Turkey and Ukraine were two states that could benefit from the template, he told Germany’s Funke media group.

He did not see either joining the EU any time soon, so alternative forms of closer co-operation were needed.

The UK’s future relationship with the EU, which it is due to leave on 29 March 2019, is still being negotiated.

The two sides agreed this month on the three “divorce” issues that took up the first phase of negotiations: how much the UK owes the EU, what happens to the Northern Ireland border and what happens to UK citizens living elsewhere in the EU and EU citizens living in the UK.

In June 2016, the UK voted in a referendum to leave the EU after more than four decades of membership.

What did Sigmar Gabriel say?

“If we can reach a smart agreement with Great Britain that outlines its relations with Europe after Brexit, then that could serve as a model for other countries,” he said.

He foresaw a “new, closer form of customs union” with Turkey, provided the situation in that country changed. That would appear to conflict with the UK’s aim to leave the EU’s customs union as well as its single market.

Germany is concerned at Turkey’s human rights record under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, particularly the recent arrest of several German-Turkish nationals.

“It’s a good sign that several detained Germans have been released,” Mr Gabriel said, but he added there was still great concern over imprisoned journalist Deniz Yucel. “The Turks know how important his fate is for us,” he said.

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Source: BBC

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The blasts occurred late on Tuesday local time at a military base near Kalynivka in the Vynnytsya region, 270 kilometres west of Kiev, Ukrainian emergencies service said in a statement.

One person was injured, it said.

The military said rescue teams were evacuating nearby villages in the region.

Arriving in the region hours later, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman said “external factors” were behind the incident.

Social media users reported hearing loud explosions as far away as the capital Kiev.

Local media said the explosion was the fourth ammunition depot explosion in the past two years.

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Source: ABC

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According to the judge, he was inclined to grant them bail after looking at the “substance” of the application.

[contextly_sidebar id=”pojXOnrLt7rhxd6mq6YVdfUOdVnL7vZ3″]The four persons were granted bail to the tune of two hundred thousand each with one surety who must be a Ghanaian.

The four, who are managers of Geo Professional Services, were said to have mined about 500 acres of land instead of 75 acres originally given them by the Lands Commission at Tontokrom in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region.

Their arrest was ordered by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, during his tour of mining sites in the Ashanti region.

The four; Farid Isaev, Vadim Potokin, Serhii Chepurnly and  Genadly Rubec, have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and undertaking small-scale mining without a licence, contrary to Section 99 (2) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).

The mining company was allegedly issued with the “stop work order” by the Inspection Directorate of the Minerals Commission on May 18, but they disregarded the directive and continued mining.

Although they had a small scale mining license, the Lands Minister, in an exchange of words with the foreign miners, retorted that “what you are doing here has nothing to do with the small scale. You are destroying the environment and polluting the water bodies.”

“Just behind your door, you saw the pollution of the water bodies and this is clearly a concession meant for small scale mining. You are engaged in this as foreigners, but I don’t think this will happen in your country,” Mr. Amewu said.

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By: Fred Djabanor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The four, who spoke through an interpreter pleaded not guilty to the charges when they appeared in court.

[contextly_sidebar id=”uNWog9MkLV0XMa6ToYMA1AjWIZFKKRUW”]During the court appearance on Wednesday, their Lawyer, Emmanuel Darko, prayed the court to grant them bail with the excuse that three of them were sick.

However, the court presided over by Justice Aboagye Tandoh, remanded them in custody, and adjourned the case to June 14, 2017, to rule on the bail application.

The four, who are managers of Geo professional Services, were said to have mined about 500 acres of land instead of 75 acres originally given them by the Lands Commission at Tontokrom in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti Region.

Their arrest was ordered by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, during his tour of mining sites in the region.

The mining company was issued with the “stop work order” by the Inspection Directorate of the Minerals Commission on May 18, but disregarded the directives and continued mining.

Although they had a small scale mining license, Mr. Amewu, in an exchange of words with the foreign miners, retorted that “what you are doing here has nothing to do with the small scale. You are destroying the environment and polluting the water bodies.”

“Just behind your door, you saw the pollution of the water bodies and this is clearly a concession meant for small scale mining. You are engaged in this as foreigners; but I don’t think this will happen in your country,” Mr. Amewu said.

–

By: Kojo Agyeman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post 3 Russians, Ukranian arrested for galamsey charged appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The three Russians — Farid Isaev, Vadim Potokin and Serhii Chepurnly; and the Ukrainian, Genadly Rubec, have been charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and undertaking small-scale mining without a licence, contrary to Section 99 (2) of the Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703).

[contextly_sidebar id=”qLGVnnc88QG9tezX5eXAQbRvN8WFlbb0″]At the court hearing yesterday, the pleas of the alleged ‘galamseyers’ were not taken when they made gestures indicating they did not understand English and could only speak Russian.

In view of that, the court, presided over by Ms Ruby Aryeetey, instructed the court registrar to arrange for a Russian interpreter to facilitate the continuation of the trial.

The presiding judge also remanded the four accused persons in police custody and adjourned the case to May 31, 2017.

Minister’s visit

The Prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Mr Cletus Abadanlowra, informed the court that Isaev, Potokin and Chepurnly were engineers of a mining company – Geo Professional Service, while Rubec was the site manager of the same company.

The company, he said, operated a small-scale mining concession at Tontokrom despite the fact that such mining operations were reserved for Ghanaians under the Minerals and Mining Act.

Also, any form of small-scale mining, he explained, had been banned by the government until further notice, due to the destructive nature of illegal mining.

On May 22, 2017, Mr Abadanlowra said, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Peter Amewu, together with other officials, went on a fact-finding mission on illegal mining at Tontokrom.

“The team found Isaev, Potokin, Chepurnly and Rubec busily engaged in galamsey without lawful authority.  They were using heavy equipment which had degraded a vast land thereby destroying farms and the source of drinking water for the community,’’ he said.

The prosecutor added that investigations into the case were still ongoing to arrest and bring the other accomplices who were now at large to book.

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Source: Graphic Online

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