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Man dies after cooking and eating highly poisonous pufferfish

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Man dies after cooking and eating highly poisonous pufferfish

A Brazilian man who feasted on one of the most poisonous fishes in the world has died after spending five weeks in hospital fighting for his life, according to reports.

Magno Sergio Gomes, 46, and his friend ate a toxic pufferfish – known to be 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide – over Christmas after receiving the fish as a present, according to Newsflash via the New York Post. 

Gomes, a father of three, and his pal gutted the fish, removed its liver and then boiled it and ate it with lemon juice in Aracruz, Espirito Santa, in eastern Brazil.

Magno Sergio Gomes, 46, left, ate a toxic pufferfish over Christmas after a pal gifted him the fish as a present. (Newsflash | YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/GettyImages, left, and YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/GettyImages, right)

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However, less than an hour later, both Magno and his friend fell seriously ill, his heartbroken sister Myrian Lopes told Newsflash, adding that her brother had never cleaned a pufferfish before.

“Magno started to feel numb in his mouth, then he went with his wife to the hospital, driving his car,” Lopes said, according to Newsflash.

“When he got there, his mouth was even more numb, and he felt sick. Soon after, he had a cardiac arrest that lasted eight minutes.”

Lopes said that Gomes was intubated and put on life support but never recovered. He died on Jan. 27. 

Myrian Lopes, left, with her brother Magno Sergio Gomes. (Newsflash)

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“The doctors told our family that he died from poisoning, which had quickly traveled to his head,” Lopes said.

“Three days after being admitted, he had several seizures, which greatly affected his brain, leaving little chance of recovery.”

Lopes said her brother’s friend survived the ordeal but is having trouble with his legs. It was not clear if the friend was the same pal who gifted Gomes the pufferfish.

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Pufferfish are extremely dangerous to eat since they contain the deadly toxins tetrodotoxin (TTX) and/or saxitoxin, which can cause severe illness and death, according to the FDA.

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“These are central nervous system toxins and are more deadly than cyanide,” the FDA states on its website.

“Symptoms start within 20 minutes to two hours after eating the toxic fish. Initial symptoms include tingling of the lips and mouth, followed by dizziness, tingling in the extremities, problems with speaking, balance, muscle weakness and paralysis, vomiting, and diarrhea. In severe intoxications, death can result from respiratory paralysis.”

A pufferfish on a chopping board in Japan. (YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/GettyImages)

The toxins are found in the livers, gonads, skin and intestines of pufferfish.

Pufferfish are considered the second most poisonous vertebrate in the world, after the golden poison frog. Pufferfish are also known as puffer, bok, blowfish, globefish, swellfish, balloonfish or sea squab, according to the FDA. 

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Despite the dangers of eating pufferfish, they are considered a delicacy in Japan, where they are known as fugu. Expert Japanese fugu chefs learn to safely chop out parts of the fish that contain TTX. 

The fish is also popular in China and Korea.

A pufferfish in Japan. Despite the dangers of eating pufferfish, they are considered a delicacy in Japan, where they are known as fugu. (Xavier DESMIER/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Due to the potential health hazard, commercial importation of pufferfish into the U.S. is heavily restricted while personal importation is prohibited, according to the FDA.

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There is enough TTX in one pufferfish to kill 30 humans. 

Gomes’ sister said she does not know where the fish her brother ingested came from, or whether it was caught or farmed, according to Newsflash. 

Brazil is reportedly home to 20 species of pufferfish. It is unclear what type of pufferfish Gomes ate.

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Video: Trump Reaches Framework Greenland Deal

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Video: Trump Reaches Framework Greenland Deal

new video loaded: Trump Reaches Framework Greenland Deal

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Trump Reaches Framework Greenland Deal

President Trump said he reached a framework for a deal on the future of Greenland. Some Greenlanders were relieved but wary after Mr. Trump backed down from his threat to use force.

“The world wants to know how you did the deal sir.” “It’s a really good deal for everybody.” “Do you still plan to acquire Greenland?” “Really good.” “Does it still include the United States having ownership of Greenland like you’ve said you wanted?” “It’s a long-term deal. It’s the ultimate long-term deal, and I think it puts everybody in a really good position. Thank you very much.” “What I don’t hear is Greenland still — is it still under the Kingdom of Denmark in this framework deal?” “That issue did not come up anymore in my conversations tonight with the president. He’s very much focused on what do we need to do to make sure that that huge Arctic region, where change is taking place at the moment, where the Chinese and Russians are more and more active, how we can protect it.” “Mr. Rutte, is it a good deal?” “I think it was a very good meeting tonight, but still a lot of work to be done, but I’ve got to go.” “I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland.” “It makes me super relieved, but again, you never know. I still feel like everything, everything can happen.” “I do think that he still really wants to take Greenland. I try not to think too much about it because it can be so consuming.”

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President Trump said he reached a framework for a deal on the future of Greenland. Some Greenlanders were relieved but wary after Mr. Trump backed down from his threat to use force.

By Shawn Paik

January 22, 2026

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Denmark’s prime minister insists sovereignty is non-negotiable as Trump announces Greenland deal ‘framework’

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Denmark’s prime minister insists sovereignty is non-negotiable as Trump announces Greenland deal ‘framework’

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Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is insisting that Denmark will not negotiate on its sovereignty despite President Donald Trump announcing a “framework” of a deal on Greenland has been reached.

In a statement, she indicated that the nation is open to discussions with allies as long as the engagement respects Denmark’s “territorial integrity.”

“Security in the Arctic is a matter for the entire NATO alliance. Therefore, it is good and natural that it is also discussed between NATO’s Secretary General and the President of the United States. The Kingdom of Denmark has long worked for NATO to increase its engagement in the Arctic,” Frederiksen noted in the statement, which was written in Danish.

“We have been in close dialogue with NATO and I have spoken to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on an ongoing basis, including both before and after his meeting with President Trump in Davos. NATO is fully aware of the position of the Kingdom of Denmark. We can negotiate on everything political; security, investments, economy. But we cannot negotiate on our sovereignty,” she asserted. 

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Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen holds a press conference in the Mirror Hall at the Prime Minister’s Office, at Christiansborg in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Jan. 13, 2026.  (Kristian Tuxen Ladegaard Berg/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The Danish prime minister noted that “only Denmark and Greenland themselves can make decisions on issues concerning Denmark and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark wishes to continue to engage in a constructive dialogue with allies on how we can strengthen security in the Arctic, including the US’s Golden Dome, provided that this is done with respect for our territorial integrity.”

Her comments come after Trump announced on Truth Social that, “Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region.”

“This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations,” Trump wrote in the post. “Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st. Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland.”

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TRUMP TELLS DAVOS US ALONE CAN SECURE GREENLAND, INSISTS HE WON’T ‘USE FORCE’

President Donald Trump gives a speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) on Jan. 21, 2026, in Davos, Switzerland.  (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

During a speech at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Switzerland on Thursday, Trump seemed to indicate that he would not use force to seize Greenland.

While discussing NATO, he said, “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force, where we would be frankly unstoppable. But, I won’t do that.”

“I won’t use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland,” Trump said.

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TOP NATO OFFICIAL REVEALS DETAILS OF STUNNING MEETING WITH TRUMP THAT PRODUCED GREENLAND DEAL ‘FRAMEWORK’

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In a post on X, Denmark’s Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, said, “We welcome that POTUS has ruled out to take Greenland by force and paused the trade war. Now, let’s sit down and find out how we can address the American security concerns in the Arctic while respecting the red lines of the KoD.”

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NATO allies unaware of Greenland deal details so far, says Spanish FM Albares

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A security framework for Greenland negotiated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will have to be presented before all allies for consideration, the Spanish Foreign Minister told Euronews on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.

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