China astronauts return after 90 days aboard space station
Beijing, Sep 17: A trio of Chinese astronauts returned to earth Friday after a 90-day stay aboard their nation's first space station in China's longest mission yet.
Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo landed in the Shenzhou-12 spaceship just after 1:30 p.m. (0530 GMT) after having undocked from the space station Thursday morning.
State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of the spacecraft parachuting to land in the Gobi Desert where it was met by helicopters and off-road vehicles. Minutes later, a crew of technicians began opening the hatch of the capsule, which appeared undamaged.
After launching on June 17, mission commander Nie and astronauts Liu and Tang went on two spacewalks, deployed a 10-meter (33-foot) mechanical arm, and had a video call with Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.
While few details have been made public by China's military, which runs the space program, astronaut trios are expected to be brought on 90-day missions to the station over the next two years to make it fully functional.
The government has not announced the names of the next set of astronauts nor the launch date of Shenzhou-13.
China has sent 14 astronauts into space since 2003, when it became only the third country after the former Soviet Union and the United States to do so on its own.
China embarked on its own space station program after being excluded from the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. objections to the Chinese space program's secrecy and military backing.
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Boards barring non-Hindus at Har ki Pauri come up in Uttarakhand
Haridwar (PTI): Amid demands to declare the Haridwar Kumbh area in Uttarakhand a Hindu zone and restrict entry to non-Hindus at all religious places and Ganga ghats within it, signs reading 'Non-Hindu prohibited area' were put up at Har Ki Pauri on Friday.
The Ganga Sabha, the organisation that manages and maintains Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding ghats, has put up these signs on all entry points to the area, including on bridge railings and pillars.
However, the main bathing ghat of Har Ki Pauri and the surrounding area are already restricted for non-Hindus according to the Haridwar Municipal Act of 1916.
These signs were put up after a video went viral three days ago showing two young men wearing Kandura (traditional Arab attire) roaming in the Har Ki Pauri area. However, it was later revealed that these two young men were Hindus and had come to make a video for their YouTube channel.
The Sabha has demanded that all religious places, temples, and Ganga ghats in the entire Haridwar Kumbh area be restricted for non-Hindus before the 'Ardh Kumbh' next year, a demand that the Uttarakhand government is also seriously considering.
Following the Kandura incident, the Sabha had also appealed to officials of government departments, other organisations, and media houses not to appoint their non-Hindu employees in this area. They stated that this was necessary to maintain the sanctity and purity of the area.
Regarding the installation of the new signs, Ganga Sabha president Nitin Gautam told PTI, "According to the Haridwar Municipal Bylaws of 1916, the entry of non-Hindus into the Har Ki Pauri area is completely prohibited. This sign has been put up to inform everyone about this bylaw."
He said that this step has been taken to publicly share information about the law and traditions, so that the sanctity of the pilgrimage site is maintained and no confusion or controversy arises.
Haridwar Municipal Commissioner Nandan Kumar also stated that the 1916 bylaws prohibit the entry of non-Hindus into the Har Ki Pauri area.
