Submerged beneath a manmade lake in China lies a forgotten city, dubbed by experts as “China’s Atlantis”. The underwater city, known as the Lion City or Shi Cheng, is hidden 40 metres beneath the surface of Qiandao Lake in eastern China. In 2001, officials discovered – or rediscovered – that the metropolis had been perfectly preserved after years underwater, and by 2017 had opened it up as a diving site for tourists. But what is the history of the Lion City, and how did it end up underwater? Shi Cheng is thought to have been built during the Eastern Han Dynasty between 25AD and 200AD. It was once a political and economic hub in the eastern province of Zhejiang, with a regional seat of power located in the city. The city walls, believed to date back to the 16th century, had five entrance gates, as opposed to the traditional four in old Chinese cities, and its wide streets contain 265 archways featuring stonework of dragons, phoenixes and (you guessed it) lions. However, in 1959, the Chinese government decided to build a hydroelectric power plant in the area and, somewhat shockingly, decided to flood the city to do it. This didn’t just amount to getting rid of a historical artefact. More than 300,000 people needed to be rehoused for the project, which ultimately birthed Qiandao Lake. A surprising side effect to this was that the city remains as a time capsule to the period when it was flooded. Since the water used to submerge it did not contain anything corrosive, and was not conducive to marine life, the remains are in perfect condition. And even though it was still functioning as a city until the mid-20th century, the Lion City has still not been completely mapped out. Now, divers are slowly working through each building, structure, archway, road and house to eventually put together a full picture of what it would have looked like. Until then, it will remain at least party shrouded in mystery, as China’s very own Atlantis. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

PALMA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 18, 2023--

Ever wondered what’s hiding at the bottom of the English Channel? Deep sea divers do – partly because the cold waters and strong tides make it a notoriously difficult place to explore. One relic down there that few people have seen is the remains of an 8,000-year-old civilisation in an area called Doggerland – the landmass that once connected the British Isles to Europe. A National Geographic team led by scientist Albert Lin went down there in 2019 to find the so-called "lost city". The first thing they found were the remains of a tree, which had survived underwater for more than 8,000 years. As the divers went deeper, they came across a wooden structure that Lin thought could be a dock. “It feels like we are sitting in an ancient ghost town, but underwater,” he said. The existence of Doggerland was first confirmed in the late 19th century, but it wasn’t until about 100 years ago that ships started accidentally unearthing items of archaeological importance. In 1931, a trawler hauled up a lump of peat while fishing about 25 miles east of Norfolk. It contained an antler point, which was possibly used as a spear, dating from between 10,000BC and 4,000BC. Back on the surface, Lin described the wooden structure as “a whole platform down there. It's layered, one piece on top of the other, almost like a dock”. He added:” It’s cold down there and murky. But it's incredible. “You know, you descend down this line and out of the darkness comes the ancient past.” The wood survived because it was so deprived of oxygen, according to maritime archaeologist Garry Momber. “It's just preserved in a sort of anaerobic, oxygen-free environment. It would have stayed there for many more thousands of years. “But recently, the old landscape’s eroding away, which is how we found this.” The maritime archaeologist said finding composite structures like this was of 'international significance'. “It's 8,000 years old,” Momber added. “You don't just get these everyday.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

Apple has held its latest event, named “Wonderlust”, and released its most important products of the year. Chief executive Tim Cook and his colleagues revealed four new iPhones, and two new Apple Watches. But they also made a series of related announcements: about leather, AirPods and software, some of which came after the event. Here’s everything you need to know about all the new announcements from Apple – whether that was in the live stream or after. iPhone 15 The new base model iPhone was largely as expected. And it is familiar, too: in short, it takes the existing iPhone 14 and adds some of the features from the iPhone 14 Pro to it. It keeps the same basic design and materials, and two-lens camera setup. It adds the faster processor from the iPhone 14 Pro, as well as some of its camera smarts, and the “Dynamic Island” that gets rid of the ears at the top of the display. There’s a Plus model of this phone, too, that has a 6.7-inch display and a larger battery. It is otherwise identical. Read more. iPhone 15 Pro The Pro version of the iPhone 15 was a little more surprising and new – though only a little. The changes to the iPhone 15 Pro are relatively restrained. It adds new features to the camera: a new coating, and hardware and software tools that should make the pictures both better and easier to edit. It also gets a new faster chip and an “action button” on the side that can be programmed to do whatever you want. Most notable, perhaps, is the titanium material that will be used to make it. It adds a new look and makes the phone a bit lighter. Read more. Apple Watch Series 9 The new Watch is also mostly limited in its updates. They largely boil down to an improved processor and a better display. The improved processor adds a range of features, including better dictation and improved Siri. But probably most notable is a “double tap” option that lets people bring their fingers together to operate their Apple Watch without their hands. The display is both brighter and less bright, which means it should be easier to see in the sun and less shocking at night. Read more. Apple Watch Ultra 2 The Ultra 2 takes last year’s Ultra and puts this year’s developments into it. It has the same chip as the normal Watch – and the features that it brings – as well as its own brighter display. Read more. No more leather Two of the most notable announcements were about things being cancelled, rather than introduced. The first of them was leather. Apple will not use leather in any new products, it said. And so there will be new iPhone cases, straps and AirTag holders that will instead be made out of more sustainable materials. It was part of a broader sustainability focus during the event, which also included the announcement that the new Apple Watch is the company’s first ever carbon neutral product. Read more. And no more Lightning The other big removal was Lightning, the charging port that has been in the iPhone for more than a decade. Again, there’s something new in its place: USB-C. This was widely rumoured, after the European Union passed rules that required it, which Apple had originally opposed. Now, though, its presenting it as an upgrade, with better data connections and more compatibility. Read more. Updated AirPods After the event, the AirPods got an update. That is only minor: they too will get a new charging case that uses USB-C. Apple also noted that the shared connector now means that you can plug a USB-C wire into your phone, and then into your AirPods or Apple Watch, to charge them. But the AirPods are otherwise unchanged – and no other new products were released, either. New software release dates Also not mentioned in the event was the release of new software: iOS, WatchOS, MacOS and more. In press releases about their respective hardware, Apple announced when those updates would be arriving. Read more. Read More Here’s the new iPhone Pro, made out of an entirely new material Apple is changing the plug on the bottom of your iPhone Apple reveals when huge new iPhone update is coming Here is the iPhone 15 Apple to stop using leather in all new products Here’s the brand new Apple Watch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Texas won the latest round in its antitrust lawsuit against Alphabet's Google on Monday as a U.S. judicial

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 20, 2023--

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NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 21, 2023--

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