· The women's professional tennis tour announced on  Dec 8 that  it was suspending all tournaments in China amid what its chairman called "serious doubts" about the safety of Chinese player Peng Shuai, who accused a top Communist Party leader of sexual assault.

· The WTA had planned 11 events in China this year before Covid-19 forced them to be relocated or cancelled. The 2022 schedule had not yet been set. In 2019, China hosted 10 events with total prize money topping $30 million.

·       Beijing is set to host the Winter Olympics in February amid calls for a diplomatic boycott of the Games over the country's human rights record.

·       India and Russia concluded major defence deals on Dec 6 , including on the strategic S-400 air defence system and procurement of AK-203 assault rifles.

·       The two sides have also agreed to expand military cooperation during the 20th meeting of India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC) held in New Delhi.

·       The contract for procurement of quantity 6,01,427 AK-203 assault rifles was finalized. This will be done through the Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd.

·       Defence Minister Rajnath Singh led the Indian delegation, while the Russian side was headed by Shoigu. The two also signed the Protocol of the 20th IRIGC-M&MTC.

·       While the first three documents were signed by the officials of two sides, the Protocol was signed by the Defence Ministers of India and Russia.

·       IRIGC-M&MTC is one of the two intergovernmental commissions with the other one on trade, economic, scientific, technological and cultural cooperation.

·       The IRIGC-M&MTC meeting was followed by the maiden 2+2 dialogue between India and Russia.

·       Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, will take a mental break from tennis and sit out the start of next season, including the Australian Open, saying she wants to “re-set, recover, and grow” after a challenging two years that included getting COVID-19.

·       Andreescu joins other professional athletes who have cited the need for time away from competition to gather themselves mentally — including, for example, Naomi Osaka, a four-time major title winner and former No. 1-ranked player in tennis. Osaka took a break after pulling out of the French Open in May and again after her loss at the U.S. Open in September, sitting out the remainder of the season.

·       The Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Russia in 2022 and participate in the XXII Annual Russian-Indian Summit.

·       Putin and Prime Minister Modi held the first in-person meeting on Dec 6   after they met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in 2019 in Brasilia. There have been six telephonic conversations between Modi and Putin since then apart from the virtual meetings that they've attended for multilateral summits.

·       The visit is in continuation of the tradition of annual summits held alternately in India and Russia. 

·       Despite frequent requests from the insurance sector to reduce 18% Goods and Services Tax levied on the insurance premium, the Centre has said currently there is no recommendation to reduce the GST rate on health insurance premium.

·       The minister of state, finance Bhagwat Karad said in a written reply in Lok Sabha that the the Goods and Services Tax (GST) levied on health insurance premium is 18%. The rate of GST is decided on the recommendations of the GST Council, which is a Constitutional body comprising members from the central government and state governments. At present, no recommendation to reduce the GST rate on health insurance premium is under consideration of the GST Council.

·       He was responding to a query on whether the Centre is taking steps to reduce the GST on insurance premium from the present 18% to 5%, considering the increase in health insurance premium by companies on account of Covid.

• The meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin for the 21st India- Russia Annual Summit has begun at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi on  Dec 6.

• This is the first in-person between them since they met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in 2019 in Brasilia. There have been six telephonic conversations between the two leaders since then apart from the virtual meetings that they've attended for multilateral summits.

• The visit is in continuation of the tradition of annual summits held alternately in India and Russia.

• Earlier in the day, the two countries held their first 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue.

• The two countries on Dec 6  signed an agreement for the procurement of 6,01,427 assault rifles AK-203 through Indo-Russia Rifles Pvt Ltd, under the military-technical cooperation arrangement for 2021-31.

            initiatives on further developing "specially privileged" Russian-Indian relations.

·       The Ex-CM of Andhra Pradesh and former Governor of Tamil Nadu  passed away after a brief illness on  Dec 4 . He was a low-profile peddayana (elder statesman) with a long political career that began under the tutelage of Swatantra Party leader NG Ranga. He had the privilege of working with leaders who sacrificed everything else in pursuit of the freedom struggle.

·       He retired from politics in the year 2016 at the age of 83.

·       Himachal Pradesh has become the first state to fully vaccinate 100 per cent of its adult population against COVID-19

·       As many as 53,86,393 eligible adults have been administered the second dose

·       Himachal Pradesh was also the first state to achieve the 100 per cent first dose vaccination of adult population by the end of August.