May 9th was the 63rd anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, so there were celebrations in Moscow. This year’s celebration was a bit different than those held in recent years, since it involved a revival of Soviet-style military parades of power:

For the first time in years, heavy military hardware rumbled through Red Square.

Over one hundred nuclear missiles, tanks and jet planes wowed millions watching the parade across the country.

BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles, BTR-80 armoured personnel carriers, T-90 tanks, Topol-M mobile missile launchers and Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic bombers rolled across Red Square. A spectacular aerobatic show with SU-27 and MiG-29 jet fighters took place in the sky above the heart of Moscow.

And while some may see it as a statement on the country’s military force, for others it is a chance to remember the war, join together in their pride for their country and the long way it has come over the years.

Here is a full video of the parade, followed by about 30 pictures of the Russian celebrations I found on news sites, blogs, and forums.
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Liked our last cool cloud pictures post? Here are some more! Click the cloud pictures to view them in full size.

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The answer to the age old question: Could a sumo wrestler beat a tank in a one-on-one battle?

From photos released today of a joint patrol conducted by the 101st Airborne/Iraqi Police:

A brief excerpt on these awesome houses from the United Nations, which designated them as a World Heritage Site:

Kaiping Diaolou and Villages feature the Diaolou, multi-storeyed defensive village houses in Kaiping, which display a complex and flamboyant fusion of Chinese and Western structural and decorative forms. They reflect the significant role of émigré Kaiping people in the development of several countries in South Asia, Australasia and North America, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are four groups of Diaolou and twenty of the most symbolic ones are inscribed on the List. These buildings take three forms: communal towers built by several families and used as temporary refuge, residential towers built by individual rich families and used as fortified residences, and watch towers. Built of stone, pise, brick or concrete, these buildings represent a complex and confident fusion between Chinese and Western architectural styles. Retaining a harmonious relationship with the surrounding landscape, the Diaolou testify to the final flowering of local building traditions that started in the Ming period in response to local banditry.

Photos below:

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I must say, I am quite impressed with the fact that Prince Harry has been allowed to serve in Afghanistan, and the fact that it remained a secret until today:

LONDON, Feb. 28 — Prince Harry has been fighting on the front lines in Afghanistan for 10 weeks, his presence there kept secret until Thursday in a remarkable deal between the British military and news media.

British military officials confirmed that Harry, 23, third in line to the British throne, deployed to Afghanistan on Dec. 14 and has been fighting Taliban forces from a forward operating base in southern Helmand province.

When the news was posted Thursday on the Drudge Report Web site, British newspapers and television stations instantly rolled out extensive special reports on the first British royal to see combat since the Falklands War more than 25 years ago.

Those reports included lengthy taped interviews with Harry just before his deployment in December and last week at his Afghan base. Photos and video showed Harry firing a machine gun, patrolling on foot in full combat gear in an Afghan village and washing his socks in a camp sink.

“All my wishes have come true,” Harry told reporters in last week’s camp interview, wearing a brown military T-shirt and camouflage pants and noting that he had not showered in four days.

“It’s very nice to be sort of a normal person for once; I think it’s about as normal as I’m going to get,” said Harry, now addressed with his rank as Cornet Wales. “It’s much better being here experiencing it rather than hearing all the stories of people coming back.”

“Prince Hal at last!” said Robert Lacey, a noted royal biographer, referring to Shakespeare’s famous warrior prince.

Now, on to the photos!

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There’s a lot to Chinese theme parks than blatant copies of Disney Land. Here are some weird and interesting photos taken at amusement parks across China:

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Looking at these amazing winter landscapes makes me wish winter was already upon us! [Click each photo to view it in full size.]

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Just got this huge set of photographs via e-mail, most of which were taken at robot expos in China over the last few years. I cannot identify any of these robots, and I am also unsure if they are all of Chinese origin. Anybody out there an expert on Chinese robotics?
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