Axios

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad arrived in Saudi Arabia Thursday to attend an Arab League summit, 12 years after he was shunned for ordering a violent crackdown that left entire cities destroyed and tens of thousands of civilians dead.

The big picture: Assad didn't work his way back into the fold through meaningful concessions or reforms. He's still in power and back at the table due to a decade of determined brutality and shifting regional winds.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte (R) signed into law Wednesday a bill banning TikTok statewide, effective Jan. 1, 2024.

Why it matters: A growing number of Republican-led states have issued TikTok bans on government-issued devices after the FBI warned of possible threats to national security posed by the Chinese-owned social media platform, but Montana is the first state to impose a total ban on the app.

China on Thursday kicked off a summit with five Central Asian countries in a move to deepen its engagement with one of the fastest-growing economic regions in the world.

Why it matters: Central Asia, which straddles China's northwestern frontier and Eastern Europe, has long been considered a strategically important place for centuries. A key component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), it serves as a bridge between China and much of Eurasia.

The Senate this week confirmed Bradley N. Garcia to be a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, making him the first Latino nominee confirmed to that influential circuit.

The big picture: Garcia's appointment is part of a broad push by the Biden administration to appoint more Latinos to the courts. The D.C. court hears major national cases and is often a pipeline to the Supreme Court.

Experts say Ecuador could face deep political instability after conservative President Guillermo Lasso dissolved Congress yesterday as he faced the final phase of impeachment proceedings.

Driving the news: Lasso is accused of embezzlement, which he strongly denies.

The vast majority of U.S. churchgoers, a new survey found, report that they belong to congregations where most people are of their race or ethnicity, but Hispanic Protestants are an exception.

The big picture: Hispanic Protestants, a majority of whom practice evangelical faiths, report their churches are more diverse than others, who remain largely segregated despite the nation's rapidly changing demographics. The report comes amid a broad shift in how Americans perceive and practice religion.

After months of building pressure from Congress, the State Department will provide House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) access to an internal cable about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Why it matters: The news comes the same day McCaul scheduled a markup vote on an effort to hold Secretary Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress for not complying with a subpoena for the memo.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were involved in a "near catastrophic car chase" with photographers on Tuesday evening, a royal biographer said Wednesday citing the prince's spokesperson.

Driving the news: The chase involved a "ring of highly aggressive paparazzi," the spokesperson said, and took place after the couple attended an awards ceremony held in New York City.

The fight for transgender rights in Europe has made significant gains in recent years compared to the U.S., but those advances remain at risk due to anti-trans backlash.

The big picture: As the world marks International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia this week, activists are highlighting the progress made as well as challenges that still persist in advancing trans rights.

BEIRUT — In last week’s escalation between Gaza and Israel, the shots were called by leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group based in Lebanon — now a strategic center of operations for multiple Palestinian armed groups.

The big picture: As the Arab world normalizes relations with Israel, the leaders of the PIJ and Gaza’s largest militant group, Hamas, have found support from Iran and its militant proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will attend Friday's Arab League leaders summit on Friday, his country's foreign minister announced on Wednesday.

Why it matters: It will be the first time Assad has attended the summit since 2010. Saudi Arabia invited Assad to the gathering after the Arab League agreed to readmit Syria to the organization earlier this month following a nearly 12-year suspension.

The Biden administration proposed to Israel a few weeks ago the idea of engaging in joint military planning concerning Iran, three U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios.

Why it matters: U.S. officials say the proposal is unprecedented and could significantly upgrade U.S.-Israeli military cooperation.

Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso dissolved Congress on Wednesday as he faced the final phase of impeachment proceedings.

Driving the news: Lasso is accused of embezzlement, which he strongly denies.

The White House wants to make a diplomatic push for a Saudi-Israeli peace deal in the next six to seven months before the presidential election campaign consumes President Biden’s agenda, two U.S. officials with knowledge of the issue told Axios.

Why it matters: Any normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel brokered by the U.S. will likely include an upgrade in U.S.-Saudi relations and a package of tangible deliverables from the U.S. government.

The Republican governors of Florida and Idaho are sending law enforcement officers and other assistance to the U.S.-Mexico border, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced Tuesday.

Driving the news: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he'll send resources and over 1,100 to Texas — including 800 state National Guard members, 200 law enforcement officers in teams of 40 and five aircrafts.