Estonia intercepts Russian training ship; Trump keeps sanctions on North Korea

US President determined to maintain sanctions against North Korea

During his talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, US President Donald Trump expressed his willingness to hold a third US-North Korea summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, or even a three-way US-South Korea summit in the future. However, the US leader affirmed that Washington will still maintain sanctions against Pyongyang, not ruling out the possibility of increasing sanctions, even if it is not desirable.

US President Donald Trump said that the denuclearization process must be done "step by step" and that it is not a process that can happen quickly. Currently, he and the North Korean leader still have a good relationship and the door to dialogue is always open for Washington to Pyongyang.

Estonia blocks Russian training ship over Crimea issue

Russian training ship STS Sedov.: russkiymir.ru

Estonia denied entry to the STS Sedov after learning that it was carrying students from a maritime university based in Crimea, Estonian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Sandra Kamilova said in a statement on April 12. According to Russian media, the STS Sedov was en route to the Polish port of Gdynia.

The incident occurred just days before Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid's planned visit to Russia to meet with her host counterpart Vladimir Putin and attend the reopening of the Estonian Embassy in Russia after a period of closure for repairs and upgrades.

Venezuela ships 1 million barrels of oil to Cuba despite US embargo

Venezuela ships 1 million barrels of oil to Cuba despite US embargo. Photo: Reuters

Venezuela's state-owned oil company has shipped 1 million barrels of oil to Cuba despite a US ban. The move comes as the US Treasury Department last week banned all transactions with 34 vessels owned by Venezuela's state-owned oil company and two companies (based in Greece and Liberia) transporting oil to Cuba, in an effort to put pressure on the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

This is part of the Trump administration's effort to cut off revenue to President Maduro's Socialist Party government and pave the way for opposition leader Juan Guaido to become interim president of Venezuela.

Bomb explodes in market in Pakistan, killing at least 16 people

Bomb explosion in Pakistan leaves 46 people dead or injured. Photo: Reuters

At least 16 people were killed and more than 30 others injured when a bomb exploded at an open-air market in Quetta, capital of Balochistan province, southwest Pakistan on the morning of April 12. According to police, the bomb was hidden in bags of potatoes at the market in the Gazar Ganji area. Most of the victims were members of the Hazara community.

The area and the Hazara community are known to be frequent targets of attacks by Taliban militants and the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist organization. No organization or individual has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Sudan's Rapid Reaction Forces not joining Transitional Military Council

Head of the Political Committee of Sudan's Transitional Military Council, Omar Zeinalabdin, at a press conference in Khartoum on April 12, 2019. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

In a related development, the same day, the Arab League (AL) called on the Sudanese people to choose political dialogue to achieve their aspirations. The AL's call came amid ongoing protests outside the Ministry of Defense headquarters to protest the military's temporary rule of the country.