Vanuatu is in the news for climate justice — its reefs and homes are drowning from rising seas, backed by ICJ ruling on climate as a human right.
The US State Department strongly objects to a UN resolution supported by Vanuatu that calls for climate action based on an ICJ ruling. The US warns the resolution risks overreach and legal complications, amid ongoing US efforts to distance itself from international climate commitments.
Recent studies reveal that most coastal hazard assessments have underestimated sea levels by about 30cm, especially in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific. This miscalculation suggests more land and populations are at risk from rising seas than previously thought, with impacts likely to occur sooner.
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the Molucca Sea, near North Maluku, Indonesia, causing damage and casualties. Tsunami warnings were issued but later lifted. Several aftershocks followed, with reports of building damage and one death. No significant threat was reported to the Philippines or Malaysia.