News Headlines - 17 April 2021
▽Opponents of Myanmar coup form unity government, aim for 'federal democracy' | Reuters
Opponents of Myanmar's junta announced a National Unity Government on Friday including ousted members of parliament and leaders of anti-coup protests and ethnic minorities, saying their aim was to end military rule and restore democracy.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the Feb. 1 coup that ousted a civilian government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi which had held power for five years and was starting its second term after a landslide election victory in November.
▽Russia: FSB detains Ukrainian diplomat over classified information | DW
Russia has detained a Ukrainian diplomat for allegedly receiving classified information from a database of the country's main security agency... The Federal Security Service, or FSB, said in a statement Saturday that Alexander Sosonyuk, Ukraine's consul in St. Petersburg, was taken into custody a day earlier.
The intelligence agency added that Sosonyuk was caught "red-handed" during a meeting with a Russian in which he received "information of a classified nature contained in the databases of law enforcement agencies and the FSB."
▽Iran starts enriching uranium to 60%, its highest level ever
Iran began enriching uranium Friday to its highest-ever purity, edging close to weapons-grade levels, as it attempts to pressure negotiators in Vienna during talks on restoring its nuclear deal with world powers after an attack on its main enrichment site.
A top official said only a few grams an hour of uranium gas would be enriched up to 60% purity - triple its previous level but at a quantity far lower than what the Islamic Republic had been able to produce. Iran also is enriching at an above-ground facility at its Natanz nuclear site already visited by international inspectors, not deep within underground halls hardened to withstand airstrikes.
▽Germany takes Britain off Covid-19 'high-risk' list - The Local
Germany on Friday removed Britain and Northern Ireland from the list of high-risk zones for coronavirus infections, meaning that travellers will no longer need to quarantine upon arrival... It also struck Barbados, the Pirkanmaa region of Finland and the mid-west and southeast regions of Ireland from the risk list.
With the exception of a handful of countries including Japan, Israel and Vietnam, most countries are on a virus risk list.
Actress Helen McCrory, best known for starring in Peaky Blinders and the Harry Potter films, has died after a "heroic battle with cancer", her husband Damian Lewis has said.
The actress, who also appeared in the James Bond film Skyfall and was seen on screen in the TV series Quiz and Roadkill last year, was 52.
