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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
A Taco Bell franchise is currently embroiled in the first federal lawsuit associated with the 2026 cyclosporiasis outbreak blamed on contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce.
This lawsuit filed on July 16 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio targets Pacific Bells, LLC, a Washington-based franchise running the North Olmsted Taco Bell location, in addition to several unknown corporations labeled as “John Doe Corporations 1-5.”
William Marler, the attorney who filed the lawsuit, remarked to Oxygen, “It’s terrible. Even the mildest case involves two or three weeks of cramping and explosive diarrhea, which is certainly unpleasant.”
The lawsuit details that local resident Mohammed R. Ayyad dined at the North Olmsted Taco Bell three times, twice on June 14 and again on June 21, purchasing menu items such as Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and Avocado Ranch Chicken Stackers.
Two days after his last visit, on June 23, Ayyad began experiencing a myriad of symptoms, including a headache, chills, body weakness, “persistent diarrhea,” and disrupted sleep.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal illness from consuming food or water contaminated with the parasite Cyclospora, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Symptoms, such as weight loss, nausea, fatigue and “watery diarrhea” usually arise anywhere from two to 14 days after exposure.
Ayyad visited a Cleveland Clinic urgent care facility on July 3 and was advised to take Imodium, according to the lawsuit.
Three days later, he provided a stool sample, which tested positive for cyclosporiasis on July 9, according to the lawsuit. Ayyad was prescribed the antibiotic Bactrim, but continued experiencing constant nausea, which has allegedly prevented him from working and resulted in lost income, according to the lawsuit.
On July 17, Taco Bell announced that it has “completed removal of affected Taylor Farms lettuce from our restaurants. Based on ongoing conversations with public health officials, and out of an abundance of caution, Taco Bell worked swiftly to voluntarily remove the product from restaurants and the affected ingredient has been removed from our supply chain nationwide.”
That same day, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated, “Taylor Farms de Mexico announced that they are voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market. Taylor Farms also informed FDA that they would initiate a recall. More information will be provided as it becomes available.”
The agency also issued a warning for consumers to avoid eating shredded iceberg lettuce imported from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan and West Virginia.
Taylor Farms, a Salinas, California-based company, said in a July 17 Facebook post: “Based on information provided yesterday by the FDA, Taylor Farms de Mexico is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. While the FDA traceback is indicating a specific independent farm, which represents less than 1% of the U.S.’s iceberg lettuce supply, as the potential source of the outbreak, we have removed all iceberg lettuce from the region indefinitely.”
The company added that no Taylor Farms branded salads or kits are associated with the outbreak and that none of its salad kits contain iceberg lettuce.
Spokespeople from Pacific Bells, LLC and Taylor Farms did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Oxygen.
ICE officer Gregory Simmons details saving child from drowning
In a harrowing moment in Pasco County, Florida, ICE Officer Gregory Simmons became an unlikely hero. Swiftly diving into action, Simmons saved a 6-year-old boy from drowning in a local pool. Demonstrating remarkable poise, he performed CPR, bringing the unresponsive child back to life. This incident showcases the valor of law enforcement professionals who consistently rise to the occasion, both in and out of uniform.
This week in Tennessee, a woman faced arrest following allegations that she attempted to drown her child in a backyard pool.
Authorities from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office have charged 31-year-old Mikaylee Rae Beirne from Johnson City with aggravated child abuse and neglect, tied to an incident on July 15.
Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton reported that officers responded to a call reporting a disturbance on Cochran Road at approximately 5 p.m.
The allegations against Mikaylee Rae Beirne include attempts to drown one of her children in a Johnson City backyard swimming pool, leading to her charges of aggravated child abuse and neglect.(Washington County Sheriff’s Office)
Witnesses told deputies Beirne was in the backyard pool with multiple children while another adult was inside the home.
According to investigators, one of the children ran inside to alert the adult that Beirne was allegedly forcing another child underwater.
The adult rushed to the pool and demanded that Beirne release the child, but she refused, authorities said.
Mikaylee Rae Beirne was arrested after authorities alleged she tried to drown one of her children in a backyard swimming pool in Johnson City, Tennessee.(Washington County Sheriff’s Office)
The adult then pulled Beirne away and helped the child out of the water. Officials said another adult arrived at the home and briefly interacted with Beirne before deputies arrived. Beirne left the scene before law enforcement responded.
The children were taken inside the home while emergency personnel were called. Authorities said the child suffered minor injuries and bruising.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said a Tennessee woman was arrested after allegedly trying to drown one of her children in a backyard pool.(Washington County Sheriff’s Office)
Deputies located Beirne a short time later and took her into custody.
She is being held at the Washington County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond.
A former prosecutor from Alabama faces serious allegations of repeatedly poisoning her husband using fentanyl and is accused of attempting another poisoning while out on bail for attempted murder charges.
Sara Baker, a 75-year-old grandmother, reportedly tampered with her husband James Doyle Baker’s food and beverages on at least three separate occasions in September of last year. This information comes from court documents reviewed by Al.com.
Baker faces an indictment on 11 charges, including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, domestic violence, elder abuse, and the solicitation and distribution of a controlled substance. She posted a $400,000 bond after entering a not guilty plea and was subsequently released.
Prosecutors on Friday claimed that Baker breached her bond conditions by continuing to visit her husband of nearly three decades at their Mountain Brook home and potentially trying to poison his medication.
In a surprising turn of events, Baker’s husband defended her in court, maintaining that she had complied with her release terms.
‘I have no idea why we’re here today, we kept that clean all the way,’ James said.
He also confirmed he had pleaded with both Baker’s attorney and the county district attorney to be allowed to see his wife.
Baker was arrested in November last year after it was alleged that she sought out multiple people to get her fentanyl in order to kill her husband. She was subsequently suspended from the Alabama Bar Association.
Former Alabama prosecutor Sara Baker is accused of attempting to poison her husband James Doyle Baker with fentanyl multiple times. They are pictured in August 2025 before the alleged poisonings which prosecutors say took place in September 2025
Baker has pleaded not guilty and was released after posting $400,000 bail, however prosecutors alleged she attempted to poison her husband again while awaiting trial
She posted bond but was taken back into custody in July following allegations she was attempting to interfere with her husband’s medical treatment, WHSV reports.
On June 11, Baker contacted one of her husband’s caregivers and asked to get her an empty medicine bottle from the residence where James was living, according to court documents.
Eight days later, prosecutors allege she returned it to the caregiver with a black bag, which law enforcement believes contained the medicine bottle, with instructions to put it in a safe inside his home.
The caregiver put the bottle and the bag in the safe but soon after, contacted and reported it to law enforcement.
When police were able to obtain the bottle after getting a search warrant, they said they found 12 grams of purple colored powder inside.
Zachary Latham, the lead investigator, said the powder tested positive for fentanyl, according to WHSV.
Circuit Judge Gregory Williams, who serves in another county but has been appointed to the case due to Baker’s legal work in her home county, agreed that Baker violated her bond.
While she hadn’t made direct contact with her husband, Williams said, she’d still tried to get ‘a weight of fentanyl you don’t see very often’ into his home.
Baker, 75, was arrested in November of last year after it was alleged that sought out multiple people to get her fentanyl to try and kill husband
Last August, Sara Baker posted to Facebook that she had been married to James for 29 years
‘Specifically, she committed a new criminal offense by transporting to, and storing at the victim’s residences, a large amount of the drug, fentanyl,’ he wrote in his revocation order.
Williams added that this was ‘especially alarming’ given the fact that she’s been charged with a very similar crime.
‘The continued release of the defendant poses a risk to public safety and no set of conditions will reasonably assure compliance with the court’s orders regarding the defendant’s bond.’
Sara Baker was booked into Cullman County Jail following the hearing.
She has pleaded not guilty on all charges citing mental disease or defect and Williams has ordered that she undergo psychological testing.
The long dormant Facebook page for Baker’s law practice promotes her ‘extensive experience in criminal defense, divorce and custody law.’
Her LinkedIn indicates that she set up her own practice in 2004 and prior to that was an Assistant District Attorney for Cullman County.
Baker was a criminal defense lawyer and former prosecutor in Alabama but has since been suspended by the state’s Bar Association
Her husband is a former Auburn University football player who suffered a stroke a few years back leaving Baker as his sole caregiver.
The couple share at least one daughter and two grandchildren and previously resided together in a $530,000 home in Vinemont.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Baker’s attorney for comment.
BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) — A steadfast belief has powered Bristol Rhythm AFC through a groundbreaking season, and as they edge closer to a national championship, the players’ confidence remains unshaken. Just three matches stand between them and national glory.
Unbeaten with a record of 11-0-1, the Rhythm are set to compete in the NPSL national quarterfinal this Saturday. This follows their momentous achievements of securing the club’s inaugural conference championship and playoff spot. The team will play host to Ristozi FC from Baltimore at Gene Malcolm Stadium, with the national semifinals within reach.
Elliott Edwards, a midfielder for the team, shared that since the early weeks of the season, the squad has had the belief in their championship potential.
“I was definitely a believer from the beginning,” Edwards remarked. “With each successive win, our momentum built up, and it’s clearly paying off for us right now.”
Assistant coach Daniel Holl said the team’s confidence was evident long before the wins began to pile up.
“From the beginning, you could see there’s something special on this team,” Holl said. “They were winners. It wasn’t just nice guys. It was like, ‘We’re out here to battle to the end and win those games,’ and we proved that through the season.”
Bristol will look to keep its unbeaten season alive Saturday night when the national playoff matchup kicks off at 7 p.m.
SEATTLE — The San Francisco Giants returned to action with a fresh determination, seizing the second half’s opening game against the Seattle Mariners with an impressive show of skill and strategy.
Jung Hoo Lee set the stage, leading a barrage of 12 hits, while Bryce Eldridge and Willy Adames delivered the power punches. Supporting their offensive firepower, Landen Roupp dominated from the mound, pitching a flawless seven-inning shutout, sealing a commanding 7-0 victory.
“It felt like we never stopped playing,” joked Eldridge, whose two-run homer in the fifth inning cracked open the score. “Honestly, the break seemed to rejuvenate us,” he added, emphasizing the team’s newfound energy.
For the sixth instance this season, San Francisco strung together their third consecutive win.
The question now is whether they can break the pattern—will the Giants finally notch a fourth win and prove that this streak is no fleeting illusion?
It’s hard not to like their chances if they can repeat performances like Friday’s.
“We played really well tonight, but we only get one win for it,” manager Tony Vitello said. “Tomorrow is a new battle. … The challenge is on for the coaching staff, too, but for the players to bring the attitude they brought today, of a 66-game season, make it a fresh start.”
Logan Webb gets the ball Saturday, and Roupp gave him a good starting point with his second straight stellar showing.
He walked three and only struck out two but didn’t yield a hit until the fourth, surrendering only two all game. He traded swings and misses for a boatload of weak contact and some solid defense behind him.
After allowing only one run in eight innings in his last start before the break, Roupp lowered his ERA to 3.98 after it had climbed to a season-worst 4.55 two starts ago.
“I think if you look at his whole body of work, he’s been great for us all year long,” Vitello said. “It’s just been a couple outings where the pitch count gets high on him because he’s not in the zone. Ironically tonight, one more walk than strikeout … but the rest of the time was just pounding the zone.”
Now two innings shy of his previous career high (106 ⅔), the Giants skipped Roupp’s last turn through the rotation before the break. The 11-day layoff seems to have only helped.
“Yes and no,” Roupp said. “I felt a little sluggish today, just with so many days off in between. … I don’t really like to take breaks. It kind of just messes with my momentum.”
For once, it was the Giants who benefited from some sloppy play, with Seattle committing a pair of errors that led to Lee widening the Giants’ lead to 3-0 in the sixth.
Lee reached on a fielder’s choice after Heliot Ramos singled to lead off the inning, but made it to second when shortstop Colt Emerson threw into foul ground trying to turn two.
He then scored when second baseman Cole Young couldn’t handle a ground ball off the bat of Arraez.
Playing a key role in it all: Catcher Drew Cavanaugh, who reached base all three times he came to the plate and used his body to obstruct Young’s path to the grounder while going to second.
Lee (3-for-4), Cavanaugh (2-for-2), Ramos (2-for-5) and Casey Schmitt (2-for-5) all contributed multiple hits.
Maybe the most encouraging sign came from Adames, who blew the game wide open with San Francisco’s eighth grand slam of the year. The struggling shortstop had been 0-for-3 when he came up with the bases loaded in the seventh.
He lined an 0-1 slider over the wall in right-center, going with the pitch, to widen the lead to 7-0.
The marine layer had kept a couple of deep drives in the ballpark, with Schmitt and Seattle’s Luke Raley sending fly ball outs to the center field wall, but Eldridge’s power was the first to prove impervious. Eldridge caught a splitter on the outside corner off the end of his bat but still gave it enough oomph to sneak it over the wall — and out of the reach of leaping center fielder Victor Robles.
Eldridge’s ninth home run of the season produced the first runs for either team, opening a 2-0 lead in favor of the Giants in the top of the fifth. That, it turned out, would have been enough.
What it means
It’s now been more than a week since the Giants’ last loss, the longest they have gone all season without the number in the loss column going up.
Who’s hot
Of all the Giants, manager Tony Vitello believed few needed the All-Star break more than Lee.
It’s one reason why the skipper framed it as a positive when he had to break the news to the third-year outfielder that his breakout first half didn’t merit his first career All-Star selection.
Lee looked freshly rested while rattling off a pair of line drive singles in his first two at-bats. His only piece of contact that wasn’t hard-hit was a broken-bat single for his third hit of the night. He reached base for a fourth time when he was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Adames.
It was Lee’s 30th multihit effort of the season, trailing only Luis Arraez and Schmitt, but only his second since June 24. In 17 games before the break, Lee had been hitting .164 (10-for-61), with only one walk and three extra-base hits, resulting in a .404 OPS.
Who’s not
For a team looking for a fresh start in the second half, its biggest star didn’t get the message.
The only Giant kept off the bases in the 12-hit performance was Rafael Devers, who struck out three times while going 0-for-5. Devers went down swinging on three pitches in his first at-bat, then swung through another fastball at the letters for strike three his next time up.
Devers briefly raised his OPS over .800 for the first time all season in the Giants’ last series before the break, but the hitless performance sent it back down to .789.
Up next
Fresh off a restful few days representing the Giants at the All-Star Game in Philadelphia, Webb makes his first start of the second half against Seattle right-hander and Bay Area native Bryan Woo.
First pitch is scheduled for 5:08 p.m. PT, with Fox carrying the game nationally.
With 10 days since his last start, Webb will try to begin the second half on a better note than the way he went into the break, surrendering 12 runs over his final two starts.
The Republican Party is left reeling following Donald Trump’s primetime declaration, in which he accused China of orchestrating a massive election interference operation unprecedented in American history.
During his address, Trump claimed that groups supported by China have infiltrated the private data of 220 million Americans through what he described as a ‘data exploitation unit,’ labeling the situation as an ‘unprecedented election security nightmare.’
Broadcast nationwide from the White House, Trump’s statement sparked significant debate among leading US media networks. Fox News aired the remarks live but remarked on its inability to independently confirm his assertions, while CNN, NBC, ABC, and others chose not to broadcast the speech at all.
Some Republicans, prior to the address, expressed concern that revisiting these contentious issues could remind voters of the turbulent period surrounding the 2020 election—a time when Trump’s assertions strained GOP voter support.
“While President Trump might have invigorated his base that shares his views, revisiting the 2020 election battles is unlikely to bring the Republicans any closer to widening their support as midterms approach,” remarked Brittany Martinez, a former aide to ex-Speaker Kevin McCarthy and a seasoned political strategist.
‘American families are focused on affordability and the future, not relitigating an election that has already been extensively litigated in the courts and debated in the political arena.’
Trump critic and Republican Congressman Thomas Massie questioned why the President would criticize elections after the GOP won across the board in 2024.
“I don’t think the problem is that our elections aren’t secure because we control the House, Senate, White House, and to some degree we control the Supreme Court,’ he said on MS NOW. ‘Why are you complaining about election fraud? We won all the d*** elections!’
President Trump used an over 20-minute primetime address to reveal newly declassified documents alleging that China accessed over 220 million American voter profiles
Trump was joined by many Cabinet officials as he made the address from the White House’s East Room
‘The senior team just talked and prepped him. I think they explained the way to be taken seriously is not to be crazy,’ one White House official told Politico of Trump’s election speech
There were even concerns in Trump’s own White House about the closely-guarded speech, the contents of which were not previewed by the administration other than passing mentions that it would revolve, at least in part, around US election security.
‘The senior team just talked and prepped him. I think they explained the way to be taken seriously is not to be crazy,’ one White House official told Politico.
‘There was going to be a lot of crazier s*** said,’ they added.
Democrats lashed out at the President for revisiting the 2020 election, which he still maintains that he won despite no evidence backing his allegation.
‘Obviously, Donald Trump is a loser,’ former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reacted.
A GOP strategist told NOTUS that the speech sounded like it came from ‘someone who thinks they’re going to lose in November.’
In the background of the speech was Trump’s push to have Senate Republicans pass the Save America Act, a bill that would overhaul US elections by requiring voter ID and reviews of voter rolls.
The bill passed the House but has been held up in the Senate because Republicans do not have the 60 votes needed to pass it.
‘US Spy agencies began learning about the compromise of voter registration files in 2020 when they discovered that tens of millions of voter data, think of that, tens of millions voters’ data in 18 states have been bought, stolen or hacked by China,’ Trump alleged. Above, Trump and Xi are shown in Beijing in May
Trump has recommended that Senate GOP leadership find any way possible to ram the legislation through, and there are discussions ongoing on how to best do that ahead of the midterms.
Should the bill pass before the November elections, Republicans hope their electoral chances would rise due to the bill’s election security measures. Critics say the bill puts up barriers for some qualified voters to cast their ballots.
Senate Republican Leader John Thune noted before the address that the only elections he is thinking about are the upcoming midterms.
‘I don’t know what Trump is going to say. But the only thing I can tell you is that we are focused on the 2026 election, at least I am, and I think most of my colleagues are.’
Referencing newly declassified files on Thursday night, Trump said that some documents reveal ‘that members of the deep state’ worked to ‘actively suppress and downplay information about the extent of China’s sinister election role.’
Despite all of his accusations lobbed against China, the President did not threaten any consequences. Xi Jinping and his wife are still scheduled to travel to Washington, DC, for a state visit in September following Trump’s trip to China in May.
Referring to another newly declassified CIA report, Trump said the Nicolas Maduro regime developed methods to digitally alter vote totals in ways that could not be detected, even with an audit, no matter how deep they went.’
The 2021 report also claims that though the ex-Venezuelan dictator may have wished to sway US public opinion against Trump in 2020, he lacked the ability to do so.
Megyn Kelly is set to captivate true crime enthusiasts with her latest project, “MK Confidential,” a series launching on her YouTube channel and podcast. The Daily Mail exclusively announces that the series will kick off on Monday at 9 PM ET. In its episodes, the show will delve deep into infamous cases, including the harrowing murder of JonBenet Ramsey and the spine-chilling DC beltway sniper attacks. Kelly will take the helm as host, guiding viewers through this gripping narrative journey, which will unfold over eight consecutive weeks every weekday. “Like millions of others, I am an avid admirer of the true crime genre,” the former Fox News host said with enthusiasm.
Explaining the motivation behind the series, Kelly shared, “This series was born out of a desire to revisit the most compelling, unforgettable cases in one place, dissecting one mystery at a time in a narrative form.” She eagerly anticipates the audience’s reaction, adding, “I hope you find the results as addictive as we have!” This new venture expands Kelly’s “MK True Crime” channel, inaugurated last year. Notably, Kelly’s flagship program, “The Megyn Kelly Show,” has risen to become one of the country’s most-consumed independent broadcasts since its inception as an audio-only podcast in late 2020.
Collaborating with SiriusXM since 2021, Kelly has transitioned seamlessly from her roles at Fox News and NBC to independent media. Her episodes will be accessible every weekday across platforms such as YouTube, Apple, and Spotify. Prior to her television career, Kelly practiced law for nine years as a corporate litigator in Chicago, eventually stepping into the role of a legal correspondent for Fox News, where she reported on Supreme Court decisions. The public’s fascination with true crime narratives remains robust, consistently ranking among the most popular podcast genres. A report by Edison Research highlights that by 2024, 84 percent of Americans aged 13 and older engaged with true crime content, underscoring its enduring appeal.
As the first light of day paints the sky in purples and pinks, Langa Langa Lagoon on Malaita Island in the Solomon Islands comes alive with activity.
It’s the perfect time for fishing, and local fishermen are out in full force. Their dugout canoes, appearing as tiny specks against the vast lagoon, steadily move towards a solitary bamboo platform situated roughly 2 kilometers from the nearest stretch of land.
This bamboo marvel is a fish aggregating device (FAD), a structure that local fishermen and community leader Ben Waleilia praises for revitalizing the lagoon’s once dwindling fish stocks.
“Think of the FAD as an artificial reef,” Waleilia explains to SBS News, expertly steering his speedboat through the serene waters. “Small fish are naturally drawn to it, and soon enough, the larger fish follow suit.”
“The resurgence in our catches is solely thanks to these fish aggregating devices,” he adds with a note of satisfaction.
According to modelling from 2021 published in the journal Nature Sustainability, continued ocean warming is projected to impact the patterns of tuna migration, resulting in a redistribution of stocks, as species such as yellowfin and skipjack shift toward cooler waters.
This is likely to affect species found in the waters of 10 Pacific Island countries, including Solomon Islands, which could result in stocks declining by an average of 20 per cent by 2050 and threaten food security and economies across the region.
This will also impact the catch of local fishermen like James Waleronoa, who uses a hand reel to hook fish he either eats or sells at the local market.
“Fishing is important to my life because it helps me to survive as someone that’s struggling to make ends meet,” he tells SBS News, one hand gently pressed against his fishing line.
“When I started fishing on the reef, I saw many fish, but over the past seven years, I have seen a decline in the fish stocks.”
Lawrence Sale, another fisher from a nearby village, stays out on the water for hours most days. Sitting at the stern of his canoe, he shows SBS News his catch for the day: a pile of around 10 fish ranging in size, including skipjack tuna and mackerel, which he says are common on the reef.
“I learned to fish from my dad. Now I am able to fish for myself,” he tells SBS News.
“Fishing can help me pay for my daughter’s education as well as food for the family. So fishing is like my full-time job.
It’s no longer like before where you normally catch bigger sizes of fish. Now you would struggle to catch fish that are suitable for selling at the market.
All morning, the lagoon is murmuring with the voices of fishermen — some shouting words of encouragement or sidling up to another canoe to compare their haul.
While Sale says a wrestle with a large fish in this lagoon is rare, a fortuitous bite on the handline of local fisherman Sani turns into a spectacle.
The young fisher strategically tussles with his strong competitor — eventually managing to reel in a 2m billfish.
It’s an impressive feat, especially since he’s only been fishing for three years.
“It depends on your lucky day, but it’s difficult to catch this kind of fish,” he tells SBS News.
“I think with the FAD … fish are coming back.”
Fishing with dynamite
Located in the Coral Triangle, the waters surrounding Solomon Islands form part of what’s been dubbed the ‘Amazon of the Seas’, but a combination of factors, including rising ocean temperatures, acidification and sea-level rise, as well as human-driven pressures such as overfishing, are impacting local stocks.
“The coming of big fishing companies, I have noticed especially tuna [and] pelagic species [those that live in the open ocean, away from the seafloor] have receded, and this is affecting our communities, our livelihoods,” Waleilia says.
“As a kid growing up, if you go to the reef, there was sea cucumber everywhere … the colour of the reef is very, very different from what it used to be.
“As far as I’m concerned, fishing is not like what it used to be. We are destroying part of our environment.”
Meshach Sukulu is a research analyst with the international research organisation WorldFish Center, based in Malaita. He tells SBS News the destruction of Langa Langa’s ecosystem is also coming from another unlikely — and dangerous — source.
“Langa Langa is known for dynamite fishing. In a single day, you can hear more than one explosion,” Sukulu explains.
“It involves explosive material being put together in a small bottle with a fuse, lit up and then thrown [into the water] when a school of fish is identified. It explodes and kills the fish.”
The dynamite is procured from unexploded World War Two ordnance — such as heavy aerial bombs, hand grenades and landmines — thousands of which are still scattered across the Solomon Archipelago, making it one of the most contaminated places in the Pacific.
Waleilia says the provincial fishing officer is from the lagoon, and attributes this to the method slightly subsiding.
“I’ve seen where they’ve used dynamite, and it’s totally destructive,” he says.
“The reefs, the corals, even small fish floating on the surface of the sea.”
These underwater explosions are also destroying seashells, required to craft “shell money” — a local form of currency central to customary practices, including bride price ceremonies, resolving disputes or paying fines.
“Langa Langa is only special because it has shell money — not found [anywhere else] in the Solomons,” Waleilia says.
“It has value to us.”
Community-based resource management
For the villagers of Oibola, where Waleilia is from, diversifying income sources has long been another concern.
To take the pressure off fishing as its primary industry, the community recently implemented a project to begin seaweed farming.
Waleilia explains the product is “harvested, dried here and then sold”.
Seaweed is a nutrient-rich staple in the diet of many Solomon Islanders. The Oibola seaweed farm has brought other benefits too.
“The population of squid has increased,” Waleilia says.
We have squid fishermen who are getting more, which means [they’re] also getting more money.
Sukulu specialises in community resource management, which assists villages to promote self-sustainability. He says the seaweed growing on long lines suspended across Oibola’s sheltered bay can further revive biodiversity, at times also attracting turtles.
According to Solomon Islands government’s Community Based Coastal and Marine Resource Management Strategy, more than 90 per cent of inshore coastal areas fall under customary marine tenure.
“It’s about gathering communities to look after their resources, have a management plan in place and enforce those rules to make sure that the stocks are recovering,” Sukulu says.
He says mismanagement of fishing grounds would be a “disaster” for the community.
“For Islanders, fish stocks are very important because it is the main source of protein.
“Most of the household diets, fish is part of it.”
Sustainability for the future
Oibola is part of a cluster of seven communities with a management program involving more than 2,500 people.
“They formed a committee to look after the reef, and two mangrove plots,” Sukulu explains.
“Mangrove [replanting] is so important to Langa Langa because a lot of these communities use mangroves for firewood … it resulted in deforestation of mangroves.”
Waleilia has long championed this project, following in the footsteps of his father, who started planting mangrove trees more than a decade ago after watching the forest disappear and the tide move in. He has been planting ever since.
Moving through the mangrove forest, he motions to where the ocean has risen to lap at the doorstep of some of the houses in the village.
“Replanting is in the blood,” Waleilia says.
Reviving the mangrove means protection against erosion, and a breeding ground for fish, birds, shells that we eat [and] the mangrove crab.
He has so far planted more than 17,000 shoots, and says he’ll keep planting, driven by his deep concern for the future of his community.
Solomon Islands is among the world’s most vulnerable nations to a changing climate. The challenges set to be inherited by future generations are never far from Waleilia’s mind.
“When we started the project … I had a son, a third son. He was maybe five, six,” he recalls.
“He came up to me and asked for food, and I was watching him and thinking … Here’s me feeding you. What about you feeding your children?
“‘Will you be left with the same environment that I grew up in?'”
This story was produced with support from the Pulitzer Center.
RICHMOND COUNTY, Ga. – A dramatic chase unfolded in Richmond County when deputies pursued a vehicle following an unsuccessful traffic stop attempt, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office detailed the incident on their Facebook page, noting it occurred on Friday, July 17th, around 2:22 P.M., capturing the attention of local residents.
It all started when an officer from the Richmond County Traffic Division tried to pull over a red 2017 Honda Civic on Peach Orchard Road near Mike Padgett Highway. However, the driver had other plans.
Ignoring orders to stop, the driver sped away, leading authorities on a chase south down Mike Padgett Highway. The pursuit took a turn east onto Marvin Griffin Road and ended dramatically soon after. The driver lost control and skidded off the road near Doug Barnard Parkway, crashed into a fence at the Augusta Water Works Wastewater Treatment Facility, and the car overturned in a ditch.
The Sheriff’s Office reported that the driver suffered visible injuries, though they were not life-threatening. The individual was subsequently transported to a nearby hospital for necessary medical attention.
The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office state that once the driver is released from the hospital, warrants will be served charging the driver with multiple traffic charges, including Felony Fleeing or Attempting to Elude and DUI.
CATLIN, Ill. (WCIA) — Devin Ehler has etched his name on the national stage by clinching a commendable third place in Greco-Roman Wrestling at 144 pounds during the esteemed US Marine Corps 16U Junior Nationals held in Fargo, North Dakota.
This achievement marks a first in the history of the Oakwood-Salt Fork wrestling program, making Ehler its inaugural Fargo All-American wrestler, a milestone he had long aspired to reach.
Though he didn’t secure the top spot, Ehler relishes his initial foray into this highly regarded tournament, widely considered the pinnacle of competitive wrestling in the United States.
“My primary aim was to leave every bit of my heart and effort on the mat, and I’m satisfied I achieved that,” Ehler reflected. “While becoming a national champion was the ultimate goal, securing third place allowed me to demonstrate my identity as both a wrestler and a person. It illuminates a lot about one’s character, and that’s an aspect I cherish.”
Ehler is now looking ahead to his junior wrestling season at OSW. This comes on the heels of his impressive performances, securing fourth at the state level during his freshman year and advancing to a third-place finish last year in Class 1A.
