Syria hopes to jumpstart rebuilding despite massive hurdles
(WorldNews China)

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) - With back-to-back trade fairs held in Damascus this month, Syria is hoping to jumpstart reconstruction of its devastated cities by inviting international investors to take part in lucrative opportunities. But the absence of significant Western participants, the challenges posed by international sanctions and the lack of a political solution to the seven-year-old conflict point to massive hurdles ahead. The government says it will only award contracts to “friendly countries” that have supported Syria throughout the civil war. In an address to the U.N. General Assembly last week, Syria’s foreign minister said Western countries that set political...