Screen image taken at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center on July 4 shows Chinese astronaut Liu Boming slipping out of the space station core module Tianhe.

According to the China Manned Space Agency on July 4， the first extravehicular activities （EVAs） during the construction of the countrys space station were a complete success. The Shenzhou-12 spaceship crew， after approximately seven hours of EVAs， concluded all scheduled tasks.

The EVAs tested the performance and function of the new-generation homemade extravehicular mobility units and the coordination between the astronauts and the mechanical arm， as well as the reliability and safety of related EVA supporting equipment.

Protecting the Environment

Volunteers clean up the river waters in Linan in Hangzhou， Zhejiang Province， on July 6. The district has stepped up its protection of local rivers in recent years by strengthening water quality monitoring and dispatching regular patrols and cleaning missions.

Heritage Conference

The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational， Scientific and Cultural Organization （UNESCO） will take place between July 16 and July 31 in Fuzhou， capital of Fujian Province， according to a press conference on July 5.

The session will see a total of 45 candidate entries to the UNESCO World Heritage List， Vice Minister of Education Tian Xuejun said.

Tian， also Director of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO， added that the session will move online after its opening ceremony.

China currently boasts 14 listed natural heritage sites and four mixed ones， both cultural and natural， said Yan Chenggao， an official with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration at the press conference.

Rare Whale

A whale that has recently appeared in Shenzhen， Guangdong Province， has been preliminarily identified as a Brydes whale， reported Xinhua News Agency on July 3.

Experts came to the conclusion after analyzing photos and videos captured by witnesses since the mammal was first spotted in the Dapeng Bay on June 29.

The Shenzhen municipal fishery department， along with other research institutions in China， has been tracking the whale and recorded the creature feeding on more than 100 occasions， which suggests it is healthy and active， Chen Binyao， a scientist of the whales tracking team from Nanjing Normal University， said.