April 9, 2024

This is TRT World’s Daily News Brief for Tuesday April 9th. *) 'Pathetic': Nicaragua drags Germany to ICJ over Gaza aid, weapons to Israel Nicaragua has hauled Germany before the International Court of Justice to demand judges impose emergency measures to stop Berlin from providing Israel with weapons and other assistance. Lawyers for Nicaragua on Monday argued Germany was in breach of the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention, set up in the wake of the Holocaust, by furnishing Israel with weapons. In 2023 some 30 percent of Israel's military equipment purchases came from Germany, totalling $326 million - a tenfold increase on 2022. Germany will respond fully in court on Tuesday but has hit back at the allegations. *) UNSC revives Palestine's bid for full UN membership The United Nations Security Council has said it would decide this month on Palestine's bid for full UN membership. As the Gaza war rages on into its seventh month, the council's decision on Monday was described as "historic" by Palestine, but angrily denounced by Israel. Maltese Ambassador Vanessa Frazier, who holds the rotating presidency of the council, said that "the council has decided that this deliberation has to take place during the month of April." Any request to become a UN member state must first pass through the Security Council — where Israel's ally the United States wields a veto — and then be endorsed by the General Assembly. *) EU eyes offshoring refugees but avoids UK-style Rwanda plan The European Union is open to the idea of sending refugees and migrants to outside countries, even if it is not willing to go quite as far as following Britain and its plans to fly refugees to Rwanda. The concept of using third countries to host asylum-seekers who have reached Europe is seen in a deal Italy has recently struck with non-EU nation Albania. It is also foreshadowed in reform of EU migration and asylum laws that the European Parliament puts to a vote on Wednesday, and which contains a provision for sending asylum-seekers to a "safe" third country. *) Türkiye-Israel trade volume drops amid Gaza invasion — report Türkiye has restricted the export of certain products to Israel until it implements a ceasefire and allows “sufficient and uninterrupted flow" of humanitarian aid to Gaza, the Turkish Trade Ministry said. The requirements of this decision will be immediately implemented. The annex listed several types of aluminium and steel products, paint, electric cables, construction materials, and other materials. The ministry also said that the decision will remain in effect until Israel, within the framework of its obligations arising from international law, declares an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and allows a sufficient and uninterrupted flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza, adding that Türkiye “has not allowed the sale of any product or service that can be used for military purposes to Israel” since a long time. And finally… *) 'Spectacular' total eclipse leaves North Americans spellbound People across North America — from a Mexican seashore to breathtaking Niagara Falls on the US-Canada border — have followed the solar eclipse and cheered the celestial show and, in Arkansas, were getting married en masse. Where clear skies prevailed, observers along the direct path of the eclipse were treated to the rare spectacle of the Moon appearing as a dark orb creeping in front of the Sun, briefly blocking out all but a brilliant halo of light, or corona, around the Sun's outer edge on Monday. It was North America's first total eclipse since 2017. And that’s your daily news brief from TRT World. For more, head to trtworld.com