400 Afghan families receive China-donated aid in western Nimroz province

STORY: 400 Afghan families receive China-donated aid in western Nimroz province DATELINE: March 26, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:11 LOCATION: Kabul CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various shots of the China-donated humanitarian assistance distribution site in western Nimroz province, Afghanistan STORYLINE: Afghan authorities distributed China-donated humanitarian aid to 400 families in the western Nimroz province on Thursday, Mawlawi Sediqullah Nasrtat, the provincial director for refugees and repatriation affairs, said Friday. "We distributed China-donated humanitarian assistance to 400 poor families here in provincial capital Zaranj city yesterday afternoon and each family received a bag of 50 kg rice and 50 kg wheat," Nasrat told Xinhua. The assistance was distributed in the presence of Minister for Refugees and Repatriation Affairs Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the official said. China has provided foodstuff to nearly 1,800 families in Nimroz and neighboring Herat provinces over the past two months, officials said.

Memorial ceremony on Iwoto Island

Memorial ceremony on Iwoto Island

A Japan-U.S. joint memorial service is held on March 25, 2023, to commemorate the war dead on Iwoto Island, previously known as Iwojima, in the Pacific Ocean, where Japan and the United States fought an intense battle during World War II. (Pool photo)

Memorial ceremony on Iwoto Island

Memorial ceremony on Iwoto Island

A Japan-U.S. joint memorial service is held on March 25, 2023, to commemorate the war dead on Iwoto Island, previously known as Iwojima, in the Pacific Ocean, where Japan and the United States fought an intense battle during World War II. (Pool photo)

Memorial ceremony on Iwoto Island

Memorial ceremony on Iwoto Island

A Japan-U.S. joint memorial service is held on March 25, 2023, to commemorate the war dead on Iwoto Island, previously known as Iwojima, in the Pacific Ocean, where Japan and the United States fought an intense battle during World War II. (Pool photo)

Memorial ceremony on Iwoto Island

Memorial ceremony on Iwoto Island

A Japan-U.S. joint memorial service is held on March 25, 2023, to commemorate the war dead on Iwoto Island, previously known as Iwojima, in the Pacific Ocean, where Japan and the United States fought an intense battle during World War II. (Pool photo)

Memorial ceremony on Iwoto Island

Memorial ceremony on Iwoto Island

A Japan-U.S. joint memorial service is held on March 25, 2023, to commemorate the war dead on Iwoto Island, previously known as Iwojima, in the Pacific Ocean, where Japan and the United States fought an intense battle during World War II. (Pool photo)

Memorial ceremony on Iwoto Island

Memorial ceremony on Iwoto Island

A Japan-U.S. joint memorial service is held on March 25, 2023, to commemorate the war dead on Iwoto Island, previously known as Iwojima, in the Pacific Ocean, where Japan and the United States fought an intense battle during World War II. (Pool photo)

US: Thousands Gather For Trump Presidential Campaign Rally In Waco, Texas

Former U.S. President Donald Trump held the first presidential campaign event of the year in Waco, Texas on Saturday, March 25. Thousands of his supporters formed long lines to attend the rally. This video shows a man running down the streets of Waco holding an American flag with Trump's face printed on it.

Iwoto Island

Iwoto Island

Photo taken on March 25, 2023, shows Iwoto Island, previously known as Iwojima, in the Pacific Ocean, where Japan and the United States fought an intense battle during World War II. (Pool photo)

Iwoto Island

Iwoto Island

Photo taken on March 25, 2023, shows Iwoto Island, previously known as Iwojima, in the Pacific Ocean, where Japan and the United States fought an intense battle during World War II. (Pool photo)

Japanese defense academy graduation ceremony

Japanese defense academy graduation ceremony

Students toss their hats into the air at the National Defense Academy's graduation ceremony in Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture, eastern Japan, on March 26, 2023. (Pool photo)

Japanese defense academy graduation ceremony

Japanese defense academy graduation ceremony

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers a commencement address at a graduation ceremony at the National Defense Academy in Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture, eastern Japan, on March 26, 2023. (Pool photo)

Japanese defense academy graduation ceremony

Japanese defense academy graduation ceremony

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivers a commencement address at a graduation ceremony at the National Defense Academy in Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture, eastern Japan, on March 26, 2023. (Pool photo)

Deutsche Bank stocks sink

STORY: Deutsche Bank stocks sink DATELINE: March 26, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:11 LOCATION: FRANKFURT, Germany CATEGORY: ECONOMY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank AG 2. various of street views STORYLINE: The share prices of Germany's biggest lender Deutsche Bank (DB) plunged on Friday as concerns about the health of European banks are mounting in the wake of the collapse of banks in the United States. DB topped the list of companies that suffered the sharpest decline of their shares on the German stock exchange (Deutsche Boerse), down 8.53 percent at closing on Friday. The share price of Commerzbank AG, the second largest bank in Germany, dropped 5.45 percent. DB has lost some 30 percent of its market value since the onset of worries about the banking sector sparked by the shutdown of the U.S. Silicon Valley Bank about two weeks ago. There is still no sign that investors' nervousness about European banks is abating. The slump of share prices of DB and Commerzbank is believed to

U.S. cherry blossom festival begins in Washington

U.S. cherry blossom festival begins in Washington

People view cherry blossoms in full bloom around the Tidal Basin in Washington on March 25, 2023, as the National Cherry Blossom Festival opens the same day.

U.S. cherry blossom festival begins in Washington

U.S. cherry blossom festival begins in Washington

Japanese Ambassador to the United States Koji Tomita speaks during the opening ceremony of the National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington on March 25, 2023.

Australia dims lights for Earth Hour to raise awareness of environment protection

STORY: Australia dims lights for Earth Hour to raise awareness of environment protection DATELINE: March 26, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:33 LOCATION: SYDNEY, Australia CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of Australia's landmarks switching off lights STORYLINE: Australia's landmarks, including the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge, went dark for one hour on Saturday night as part of a global movement to raise awareness about climate change and nature loss. Earth Hour 2023 aims to raise awareness of the importance of trees and nature to wildlife, communities, and people's mental and physical well-being. According to WWF Australia, continued deforestation and industrial logging are major contributors to climate change, noting that every year an estimated 70 million trees are being destroyed or damaged in the country. Earth Hour is an annual global environmental movement organized by the WWF. Every year on the last Saturday of March, it calls people around the world to switch off lights at 8:30 p.m.

Spanish wildfire burns 4,000 hectares, forces evacuation of 1,500

STORY: Spanish wildfire burns 4,000 hectares, forces evacuation of 1,500 DATELINE: March 26, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:17 LOCATION: Madrid CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: (courtesy of Fire Brigade from the Provincial Council of Castellon and Service of Wildfire Brigade of the Valencian Community) 1. various of the wildfire 2. various of firefighters and police evacuating people from towns 3. various of the fire 4. various of firefighters working STORYLINE: A recent wildfire in eastern Spain has burnt around 4,000 hectares of natural landscape and forced 1,500 people to evacuate from their homes. The wildfire, which began on Thursday between the provinces of Castellon and Teruel, is under control now. Eight small towns and villages in the surrounding area were evacuated between Thursday and Friday as the fire, which could have been started by crop burning, rapidly spread, helped by strong winds and unseasonably dry conditions. Cooler temperature and a lack of wind on Friday night helped some 500 firemen, f

Fish in Spanish reservoir culled for water quality during extreme drought

STORY: Fish in Spanish reservoir culled for water quality during extreme drought DATELINE: March 26, 2023 LENGTH: 00:00:42 LOCATION: BARCELONA, Spain CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT/SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the Sau reservoir STORYLINE: The Spanish region of Catalonia has launched an anti-drought measure to preserve water quality in a drying reservoir by killing and removing a certain number of fish in it. The operation will clear two tonnes of fish a day, many of them invasive species, to prevent their death due to lack of oxygen from contaminating the reservoir. The reservoir, which is located near Barcelona, is currently at 10 percent capacity, the lowest level since 1990, as drought continues to severely affect the region. The Catalan government estimates that the current volume of the reservoir can provide water to one million residents for three months. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Barcelona, Spain. (XHTV)

Iraqi traditional game thrives during Ramadan

STORY: Iraqi traditional game thrives during Ramadan DATELINE: March 26, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:33 LOCATION: Baghdad CATEGORY: SOCIETY/CULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of Iraqis playing the Mehiebes in a popular cafe STORYLINE: Iraqis play a traditional game of Ramadan, named Mehiebes, in a popular cafe in the al-Karkh district in downtown Baghdad. The Mehiebes, or the hidden ring, is an Iraqi communal game played by men of different ages divided into two teams. It gives the holy month its unique flavor. The objective of the game is to find a hidden ring, as the team leader has to seek out it in the hand of one of the members of the other team. Each team consists of ten or more people, up to 50 players. The game of Mehiebes is usually accompanied by local folkloric singing and traditional musical instruments. The winners will get large plates of popular Iraqi sweets, named Zalabiyah and Baqlawa, but traditionally the sweets are handed out to all the players and the audience during or after the game. The game

Baseball: MLB spring training

Baseball: MLB spring training

Boston Red Sox rookie Masataka Yoshida responds to a fan's request for an autograph at the team's spring training site in Fort Myers, Florida, on March 25, 2023.

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

(230326) -- ATHENS, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Military vehicles attend a military parade commemorating the Greek Independence Day in Athens, Greece, March 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

(230326) -- ATHENS, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- A military vehicle attends a military parade commemorating the Greek Independence Day in Athens, Greece, March 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

(230326) -- ATHENS, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Members of Greece's Presidential Guard march during a military parade commemorating the Greek Independence Day in Athens, Greece, March 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

(230326) -- ATHENS, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Greek soldiers march during a military parade commemorating the Greek Independence Day in Athens, Greece, March 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

(230326) -- ATHENS, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- A military helicopter flies during a military parade commemorating the Greek Independence Day in Athens, Greece, March 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

(230326) -- ATHENS, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Military vehicles are driven during a military parade commemorating the Greek Independence Day in Athens, Greece, March 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

(230326) -- ATHENS, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Military vehicles are driven during a military parade commemorating the Greek Independence Day in Athens, Greece, March 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

(230326) -- ATHENS, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Military vehicles attend during a military parade commemorating the Greek Independence Day in Athens, Greece, March 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

(230326) -- ATHENS, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Fighter jets fly during a military parade commemorating the Greek Independence Day in Athens, Greece, March 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

(230326) -- ATHENS, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Members of Greece's Presidential Guard march during a military parade commemorating the Greek Independence Day in Athens, Greece, March 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

GREECE-ATHENS-INDEPENDENCE DAY-PARADE

(230326) -- ATHENS, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Members of Greece's Presidential Guard march during a military parade commemorating the Greek Independence Day in Athens, Greece, March 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

Pet show held in St. Petersburg

STORY: Pet show held in St. Petersburg DATELINE: March 26, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:19 LOCATION: ST. PETERSBURG, Russia CATEGORY: CULTURE SHOTLIST: 1. various of the pet show STORYLINE: A pet show is held in St. Petersburg, Russia over the weekend. Thousands of cats, dogs, birds and rodents are exhibited. Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from St. Petersburg, Russia. (XHTV)

France: March 23 Pension Reform Protests – Demonstration In Brittany

Protests continue to erupt across France as anger toward the Emmanuel Macron government's pension reforms intensifies by the day. This video shows a demonstration in Brest, Brittany, filmed on Thursday, March 23.

POLAND-GDANSK-AMBER-AMBERIF EXPO

POLAND-GDANSK-AMBER-AMBERIF EXPO

(230326) -- GDANSK, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on March 24, 2023 shows amber lamps at amber expo AMBERIF in Gdansk, Poland. The AMBERIF Spring 2023 was held on March 22-25 in Gdansk. (Xinhua/Chen Chen)

POLAND-GDANSK-AMBER-AMBERIF EXPO

POLAND-GDANSK-AMBER-AMBERIF EXPO

(230326) -- GDANSK, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- This photo taken on March 24, 2023 shows amber products at amber expo AMBERIF in Gdansk, Poland. The AMBERIF Spring 2023 was held on March 22-25 in Gdansk. (Xinhua/Chen Chen)

Baseball: MLB spring training

Baseball: MLB spring training

Masataka Yoshida of the Boston Red Sox takes batting practice during baseball spring training in Fort Myers, Florida, on March 25, 2023.

Baseball: MLB spring training

Baseball: MLB spring training

Masataka Yoshida of the Boston Red Sox takes batting practice during baseball spring training in Fort Myers, Florida, on March 25, 2023.

Baseball: MLB spring training

Baseball: MLB spring training

Masataka Yoshida of the Boston Red Sox takes fielding practice during baseball spring training in Fort Myers, Florida, on March 25, 2023.

MIDEAST-GAZA-RAFAH-RAMADAN-MARKET

MIDEAST-GAZA-RAFAH-RAMADAN-MARKET

(230326) -- GAZA, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian vendors prepare traditional sweets during the holy month of Ramadan at a local market in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on March 25, 2023. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

MIDEAST-GAZA-RAFAH-RAMADAN-MARKET

MIDEAST-GAZA-RAFAH-RAMADAN-MARKET

(230326) -- GAZA, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Palestinians wait to buy traditional sweets during the holy month of Ramadan at a local market in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on March 25, 2023. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

MIDEAST-GAZA-RAFAH-RAMADAN-MARKET

MIDEAST-GAZA-RAFAH-RAMADAN-MARKET

(230326) -- GAZA, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian vendors prepare traditional sweets during the holy month of Ramadan at a local market in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah on March 25, 2023. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

Baseball: MLB spring training

Baseball: MLB spring training

Yu Darvish of the San Diego Padres meets the press at the team's spring training site in Peoria, Arizona, on March 25, 2023.

Baseball: MLB spring training

Baseball: MLB spring training

Yu Darvish of the San Diego Padres meets the press at the team's spring training site in Peoria, Arizona, on March 25, 2023.

YEMEN-SANAA-RAMADAN-CHARITY-FOOD

YEMEN-SANAA-RAMADAN-CHARITY-FOOD

(230326) -- SANAA, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- Workers prepare rationed food for people in need at a charity center in Sanaa, Yemen, March 23, 2023. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua)

YEMEN-SANAA-RAMADAN-CHARITY-FOOD

YEMEN-SANAA-RAMADAN-CHARITY-FOOD

(230326) -- SANAA, March 26, 2023 (Xinhua) -- People wait to receive rationed food at a charity center in Sanaa, Yemen, March 23, 2023. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua)

Baseball: MLB spring training

Baseball: MLB spring training

Yu Darvish of the San Diego Padres pitches against a minor league team during the team's spring training in Peoria, Arizona, on March 25, 2023.

Baseball: MLB spring training

Baseball: MLB spring training

Yu Darvish of the San Diego Padres pitches against a minor league team during the team's spring training in Peoria, Arizona, on March 25, 2023.

Baseball: MLB spring training

Baseball: MLB spring training

Yu Darvish of the San Diego Padres pitches against a minor league team during the team's spring training in Peoria, Arizona, on March 25, 2023.

Flower wreath for fallen Ukrainian soldiers offered by Japan PM

Flower wreath for fallen Ukrainian soldiers offered by Japan PM

Photo taken in Kyiv on March 25, 2023, shows a flower wreath offered by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a visit to the capital earlier in the month, placed in front of pictures of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the war waged by Russia.