Turkmenistan marks independence anniversary with big parade

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) — Turkmenistan has marked the 30th anniversary of its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union with a military parade that involved thousands of people. The pomp-filled parade Monday took place in Ashgabat, the capital of the gas-rich former Soviet republic in Central Asia. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov personally saluted the parade — first from an open-top car and then from a horse he rode across the square. The event was organized with strict precautions. All foreign guests had to undergo coronavirus testing to attend and watched the parade from socially distanced seats. Neither the president nor those marching in the parade wore masks, however.