Singapore holds National Day parade

SINGAPORE, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Singapore held a parade on Friday to celebrate the 59th anniversary of independence and the 40th anniversary of the "Total Defense" policy at Padang, an open field near the iconic Marina Bay.

Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, and other senior officials joined thousands of audiences in the celebration.

Following contingents marching, t