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'.

UV Index Explained

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.

What happens to you when you are out in sun for too long?

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.

Sunburn

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.

Dehydration

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.

Hyponatremia

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.

Heat Exhaustion

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.

Heatstroke

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.

Continuing its biggest food safety crackdown in years, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) inspected Pernod Ricard’s plant in Bengaluru.

While FSSAI officials have not issued any adverse findings against Pernod, they reportedly collected samples of Blenders Pride and Royal Stag whisky for testing.

“Regulatory inspections are an established part of the industry's compliance framework, and we are working constructively with the authorities,” Pernod said in a statement to Reuters. The French company added that it maintains robust quality and safety standards.

FSSAI Inspects Pernod Plant

FSSAI officials inspected the Pernod plant over two days, collected liquor samples for testing and sought some documentation.

According to Pernod, Blenders Pride is among its top premium blended whiskies in India, while Royal Stag is the first whisky in India not to use any artificial flavourings.

Also read: After FDA Crackdowns, Karnataka Launches QR Code To Report Food & Drug Safety Violations Instantly

FSSAI's Visit to Diageo Plant

The inspection comes close on the heels of FSSAI’s visit to Diageo’s plant, also in Bengaluru. The regulator seized around 18,000 boxes of whisky and vodka bottles, citing the alleged lack of markings showing that the bottles were made using safe, food-grade recycled plastic, Reuters reported.

It also flagged issues over labelling and the alleged addition of whisky flavouring to its whiskies.

FSSAI Widens Food Safety Crackdown

The food standards regulator has stepped up enforcement across packaged foods, edible oils, sweeteners, high-caffeine beverages and energy drink makers, including PepsiCo, with the drive gathering pace since July.

In recent weeks, FSSAI has acted against or scrutinized products and companies over misleading claims, hygiene and food-safety violations, non-compliant ingredients, labelling issues and failure to meet prescribed standards.

The latest in the list includes companies such as Amway India, Emami and Bonn Biscuits, which were pulled up by the food regulator over the use of the term “100%” on food labels, packaging and promotional or advertising materials where such claims could mislead consumers.

Read More: From Liquor to Dabur to VKC Nuts, FSSAI Crackdown Puts Food Safety in Focus: Why It Matters

Companies Remove ‘100%’ Claims

Following the intervention, six companies — Bonn Biscuits, Emami, Apis India, Amway India, Juza Foods and Masterchow Foods — took corrective action and removed “100%” claims from their products or advertisements.

• Emami withdrew the “100%” claim for its Zhandu Honey product.
• Apis India removed similar “100%” claims from its honey products.
• Bonn Biscuits removed the claim from a Jeera Bite advertisement for Bonn Cummin Flavor Jeera Bite Biscuits, 76 gm.
• Juza Foods in Kerala removed “100%” claims from various baby food products.
• Masterchow Foods Pvt Ltd withdrew the claim from its Ramen Noodle product.

Previous Crackdowns

FSSAI has also taken action against energy drink makers and alcoholic beverage manufacturers over regulatory violations.

More recently, the food regulator tightened packaging rules for pan masala. Under the new Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026, notified on August 10, pan masala packaging can no longer use plastic-based materials, plastic laminates, aluminium foil or metallized layers.

Pan masala can now be packaged in materials made of paper, paperboard, cellulose and other naturally derived materials, provided they are completely free from plastic and synthetic polymers. Tin and glass containers are also allowed.

FSSAI also warned influencers to ensure, before endorsing a food product, that the claims made “are truthful, verifiable & compliant with the law.”

“With great influence comes great responsibility! Promoting misleading or unverified food claims can attract legal consequences,” it said.

A legal battle ensued over a surrogate pregnancy after a California couple sued their surrogate for more than $100,000, alleging she broke their agreement by refusing to terminate the pregnancy after their unborn baby was diagnosed with a serious heart defect.

The case involves McKenna West, a 28-year-old nurse from Alaska, and intended parents Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed of California. The dispute began after a 20-week scan showed that the fetus had hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a rare congenital heart defect in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped.

The baby, referred to as Gabriel by West and Rumi by the intended parents, was born in Texas on August 12 and is now receiving specialist medical care. The parents have custody of the newborn, while West's legal counsel has challenged the parental arrangement.

A Diagnosis That Changed The Surrogacy Agreement

According to the parents' lawsuit, their surrogacy agreement contained a provision allowing termination if the fetus developed a serious abnormality.

After doctors diagnosed HLHS at around 20 weeks, Gilkar and Ahmed asked West to terminate the pregnancy. According to court filings, West initially agreed to the process but later changed her mind and refused to undergo an abortion.

West travelled from Alaska to Texas while pregnant, saying she wanted the baby to be born close to specialists capable of treating HLHS. The disagreement has eventually turned into a legal dispute involving California, Alaska and Texas, with different arguments about the surrogacy contract, parental rights and decision-making.

Also read: Decoding The Fertility Markers

Parents Seek More Than $100,000

The latest lawsuit, filed by Gilkar and Ahmed, accuses West of breaching the surrogacy agreement by refusing to terminate the pregnancy.

They are seeking more than $100,000 in damages, according to the latest reports. Earlier proceedings also involved claims over financial penalties under the surrogacy agreement, with reports citing amounts as high as $250,000. West continues to dispute the allegations and has been fighting a separate legal battle over her rights concerning the baby.

Also read: Maternal Anemia: Why It’s A Major Pregnancy Risk For Indian Women And How to Prevent It

What Is HLHS?

HLHS is a complex congenital heart defect that affects the left side of the heart, including the left ventricle and major blood vessels.

As the left side cannot adequately pump oxygen-rich blood to the body, newborns with HLHS require immediate medical treatment after birth, which usually involves a series of surgeries.

While HLHS remains a serious lifelong condition, advances in surgery and intensive care can help children lead a normal life well into their adulthood.

Texas Court Ordered Life-Saving Treatment

Before the baby's birth, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the court to ensure that the newborn would receive medically necessary treatment. A Texas judge subsequently ordered that life-saving care be provided after birth and prevented the baby from being taken out the state while the case was being considered.

Paxton said, “Baby Gabriel deserves a chance at life.” The parents' lawyer, however, accused the Texas attorney general and West of turning a private family crisis into a political agenda. After the birth, attorney Lee Budner said the baby was in his parents' physical custody and receiving specialist care.

BBC presenter Emma Barnett has revealed that she underwent a hysterectomy after years of living with endometriosis and adenomyosis, saying she had the surgery she “never wanted to have” after her symptoms worsened with time.

Barnett, 41, was filming her BBC documentary Fighting Endometriosis when her health deteriorated. She eventually underwent a nearly five-hour operation involving endometriosis surgery, removal of her womb and gallbladder surgery. She was still recovering when the documentary aired in June.

She told listeners, "I made a programme on endometriosis on BBC Two and ended up being in hospital for endometriosis." She added, "Some 48 hours before the documentary aired - I had undergone a near-5 hour surgery and somehow found myself lying in bed recovering from extensive endometriosis surgery, a hysterectomy and a gallbladder removal," she wrote.

She has since returned to BBC Radio 4's Today programme and opened up about the physical and emotional toll of the procedure, including her recovery and adjustment to hormone replacement therapy.

"So yes, I've been recuperating, shall we say, from surgery for endometriosis and a hysterectomy to boot. So that's been less fun than the Today programme, but it is lovely to be back."

Barnett has lived with endometriosis for more than two decades. She also has adenomyosis, a condition she said she had come to suspect was responsible for much of her pain.

Adenomyosis Affects Muscle Of The Womb

Also read: Emma Barnett: It Took 21 Years To Diagnose My Endometriosis

Adenomyosis is a condition in which the tissue that normally lines the inside of the womb grows into the muscular wall of the uterus. The tissue continues to respond to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, which can cause the uterus to become enlarged and inflamed, leading to pain and heavy bleeding.

Adenomyosis does not present with symptoms. When it does, heavy menstrual bleeding and painful periods are among the most common complaints. Some women may also face pelvic pain, bloating or a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen, pain during sex and, in some cases, fertility issues.

Even though the condition is different from endometriosis, the two can occur together. The symptoms can overlap with endometriosis, which can make it difficult to identify which condition is responsible for symptoms.

Treatment Depends On Symptoms And Reproduction Plans

Also read: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Plans To Freeze Eggs As She Eyes 2028 US Presidential Run

Treatment for adenomyosis generally focuses on controlling pain and heavy bleeding. Depending on the severity of symptoms, doctors may recommend anti-inflammatory painkillers, hormonal treatments like the contraceptive pill or hormonal intrauterine systems, or other medicines that suppress menstrual symptoms.

For women who have completed their families and continue to experience severe symptoms despite other treatments, a hysterectomy may be considered.

A hysterectomy removes the uterus and, because adenomyosis exists within the uterine muscle, removing the uterus can cure adenomyosis. The NHS says it is generally considered when other treatments have failed and a woman does not want to have more children. However, a hysterectomy is major surgery and is not considered a first-line treatment.

While removing the uterus can cure adenomyosis, endometriosis occurs outside the uterus, meaning a hysterectomy does not necessarily eliminate all endometriosis.

Endometriosis lesions elsewhere in the body may remain and can continue to cause symptoms. Barnett therefore underwent endometriosis surgery alongside the hysterectomy.

Barnett said her recovery has been lengthy and physically demanding. Around 11 weeks after the operation, she was still dealing with fatigue and the process of adjusting her hormones with HRT.

A Documentary To Expose A Neglected Disease

Recognizing that many women experience similar struggles, Barnett made a new documentary film "Emma Barnett: Fighting Endometriosis" in which she speaks with women, including doctors, researchers and even politicians about their experiences with endometriosis, highlighting a neglected disease that has no known cure.

Through the documentary, Barnett hopes to raise awareness of the condition, improve public understanding, and draw attention to the long delays many women face in receiving a diagnosis.

“One of the reasons I have made a film about endometriosis is that I want people to understand it is not just ‘painful periods’. It’s a system-wide inflammatory condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of it, causing agonizing pain. I am hoping to boost public understanding of that, and beyond merely being able to pronounce it,” she wrote in The Independent.

“It’s very hard to make something invisible visible, but what I am trying to do with this film is bring the invisible into light and show that this is a silent emergency.”