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China says it has dramatically improved its ability to chart the ocean floor, producing detailed seabed maps that outperform widely used global models in both resolution and accuracy, according to the South China Morning Post.

The advance is the product of more than two decades of work by a research group led by Professor Wu Ziyin at the Second Institute of Oceanography. Rather than relying on a single new survey, the scientists found ways to reconcile huge amounts of older information collected by different vessels, instruments and mapping systems. The result is a much sharper digital picture of the underwater landscape around China, including parts of the contested South China Sea.

Researchers say their maps offer roughly double the resolution of leading global alternatives and can be two to five times more accurate. That improvement can reveal smaller underwater formations and pinpoint their locations more precisely...information with applications ranging from offshore energy and earthquake research to navigation, resource exploration and military operations.

The strategic importance of knowing what lies beneath the surface became particularly clear in 2021, when the USS Connecticut struck an underwater mountain while operating submerged in the South China Sea. Eleven sailors were injured and the nuclear-powered submarine suffered significant damage. While a US Navy investigation faulted the crew’s voyage planning, the incident also illustrated the dangers posed by gaps in existing seabed charts.

SCMP writes that China has meanwhile worked to reduce its dependence on foreign ocean-survey technology. The program produced domestically designed multi-beam sonar equipment along with autonomous underwater vehicles capable of surveying at depths approaching 6,000 metres. Wu said China had once depended heavily on imported systems but now produces comparable equipment at a fraction of the cost.

“Our equipment breaks the monopoly of Western countries, with leading performance,” Wu said.

The broader project has also catalogued 769 underwater geographic features, many given names inspired by Chinese history, mythology and literature. China plans to publish an English-language version of its seabed atlas, while its marine surveying technology has already found commercial and government applications and has reportedly been exported to Russia, Japan and Singapore.

Wu characterized the transition from foreign dependence to domestic production as “a true qualitative leap.”

The achievement comes as much of the ocean floor remains surprisingly poorly documented. Less than 30% of the world's oceans have been surveyed in detail, meaning the majority of Earth's underwater terrain is still inadequately mapped.

Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com

Lianys Torres Rivera, Cuba’s top diplomat in the US, has told Bloomberg that the Trump administration is unwilling to continue talks with the island nation and described the ramped-up US oil embargo, which has caused a devastating humanitarian crisis in the country, as a "war without bombs."

"The channel for dialogue is at a complete standstill," Torres Rivera told the outlet, adding that the two sides are unable to set a basic agenda.

Since the US attack on Venezuela to abduct President Nicolas Maduro, the US has cut off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba and pressured Mexico to also end its energy exports to the island, causing severe fuel shortages and bringing Cuba’s healthcare system to the brink of collapse.

President Trump has been clear that he wants Cuba to be his next military intervention, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is leading the policy, has rejected the idea of a "peaceful agreement" with the Cuban government.

POLITICO reported last month that the CIA has ramped up its presence in Cuba, something the agency also did preceding the attack on Venezuela.

The report said that the administration doesn't believe it needs to end its war with Iran before taking military action against Cuba.

Despite the US hostility, Torres Rivera said that Havana sought good relations with Washington:

"Cuba is not a threat to the United States," she said. "Cuba wants a relationship of respect with the United States where we can talk about our shared priorities."

Discussing the oil embargo, Torres Rivera said, "What country can function normally when they’ve only received one fuel shipment in 200 days? This is collective punishment. This is a war without bombs."

Torres Rivera made similar comments in a post on X on August 21, where she also said the "current US oil siege increased the infant mortality rate per 1000 live births to more than double."

A routine arrest in North Austin developed into a much broader investigation after police said they discovered a large collection of mail, payment cards, checks and postal keys believed to have been stolen, according to Yahoo.

Austin police arrested 42-year-old Elizabeth Rozo on Aug. 25 after officers tracked her to an apartment complex near Tech Ridge Boulevard. Authorities were looking for Rozo because she was wanted on a warrant stemming from a credit or bank card abuse investigation.

Officers with the department’s North Metro Tactical Unit reportedly watched Rozo leave the apartment complex and enter a vehicle. They followed her before initiating a traffic stop.

The investigation expanded significantly when officers searched the vehicle. Police said they recovered roughly 400 bank cards believed to have been stolen, along with nearly 300 gift cards. Investigators suspect at least some of the gift cards had been purchased using compromised bank cards.

Officers also discovered two counterfeit Arrow Keys, a type of master key associated with U.S. Postal Service mail equipment. Such keys can potentially be used to open certain shared mailboxes and other postal receptacles, making them particularly valuable to people seeking access to mail belonging to multiple households.

Evidence from the vehicle led investigators to secure a warrant for Rozo’s apartment. The second search produced considerably more material, according to police.

By the time officers finished searching the vehicle and residence, authorities said they had collected thousands of pieces of suspected stolen mail and hundreds of checks. They also recovered about two dozen identification documents that police believe were either stolen or fraudulently produced.

Investigators reported finding 17 stolen postal keys in addition to the two counterfeit keys discovered during the investigation. Authorities have not publicly explained how the postal keys were allegedly obtained or identified how many mailboxes could have been accessed with them. Police also have not announced an estimate of how many people may ultimately be connected to the recovered mail and financial documents.

Yahoo writes that approximately two ounces of suspected methamphetamine was also recovered during the investigation, according to reports.

The volume and variety of the seized material could make determining the full scope of the case a lengthy process. Investigators must examine the mail, checks, cards and identification documents to determine where they came from and whether they are connected to additional offenses or victims.

Postal master keys have become a concern for law enforcement because one compromised key can potentially expose mail belonging to numerous residents. Once mail is taken, checks can be altered or fraudulently deposited, while bank cards and personal information can be used in financial fraud or identity theft schemes.

The Austin Police Department has dealt with similar cases recently. In July, police announced the results of a separate investigation involving counterfeit Arrow Keys. That case led authorities to recover hundreds of pieces of mail, thousands of checks, payment cards, identification documents and equipment that investigators said was associated with counterfeiting.

APD Arrests Suspect in Investigation Involving Thousands of Pieces of Stolen Mail, Hundreds of Bank Cards - https://t.co/rp3jgk0hvZ pic.twitter.com/q5xS2sGTso

— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) September 1, 2026

Rozo was initially booked on the outstanding warrant involving alleged credit or bank card abuse. Police also charged her with unlawful conduct involving a mail receptacle or lock and manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance involving methamphetamine.

Authorities said the investigation remains active and additional charges could follow as detectives work through the material that was seized. Rozo has been arrested and charged, but the accusations against her remain allegations unless proven in court.

Police say missing mail can sometimes provide an early indication that personal or financial information has been compromised. Residents who are expecting checks, replacement credit or debit cards, tax documents or other sensitive correspondence may want to contact the sender if those items fail to arrive.

Authorities also recommend retrieving mail soon after delivery and using USPS Hold Mail when away from home for an extended period. Informed Delivery can provide digital previews of many incoming mail pieces, which may help residents notice when expected correspondence disappears.

Checks can present an additional risk because information on a stolen check may be altered before it is deposited or cashed. Police recommend using permanent ink, avoiding unnecessary blank spaces when writing checks and periodically examining images of processed checks for unexpected changes to the recipient or amount.

The Trump White House is reportedly looking to try and keep things 'quiet' related to the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz leading into the November midterms, after an intense flare-up in fighting this week.

"Top aides to President Donald Trump are pushing to keep the Iran war from escalating before November's midterm elections to staunch Republican electoral losses, four people familiar with the discussions said, a strategy already under strain as the U.S. and Iran exchanged back-and-forth attacks overnight," Reuters reports.

However, over in Israel the war rhetoric is still cranked to a ten. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it crystal clear in fresh Thursday remarks that total 'regime collapse' remains his 'central' goal.

He declared that the "central mission" is to topple the Iranian regime, asserting that the goal is "within reach," during a Rosh Hashanah event attended by the IDF General Staff Forum in Tel Aviv.

"The regime is now faltering. It is weaker than ever. It is fighting for its survival," he claimed. He also described this was partly due to Israel's successful Gaza campaign going back to Oct.7, 2023, and the anti-Hezbollah mission.

"I am confident in our ability to remove this threat once and for all – in other words, to topple this regime," Netanyahu said.

"That is the central mission that still lies ahead of us, but it is close. It is not impossible. It is within reach," he emphasized. 

"It is no coincidence that they are not attacking us. They are attacking everyone except us. They know our strength, the force of our blows and our determination," he continued.

Israel's defense ministry has lately made clear it will unleash militarily on Iran if the Islamic Republic dares to attack Israel, even if it's some kind of 'limited' assault on Israeli assets and interests.

Netanyahu also warned, "Don’t mess with us. If you have learned anything, don’t mess with us. We have the strength, the determination and the internal unity to defeat you."

But Israel clearly wants the United States to continue to do the heavy lifting. Typically its leadership gets louder in making the case for anti-Tehran escalation anytime Washington seems to back off the military pressure.

And so it's no coincidence that this week...

The Jerusalem Post runs an op-ed suggesting using indebted Americans to invade Iran...words fail me. pic.twitter.com/h7qISeAdOg

— Marcus Stanley (@MarcusMStanley) September 3, 2026

Israeli officials have all the while continued to tout that Mossad assets have been in place inside the Islamic Republic, hinting that some kind of 'uprising' could take place.

And yet after six months of war, there really hasn't been much in the way of a groundswell of protest action in the streets. It remains a martial law situation, and the fact that the Iranian population itself is under the US bombs has naturally translated into citizens not wanting to be seen rooting for the enemy. The whole war-time situation also essentially grants authorities more 'power' to crack down, as it typically goes.

Authored by Irina Slav via OilPrice.com,

Spot LNG prices for Asian buyers went up to almost $26 per million British thermal units yesterday for a 5% weekly gain following the resumption of strikes between the United States and Iran.

Spot LNG for Asia traded at $25.908 per mmBtu late on Wednesday, Bloomberg reported, citing unnamed traders, after President Donald Trump said "We took out all of the new equipment that they tried to build along the Strait of Hormuz - some defensive, some offensive ... It was a very heavy attack last night, and we're prepared to do another one any time we want."

Prices in both Asia and Europe had jumped at the end of last week after Qatar's state-owned firm QatarEnergy extended the force majeure on its LNG deliveries into November amid still-blocked transits through the Strait of Hormuz.

Prices in Asia were driven by South Asian buyers, including Pakistan and Bangladesh, seeking spot supply to replace term supply from Qatar that cannot leave the Persian Gulf. Per tender documents seen by Bloomberg, utilities in South Korea, India, Taiwan, and Bangladesh are looking to buy spot cargoes for October and November.

Pakistan, on the other hand, rejected an LNG offer to its last prompt tender earlier this week, as it was priced at over $27 per mmBtu, which the state-owned gas trading company considered too high a price. The cargo was offered by BP.

Recent developments in the Middle East suggest the resumption of normal LNG flows out of the Persian Gulf is nowhere in sight. In light of a seasonal pick-up in demand for gas, chances are that LNG prices will go higher still, likely pricing out some buyers. Gas prices are surging in Europe as well, making it more difficult for gas buyers there to start buying ahead of the winter season.