50,000 cusecs surge through Ravi River

A Ghanaian court has sentenced senior opposition politician Bernard Antwi Boasiako to 20 years in prison with hard labour after finding him guilty of illegal mining related offences, triggering a strong political reaction and renewed debate over the country’s fight against unlawful mining. Boasiako, widely known as Chairman Wontumi, is the Ashanti regional chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party and the first high profile politician to be convicted since Ghana launched a nationwide crackdown on illegal mining in 2017. In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered him to pay fines exceeding 10,000 dollars. Reports from the courtroom said Boasiako appeared visibly stunned as the verdict and sentence were announced. He had denied all charges throughout the trial. The court found him guilty of transferring mineral rights without official approval and facilitating unlicensed mining operations through his company, Akonta Mining. Prosecutors argued that the company allowed two individuals to carry out mining activities on its concession without the required authorisation from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. The ruling has sparked anger within the New Patriotic Party, which described the conviction as politically motivated. Party officials accused the government of selectively targeting opposition figures while ignoring evidence they believe would have cleared Boasiako of wrongdoing. NPP General Secretary Justin Kodua Frimpong criticised the judgement and said the campaign against illegal mining would lose credibility if it focused only on political opponents. He confirmed that the party’s legal team has already started the appeal process in an effort to overturn the conviction. Illegal mining, commonly known in Ghana as galamsey, has remained one of the country’s biggest environmental challenges for years. The activity has polluted rivers, damaged forests and destroyed large areas of farmland despite repeated government efforts to stop it. As Africa’s largest gold producer, Ghana has struggled to balance economic interests with environmental protection. Successive governments have launched military operations and stricter enforcement measures to curb illegal mining, but the practice continues to spread in many parts of the country. Environmental activists welcomed the court’s decision, describing it as a major step towards greater accountability. They argued that the conviction sends a clear message that politicians and influential business figures are not above the law when it comes to environmental crimes. Adib Saani, Executive Director of the Jatikay Centre for Human Security and Peace Building, said the verdict demonstrates the importance of holding powerful individuals accountable if Ghana hopes to protect its forests, rivers and natural resources from further destruction. The case is expected to remain politically sensitive as Boasiako’s legal appeal moves forward. It also places renewed attention on Ghana’s campaign against illegal mining, with many observers watching closely to see whether similar cases involving influential figures will be pursued in the future.

Taiwan will carry out a new military exercise next month to test whether it can continue producing weapons if key defence facilities come under attack during a conflict with China. The drills will include relocating arms production lines and converting civilian factories into military manufacturing sites to ensure the armed forces continue receiving essential equipment even if major supply hubs are damaged. The exercise will take place as part of Taiwan’s annual Han Kuang war games, scheduled from August 5 to August 14. According to the Ministry of National Defense, the scenario will simulate China using its regular military exercises as cover to prepare for a full scale invasion. Taiwan’s armed forces will respond by immediately increasing combat readiness and launching rapid defensive operations. One of the main objectives is to determine whether industrial production can be spread across different locations without disrupting the supply of military equipment. Officials say maintaining manufacturing capacity during wartime is essential because China would likely target command centers, ports, logistics networks and defence factories early in any military campaign. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has never ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan strongly rejects those claims, maintaining that it is already a self governed and independent nation. Major General Lu Wen-yuan, who heads the Joint Operations Division, said the exercise will assume that Chinese forces use their routine annual military drills to hide preparations for a large scale assault. Under the scenario, Taiwan will activate emergency measures and begin moving critical defence production away from vulnerable locations. The drills will include the simulated relocation of the Armaments Bureau’s 202nd Arsenal in Taipei. Civilian factories responsible for assembling complete military systems will also be mobilized after emergency orders are issued. The exercise is designed to measure how quickly industries can shift operations while continuing to meet the military’s needs during a crisis. Taiwan will also examine its ability to keep vital shipping routes open if conflict disrupts normal transport. The navy and coast guard will conduct joint operations using personnel, equipment and live ammunition. These exercises will include escorting shipments of essential supplies, protecting coastal areas, carrying out maritime law enforcement missions and testing upgraded coast guard vessels. The military planning comes as Taiwan reports a noticeable increase in Chinese coast guard activity around the island. Officials in Taipei believe the growing presence could signal greater pressure on Taiwan’s eastern coastline and threaten sea routes that are critical for importing fuel, food and other strategic supplies. For the first time, the Han Kuang exercises will also include a nationwide communications test. Mobile internet speeds will be deliberately reduced during parts of the ten day exercise to assess how the public and emergency services would communicate if network capacity became limited because of natural disasters or military action. Authorities hope the test will help identify weaknesses in emergency communication systems and improve the island’s ability to function during a prolonged crisis. The expanded drills reflect Taiwan’s efforts to strengthen its overall resilience against potential military threats. By preparing industries, transport networks and communication systems for wartime conditions, officials aim to ensure that the island can continue supporting both its armed forces and civilian population even if key infrastructure comes under sustained attack.