NEWS
Around Europe and the Middle East in seven stories… ENVIRONMENT
SUN-SATIONAL SPANISH TEMPERATURES SOAR SPAIN IS EXPERIENCING a searing heatwave after temperatures soared up to a sweltering 44 degrees in some regions. More than 15 degrees hotter than average for this time of year, this unprecedented rise in temperature could make May the hottest month of the century for Spain. With 13 regions placed on high alert,
including Andalucia and Andujar, the Spanish government has advised all to stay hydrated, limit physical activity and stay in cool areas whenever possible. This intense climate is the result of a mass of hot, dry air carrying dust up from North Africa. Climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and brutal as global temperatures continue to rise.
ECONOMY
COINING A SENSE OF PRIDE BRITAIN’S ROYAL MINT has released a rainbow-coloured coin to mark the 50th anniversary of Pride UK, the event which was first held in 1972. The governmentowned company has issued a commemorative 50 pence coin, which will not enter official circulation, designed by London 6 | EME Outlook issue 47
artist, writer and LGBTQ+ activist Dominique Holmes. This marks the first time Britain’s LGBTQ+ community has been recognised on official UK coinage and forms part of the Royal Mint’s recent strategy to implement diversity and inclusion. With state-of-the-art colour printing technology, the iconic colours of the Pride flag are recreated alongside London’s values of Protest, Visibility, Unity, and Equality.
ENVIRONMENT
GERMAN TORNADO TERROR A TORNADO HAS left 43 people injured as it ripped through several towns in western Germany, leaving a path of savage destruction in its wake. The city of Paderborn suffered heavy damage as roofs were torn off and debris was strewn in all directions. The severe storm has resulted in 10 injured citizens and one death of a 38 year-old man. The tornado has caused flooding to many residents’ basements, trees to be uprooted and flung into the air, and streets of cars ravaged by this brutal natural disaster. The number of tornadoes reported in Europe has been rapidly increasing in recent years.
