THE REALLY BIG CHINA PARADE

Donald Trump has wanted something this large, but Chinese President Xi Jinping pulled it off yesterday.  Marking the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, Tiananmen Square was the location of China's Really Big Parade.  More magnificent than Trump's 79th Birthday Parade in DC this summer.  Twice as many soldiers marched, and twice as many aircraft flew over Ji's parade.

Maybe more important than the event itself was who were there:  Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and North Korea's Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, leaders of the Evil Axis.  Also:

Besides Iran, North Korea, and Russia, heads of state or governments from more than a dozen other countries also attended the parade. These included a number of Southeast Asian countries—Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Vietnam—as well as Pakistan, Nepal, Mongolia, and the Maldives. Others in attendance included leaders from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, the Republic of the Congo, and Zimbabwe.

Notable for his absence at the parade was Indian President Narendra Modi, who attended the just held summit in Shanghai.  Apparently, India is hedging itself between China and the USA.

Remember China's 2015 parade?  Attending were Tony Blair of the UK, Gerhard Schroeder of Germany, Park Geun-Hye of South Korea and U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus.  This year, the only two sort of West country leaders, the prime minister of Slovaka and president of Serbia, were there, although lower ranking representatives were there from Australia and Singapore, plus the United Nations and ASEAN.

From Google AI Overview:

The parade prominently featured multiple types of missiles, including strategic nuclear-capable and hypersonic variants. 

• 
  DF-61 and JL-3: A new, long-range, land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the DF-61, and the submarine-launched JL-3 missile were shown. The JL-3 is believed to be capable of reaching North America.

• 
  DF-5C: This liquid-fueled intercontinental strategic nuclear missile is a modern version of the Dongfeng-5 and can carry multiple warheads.
• Hypersonic anti-ship missiles: These missiles, designed to target U.S. aircraft carriers, included the YJ-17, YJ-19, and YJ-20. The new YJ-21, described as an "aircraft carrier killer," was also displayed.

• 
  DF-26D "Guam Killer": This missile, with its potential to strike targets as far as the island of Guam, was featured in the parade.
• Other missiles: A variety of cruise and other hypersonic missiles, such as the Changjian-20A, YJ-18C, Changjian-1000, DF-17, and DF-26D, were also showcased. 

Unmanned technology was a major focus, with several types of aerial, ground, and underwater drones on display. 

• Underwater drones: The 
  AJX002
  , a large, unmanned underwater military vehicle capable of reconnaissance or surveillance missions, made its debut.
• Stealth attack drones: These "loyal wingman" drones, including the 
  GJ-11
  , are designed to fly alongside manned fighter jets.
• Robotic systems: A parade float showcased robotic "wolves" (a type of robot dog) and other AI-powered technology. 

China demonstrated its development of advanced directed energy weapons. 

• Anti-drone laser weapons: High-energy laser weapons were shown on armored trucks, part of China's counter-drone system. These are believed to be able to disable electronics or blind pilots.
• High-power microwave weapons: These were also displayed as part of China's comprehensive anti-drone arsenal

The display also included other modern military hardware. 

• Stealth fighter jets: These were featured in a flyover, demonstrating China's aerial capabilities.
• AI-enhanced anti-drone tanks: Armored vehicles equipped with artificial intelligence for anti-drone capabilities were part of the procession.
• Airborne Early Warning Aircraft: These carrier-borne aircraft were among the newer assets displayed

To conclude, three videos of Xi's parade.

• China's new weapons showcased in huge Beijing military parade.
• China showcases massive military parade.
• Or, if you want to watch the whole thing, click on this.  Two hours and nineteen minutes long.

Hawaii also featured some fiery action.  Yesterday was Episode 32 of Kilauea Volcano, highlighted by a rare volcanic tornado.

This eruption was also called a lava rainbow.

Seems to now erupt every seven to ten days, if you want to plan to see episode 33.  But only lasts for several hours to a day.  You can keep track on these Kilauea summit live webcams.

The awesomeness is enhanced at night.

I'll today close with the Aurora Borealis which was viewable from portions of the USA the past couple of nights.  Some sources were disappointed, but Forbes indicated successes in unusual places, like Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois.  However, most of the best photos came from Europe.  Here is one from North Yorkshire, England.

Whitley Bay, UK.

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