Heraldo de Madrid - News from Madrid, Spain, Europe and the whole world

Three huge bags wedged under the handlebar of his red and white moped, Oleksandr rushes through the winding trails of the Donbas, east Ukraine, to deliver bread to remaining locals.

Police across Europe launched a vast, coordinated operation against Italy's notorious 'Ndrangheta mafia on Wednesday, arresting more than 130 people and seizing millions of euros in dozens of searches.

Stellantis, the world's fourth-largest automaker, said Wednesday that an easing shortage of semiconductor supplies helped drive sales in the first quarter, as more vehicles could be delivered to buyers.

Visiting Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi congratulated Syria's Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday for overcoming sanctions and achieving "victory" in the country's 12-year-long civil war, in which Tehran has been a major ally.

Botswana's Nijel Amos, an Olympic 800m silver medallist in 2012, has been banned for three years after testing positive for metabolites, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) announced Wednesday.

Myanmar's junta pardoned more than 2,000 political prisoners to mark a Buddhist holiday on Wednesday, triggering tearful reunions outside jails but also demands that the many others behind bars be released.

Leeds have sacked manager Javi Gracia and appointed Sam Allardyce for the rest of the season as they scramble to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Eight students and a security guard were killed during a school shooting in the Serbian capital of Belgrade on Wednesday, the interior ministry said, as police arrested a teenage student suspected of carrying out the attack.

A city near the front line in southern Ukraine on Wednesday announced a long curfew and sabotage acts behind Russian lines intensified as Ukraine prepares for a spring offensive against Russian troops.

Iranian forces seized a Panama-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz early on Wednesday, the US Navy said, the second such incident in less than a week.

Leeds have sacked manager Javi Gracia and appointed Sam Allardyce for the rest of the season as they bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The wife of a Greek journalist murdered two years ago believes the profession is imperilled in her country, which remains the European Union's worst performer in a press freedom ranking published on Wednesday.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi met his Syrian counterpart in Damascus Wednesday, official media said, on the first visit by a head of state of the Islamic republic since Syria's civil war broke out 12 years ago.

Former Audi boss Rupert Stadler will plead guilty over the "dieselgate" vehicle emissions-cheating scandal, a German court said Wednesday, which would make him the first auto CEO to be convicted in the resulting lawsuits.

Bernard Lapasset, former president of rugby union's governing body and the driving force behind Paris' successful 2024 Olympic bid, has died. He was 75.

Persistent fighting between Sudan's rival generals undermined efforts to firm up a truce Wednesday, as a senior UN official arrived for talks on providing relief to millions of trapped civilians.

The United Nations warned Wednesday of a growing likelihood the weather phenomenon El Nino will develop in coming months, fuelling higher global temperatures and possibly new heat records.

European markets advanced in early trade on Wednesday, bucking slides in Asia and the United States driven by fears of banking sector turmoil and jitters over interest rates.

A Rohingya delegation will visit Myanmar on Friday as part of efforts to revive a long-stalled plan to return the stateless minority to their homeland, refugees and Bangladeshi officials said.

Being the offspring of a cricket legend is hard but Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun is quietly starting to make his mark -- albeit with the ball not the bat.

The South African rugby union said on Wednesday that it was too early to predict whether Springboks captain Siya Kolisi will play in this year's Rugby World Cup after a knee surgery.

UK security services are "ready to deal" with the challenges presented by the coronation, the government said Wednesday, after the arrest of a man suspected of throwing shotgun cartridges into the grounds of Buckingham Palace.

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in Damascus on Wednesday, state media said, on the first visit by a head of state from the Islamic republic since Syria's civil war broke out 12 years ago.

With 12 storeys, a breathtaking view of Cape Town's imposing Table Mountain and a minimal ecological footprint, the world's tallest building made with industrial hemp is soon to open its doors in South Africa.

The US Federal Reserve is widely expected to raise its benchmark lending rate for a 10th -- and possibly final -- time on Wednesday, as it looks to bring down inflation while aiming to prevent fresh banking concerns from spreading.

Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad announced a truce around Gaza Wednesday, after militants traded fire with Israel following the death in Israeli custody of a hunger striker from its ranks.

Myanmar's junta pardoned more than 2,000 political prisoners to mark a Buddhist holiday on Wednesday, with families rushing to prisons for tearful reunions with loved ones jailed in a sweeping crackdown on dissent.

Anthony Davis led a defensive masterclass as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 117-112 on the road to take a 1-0 lead in their NBA Western Conference playoff series on Tuesday.

The Southeast Asian Games begin in Phnom Penh on Friday with the Cambodian capital welcoming thousands of athletes from the region.

Cambodia will welcome thousands of athletes from across the region when the Southeast Asian Games begin on Friday with an opening ceremony at a new stadium built and paid for by China.

Anthony Davis scored 30 points and led a defensive masterclass as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 117-112 on the road to take a 1-0 lead in their NBA Western Conference playoff series on Tuesday.

Journalism is being battered by propaganda and increasingly sophisticated fakes, aided by AI software and a failure of oversight from tech companies, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Wednesday.