Notes:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has granted emergency approval to the India-manufactured coronavirus vaccine Covovax.
The vaccine is produced by Serum Institute of India under licence from the U.S.-based Novavax. WHO listed the Covovax as the ninth COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. The vaccine will be distributed as part of global vaccine-sharing system Covax.

Notes:
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) suspended its over two-year-old approval for Amazon’s deal to acquire stake in retailer Future Coupons Private Limited.
The CCI also imposed a ₹ 202 crore penalty on the US-based e-commerce major for hiding facts and making false statements while seeking regulatory approvals in 2019. Amazon objected to Future’s deal with Reliance, citing the 2019 deal.

Notes:
Russia has proposed a draft agreement to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on measures to ensure the security of both sides.
It suggested that Russia and NATO reaffirm that they do not consider each other as adversaries. Russia asked NATO to stop further enlargement, the accession of Ukraine, and to cease any military activity in Ukraine and other countries in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

Notes:
The Tamil Nadu government has declared Tamil Thai Vaazhthu as the State Song, by issuing a Government Order (GO).It is usually sung , at the beginning of functions in all educational institutions and public events.
The song is taken from ‘Manonmaneeyam’, the famous Tamil drama written by Sundaranar. The order directs everyone who is present during the rendition of the song, barring differently abled persons, should remain standing.

Notes:
World Arabic Language Day is observed on 18 December to honour the language, which is spoken by over 400 million people globally.
It has been celebrated since 2012 to mark the adoption of Arabic as the sixth official language of the United Nations by the UN General Assembly. This year, the theme of the World Arabic Language Day is “Arabic Language, a bridge between civilisations”.