WORLD BRIEFING: December 12, 2024

Russian naval vessels appear to have temporarily left their main port in Syria, satellite images reviewed by BBC Verify show, amid continuing uncertainty about Moscow's military future in the country after the fall of its ally, Bashar al-Assad. Images taken by Maxar on 10 December show some ships have left Tartous naval base since Sunday and are currently sitting offshore in the Mediterranean Sea. Meanwhile, other photos taken on the same day show activity continuing at Russia's main airbase in Syria, Hmeimim, with jets clearly visible on the tarmac. On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would enter talks with incoming authorities about Russia's future military presence. “Everything possible is now being done to get in touch with those involved in ensuring security and, of course, our military is also taking all the necessary precautions," he told reporters in Moscow - BBC

France says Israel needs to remove its military presence from the Golan Heights. Over the past few days, we've been reporting how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his troops to protect the country’s border with Syria by stationing themselves in a buffer zone in the area. "Any military deployment in the separation zone between Israel and Syria is a violation of the disengagement agreement of 1974," a French foreign ministry spokesman says in a statement today. “France calls on Israel to withdraw from the zone and to respect Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock took a similar stance on achieving a peaceful transition in Syria, noting: “[Israel] must not jeopardise the process with their actions.” - BBC

FBI Director Chris Wray will resign at the end of the Biden administration, the agency said, as it became clear he would be forced out by President-elect Donald Trump. Trump, who originally nominated Wray after firing the previous FBI director, previously announced he will nominate Kash Patel for the role, although Wray still had three years remaining on his 10-year term. Patel has been meeting with senators to build support for a confirmation vote next year. Wray had wrestled with whether or not to resign given Trump’s stated desire to replace him, sources say, and wants to facilitate an orderly transition. But some in the FBI worried his departure would normalize Trump’s penchant for replacing FBI directors he doesn’t like, as the position is supposed to straddle administrations and be insulated from politics.

Donald Trump Jr. is apparently thrilled that his dad found a way for him to avoid awkward run-ins with his fiancée as rumours of a break-up swirl. After Trump Sr. announced Tuesday that he was nominating Kimberly Guilfoyle to serve as his ambassador to Greece—just hours after the Daily Mail published pictures of Don Jr. holding hands with another woman—the president-elect’s eldest son took to the social media platform X to congratulate her. “I am so proud of Kimberly,” Trump Jr. wrote. “She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First.” Guilfoyle began dating Don Jr. in 2018 after he separated from his ex-wife Vanessa, with whom he has five children. Neither Guilfoyle nor Don Jr. have said anything publicly about a possible split, but a Page Six report on Tuesday claimed they’ve broken up and that Don Jr. is moving on with Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson—the woman with whom he’s been photographed recently. Nepotism concerns notwithstanding, shipping someone overseas to live in a taxpayer-funded villa is an admittedly elegant solution for getting a potential ex out of sight and out of mind. The Greek ambassador’s residence even has a pool.- Daily BeastThe EU is on Thursday set to formally approve the full accession of Bulgaria and Romania to its Schengen area of free movement, at a time when the zone is jeopardised by the reimposition of border controls by a number of bloc members. Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, but did not accede to Schengen because of concerns over corruption and irregular migration. They were allowed to partially join in March, but countries including Austria vetoed their full membership. Vienna’s decision last month to lift its veto paved the way for ministers to authorise the removal of the remaining checks at Romania and Bulgaria’s land borders with the rest of the EU by January 1, according to EU diplomats. The Dutch parliament approved the process on Wednesday, removing the final obstacle to the pair’s full accession. EU home affairs ministers are set to approve the enlargement when they meet on Thursday, expanding the free-travel zone to 29 full members. - FT

Mali's armed forces, supported by Russian mercenaries, committed abuses against civilians since the withdrawal of a U.N. peacekeeping mission late last year, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday. Malian armed forces and the Russia-backed Wagner Group deliberately killed at least 32 civilians, including seven in a drone strike, kidnapped four others, and burned at least 100 homes in towns and villages in central and northern Mali since May, the rights group said. Wagner has been present in Mali since late 2021 following a military coup, replacing French troops and international peacekeepers to help fight the militants. At the same time, the mercenary group has been accused of helping to carry out raids and drone strikes that have killed civilians - AP

Ukrainians in Chicago are fearful — but also hopeful — of what a second Donald Trump presidency will mean for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s targeted war on their homeland, and for the hundreds of thousands of refugees now living and working in the U.S. Trump’s vow to end the war in Ukraine in one day has been met with deep skepticism. His desire to make America a stronger foreign leader could mean emboldening Ukraine against Russia and its allies. But Trump could also choose to stop supporting Ukraine or force it into capitulation — turning Ukrainians’ worst fears into reality. For local Ukrainians, Trump’s plans for mass deportations also bring into question whether an estimated 30,000 Ukrainian refugees in Chicago — who were allowed to enter the U.S. legally under an executive order issued by President Joe Biden — will be safe - Chicago Sun Times (Read the full article here).

RIA Novosti reported that State Duma deputy Anton Tkachev has proposed creating a Russian strategic bitcoin reserve, claiming to have obtained a copy of the document. New People Party's Tkachev reportedly sent the proposal to Russia’s finance minister, Anton Siluanov, to "assess the feasibility of creating a strategic reserve of bitcoin in Russia," and comparing it to "state reserves in traditional currencies." Earlier this month, Russia's president Vladimir Putin praised bitcoin as an alternative to foreign currency reserves following the seizure of its funds by Western governments in the aftermath of its invasion of Ukraine - Forbes

British Airways has told pilots and cabin crew not to check in any luggage at its London Heathrow hub after a fault impacted the baggage handling system at Terminal 5 on Monday. Check-in had to be stopped altogether for a brief period on Monday, and on Tuesday, the airport said that overnight works to fix the fault had failed to establish the root cause of the issue. In response to a build-up of delayed baggage, Heathrow has been forced to open its so-called Baggage Recovery Facility – a temporary set up of tents on the outskirts of Terminal 5 where bags have to be manually resorted and then rerouted to their intended destination - Airline News

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