pictures of the day 11/08/2007

Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets of the aerobatic team Russkiye Vityazi (Russian Knights) perform during an air show to mark the 95th anniversary of the Russian Air Forces in Monino, some 40 km (24 miles) east of Moscow


Totonac Indian dancers from Veracruz, Mexico, descend head first toward the ground to finish the first performance of the 86th Annual Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial Dances

A jockey rides during a race along the beach at the southern Spanish town of San Lucar de Barrameda, Spain. The beach race is a local tradition that has been taking place in Sanlucar de Barrameda for 160 years.

A dancer performs a Oaxacan dance called "Los Negritos" during a cultural event in the Zocalo plaza in Mexico City.

Space shuttle Endeavour separates from the external tank after lift off from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. NASA is reporting that there are loose tiles on the underside of the shuttle Endeavour and that they will be inspected during the crew's space walks.

Technicians commenced a day of cleaning and repairs on Big Ben, the bells of which will be silenced for a month due to the operation.

More from the 'Russian Knights'

A Mongoiian Lama Buddhist monk tends to the solar powered electricity generator at a monastery deep in the Gobi desert in Mongolia, 10 August 2007. Modern technology has brought electricity to some of the remotest corners of the world though internet connections, running water and fresh vegetables remain out of reach for most in this particular region. The Gobi desert has one of the most inhospitable climates on the planet and supports perhaps the lowest population density estimated as just one person per fifty square kilometers.