute to the toll. In addition to medical events, the cruise industry recorded 48 alleged crimes, from sexual assaults to serious bodily injuries, reported to the FBI between January and March 2025. This was considerably higher than pre-pandemic years. High-profile cases, such as the disappearance of Amy Bradley from Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas in 1998, continue to drive public interest in how cruise lines and authorities respond to onboard incidents. A report from John Foy & Associates Personal Injury Law discovered that Carnival Cruise Line had the most deaths between 2000 and 2019, but this could be in part because it remains one of the most popular cruise lines. While 29 percent of reported passenger deaths occurred on Carnival ships, 12 percent of deaths happened on Royal Caribbean's cruises, and 10 percent took place on Norwegian. What People Are Saying A spokesperson for the FBI told Newsweek in a statement: "I can confirm FBI Houston is aware of an incident that occurred around July 23, 2025, on the Carnival Dream cruise ship. An FBI Maritime Liaison Agent, based out of the Texas City Resident Agency, is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the cruise line regarding this incident. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, I am not able to provide additional details at this time." Carnival Cruise told Fox 26 Houston in a statement: "It is standard practice for the FBI to review deaths that occur on cruise ships. This routine protocol ensures transparency. It does not automatically imply suspicious circumstances, and the facts of this matter do not suggest any such activity. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to our guest's family and loved ones in this difficult time." What Happens Next While the FBI, alongside U.S. maritime agencies, continues to investigate the Carnival Dream death, new details may emerge. Cruise lines will also need to navigate both industry regulations and public scrutiny in the wake of high-profile cases. Passengers are urged to be aware of safety procedures and ensure proper travel insurance coverage in the event of medical emergencies.
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Marijuana Could Break Your Heart—Literally
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Love smoking weed? Prepare to get your heart broken—literally. A flood of recent studies have detailed the damage marijuana does to your mental health, bringing the risks a renewed level of media attention. Weed's linked to everything from psychosis to violent behavior to dementia. But 2025 has been dominated by another piece of bad news about marijuana: that it's just as bad for your cardiac health as it is for your mental health. Consider a meta-analysis from BMJ Heart which appeared just last month. The authors examined dozens of studies on marijuana users and found a two-fold—yes, you read that right—risk of cardiovascular death corresponding to weed use, as well as a 29 percent higher risk of major cardiac events. Many of America's policymakers and all its addiction profiteers keep insisting weed is safe, healthy, and natural. But the BMJ data are just the tip of the iceberg. A May study from the University of California San Francisco found that marijuana was associated with vascular dysfunction in chronic users—regardless of whether they were smoking it or using edibles. There's no cheat code, in other words, to get around the cardiac damage marijuana does. Gummies and candies won't save you. March saw a meta-analysis come out from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) on 12 studies examining more than 75 million cases to investigate heart attack risk in weed users. The results? Users are 51 percent more likely than nonusers to have had a heart attack. The bad news hasn't just been hitting in 2025, of course. A 2024 American Heart Association study found that daily users had a 25 percent higher risk of heart attack and 42 percent higher risk of stroke compared to non-users and that more frequent use led to higher risk. Another JACC study, this one from 2023, showed users had a 34 percent greater risk of developing coronary artery disease. And on and on and on. LISBON, PORTUGAL - MAY 31: A participant shows marijuana buds in Jardim das Amoreiras before the start of a rally for the legalization and regulation of cannabis in Portugal on May 31, 2025, in Lisbon,... LISBON, PORTUGAL - MAY 31: A participant shows marijuana buds in Jardim das Amoreiras before the start of a rally for the legalization and regulation of cannabis in Portugal on May 31, 2025, in Lisbon, Portugal. More Horacio Villalobos/Corbis/Getty Images It's great that all this information is increasingly breaking through into the mainstream. The more people who are aware of it, the better the public health outcomes will be for every American. That goes double given that the U.S. is facing a crisis of marijuana use among both the young and the old (for whom cardiac worries should be paramount). But people who actually pay attention to the public-health dangers marijuana presents have been shouting about this from the rooftops for decades. A 2001 study published in the American Heart Association journal found that in the hour after marijuana use, the risk of a myocardial infarction jumps by almost 400 percent. Those data appeared almost a quarter-century ago. How did this aspect of weed's general public-health effect ever pass under the radar at all—especially since American culture has become laser-focused on wellness in the interim? How many lives have been lost, people injured, families sundered? The fact that weed's heart dangers have ever been anything less than a national story is a testament to how successful the marijuana industry, its advocates in the media, and the politicians it's coopted have been at reputation management. Luckily, the word now seems to be out. But we need to get louder. It's time for everyone to reckon with this reality. That means a renewed and urgent focus on prevention from our policymakers—and remember, prevention needs to target both young and old. It means energetic callouts from journalists whenever "weed equals wellness" claims start to bubble up. It means parents letting their kids know that yes, marijuana can be deadly. Everyone invested in promoting sane policy and saving public health needs to take this to heart. Dr. Kevin Sabet is the president and CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
News24
01-07-2025
- Climate
- News24
Temperature records broken in Spain and Portugal
Pedestrians walk by a pharmacy near Praça Camoes sign posting 39°C as high temperatures hit the city on June 28, 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal. Horacio Villalobos#Corbis/Getty Images Be among those who shape the future with knowledge. Uncover exclusive stories that captivate your mind and heart with our FREE 14-day subscription trial. Dive into a world of inspiration, learning, and empowerment. You can only trial once.
Extra.ie
22-06-2025
- Extra.ie
Irishman among three held after €110m drugs haul on yacht
An Irishman is among three people arrested after Portuguese police and military intercepted a yacht with more than 1.5 tonnes of cocaine on board off the Azores. Two Danish men were also arrested after 1,660 kilos of the class-A drug, with a potential street value of around €110m, were found on the 11-metre vessel. All three were in Sao Miguel Prison in the capital, Ponta Delgada, after being remanded by a judge following their first court appearance on Friday. An Irishman is among three people arrested after Portuguese police and military intercepted a yacht with more than 1.5 tonnes of cocaine on board off the Azores. Pic: Getty Images Portuguese police also confirmed Spanish counterparts had held the suspected leader of the criminal gang in a 'parallel' operation believed to have taken place on the Costa del Sol. The operation that led to the high-seas cocaine bust was codenamed Operation Vikings. A spokesman for Portugal's Policia Judiciaria described the three men in an official statement as 'foreigners' but a well-placed source yesterday confirmed they included an Irish national. Portugal's police also said Irish authorities had assisted them. An Irishman is among three people arrested after Portuguese police and military intercepted a yacht with more than 1.5 tonnes of cocaine on board off the Azores. Pic: Horacio Villalobos – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images) The police statement said: 'With the support of the Portuguese Navy, we launched an operation to combat international drug trafficking by sea. 'Operation Vikings is the result of a complex investigation over the last two years, aimed at dismantling an international criminal organisation.' The statement added: 'Given the nationality of the suspects and the geographical dispersion of their activities, the assistance provided by foreign counterparts in the context of international police co-operation, in particular the Spanish National Police, the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the Danish National Special Crimes Unit (NSK Danish Police) and the French and Irish authorities, was also relevant.'
