Kenya’s health sector is faced with a severe $355 million budget deficit that threatens to disrupt critical services, including HIV and tuberculosis treatment, vaccine procurement, and the employment of thousands of healthcare workers under the country’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) initiative. Read more here .

Trump confronts South Africa's Ramaphosa with false claims of white genocide

U.S. President Donald Trump confronted South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on May 21, with explosive false claims of white genocide and land seizures during a tense White House meeting that was reminiscent of his February ambush of Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Read more here .

Cholera devastates Sudan’s capital amid conflict, power outages, and water scarcity

Sudan’s Ministry of Health has reported a rise in cholera cases in the capital region, particularly in Karrari locality (Omdurman) and Jabal Awliya, south of Khartoum amid ongoing water crises and weakened public health infrastructure. Read more here .

Asia

China to give $500 million to WHO in next 5 years, official says

China will give an additional $500 million to the World Health Organisation over five years, an official told the World Health Assembly on May 20, as the U.N. agency seeks extra funding to offset the expected loss of its top donor, the United States. Read more here .

Singapore wine investment scam: Man jailed for siphoning $12.7 million

A Singaporean businessman, Eldric Ko, was sentenced to seven years and two months in prison for orchestrating a fraudulent wine investment scheme that defrauded over 200 investors of S$17 million (approximately US$12.67 million) between 2008 and 2011. Read more here .

Bangladesh's Yunus could quit over lack of reform progress, student leader says

Bangladesh's de-facto prime minister has threatened to step down if political parties cannot agree on reforms that citizens await with growing impatience, a top student leader has said, deepening uncertainty in the wake of deadly protests last year. Read more here .

Latin America

Cat caught smuggling drugs into Costa Rica prison

Prison guards in Costa Rica have captured a cat used to smuggle drugs into a jail, in an incident that has shocked and amused the public.The black-and-white cat was spotted near the Pococí Penitentiary, moving suspiciously close to the barbed wire fence. When officers stopped the animal, they found marijuana, heroin and rolling papers strapped to its body with tape. Read more here .

How Brazil dismantled a Russian 'spy factory' training deep cover operatives

A Russian spy operation based in Brazil has been exposed, leading to the dismantling of a network involved in training new intelligence recruits. Nine operatives were uncovered living in Brazil under false identities, according to a recent investigation by the New York Times. Read more here .

Brazil hopes to be officially free of bird flu in 28 days

Brazil began a 28-day bird flu observation period on May 22, which it hopes will show the country's chicken farms are free of the disease after local authorities said a farm where its first outbreak was detected had been fully disinfected. The outbreak in the world's largest chicken exporter, detected in the town of Montenegro in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, triggered trade bans from multiple countries. Read more here .

France follows with 24.4 million, and Italy ranks third at 21.8 million hectolitres. This reflects the lasting cultural and economic role that wine plays in traditional producers and newer markets.

Top 10 Wine-Consuming Countries (in million hectolitres):

USA – 33.3

France – 24.4

Italy – 21.8

Germany – 19.1

UK – 12.8

Spain – 9.8

Russia – 8.6

Argentina – 7.8

China – 6.8

Portugal – 5.5

Trump’s reciprocal tariffs could disrupt wine trade

As part of sweeping trade measures, the U.S. has announced average tariffs of 20% on a range of goods from the European Union, including machinery, vehicles, and wine. This action spells doom for the global trade and sale of wines.

With the U.S. leading global consumption and importing large volumes of European wine, the 20% tariff could sharply raise prices for consumers. Experts predict a shift toward domestic brands and New World wines (e.g., Chile, Australia) as French, Italian, and Spanish wines become less affordable.

Additionally, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal—all in the top 10 wine-consuming and producing nations—could face significant export losses. For countries like Portugal, which consumed 5.5 million hectolitres but relies heavily on exports, this could destabilise parts of its economy.

Meanwhile, American wine producers might see short-term gains due to reduced competition, yet retaliatory tariffs from the EU could hurt U.S. wine exports, especially to top buyers like Germany and the UK.

South Africa is grappling with an alarming increase in mass shootings, highlighted by a recent incident in Lusikisiki that claimed 18 lives. This surge in violence occurs against a backdrop of the nation's high homicide rates, which exceeded 12,000 in just the first half of the year, ENCA reports. Renowned crime expert Mary de Haas offers critical insights into the underlying factors contributing to this escalating crisis.

Murder and crime

In a related case, a man accused of involvement with mass shootings, Siphosoxolo Myekethe faces 18 counts of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. Africanews reports that he has opted to waive bail, remaining in custody as legal proceedings unfold. The brutal attacks in Lusikisiki took place across two residences, tragically resulting in the fatalities of 15 women, two men, and a teenage boy, while a two-month-old baby miraculously survived these horrific events. Myekethe was on parole for a prior murder conviction at the time of these incidents, highlighting the complexities surrounding gun violence in South Africa. Despite strict gun laws, the pervasive issue of illegal firearms exacerbates the situation, showcasing the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to tackle this crisis.

Growth among leading grocery retailers

Turning to economic news, South Africa's Trade Intelligence published its bi-annual Corporate Retail Comparative Report (CRCR) for the first half of 2024, revealing stagnation in real growth among the nation's leading grocery retailers. Despite an uptick in turnover, primarily driven by price inflation and an increase in the opening of new stores, major players like Shoprite, Boxer, and Clicks recorded minimal real growth. The report highlighted a concerning trend, with average gross margins sinking to a four-year low of 21.4%, placing pressure on profits and compelling these retailers to invest in technological advancements, supply chain efficiencies, and private label brands. Notably, the competitive landscape is shifting, particularly among high-income consumers, with Checkers showing a marked advantage over Woolworths Food.

Jumia exits SA

On the e-commerce front, Jumia Technologies has announced its exit from South Africa and Tunisia to streamline operations and focus on markets with greater growth potential. The closure will see Jumia cease operations of the online fashion retailer Zando in South Africa, as well as its presence in Tunisia — which together represented a mere 2.7% of total orders and 3% of Gross Merchandise Value in early 2023. CEO Francis Dufay cited challenging macroeconomic conditions and fierce competition as key drivers behind this strategic decision, which will also result in approximately 110 job cuts. The company intends to concentrate on more promising markets, including Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, and Nigeria, where it anticipates enhanced growth opportunities. No plans were disclosed regarding the sale of its discontinued operations, according to Wine.co.za .

Winemaking

In an effort to cultivate talent within the wine sector, South Africa Wine has introduced the 2024 Graduate Placement Programme. This initiative aims to connect skilled tertiary graduates — with a focus on black graduates — to member companies through placement opportunities lasting 6 to 12 months. The programme aspires to widen skills development and create pathways for young South Africans in critical roles spanning viticulture, winemaking, logistics, marketscreener reports. Kachné Ross, the People and Skills Development Manager, underscores the programme's dedication to fostering individual growth while enhancing innovation within the industry. Collaborative efforts with Agrijob will provide recruitment services at no cost to participating member companies, while also offering R5,000 monthly salary contributions for each graduate placed, effectively mitigating hiring expenses. The initiative represents a focused effort to build a diverse workforce, encouraging wine businesses to engage for their mutual benefit.

Director of the Grape Quality Improvement and Regulation Laboratory at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dai Zhanwu emphasises the importance of predicting how vineyards will perform over the next several decades as climate change worsens. His team uses mathematical models to predict the impact of various climate scenarios on wine production.

"We want to know if we plant some vineyards in a given position, whether that position will keep the sustainability in the context of climate change. So what will happen in the next 10 years, 30 years or 50 years or 100 years. So to do that we have to use a coupling of prediction of climate with different scenarios. And also with a mathematical modelling work to see what will be the performance of the wine," he told the AFP.

In Beijing, hybrid grape species are being tested using artificial intelligence to analyse their ability to thrive in challenging climates. The initiative is part of China's strategy to ensure sustainability in its emerging wine industry, as climate change increasingly disrupts global wine production.

According to industry reports, worldwide wine output fell by 10% last year due to extreme environmental events such as droughts and fires.