Philippine police chief resigns amid drug allegations

October 14, 2019

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine national police chief resigned on Monday after he faced allegations in a Senate hearing that he intervened as a provincial police chief in 2013 to prevent his officers from being prosecuted for allegedly selling a huge quantity of illegal drugs they had seized.

Gen. Oscar Albayalde said his decision relinquishing his post was accepted by Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano over the weekend but insisted on his innocence, saying he has never been criminally or administratively charged for the alleged irregularity. Albayalde resigned a few weeks before his scheduled retirement on Nov. 8.

Addressing the 190,000-strong police force in the last flag-raising ceremony he led at the national police headquarters, Albayalde ordered the policemen to continue serving the Filipino people well. "Do not let these challenges demoralize or stray you from your path," he said.

The allegations against Albayalde were the latest dark cloud to loom over the national police force, which has largely been enforcing President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody anti-drug crackdown that has left thousands of mostly petty drug suspects dead, alarmed Western governments and human rights groups and sparked complaints for mass murder before the International Criminal Court.

Albayalde headed the police force in Pampanga province north of Manila when 13 of his officers seized a large quantity of methamphetamine, a powerful and prohibited stimulant, in a raid. The officers later faced allegations that they presented a small fraction of the seized drugs in a news conference, possibly to foster their promotion, then hid and sold the rest, with suspicions being fueled when they purchased pricey SUVs not long after.

Albayalde's men allegedly freed a suspected Chinese drug lord in exchange for a huge bribe then arrested another foreigner, who they presented as the owner of the seized drugs. Albayalde pointed out that state prosecutors cleared the officers of criminal complaints they had faced for the alleged offenses.

Albayalde said the allegations against him may have been an offshoot of jockeying for the top police post that he would vacate if he has stayed in his post until his retirement. But two police officials, including a general who has retired from the force and is now a city mayor, testified in Senate hearings that Albayalde did not take adequate actions to have his men be criminally prosecuted.

One of the two officials, Aaron Aquino, who now heads the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, testified that Albayalde called him then to inquire about the status of the cases against his men. Albayalde acknowledged that as a result of the 2013 incident, he was put on a "floating status," which meant he was transferred to a regional police force without being given any specific assignment or post. Several months after, however, he was appointed as metropolitan Manila police chief and as national police chief in April last year.

"No protest was made on my appointment," Albayalde said. "Implicitly, it may be assumed that the president himself was aware of my appointment to that position." Asked in recent weeks about the possibility of firing Albayalde, Duterte replied he would allow Ano to make a recommendation to him after an assessment. The wait contrasts with Duterte's outright firing of other government officials accused of corruption and irregularities.

Putin courts Africa, offers to mediate Nile dam dispute

October 24, 2019

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin sought to expand Moscow's clout in Africa by touting military aid and economic projects Thursday at the first-ever Russia-Africa summit. He even offered to help mediate a growing water dispute between two of the continent's largest powers, Egypt and Ethiopia.

The two-day summit in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi underlined Russia's renewed bid for influence in resource-rich Africa and was attended by the leaders of 43 of Africa's 54 countries. As African leaders roamed through an expo center displaying Russian military hardware, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin addressed the contentious dam issue with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in separate meetings on the sidelines of the summit.

Peskov didn't say whether Egypt and Ethiopia accepted Putin's mediation offer — and offer that the United States also extended in recent days after talks on the dam collapsed this month. Some pro-government media in Egypt have cast the $5 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as a national security threat that could affect Egypt's share of water from the Nile River and could warrant military action.

For his part, Abiy, Ethiopia's Nobel Peace Prize-winning leader, declared this week that "no force" could stop the dam's construction. El-Sissi and Abiy met Thursday and an Egyptian spokesman said they agreed on resuming technical talks "immediately" to reach a "final proposal" on filling and operating the dam. The statement made no mention of mediation offers or plans.

Ethiopia, meanwhile, said the two African leaders met about "issues of common concern" but did not elaborate. Putin hailed the Russia-Africa summit as historic. "Summing up its results, we can immediately say that this event really opened a new page in relations between Russia and the states of the African continent," Putin said in closing the summit.

Putin emphasized that developing stronger ties with the continent ranks among Russia's top foreign policy priorities, noting that African nations have emerged as "one of important pillars of the multi-polar world."

Russia's annual trade with African nations has doubled in the last five years to exceed $20 billion and Putin voiced confidence that it could double again "as a minimum" in the next four or five years.

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union provided generous economic and military aid to many African countries amid its global rivalry with the United States. Moscow's influence withered after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Russia is now still far behind the West and China in trade and investment in Africa, but it has capitalized on Soviet-era ties to widen its role in the continent's affairs.

The Russian president emphasized Thursday that Russia and African nations should expand their cooperation in combating extremism, including exchanging information between their security agencies. Russia is Africa's largest arms supplier, and Putin noted that Russia now has military cooperation agreements with more than 30 African nations. He added that Moscow could expand its training of military and security personnel from African nations.

"We hope that ... you will help us, in particular, to build up our armed forces," said Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan, head of Sudan's transitional Sovereign Council, according to a Kremlin account of his meeting with Putin. He spoke in the wake of an August power-sharing agreement between Sudan's army and a pro-democracy movement following the overthrow of autocratic former President Omar al-Bashir.

The president of Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, agreed to renew a lapsed military cooperation agreement with Russia that is expected to lead to more direct procurement of military equipment, President Muhammadu Buhari's office said.

Nigeria also said it and Russia would work to improve the efficiency of Abuja's all-important oil sector by establishing a framework for a joint venture between Nigeria's state-owned oil company and Russia's Lukoil that will include prospecting for oil "deep offshore." The countries also agreed to solidify the venture between the state-owned oil company and Russian gas giant Gazprom.

Other African leaders expressed warmth over Russia's revived interest in the continent. "What stands Russia in good stead in the eyes of many African countries is that Russia was never a colonial power," South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said, according to his spokeswoman.

He spoke shortly after a pair of Russian nuclear-capable bombers landed in his country on an unprecedented visit to the continent, reflecting Moscow's new push for clout.

Anna reported from Johannesburg. Samy Magdy in Cairo contributed.

Putin aims to boost Moscow's clout with Russia-Africa summit

October 23, 2019

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed dozens of leaders of African nations Wednesday for the first-ever Russia-Africa summit, reflecting Moscow's new push to expand its clout on the continent and saying there is "enormous potential for growth."

As Putin and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi hosted the two-day summit attended by leaders of 43 of the continent's 54 countries, two Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers landed in South Africa in the first-ever visit to the continent to underline Moscow's bid for influence.

Russia's annual trade with African nations doubled in the last five years to exceed $20 billion, Putin said, and expressed his wish that trade will double again "as a minimum" in the next four or five years.

Russia has worked in recent years to expand its influence in Africa, taking advantage of the seemingly waning U.S. interest in the continent under President Donald Trump's administration. Moscow has sought to revive relationships forged during the Cold War, when it poured funds and weapons into Africa in rivalry with the U.S., and has worked to cultivate new ties such as relations with South Africa.

Russia has signed military cooperation agreements with at least 28 African countries, the majority in the past five years, and expanded arms sales to the region. It is already the continent's largest arms supplier.

Putin noted that Moscow has written off $20 billion in debt — he did not say over what period — and provided aid to African nations. He said Russia is willing to help tap natural resources and offer its technologies to the continent, and he welcomed the recent creation of an African free trade zone.

Russia's geological survey agency signed agreements with South Sudan, Rwanda and Equatorial Guinea to search for carbon resources on their territories. And Russia's largest oil company, Rosneft, said it was preparing to explore Mozambique's offshore oil resources.

Angolan Mineral Resources and Oil Minister Diamantino Azevedo said his country was working to expand cooperation with Russia's diamond company Alrosa. Putin also met with several African leaders to discuss potential projects.

He told South African President Cyril Ramaphosa that Moscow is looking to further expand trade with the country, one of the continent's most developed economies. Trade reached $1 billion last year. Putin congratulated Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on winning the Nobel Peace Prize this month, hailing his efforts to make peace with longtime rival Eritrea.

Abiy's office said he and Putin discussed cooperation in defense, education, "nuclear technology for peaceful purposes" and increased trade relations. While speaking with Namibian President Hage Geingob, Putin touted prospects for Russia to help tap the country's vast uranium resources, diamonds and other mineral riches. Geingob, in turn, welcomed Russia to send military advisers.

Central African Republic President Faustin Archange Touadera thanked Putin for Russian weapons and asked for more military assistance, saying his government needs it to fight armed groups competing for the country's gold, diamonds and uranium riches. Russian private contractors and security experts reportedly have helped train the nation's military.

Last year three Russian journalists were killed in Central African Republic while investigating a Russian military contractor, Wagner. The perpetrators haven't been found, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin and Touadera discussed the probe into the killing.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pledged that Moscow will help African countries raise their profile in the international arena, including potential permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council, something African nations have sought for years.

"We are continuously upholding the role of Africa as one of the leading centers of the evolving multi-polar world," Lavrov said.

Russia seeks to cement its role as power broker in Syria

October 16, 2019

CEYLANPINAR, Turkey (AP) — Russia moved to fill the void left by the United States in northern Syria on Tuesday, deploying troops to keep apart advancing Syrian government forces and Turkish troops. At the same time, tensions grew within NATO as Turkey defied growing condemnation of its invasion from its Western allies.

Now in its seventh day, Turkey's offensive against Kurdish fighters has caused tens of thousands to flee their homes, has upended alliances and is re-drawing the map of northern Syria for yet another time in the 8-year-old war.

Russia moved quickly to further entrench its role as a power broker after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the pullout of American forces in northeastern Syria. The American move effectively abandoned the Kurdish fighters who were allied with the U.S. and cleared the way for Turkey's invasion aimed at crushing them.

Desperate for a new protector, the Kurdish administration struck a deal with the Russia-backed government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose forces on Sunday began moving into Kurdish-administered areas to shield them against Turkey.

Syrian troops waved flags after they rolled into Manbij, a flashpoint town west of the Euphrates River that Turkey had been aiming to capture and wrest from Kurdish control. Video by Russian journalists with the troops showed what appeared to be an abandoned outpost where U.S. forces had been stationed.

A U.S. military spokesman, Col. Myles B. Caggins, confirmed U.S. troops had completed their pullout from Manbij. During the withdrawal, contacts were kept open with the Turks and Russians to ensure the several hundred American forces there got out safely, U.S. officials said.

U.S. troops have had outposts in Manbij since 2017, when they went in to avert a battle over the town between Turkish and Kurdish fighters. Now Russia was playing that role. Outside Manbij, Russian troops patrolled front lines between Turkish and Syrian army positions to keep them apart, Russia's Defense Ministry said.

"No one is interested" in fighting between Syrian government troops and Turkish forces, said Alexander Lavrentyev, Moscow's envoy for Syria. Russia "is not going to allow it," he told Russian state news agencies.

Kelly Craft, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters Washington is "deeply concerned" that Russian troops are patrolling between the two sides. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper to discuss "issues of mutual interest in the context of situation in Syria," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a brief statement, without elaborating.

Russia has been a staunch ally of Assad for decades and entered the Syrian conflict in 2015, providing air power that eventually turned the tide of the war in his favor. The Russian military has shipped weapons to Damascus, trained thousands of troops and put its advisers in key Syrian military units.

In the first week of the Turkish assault, at least 154 fighters from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have been killed, as well as 128 fighters from Turkish-backed Syrian factions , according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitor of the war. It said at least 69 civilians have been killed in Syria. Turkey says six of its soldiers have died, as well as at least 20 Turkish civilians killed by Kurdish mortar fire across the border.

Despite the Syrian and Russian deployments, Turkey insisted it would capture Manbij. Asked on Sky News if Turkey's military was willing to fight Assad's army, Vice President Fuat Oktay said, "We hope it's not going to happen, but again we are determined to get control over Manbij."

Mortar fire from Manbij killed two Turkish soldiers and wounded seven others, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. An Associated Press team later saw up to 200 Turkish troops along with armored vehicles crossing near Manbij and Kobani, a border town that is not yet secured by Syrian forces. Farther east on the border, Turkish and Kurdish forces were in heavy battles over the town of Ras al-Ayn, captured by Turkish troops days earlier.

A U.S. official said the approximately 1,000 U.S. troops being withdrawn from northern Syria will reposition in Iraq, Kuwait and possibly Jordan. The U.S. forces in Iraq could conduct cross-border operations against the Islamic State group in Syria as they did before creating the now-abandoned partnership with Syrian Kurdish-led forces, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive planning for a U.S. pullout.

After opening the way for the Turkish assault with its pullout, Washington is now trying to restrain its fellow NATO member. Trump on Monday announced sanctions aimed at Turkey's economy. The U.S. called on Turkey to stop the offensive and declare a cease-fire, while European Union countries moved to broaden an arms sale embargo against their easternmost ally.

Trump was sending Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and national security adviser Robert O'Brien to Ankara to try to begin negotiations to stop the fighting. Pence said Trump spoke directly to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who promised not to attack the border town of Kobani, which in 2015 saw the Islamic State group's first defeat in a battle by the U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters.

Erdogan made clear, however, that he had no intention of halting the Turkish offensive. "They say 'declare a ceasefire.' We could never declare a ceasefire," he told reporters. The U.N. Security Council planned a closed meeting Wednesday on the situation, requested by Germany and other EU members. "Everybody hopes that ... we can do something to bring back the parties to the peace process," said the current Security Council president, South Africa's U.N. Ambassador Jerry Matjila.

NATO ambassadors also will meet on Wednesday in Brussels on Turkey's offensive, said alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Erdogan defended Turkey's offensive in a column in the Wall Street Journal, urging the international community to support Ankara's effort to create what it calls a resettlement "safe zone" for refugees in northeastern Syria, or "begin admitting refugees."

"Turkey reached its limit," Erdogan wrote of the 3.6 million Syrians in his country. He said Turkey's warnings it would be unable to stop refugee floods into the West without international support "fell on deaf ears."

Turkey said it invaded northern Syria to create a zone of control the entire length of the border and drive out the Kurdish fighters, which it regards as terrorists because of their links to Kurdish insurgents in Turkey.

Instead, after the Kurds' deal with Damascus, a new de facto carving up of the border appeared to be taking shape. Turkish forces control the beginnings of a truncated zone roughly in the center of the border about 100 kilometers (60 miles) long between the towns of Tel Abyad and Ras al-Ain.

Syrian government troops were moving into or increasing their presence in areas on either side of that enclave, including Manbij to the west and the cities of Qamishli and Hassakeh in the far northeastern corner of Syria.

Though they gain protection from the Turks by the deal with Damascus, the Kurds risk losing the virtual self-rule they have enjoyed across the northeast — the heartland of their minority community — ever since Assad pulled his troops from the area seven years ago to fight rebels elsewhere.

The U.N. humanitarian aid coordinator said at least 160,000 civilians in northeastern Syria have been displaced amid the Turkish operations.

Mroue reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed.

Putin implies teen climate activist is being manipulated

October 02, 2019

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg may have been manipulated to serve the interests of others. Speaking at an energy forum in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin said: “I don’t share exultation about Greta Thunberg.”

The Russian leader called Thunberg a “kind and sincere girl” who doesn’t understand complex global issues such as the barriers to cleaner energy in developing countries. Putin added, “It’s deplorable when someone is using children and teenagers in their interests.” He didn’t elaborate.

Thunberg inspired other students by skipping school for weekly climate change protests. At a United Nations climate summit last month, she rebuked world leaders for not doing enough and asked them, "How dare you?”

Putin says Russia has fulfilled its obligations under an international agreement to tackle global warming.

About 20,000 rally in Moscow to demand protesters' release

September 29, 2019

MOSCOW (AP) — About 20,000 people rallied in Moscow on Sunday to demand the release of those who were arrested during a wave of opposition demonstrations this summer. Those at the rally in downtown Moscow, which was sanctioned by Russian authorities, chanted "Free them all!"

Protests erupted in Moscow in July after officials refused to allow a dozen independent and opposition candidates to run for the Moscow city legislature in the Sept. 8 vote. Rallies drew crowds of up to 60,000 at a time, the largest show of discontent against President Vladimir Putin's rule in seven years.

Russian police violently dispersed some of the election protests that weren't sanctioned, detaining a total of more than 2,400 people. Most were quickly released, but more than a dozen were put into custody on charges of involvement in riots.

Amid the public outrage, the authorities dropped charges against some of the protesters, but several people have been sentenced to prison terms of up to four years and a few others are in still custody or under house arrest awaiting court verdicts.

"Let's be confident of our power. If we come out in force, we will win their release," Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin's most visible foe, said at the rally. Lyubov Sobol, a Navalny associate and one of the opposition candidates denied registration who spearheaded the summer protests, vowed to maintain the pressure on the Kremlin.

"We have shown them that we are strong and will keep defending our rights," she said.

Russian theater and film director Mark Zakharov dies at 85

September 28, 2019

MOSCOW (AP) — Mark Zakharov, a renowned Russian theater and film director whose productions were widely acclaimed and loved by several generations of Russians, has died. He was 85. Zakharov died in Moscow on Saturday, according to the Lenkom Theatre, which he had led for more than four decades. The theater's chief administrator, Mark Varshaver, said Zakharov died of pneumonia.

Born in Moscow, Zakharov graduated from the capital's leading theater school in 1955 and worked as an actor for a decade before he became a stage director. He served as the Lenkom Theatre's director from 1973 until his death.

Many of Zakharov's theater productions become iconic. He also gained fame as a film director. In a condolence letter, Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Zakharov as a "colossal personality" and praised the late director's "remarkable talent, freedom and dignity."

Plans call for Zakharov to be buried Tuesday at Moscow's Novodevichy Cemetery.