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.

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.

Washington, May 31: US President Donald Trump has said that he planned to double tariffs on foreign imports of steel to 50 percent starting next week, further casting a cloud on steelmakers around the globe.

“We are going to be imposing a 25 per cent increase. We’re going to bring it from 25 per cent to 50 per cent — the tariffs on steel into the United States of America — which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States,” Trump said on X social media platform.

He later posted on social media that the higher tariff rate would take effect from June 4, Yonhap media reported.

“It is my great honour to raise the Tariffs on steel and aluminum from 25% to 50%, effective Wednesday, June 4th. Our steel and aluminum industries are coming back like never before. This will be yet another BIG jolt of great news for our wonderful steel and aluminum workers. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The planned rate hike is the latest in his trade policies that focus on tariff hikes, and came days after a trade court ruled his sweeping reciprocal tariffs illegal, which was later blocked by an appeals court to leave the tariffs temporarily alive.

The 25-percent tariffs on most steel imported to the U.S. went into effect in March as part of the Trump administration’s broader tariff scheme aimed at reducing America’s trade deficits and bolstering local manufacturing.

Data showed earlier Seoul’s U.S.-bound exports of steel products declined nearly 19 percent from a year earlier in March.

Outbound shipments of steel products to the U.S. came to US$340 million in March, down 18.9 percent from the same month last year.

It is difficult to assess the impact of U.S. tariffs on Seoul’s steel exports as transactions are usually made months ahead, but there may still have been some influence.

Korean steelmakers have been devising response measures to the U.S. tariffs, with some companies planning to increase their production in the U.S.

Hyundai Steel Co. plans to invest $5.8 billion to construct an electric arc furnace-based steel mill in Louisiana by 2029, its first overseas production facility.