Revival! Extinct snail thrives after decade's effort.

China overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, a move that could signal a diplomatic thaw between the two countries, according to a Canadian official. The decision, announced on Friday, comes as Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to improve trade relations with Beijing.

Schellenberg was detained on drug charges in 2014, before Canada-China relations soured in 2018. The overturning of his death sentence is a potential turning point in the strained relationship.

In other news, the greater Bermuda snail (Poecilozonites bermudensis), once thought to be extinct, is now thriving after conservation efforts. Conservationists bred and released over 100,000 of the button-sized molluscs, which were previously believed to have vanished from the North Atlantic archipelago. The snail was found in the fossil record but had not been seen in the wild until a remnant population was discovered.

Meanwhile, in Malawi, thousands of businesses closed in protest over new tax changes. Demonstrations across Malawi's four main cities led to a delay in the introduction of a new tax regime. Business owners claimed the new Electronic Tax Invoicing System (EIS) would cripple their livelihoods. Tens of thousands had signed petitions against the changes.

Across the Atlantic, the US-style fried chicken craze is transforming the British High Street. Chicken shops are opening at a faster rate than all other fast-food outlets, according to BBC Business. "I try to be healthy," said 19-year-old nursing student Sumayyah Zara Sillah, "But I like it so much," after ordering from Leicester takeaway Ragin' Bird. This trend is driven by youth and fueled by online videos.

Finally, a report from National Highways revealed that many smart motorways in England are not delivering the expected value for money. Two schemes, involving sections of the M25 and the M6, were found to be offering "very poor" value. The AA, representing motorists, said the schemes had turned out to be a "catastrophic waste of time, money and effort." Only three out of sixteen projects were on track to deliver the financial benefits originally planned, although most were delivering safety benefits.