Sydney, June 3: Australian scientists are using cutting-edge underwater robots to explore remote and largely uncharted reef systems in the South Pacific, the University of Sydney said on Tuesday.

As part of a major international expedition, Australian scientists are mapping deep-sea habitats and biodiversity near Norfolk Island, an isolated Australian territory 1,600 km northeast of Sydney, one of the South Pacific’s most ecologically important regions, according to a university press release.

Its location and mix of tropical and temperate ecosystems make it key to tracking species shifts and climate change impacts, the release said.

Equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors, the Autonomous Underwater Vehicles are capturing thousands of images to create 3D maps of the seafloor and document marine life in unprecedented detail, it said, adding underwater robots serve as the eyes and hands of scientists, safely exploring deep-sea areas beyond the reach of human divers.

“It’s the first time that parts of the seabed in the Norfolk Ridge will be imaged in this detail,” said Stefan Williams from the University of Sydney’s Australian Center for Robotics.

The expedition unites scientists from Australia and New Zealand to map the seafloor and collect marine specimens such as fish, corals, molluscs and algae to enhance knowledge of regional biodiversity, the researchers said.

“Norfolk Island is a key oceanic stepping stone for species between tropical New Caledonia and temperate New Zealand,” said Shane Ahyong, acting chief scientist at the Australian Museum Research Institute, leading the second phase of the Norfolk Island scientific expedition.

Islamabad, June 2: Pakistan has confirmed its 11th case of wild poliovirus this year after the virus was detected in a child from the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination said in a statement on Monday.

According to the ministry, the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed the presence of the virus in stool samples collected from a child in Diamer district.

The detection came shortly after the conclusion of the third nationwide polio vaccination campaign of the year, which took place from May 26 to June 1. The campaign reached more than 45 million children under the age of five across 159 districts, including high-risk areas, according to health officials.

Health officials have urged parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, calling the current campaign a vital opportunity to shield children from the crippling virus, Xinhua news agency reported.

Pakistan reported 74 polio cases in 2024, according to official data.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus remains endemic. Polio workers have frequently been targeted in attacks, particularly in the northwest and southwest regions.

One of the reasons for the presence of the virus is the refusal of the majority of people to have their children vaccinated. Polio health workers have been victims of targeted killings and attacks by militant groups, who have opposed anti-polio campaigns in the country.

According to the World Health Organization, Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under 5 years of age. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis.

In 1988, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution for the worldwide eradication of polio, marking the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, spearheaded by national governments, WHO, Rotary International, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNICEF, and later joined by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Wild poliovirus cases have decreased by over 99 per cent since 1988, from an estimated 350,000 cases in more than 125 endemic countries to 6 reported cases in 2021. Of the 3 strains of wild poliovirus (type 1, type 2 and type 3), wild poliovirus type 2 was eradicated in 1999, and wild poliovirus type 3 was eradicated in 2020. As of 2022, endemic wild poliovirus type 1 remains in two countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan.

United Nations, May 31: The Security Council adopted a resolution to renew for a year, until May 31, 2026, an arms embargo against South Sudan as well as targeted sanctions of travel ban and asset freeze against individuals and entities.

According to media reports, Resolution 2781, which was adopted with nine votes in favour and six abstentions, also extends until July 1, 2026, the term of the panel of experts, which assists the work of the South Sudan sanctions committee.

The African members of the Security Council — Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia — abstained, along with China, Pakistan and Russia.

The resolution reiterates the Security Council’s readiness to review arms embargo measures, through modification, suspension, or progressive lifting of these measures, in light of progress achieved on the key benchmarks as set out in Resolution 2577 of 2021, and encourages the South Sudan authorities to achieve further progress in this regard.

It also decides to keep the targeted measures under continuous review and expresses the Security Council’s readiness to consider adjusting the measures, through modifying, suspending, lifting or strengthening measures to respond to the situation.

The resolution requests the UN secretary-general, in close consultation with the UN Mission in South Sudan and the Panel of Experts, to conduct, no later than April 15, 2026, an assessment of progress achieved on the key benchmarks.

It also requests the South Sudanese authorities to report, by the same date, to the Sanctions Committee on the progress achieved in this regard.