World

Frigid temperatures as winter solstice marks astronomical start of season

Dec 22, 2024

Washington [US], December 22: Early Saturday morning, the occurrence of the 2024 winter solstice marked the astronomical start of winter, and it's been greeted with appropriately frigid temperatures.
The event also marked the shortest day of the year, where sunrise and sunset times are the closest together that they will be, opposite to the longest day of the year, which occurs near the summer solstice.
The first day of astronomical winter in the Northern Hemisphere is marked by the winter solstice, which for 2024 took place on Saturday, Dec 21.
As the Earth travels around the sun, it does so at an angle. For most of the year, the Earth's axis is tilted either toward or away from the sun.
Source: Qatar Tribune

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Star Health settles over ₹780 crore in cancer claims in H1 FY27; highlights women's treatment and financial protection needs

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 6: Star Health and Allied Insurance Company Limited (NSE: STARHEALTH) (BSE: 543412), one of India's leading Health Insurance companies, settled over 85,900 cancer-related claims*2 worth over ₹780 crores during H1 FY27. Nearly 30% of this has been for people aged between 51 and 60 years. Women accounted for approximately 60% of these cancer claims, with settlements for women increasing 17% Year-on-Year. These figures illustrate the scale of financial support accessed by insured women and their families during cancer treatment.

Nov 06, 2026