OMG, Here comes the world’s largest undersea restaurant

This looks quite amazing as the Restaurant is situated 5m below the sea off the coast of Lindesnes, Norway, Europe’s first underwater restaurant serves fresh seafood with a one-of-a-kind view.

Amazing!

For more than two centuries, the island of Fernando de Noronha was used as a prison due to its isolated location off the coast of Brazil. Criminals served sentences there, unable to freely enjoy its crystal clear waters and breathtaking views. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, Fernando de Noronha is a sought-after destination. Residents and families of former inmates who remained in the island take advantage of its good quality of life

Months before it opened, the world’s largest underwater restaurant in Norway was already flooded with reservations. Recently, Business Insiderreported that Under has finally started serving its first guests. If you can’t book a table at the hottest restaurant below sea level, you can look at the photos taken inside to get an idea of the unique dining experience.

In addition to being the largest underwater restaurant on Earth, Under, from the architecture firm Snøhetta, is also the first of its kind in Europe. It’s located in the notoriously treacherous waters off Norway’s southern coast.

IVAR KVAAL

After entering the angled building from the shore, guests descend into a 100-person dining room with panoramic views of the ocean and passing marine life. The concrete structure is designed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding environment, eventually acting as an artificial reef that attracts plants and animals. The location boasts such biodiversity that Under is also being used as a research center for marine biologists.

IVAR KVAAL

IVAR KVAAL

Once seated, diners will be treated to a seasonal meal from an international team of chefs led by Nicolai Ellitsgaard. The menu highlights locally sourced produce and sustainably caught wildlife. A full meal lasts roughly three-and-a-half to four hours.

STIAN BROCH

STIAN BROCH

IVAR KVAAL

INGER MARIE GRINI/BO BEDRE NORGE

Seats at Under are fully booked from now to the end of September. If you’re content with getting your name on a waiting list, you can try to reserve a table for earlier in the year through the restaurant’s website.

Lion shot dead after escaping zoo enclosure in Belgium

A lion has been shot dead after escaping its enclosure at a zoo in Belgium.

The female lion escaped its enclosure at Planckendael Zoo, but did not get out of the zoo grounds.

The site was evacuated and closed while a veterinarian tried to sedate the animal.

However, the zoo later reported that the lion had been shot dead by police.

Image:Two schoolbuses full of children were held outside the zoo

In a tweet, the zoo said it “had to let the escaped lion sleep” after two “failed anaesthetic attempts”. It said that no visitors or staff were at risk.

The lion escaped shortly after the zoo’s opening time so there were not many people inside. The park is 19 miles (30km) north of Brussels.

Image:Pupils on a school trip looked out from their bus as workers tried to find the lioness

Two schoolbuses full of children were held outside the zoo while staff attempted to find the lion.

One in five British mammals at risk of extinction

The red squirrel, the wildcat, and the grey long-eared bat are all facing severe threats to their survival, according to new research.

They are among 12 species that have been put on the first “red list” for wild mammals in Britain.

The Mammal Society and Natural England study said almost one in five British mammals was at risk of extinction.

Factors such as climate change, loss of habitat, use of pesticides and disease are to blame, the report said.

It said the hedgehog and water vole have seen their populations decline by almost 70% over the past 20 years.

However, it is good news for the otter, pine marten, polecat and badger, which have all seen their populations and geographical range spread.

The report is described as the first comprehensive review of the population of British mammals for 20 years.

Researchers examined more than 1.5m individual biological records of 58 species of terrestrial mammal.

They looked at whether their numbers were going up or down, the extent of their range, if there were any trends, and what their future prospects were.

The species have been ranked using the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria, which is used to compile the global list of threatened species.

The wildcat is among the species that are threatened, the study said

A species that makes it on to the “red list” means it is called “threatened” and it faces becoming extinct within the next decade.

The highest threat category is “critically endangered.” Three species were given this status: the wildcat, the greater mouse-eared bat, and the black rat.

The next highest threat level is “endangered”. Listed here is the red squirrel, along with the beaver, water vole and grey long-eared bat.

The third-highest threat category is “vulnerable”. The hedgehog, the hazel dormouse, Orkney vole, serotine bat and barbastelle bat are included in this list.

Prof Fiona Mathews, chairwoman of the Mammal Society said: “This is the first time anyone has looked across all species for about 20 years.

“Now obviously we’re living in a country that’s changing enormously – we’re building new homes, new roads, new railways, agriculture’s changing – so it’s really important we have up to date information so we can plan how we’re going to conserve British wildlife.”

John Gurnell, emeritus professor of ecology at Queen Mary University of London said the study was important.

“It’s the first time since the 90s that we’ve assessed the status of all 58 species of terrestrial mammal in Great Britain,” he said.

“I think it provides us a launching pad for going forward in working out what to do in trying to conserve species in the country where necessary.”

Climate change and loss of habitat are among the factors to blame for the threat to species including the grey long-eared bat

The species reported as increasing in number were the otter, pine marten, polecat and badger along with red and roe deer, the greater and lesser horseshoe bat, and beaver and wild boar.

Prof Mathews called it a “mixed picture”.

“Some species are doing well, so carnivores, for example, like polecats and pine martens, they seem to be bouncing back,” she said.

“Probably because they’re not being persecuted in the way that they were in the past.

“On the other hand we have species that tend to need quite specialised habitat like the grey long-eared bat or the dormouse where population numbers are really going down.

“So what we need to do is find ways in which we can make sure that all British wildlife is prospering.”

 

Air Force pilot snaps amazing Northern Lights pictures

A U.S. Air Force pilot has captured incredible close-up pictures of the Northern Lights from the cockpit of his plane.

The New York Post reports that Ross Franquemont was 70,000 feet over Canada in his U-2 Dragon Lady when he encountered the amazing natural light show.

NORTHERN LIGHTS FROM SPACE! ASTRONAUT CAPTURES AURORA OVER EUROPE

Pilot Ross Franquemont captured the images from the cockpit of his U-2 Dragon Lady.  (Extreme Ross Photography / Caters)

The Sun reports that Franquemont’s plane was traveling at around 500 mph, which made capturing the constantly-moving phenomenon difficult. Nonetheless, the pilot was able to capture a series of stunning images. His flight over Canada took place late last month, according to the Sun.

The pilot’s shots of the swirling green lights include selfies and pictures down the line of his plane’s wings.

INCREDIBLE VIDEO SHOWS THE STUNNING SOUTHERN LIGHTS

The Northern Lights occur when particles from the sun interact with Earth’s magnetic field.  (Extreme Ross Photography / Caters)

The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are the result of particles from the sun interacting with Earth’s magnetic field, according to LiveScience, which notes that the phenomenon occurs in the Arctic Circle.

Last year French astronaut Thomas Pesquet captured stunning images of the Northern Lights from the International Space Station.

DAZZLING AURORAS DANCE ON THE SOUTHERN HORIZON IN ASTRONAUT’S PHOTO

Some of the pictures were taken down the line of the line of his plane’s wings.  (Extreme Ross Photography / Caters)

The Southern Lights, the southern hemisphere counterpart of the Northern Lights, occur mostly over Antarctica or the Southern Ocean, according to LiveScience.

Last year a remarkable time-lapse video of the Southern Lights, or Aurora Australis, was captured from the window of a plane.

Franquemont looks out from the cockpit of his U-2 Dragon Lady.  (Extreme Ross Photography / Caters)

The video was taken on a flight from Dunedin in New Zealand to see the remarkable light display.

Alleged missing ‘Scientology Queen’ the subject of a new Vanity Fair documentary

Michele “Shelly” Miscavige  (Courtesy of Vanity Fair Confidential / ID)

Vanity Fair is hoping to shed light on what may have happened to the first lady of Scientology.

Shelly Miscavige, the wife of Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige, is the subject of a new documentary airing Monday titled “Vanity Fair Confidential: Scientology’s Vanished Queen.”

The couple married in 1980.

The show, which is part of the “Vanity Fair Confidential” series, is based on the March 2014 exposé by the magazine that questioned what happened to Shelly, who allegedly disappeared in 2007.

“The series takes viewers deep inside the Vanity Fair vaults for a closer look into some of the esteemed publication’s most shocking stories, featuring exclusive interviews with those closest to each case — including insights from the Vanity Fair writers and editors who worked on the original article,” reads a release sent to Fox News.

According to the magazine, sources claim church members rarely ask about her to avoid being shunned by the group. Church spokespersons have repeatedly denied Shelly is missing.

Some Scientology defectors insisted Shelly was exiled to one of “several secretive and heavily guarded bases the church owns in remote western locales.”

They added those who are so-called banned allegedly “endure lives of isolation, menial labor and penury.”

David Miscavige  (Courtesy of Shutterstock Inc.)

Church representatives have called Vanity Fair’s questions on Shelly “ludicrous and offensive.”

This isn’t the first time Shelly has been showcased in a television show.

Back in December 2016, former Scientology member Leah Remini raised the explosive topic of Shelly’s whereabouts in a special episode of her A&E series, “Scientology and the Aftermath.”

The former “King of Queens” actress left the Church in 2013 after having been a member since childhood.

Remini, who was so alarmed by Shelly’s disappearance that she questioned guests at Tom Cruise’s 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes, reportedly outraged Scientology members.

Shelly is allegedly a close friend of Cruise’s, the Church’s most famous member.

In 2013, Remini filed a missing report regarding Shelly with the Los Angeles Police Department. It’s been reported that detectives closed the missing person case after saying they had met with Shelly in person.

Still, Remini continues to wonder about the well-being of the Scientology boss’ wife.

On her A&E episode, ex-Scientologist member Mike Rinder claimed that for a long time Shelly was at a property the Church owned near Lake Arrowhead in California.

“She was sent there when she displeased David Miscavige,” claimed Rinder. “Shelly was privy to everything that went on with Dave.”

Remini responded, “Which is why I filed my police report. Which, by the way, I’m still following up on because there’s still answers that I need. I do not know that she is alive. I do not know that she’s not being held against her will.

David Miscavige  (Getty)

“I do not know these things and so if the Church produces her, by bringing her to an event – even if she went on a program and said, ‘Hi, Leah Remini. Go f—k yourself,’ I’d be happy to know that she was alive. The police department should say, ‘Yes, we’ve seen her.’ No, I wasn’t told that. I was told that a representative saw her or spoke to her. I’m going to continue to get and gather information.”

As the show noted, the Church has stated the police report was filed in bad faith — and Scientologists has also challenged the credibility of Remini and all the contributors to her series.

In fact, the Church has said on a website it launched to slam her claims, “Leah Remini’s ‘reality show’…. is nothing more than a scripted, rehearsed, acted and dramatized work of fiction. She and the other anti-Scientologists in her program have been expelled from the Church for unethical conduct.”

“Vanity Fair Confidential: Scientology’s Vanished Queen” airs Monday, March 12 on ID.