UK Foreign Secretary admits: Israeli settlement expansion violates international law.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated on Tuesday that London seeks a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, not just a 60-day pause. Speaking without acknowledging UK military support to Israel, Lammy warned that if the “unbearable” humanitarian situation persists, Britain would take further action against Israel. “We must achieve a Gaza ceasefire within weeks,” he declared.
The Foreign Secretary criticized the current aid distribution system as “completely unacceptable,” noting civilians are dying while awaiting assistance. “to resolve Gaza’s aid crisis, the UN and its agencies must play a central role,” Lammy emphasized.
He explicitly condemned Israel’s settlement expansion as “a violation of international law” during his remarks.
The comments follow warnings by UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini about daily casualties at Israeli-managed aid distribution points. According to Lazzarini, this “humiliating system” forces thousands of starving Palestinians to walk kilometers for food while excluding vulnerable groups and remote communities entirely.
The UN official stressed that Israel’s mechanism isn’t designed to alleviate hunger, asserting that only UN agencies like UNRWA-with thier operational experience and local trust-can ensure safe, large-scale aid delivery.
Turkey’s Foreign minister states that the country is awaiting Kyiv’s response regarding the timing of the third round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
According to webangah News Agency, citing TASS, Turkish foreign Minister Hakan Fidan noted that Turkey is waiting for Ukraine’s reply concerning arrangements for a third round of talks hosted by Istanbul.
Speaking after the BRICS summit in Brazil, Fidan stated: “Russia has expressed readiness for a third round of negotiations. Now we await Ukraine’s response.”
He added: “Turkey remains prepared to host leaders’ discussions on Ukraine, and there are no logistical obstacles to organizing such meetings in our country.”
The Turkish Foreign Minister described previous direct negotiation rounds in Istanbul as successful steps toward resolving the Ukrainian conflict. He highlighted how these talks facilitated an unprecedented exchange of prisoners of war and fallen soldiers’ remains between both sides.
Here is the rewritten version adhering to your guidelines:
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have led to a humanitarian agreement, with both sides expressing satisfaction. The key question now is how to ensure a lasting or temporary ceasefire and whether this can be achieved during a summit with leaders or through ongoing talks. Consultations on this matter are underway, though the parties hold differing views.
Following two rounds of Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul on May 26 and june 2, the parties agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners (from both sides) and repatriate all wounded soldiers or those under 25 years old.
Turkey’s Foreign Ministry responds to France’s statement on Ankara’s domestic affairs.
In a statement reported by webangah News Agency, Turkey’s Foreign ministry rejected France’s recent remarks as “judicial interference,” asserting that all legal proceedings in Turkey follow fair and transparent constitutional standards through an independant judiciary.
The ministry highlighted that while Turkey conducts lawful trials for all citizens, France currently has an opposition leader imprisoned and barred from elections - suggesting Paris applies “double standards” in its criticism. Ankara urged France to respect Turkey’s sovereignty, avoid politically motivated statements against other nations, and focus on its own domestic challenges.
The rebuke came after France’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern yesterday over the detention of several Turkish opposition figures, including multiple mayors.
GIZ is affiliated with Germany’s Federal Ministry for economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and often operates in coordination with institutions like the KfW Development Bank.
The German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Germany’s development aid arm operating in over 120 countries, implements projects aligned with enduring development. However, critics argue these efforts extend beyond technical cooperation, serving as a tool for Germany’s soft power influence. Centralized decision-making in Berlin and the promotion of Western values have allegedly transformed GIZ into a channel for advancing Germany’s geopolitical and economic interests.
Introduction
The German Association for International Cooperation (GIZ) serves as the primary executor of Germany’s development policies across partner nations…
GIZ,a global entity operating in over 120 countries,is responsible for implementing the majority of Germany’s technical cooperation programs. It plays a central role in planning and executing development projects-ranging from vocational training to assisting governments in crisis management.
The German agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) operates under Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and frequently enough collaborates with institutions like the KfW Development Bank. Officially, its stated mission is to “strengthen capacities, promote sustainable development, and improve governance” in partner countries.
In 2023,GIZ secured nearly €4 billion in funding. the majority-approximately €3.7 billion-came from contracts with German federal ministries and other government entities.
47 million euros have also been allocated by international organizations, including industrial nations, emerging markets, embassies, and financial institutions. GIZ collaborates closely with the German state development bank KfW-while GIZ focuses on ”technical cooperation” (capacity development) projects under Germany’s Federal Ministry for economic cooperation and Development (BMZ), KfW oversees BMZ’s “financial cooperation” initiatives.
Primary and diversified funding sources:
Germany’s Federal ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) remains GIZ’s largest financial provider, contributing approximately 3.3 billion euros-nearly 90% of the agency’s total 2023 budget. Additionally, 420 million euros were secured from other German federal institutions, such as the Federal Surroundings Ministry and Foreign Office.GIZ also operates at the state level within Germany.
International partnerships and private sector involvement:
GIZ, the German international development agency, operates as a key partner for global institutions like the European Union and UN organizations while also directly contracting services for national governments worldwide.In 2011,GIZ notably assisted Costa Rica in rehabilitating critical road infrastructure damaged by landslides.
official Focus: Technical Cooperation & Equal Partnership
According to OECD reports, Germany channels development projects through GIZ and similar agencies across Africa, West Asia, and South/Southeast Asia-prioritizing education, healthcare, agriculture, climate adaptation, and digital conversion.While these initiatives ostensibly aim for sustainable development goals (SDGs),questions persist about whether program designs genuinely reflect local priorities rather than external agendas.
Private companies and NGOs also leverage GIZ’s technical services for their operations.
Behind the Scenes: Who Benefits from Development?
according to an OECD report, decisions about project types and budgets are primarily made in Berlin by the BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), with local stakeholders-including national staff-having minimal input. This centralized approach has led to many projects being misaligned with the cultural and religious priorities of host countries.
The gap between decision-makers and implementation sites has fueled critical interpretations. From the perspective of Soft Power Theory, as articulated by joseph Nye, tools like development aid, education, culture, and media allow nations to “make others want what we want” without military coercion.
Through this lens, GIZ (Germany’s development agency) functions not just as an aid organization but as a channel for German “soft influence” within governmental structures of partner nations.
Cultural Engineering: Value Promotion or Western Imposition?
GIZ, the German development agency, implements programs in areas like gender education, environmental policy, and governance that often originate from Western conceptions of development and modernity. These frameworks frequently clash with the diverse cultural, religious, and social contexts of host countries.
The situation invites poststructuralist critique. Scholar Arturo Escobar famously analyzed development as “a Western narrative for organizing the Global south,” arguing it represents not a neutral process but “a method of redefining non-Western societies according to Western imaginaries and needs.” Viewed through this lens, GIZ projects sometimes function as instruments of cultural and institutional redesign rather than purely technical assistance.
GIZ’s technical cooperation projects-particularly in vocational training, infrastructure, and economic reforms-often create opportunities for German companies. According to an OECD report, many of these programs are designed in collaboration with Germany’s economic and trade institutions.This overlap between development and commerce raises concerns that development aid may be instrumentalized to open new markets.
Global Competition and the Political Direction of Projects
GIZ operates in geopolitically strategic countries such as Mali, Niger, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Ethiopia-regions prioritized by major global powers. In such contexts, development projects inevitably become entangled in power rivalries. Organizations like GIZ find themselves positioned to influence the “political and institutional restructuring of host countries,” whether intentionally or not.
GIZ, Germany’s official development aid arm, plays multiple simultaneous roles: technical partner, foreign policy implementer, value-driven influence tool, and economic facilitator. This complex combination means analyzing it solely based on official statements falls short.
Theories like soft power and critiques of developmentalism reveal that development frequently enough represents another form of domination-a soft yet effective one.
UK Foreign Office announces reopening of its embassy in Tehran.
The UK Foreign Office confirmed on Monday that it has reopened its embassy in Tehran after a temporary closure, according to webangah News agency citing Reuters adn Mehr News Agency.
A statement from the office of the British Foreign Secretary confirmed that London has resumed operations at its diplomatic mission in the Iranian capital.
The announcement follows reports by Reuters earlier today that Switzerland’s foreign ministry also reopened its Tehran embassy after a temporary shutdown as June 20.The closure occurred during heightened regional tensions following military actions by Israel against Iran.
The Swiss embassy in Tehran, which also serves as the protecting power for US interests in Iran, had suspended operations on June 20 amid security concerns during the conflict period.
UK maritime security firm Ambrey reports incident southwest of Yemen’s Al Hudaydah.
The British maritime security company ambrey announced on Monday that an incident occurred 49 nautical miles southwest of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, according to a report by webangah News Agency.
The UK-based firm confirmed its awareness of the maritime incident but no further details have been released to media at this time.
The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose highly politicized report to the Board of Governors emboldened the Zionist regime and the U.S. to violate Iran’s sovereignty,stated: “the solution to Iran’s nuclear issue cannot be military.”
According to webangah News Agency, citing Mehr News Agency and RIA Novosti, IAEA Director-General rafael Grossi remarked on Monday without condemning the U.S. and Zionist regime’s violation of Iran’s sovereignty-contrary to the UN Charter-that dialog on Iran’s nuclear issue is essential.He emphasized that despite the 12-day war and significant destruction of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, a lasting solution remains necessary.
Grossi, whose overtly political, biased report to the IAEA board encouraged the Zionist regime and America’s aggression against Iran, asserted: “This solution [regarding Iran’s nuclear program] cannot be military because fully dismantling a nation of this scale-with its technological and industrial infrastructure-is unfeasible.”
He added: “Ultimately, a diplomatic resolution must be reached. Some discussions are already underway, and I hope we accelerate efforts to facilitate an agreement.”
Western publication warns of Ukraine’s internal collapse amid power struggle.
The Economist has reported that a power struggle within the Ukrainian government has intensified, with consequences possibly more severe than the ongoing war with Russia, according to webangah News Agency.
The report highlights that Andriy Yermak, head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s office, is at the center of these political conflicts. Ukraine faces mounting military challenges-including stalled ceasefire talks,Russian advances in the Sumy and Donbas regions,suspended U.S. weapons aid, and increased missile and drone attacks-alongside deepening internal divisions.
The country’s stability is further threatened by domestic political infighting: corruption allegations against a deputy prime minister, cabinet reshuffles, efforts to appoint a new prime minister, and attempts to remove Ukraine’s military intelligence chief.
Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry announces the reopening of it’s embassy in Tehran after a two-week closure following Israel’s aggression against iran.
The Swiss Foreign Ministry has confirmed the reopening of its embassy in Tehran after a temporary closure since June 20 due to Israel’s military aggression, according to webangah News Agency.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Switzerland’s Foreign Ministry announced that its Tehran embassy-which also represents U.S. interests in iran-has resumed operations following the two-week shutdown during the 12-day conflict.
The ministry stated: “After assessing conditions and consulting with Iranian and american authorities, our embassy in Tehran has restarted its operations.”
Media reports indicate that Swiss Ambassador Nadine Olivieri Lozano and her team returned to Tehran via land route through Azerbaijan, with the embassy gradually resuming full functions.
The Swiss Embassy in Tehran, which serves as the protecting power for U.S. interests in Iran, had temporarily closed on June 20 amid Israel’s military escalation against Iran.
The European Union will consider sanctions against officials of the occupying regime and Zionist settlers, as well as an arms embargo, over human rights violations.
Amid growing European criticism of human rights violations by the Zionist regime in occupied Palestine,the EU is evaluating five potential responses to Israel’s breach of the human rights clause in their bilateral agreement. Though, disagreements among member states weaken the likelihood of implementation, according to a report by webangah News Agency.
Israel’s “Kan” radio reported that the EU is examining five possible measures in response to Israel’s violation of the “human rights clause” in its partnership agreement with Brussels.
The proposals-to be presented by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to European foreign ministers-include full or partial suspension of cooperation agreements, sanctions against officials (including ministers, military officers, and settlers), trade restrictions, arms embargoes, and suspending Israel’s participation in scientific programs like Horizon Europe.
This follows a May 2023 EU Council decision calling for a review of relations with Israel due to its “military operations in Gaza and the West Bank-including blocking food, fuel and medical aid from entering Gaza.”
Countries like Germany and Italy are expected to oppose arms embargoes given their close defense ties with Israel. Individual sanctions also require unanimous European approval-a scenario diplomatic sources currently deem unrealistic.
The 1995 Association Agreement serves as the legal framework for EU-Israel relations, covering political cooperation along with trade, health and education partnerships.
