The superyacht Bayesian sank off the coast of Sicily on August 19, killing seven of the 22 people aboard. The vessel was moored in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea when a sudden, violent storm created a waterspout, or sea tornado, that quickly caused the ship to founder. Experts were mystified as to how the typically calm waters of the Mediterranean Sea could create such conditions.

The answer may lie in climate change. Many scientists point to the increasing temperature of the Mediterranean Sea as a possible culprit for unusual storm patterns. 

What did the commentators say?
The Mediterranean is "prized for its crystal clear, tranquil waters," but "these waters can still be dangerous," and are "only becoming more so as human-caused climate change warms the sea, whipping up stronger and more intense storms," said Laura Paddison at CNN. While "ocean heat is affected by natural climate fluctuations," scientists believe it's "being supercharged by human-caused global warming driven by burning fossil fuels."

The Mediterranean continues to warm. The "water temperatures around Sicily are approximately 30 degrees" Celsius, or 86 degrees Fahrenheit, Luca Mercalli, the president of the Italian Meteorological Society, said to CNN. These are among the hottest ambient water temperatures on the planet and could be contributing to storms. A 2022 study of "234 waterspouts in the Spanish Mediterranean over the past three decades found that they were more likely to break out when the sea surface was warmer, especially above 23 degrees Celsius," said Luhn. 

What next?
Since there has been little conclusive research on waterspouts and climate change, it's unclear how much of a role the warm water plays and whether it will lead to a spike in storms. Experts remain "wary of confirming a definite link with climate change," said National Geographic. 

Conclusively linking waterspouts and climate change is a "step too far at the moment," Peter Inness, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, said to CNN. But "global warming, and specifically warming of the Mediterranean Sea, is quite likely to lead to an intensification of a number of potentially dangerous weather systems in that region."

China has broken new ground with its first true blockbuster video game, "Black Myth: Wukong." But the project has also found itself at the center of a political controversy involving the country's long-standing use of censorship. 

The action role-playing game has quickly become a cultural phenomenon in China since its August 20 release. A collaboration between Chinese game developer Game Science and game marketer Hero Games, the game is considered China's first-ever "AAA" game release and has the popularity to show it. 

What is China trying to censor?
Criticism of Chinese censorship of "Black Myth: Wukong" is "not of the game's source material, design or entertainment value," said Variety. Rather, detractors have "aimed their fire at Game Science and at the kind of censorship of discussion that is commonplace in China but sits less comfortably in the West."

Many prominent game reviewers who were "given advance access reported they had been instructed not to talk about certain topics while livestreaming the game," said NBC News. Specifically, a document provided to these reviewers by Hero Games "listed one 'Do' ('Enjoy the game!') and a number of 'Don'ts,'" NBC said. The "Don'ts" listed in the document included "using 'trigger words' such as 'quarantine,' 'isolation' and 'Covid-19,' as well as discussing politics, 'feminist propaganda' and 'other content that instigates negative discourse.'"

How will this affect China politically?
The "global interest in the game also highlighted China's push to exercise its 'soft power,'" said The New York Times. The game is based on a novel, "Journey to the West," which is "considered one of China's four great classics. The game also depicts important cultural landmarks throughout China."

However, the censorship related to Covid comes as Beijing has "sought to rewrite its handling of the pandemic," said the Times. The country's "zero-Covid" policy "helped to contain the virus for almost three years, but it crumbled amid widespread opposition." After the policy ended, censors "erased mentions of many of the hardships, such as extended periods of forced isolation for hundreds of millions of people," and the censorship of "Black Myth: Wukong" appears to be a continuation of that.

Despite this, Chinese gamers have "rallied to the game's defense," said AFP. Some are "painting any criticism" of the product, which is largely "focusing on the lack of diversity in the game, as evidence of foreign bias."