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When the sun is out after a long winter, every one loves it. But not the people of Canary Islands. Tourists there are being warned about the "unusually high risk" of UV rays this week. The Ministry of Health for this holiday destination has urged both, residents and visitors to take extra precautions and preventative measures to limit the impact of sun exposure over their body and skin.
The Ministry observed Aemet, Spain's national weather agency for the forecast which showed higher than normal UV or ultraviolet radiation levels in the region. It is in this backdrop that everyone in the region are requested to be extra careful when they are out in the sun. UV levels are set to reach 7, which is a 'high risk' in La Palma, El Hierro, La Gomera and Gran Canaria. Other regions like Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote are expected to reach a level 6, which is also classed as 'high risk'.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), a UV index is a measure of the level of UV radiation, which ranges from zero upward. The higher the UVI, the greater potential for damage to skin and eye and the less time it takes for harm to occur, notes WHO.
The range 1 to 2 represents a low risk, 2 to 5 is moderate, 6 to 7 is at high risk, 8 to 10 is at very high and anything over 11 is extremely risky for anyone to stay out.
UV radiation levels fluctuate throughout the day, with the highest values occurring during the four-hour period around solar noon. The reported UV Index (UVI) typically reflects this daily peak. Depending on geographic location and the use of daylight saving time, solar noon falls between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. In some countries, sun protection advisories are issued when UV levels are expected to reach 3 or higher, as exposure at these levels increases the risk of skin damage, making protective measures essential.
While sun bathing is good, being out in the sun when the UVI indicates a high or very high risk, may cause you health concerns. It can lead to sunburn, premature skin aging, incresed risk of skin cancer, eye damage and in severe cases, heat related disease.
It is one of the most common skin injury which happens when there is excess exposure to UV radiation from the sun. This happens when the UV radiation directly damages the DNA skin cells. These damaged cells die and shed, this is why people experience peeling after getting a sunburn.
This is also a common occurrence when your body loses too many fluids or electrolytes. It can also interfere with your normal body functions. You may feel dehydrated, especially when you are out in the sun, but not well hydrated. The most common symptoms are dizziness, fatigue and headache on hot days.
This is an electrolyte disorder in which your body experiences low sodium in blood. The symptoms could lead to nausea, confusion and even weakness. There are extreme cases when one may have seizures, slip into coma or die.
This is one of the most common consequence of being out under the hot sun. Dehydration with prolonged heat exposure can lead to heat exhaustion.
When you are out under the sun and your body's core temperature cross 104°, heatstroke may occur. This is also known as sunstroke. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it causes more than 600 deaths each year in the United States.
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Law on assisted dying will soon be passed in Jersey as politicians approved the principles to allow the same. On Wednesday. States member approved the draft law that would enable people with a terminal illness and experiencing incurable suffering to end their life with the help of a medical professional.
The Assisted Dying Review Panel said that they would need to take a closer look at the details before the law is finalized. The law is expected to be debated again on February 24 after the scrutiny panel is done with reviewing the details.
The draft law has been approved with 32 votes for and 14 votes against. This was similar to the result when the first details of the assisted dying law was given a green light in May 2024. The vote also followed the approval of an end of life care law, which was passed on Tuesday. This required the island's health minister to prove end of life care for the last 12 months of anyone's life.
Humanists UK chief executive Andre Copson said, and as is reported by the BBC, "This vote in favour of the draft law represents a historic moment for Jersey, and a huge step forward for compassion, dignity and choice at the end of life. The proposals contain strong safeguards and reflect the clear wishes of the public, who have spoken through citizens' juries and repeated surveys. Today, members of the States Assembly have listened to those voices and are one step closer to bringing choice and compassion to those facing the hardest of circumstances."
As a rebuttal, Christian leaders on Sunday led a prayer outside the States building. Organizers of Walk for Life said the prayer was attended by 200 people who were there to share their "great concern for the unintended consequences of the introduction of assisted dying, that has been expressed over the last few years."
Read: Can Right To Die Be Practiced By Non-Terminally Ill Patients?
As per the official government website of Jersey, the law is for those with a terminal illness, who is experiencing or is expected to experience unbearable physical suffering. Under such scenario the person "chooses to end their life with the help of a medical professional". The website notes that it is not same as suicide. It is a "service provided to people in certain limited circumstances that will be set out in law".
Also Read: Uruguay Becomes The First Catholic Latin American Country To Legalize Euthanasia
The website also notes that this does not replace palliative care and end of life care services. As person approaching the end of their life or living with serious illness should be provided the care and treatment they need to maximize their quality of life and minimize any suffering or distress. "Assisted dying is an additional choice that some people may make because they want more control over the manner and timing of their death," notes the website.
The difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide depends on who is administering the lethal dose. In an assisted suicide, the patients administer a lethal dose themselves.
The bill furthermore places no time limit on life expectancy, unlike similar laws do in the US, Australia, and New Zealand.
Read More: The Kessler Twins Die By Assisted Suicide in Germany; How It Differs From Euthanasia
The bill states that anyone with an incurable illness that cause them "unbearable suffering" can request euthanasia, even if the illness is not terminal. The catch is, applicants must be mentally competent, and two doctors must be required to rule that they are psychologically fit enough to take the decision for themselves.

The term has Greek origins, which means "good death", and refers to the practice under which an individual intentionally ends their life, painlessly. However, there are various types of Euthanasia, which are as followed:
Active Euthanasia: Where a patient is injected with a lethal dose of the drug, also known as "aggressive" euthanasia.
Passive Euthanasia: Where the patient's artificial life support such as a ventilator or feeding tube is withheld.
Voluntary Euthanasia: This happens when the patient consents to it.
Involuntary Euthanasia: This happens when the patient is not in the state to consent to euthanasia. In such cases, the patient's family makes the decision.
Credits: Lori Coble, Instagram
Lori Coble died of brain cancer at 48. Mom of teenage triplets, who had lost her first three children in a car accident died on Wednesday, January 21, confirmed a family friend to PEOPLE. She told PEOPLE "Lori passed away last night surrounded by her family."
In 2007, Lori lost her three children Kyle Christopher, 5, Emma Lynn 4, and Katie Gene, 2, in a car crash. While she and her husband Chris spent months coping up, they had triplets the year after the accident. Each carried an older sibling's middle name: Jake Christopher, Ahley Lyn, Ellie Gene.
In June 2025, Chris noticed something was wrong with his wife, as she was "getting more clumsy". She would run into walls, stub her toe on chairs, or drop drinking glasses on the floor. By early July, stroke like symptoms too appeared. In a previous interview with PEOPLE, he said, "Her mouth started to droop a little bit. It became too much to ignore."
By July, Lori was diagnosed with a large and aggressive stage 4 glioblastoma or brain cancer. "I was hoping we were done with the life changing, life altering disasters when life as you knew it yesterday is gone," Chris said. He said he started mourning loss of his wife the day she got diagnosed.
"I didn’t have a lot of hope at the outset — and that weighed heavily on me. I was really upset, mad, angry. How could this be happening to us again?”

While Lori had two surgeries to remove the tumor in the period of next few months, the second surgery was invasive and caused her to lose control of her left side. Few days after, she had a stroke and was placed in a medically induced coma. She was in the hospital for 40 days. After she regained her strength, she returned home, and started radiation and chemotherapy. The treatment however made her more tired and impacted her speech. She was getting worse by every passing day.
It was in mid-November when Lori was again in the hospital, this time in the ER, and doctors discovered a brain infection and advised on surgery. "You feel like she's just being tortured. I'm not sure that the treatment for cancer in this situation is any better than the disease itself.”
She also suffered with a lung infection and pneumonia and was brought back in the hospital. She was finally brought home for hospice care.
As per MD Anderson Cancer Center, glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive form of primary brain cancer. In US, every year, around 12,000 new cases are detected. All glioblastomas are classified as grade IV tumors, which means they contain the most abnormal looking cells that grow rapidly.
Glioblastoma develops from star-shaped brain cells known as astrocytes, which play a key role in nourishing the brain and shielding it from harmful substances in the bloodstream.
Astrocytes belong to a larger group called glial cells. These cells support the brain’s structure, supply nutrients, protect neurons, and help maintain a stable chemical balance in the brain.
The tumour most often forms near the front of the brain or close to its lower regions, though it can arise anywhere. The frontal lobe controls speech, movement, behaviour, and memory, while the temporal lobe is involved in memory formation, language, and processing sensory information such as sound and sight.
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Colorectal cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in American under 50. A new study from the American Cancer Society revealed that while the deaths by various cancers in Americans under age 50 have fell overall, a notable exception rose in colorectal cancer deaths. The study analyzed over 1.2 million deaths from cancer between 1990 and 2023. The researchers found that colorectal cancer deaths increased a little over 1% annually. This has made it the top cause of cancer death in men and women combined. The findings are published in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA.
Other causes of cancer deaths in people under 50, including leukemia and breast cancer, decreased up to 6% annually. The chief science officer of the American Cancer Society, also an oncologist, Dr William Dahut said better treatment is helping people live longer. Speaking to ABC News, he said, "My sense is, if you would break down the improvements, more than half of it is certainly due to better therapies."
He also said that there has been a decrease in tobacco use, which has helped drive a 5.7% annual decline in lung cancer deaths. In 1990, lung cancer was the leading cause of cancer death among people under 50, but now it ranks fourth.
While the study showed that more women are diagnosed with breast cancer, the deaths have decreased by an average of 1.4% per year. However, it continues to remain the leading cause of cancer death in younger women.
Cervical cancer deaths too decreased about half a percentage every year. This is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in young women.
“I think there’s a good chance we see dramatic decreases [in cervical cancer deaths], assuming vaccination rates continue,” Dr. Dahut predicted
Read: Colon Cancer Is The Third Most Common Cancer In Men: Symptoms, Treatment And Prevention
The American Cancer Society notes that colorectal cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon or the rectum. Colorectal cancer impacts around 1.9 million people every year, noted the World Health Organization (WHO) as per its 2022 data.
It is a disease of large bowel and a type of cancer that originates from the rectum or colon. A person's colon, cecum, rectum and anus make up the large intestine.
The ileocecal valve that is located at the opening between the ileum and the large intestine controls the flow of chyme from the small intestine to the large intestine. It happens when abnormal cells invade the wall of the rectum and neighboring tissue. These are called polyps or growths in the inner lining of the colon.
Experts are concerned about the rising colorectal cancer deaths in young Americans, mostly because they are unsure of why is this happening. However, Dahut said, "It didn’t totally surprise me, although I would have to say it’s moving a little more quickly than I anticipated. It’s going to be linked to either environmental [causes] or a lifestyle.”
Also Read: An Oncologist's Food Guide To Lower Your Risk Of Colorectal Cancer
Dahut also noted that doctors should regularly recommend screening for the disease and following up with the symptoms, even in middle-aged parents. This is more important as more than 75% of new colorectal cancer diagnoses in young patients are found in later stages. “Lots of folks in their 40s do not necessarily have a primary care doctor telling them to get the screening – men in particular,” he said.
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