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Mérida (AFP) – The ancient Maya ball game is experiencing a revival in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Dressed in the traditional cloth that covers the pelvis, two teams of four players face off for control of a heavy rubber ball on a court dug into the ground, which represents the underworld. The sport has been modernized to include women and international competitions, as athletes call for greater institutional support and recognition in Mexico.

(AFP) – A Mexican navy ship escorts the Nuestra America convoy as it sails through Mexican and Cuban territorial waters toward the crisis-hit island. The humanitarian aid ship is expected to arrive in Cuba on Tuesday, March 24. IMAGES

Beijing (AFP) – China warns that further attacks on the Middle East risk creating an “uncontrollable situation” in the war-torn region. The statement comes after US President Donald Trump threatened to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if it does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, a timeline which is due to end late 23 March. Iran has since responded by threatening to target a series of power plants across the Middle East.

Tyre (Lebanon) (AFP) – An Israeli strike hits the Qasmiyeh bridge, which connects a main highway between villages in the Tyre district to others further north. The strike came after Israel’s defence minister said the army had been ordered to destroy more bridges over the Litani River used by Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Lebanon was pulled into the Middle East war when Hezbollah began firing rockets into Israel on March 2 to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Israeli-US attacks.

Brussels (Belgium) (AFP) – A spokesperson for the European Commission says that reports that Hungary had leaked sensitive information from EU meetings to Russia are “greatly concerning”. A “relationship of trust between member states, and between them and the institution is fundamental for the work of the EU and we expect the Hungarian government to provide the clarifications”, spokeswoman Anitta Hipper says.

Arad (Israel) (AFP) – Israelis react after Iranian missile strikes late on 21 March hit Arad and Dimona, two towns in southern Israel, injuring 84, 10 seriously, in the former and another 33 in the latter, which is located next to a key Israeli nuclear facility. “It’s scary, they bombed us, we never actually… this city never experienced something like that,” student Ido Franky tells AFP in Arad.

Soúda (Greece) (AFP) – The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, returns to a naval base in Crete, Greece, after taking part in Middle East war operations. The vessel reported a laundry fire on March 12, which injured two crew members. The Ford, alongside fellow aircraft carrier the Abraham Lincoln, has played a key role in US-Israeli military operations against Iran.

Suwa (Japan) (AFP) – For centuries, priests from Japan’s Yatsurugi Shrine have led the watch for a phenomenon called “God’s Crossing” at Nagano’s Lake Suwa which is becoming rarer due to climate change. Known as “miwatari” in Japanese, it occurs when a crack opens up in the frozen lake surface, allowing shards of thinner ice to break through and form a ridge where local deities are believed to have crossed.

Tbilisi (AFP) – Thousands of Georgians attend the funeral of influential Orthodox Patriarch Ilia II, following his death at the age of 93 after nearly half a century at the helm of one of the country’s most powerful institutions. His death removes a towering figure in the Caucasus country, where the church remains highly influential, and has sparked speculation that a Russia-linked candidate could replace him.

Santiago (Chile) (AFP) – Chileans clash with police in the streets of Santiago as thousands gather to protest President Jose Antonio Kast’s decision to pull out of dozens of environmental decrees issued by his predecessor. The demonstrators had originally gathered to mark World Water Day, but then pivoted to expressing their objections to the newly inaugurated president and his administration.

Arad (Israël) (AFP) – Emergency and rescue workers are seen at the site of an Iranian missile strike in the Israeli town of Arad. Two Iranian missiles struck southern Israel, injuring more than 100 people in the most destructive attack of the three-week war. IMAGES

Tehran (AFP) – In Tehran, residents fill a traditional bazaar, stocking up to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian new year, even as cities around Iran continue to be rocked by explosions. In the capital, bustling shops and street stalls betray a sense of normalcy, despite the US-Israeli war with Iran that has sent shockwaves around the world.