The Arab League will meet in Saudi Arabia for a regional summit that even its own members snubbed from time to time. Syria was suspended from the Arab League in 2011, when the dictator began his brutal crackdown on dissent which ended up escalating into a bloody civil war. Greg Colstrom writes about the Middle East for the Economist. He says there is a misguided hope in some Arab countries that by having closer ties with Syria it can convince the regime to distance itself from Iran.
Tomorrow, Syria’s president will be welcomed back into the Arab League as regional leaders meet in Jeddah. Is this the dictator’s first step in a journey to restore ties with the rest of the world? America’s small banks are capturing rural communities in a way that the big ones can’t. And, the world’s largest sporting tournament features some rather niche events.
Take our listener survey at www.economist.com/intelligencesurvey
For full access to print, digital and audio editions of The Economist, try a free 30-day digital subscription by going to www.economist.com/intelligenceoffer
Runtime: TK min