Returning to the Arab fold, Syria's president invited to UAE-hosted COP28 climate

Syria’s embattled President Bashar Assad has received an invitation to attend the upcoming COP28 climate talks in Dubai later this year, even as the yearslong war in his country over his rule grinds on. Assad's invite, late Monday, to the climate talks comes as the Syrian president already is scheduled to attend the Arab League summit this Friday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, years after being frozen out of regional politics. The UAE office overseeing the climate talks say they can only succeed “if we have everyone in the room.” However, the move will likely heighten scrutiny of the Emirates before the talks.