China overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg on Friday, potentially signaling a thaw in diplomatic relations as Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to boost trade ties with Beijing, according to a Canadian official. The move comes amid a flurry of international developments, including a snap election in Japan, protests over tax changes in Malawi, and the opening of consulates in Greenland.
Schellenberg was detained on drug charges in 2014, before Canada-China ties soured in 2018. The decision to overturn his death sentence was seen as a positive step.
Meanwhile, in Japan, the country prepared for its second general election in as many years. Sanae Takaichi, Japan's first female prime minister, gambled on her personal popularity, hoping to succeed where her party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), had failed just last year: delivering a clear public mandate. The snap vote caught the ruling party, the opposition, and much of the electorate off guard, according to BBC World.
Across the globe, in Malawi, thousands of businesses closed in protest over new tax changes. Demonstrations across Malawi's four main cities during the past week achieved a delay in the introduction of a new tax regime that business owners claimed would cripple their livelihoods, The Guardian reported. Tens of thousands had signed petitions which were presented to tax authorities this week.
In other news, Canada and France opened diplomatic consulates in Nuuk, Greenland, on Friday, demonstrating support for their NATO ally Denmark and the Arctic island. This move followed US efforts to secure control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory, according to The Guardian. Canada had promised to open a consulate in Nuuk in 2024.
Finally, reports revealed that many smart motorways in England were not delivering the value for money expected when they were originally planned. Two schemes, involving sections of the M25 and the M6, were found to be offering "very poor" value, according to National Highways. The AA, representing motorists, said the schemes had turned out to be a "catastrophic waste of time, money and effort," BBC Business reported.
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