Sudan Drone Attack Kills Civilians; China Thaws Ties

A drone attack in central Sudan killed at least 24 people, including eight children, according to a doctors group, while thousands of businesses in Malawi closed in protest over tax changes. Elsewhere, China overturned the death sentence of a Canadian citizen, and Canada and France opened consulates in Greenland.

The drone attack, attributed to a paramilitary group, targeted a vehicle carrying displaced families, the Sudan Doctors Network reported on Saturday. The attack occurred in central Sudan, and the victims included eight children, two of whom were infants. The United Nations also reported that the same group hit an aid convoy in the state on Friday.

In Malawi, thousands of businesses closed their doors in protest against a new tax regime. Demonstrations took place across the country's four main cities, forcing a delay in the introduction of the Electronic Tax Invoicing System (EIS). Business owners claimed the new system would cripple their livelihoods. Tens of thousands of people had signed petitions that were presented to tax authorities.

Meanwhile, China overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, a Canadian official said on Friday. Schellenberg was detained on drug charges in 2014, and the reversal of his sentence could signal a diplomatic thaw between the two countries.

In a show of support for their NATO ally Denmark, Canada and France opened diplomatic consulates in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, on Friday. The move comes after the US made efforts to secure control of the Arctic island. Canada had previously promised to open a consulate in Nuuk in 2024.

Elsewhere, Storm Leonardo continued to batter Europe and northern Africa. Spain's state meteorological agency issued its highest red alert for heavy rainfall in Cádiz and parts of Málaga. Flash floods in Morocco forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate.