Current Affairs 30th July 2017

Current Affairs 30th July 2017 - Important Points

• Nawaz Sharif as New Prime Minister of Pakistan - Shehbaz Sharif
• Sagar Vani to alert coastal community launched by - Union Government
•  United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2017 observed on - 30th July 2017
•  Scientists journey to the world's hidden 8th continent on - 28th July 2017

Current Affairs 30th July 2017 - Details

Nawaz Sharif as New Prime Minister of Pakistan - Shehbaz Sharif

Shehbaz Sharif, The Chief Minister of Punjab and the brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, will be joining as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The decision came following Nawaz Sharif’s resignation as Prime Minister of the country on 28th July 2017.
He was asked to resign following a decision by Pakistan’s Supreme Court to disqualify him from office on corruption charges. Shehbaz is not a member of the National Assembly or Senate, and in order to be appointed as the Prime Minister of the country, he will have to get elected to the Senate first of all.
To fill the 45 day vacuum until Shehbaz Sharif gets elected to the Parliament, the party will now need to propose a name for interim Prime Minister. Most likely the chances are of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Khawaja Asif to become interim Prime Minister of the nation.
If reports are to be believed, either Hamaz Shehbaz Sharif, the son of Shehbaz, or Rana Sanaullah, Punjab province's Law Minister, will be replacing Shehbaz as the Chief Minister of Punjab.

Sagar Vani to alert coastal community launched by - Union Government

Union Minister of Science & Technology Harshvardhan launched Sagar Vani application on 27th July 2017 on the occasion of Foundation Day of Ministry of Earth Sciences. The portal was launched aiming to alert the coastal communities.

Key Highlights

• ESSO-Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) developed this Integrated Information Dissemination System (IDS).
• It focuses to disseminate the advisories effectively and timely, directly from the lab to the end user.
• It includes voice call, multi lingual SMS or audio advisory, mobile app, digital display boards, radio,
  social media, Email, GTS, Fax,and television broadcast units, IVRS, Cloud Channels, etc.
• It also has facilitated to provide access to various stakeholders like disaster management authorities, NGOs, state fishery departments so that they too can disseminate the ocean information and alerts to the user community.
• The services will be disseminated in local languages using advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities with this system.

 United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2017 observed on - 30th July 2017

 The United Nations World Day against Trafficking in Persons 2017 was observed across the world on 30th July 2017. This year's theme was including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) selected ‘Act to Protect and Assist Trafficked Persons’ as the focus of the Day.
It emphasizes one of the most pressing issues of the refugees and migrant's large mixed migration movements. The theme puts focus on the significant impact of conflict and natural disasters, also as a result multiple risks of human trafficking that many people face.

 Along with that, it addresses the key issue which concern trafficking responses: that most people are never identified as trafficking victims and therefore do not have access to most of the assistance or protection provided. The day aims towards raising awareness of the human trafficking victims plight, promoting and protecting their rights.
The General Assembly held a high-level meeting to appraise the Global Plan of Action. Member States also adopted resolution A/RES/68/192 and designated July 30th as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons in 2013.

 Scientists journey to the world's hidden 8th continent on - 28th July 2017

A group of scientists started sailing on 28th July 2017 in a new expedition with an aim to unlock the secrets of the lost continent ‘Zealandia’.  Mostly submerged lost continent is said to have sunk after breaking away from Australia approximately 60–85 million years ago.  In a paper published in the Geological Society of America's Journal GSA Today in February 2016 where scientists debated that the Earth has a hidden eighth continent , which should be a part of maps.
The researchers said that the submerged continent met all the criteria applied to Earth’s other continents including distinctive geology, elevation above the surrounding area, a well-defined area and a crust much thicker than that found on the ocean floor.
Key Highlights

• The National Science Foundation and the International Ocean Discovery Program is funding this scientific expedition named Expedition 371.
• The team includes more than 30 scientists aboard the JOIDES Resolution and a massive scientific drilling ship. The total trip duration is expected to be around two months.