Morning Current Affairs: 8 January 2022

Election Commission of India to announce assembly elections schedule for five states today

The Election Commission of India will announce the schedule for the upcoming assembly elections to Goa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, and Uttarakhand on January 8, 2022, at 3.30 pm.

India may see Omicron wave peak in February 2022: US-based Health Expert

The Director of the Institute of Health Metrics Sciences Dr. Christopher Murray has said that India will witness a peak in the number of COVID-19 cases by February 2022 with an expectation of reporting 5 lakh cases every day.

Sydney Poitier, Oscar-winning actor dies at 94

Sydney Poitier, a Bahamian-American actor who won an academy award passed away at the age of 94. Poitier’s film in Arizona ‘Lilies in the Field’ in 1963 led to a huge milestone in his acting career and made him the first black winner of a lead-acting Oscar.

14th Round of talks between India and China to be held on January 12

India and China will hold the 14th round of Corps Commander level talks on January 12, 2022. According to the Government, the talks between the two countries will be held to resolve the ongoing stand-off on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Uttarakhand imposes restrictions on political rallies and protests amid Omicron scare

The Government of Uttarakhand, in view of the rising COVID-19 cases, has imposed a new set of restrictions in which all the political rallies and protests in the poll-bound state will be prohibited till January 16, 2022. All the schools and Anganwadi centers will also remain closed till January 16.

UP tops in ‘Best State Category’ in National Water Awards-2020

The 3rd National Water Awards-2020 were announced on January 7, 2022, by the Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh. Uttar Pradesh has secured top position in the ‘Best State Category’, followed by Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

No new registration required to receive precautionary dose in India

The Ministry of Family and Health Welfare has announced that no new registration will be required for the beneficiaries of the precautionary COVID-19 vaccine dose. The precautionary dose will be given to the healthcare and frontline workers and those above the age of 60 years from January 10, 2022.

Child Marriage banned in Philippines

The President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte signed a law prohibiting child marriage in the country. The law came into force on January 6, 2022, making child marriage illegal in the Philippines. The latest law stipulates that marrying and cohabiting with anybody under the age of 18 can result in a prison sentence of 12 years.