Turkey: Flash floods kill 3, paralyze Istanbul after record downpour Heavy rains stranded hundreds, blocking major roads and disrupting air and public transportation, flooding buildings and forcing school closures across Istanbul province. Turkey
Rubio signals US push to ease Greece-Turkey cable tensions The top US diplomat said Washington was “very committed” to the subsea cable project as Ankara and Athens remain at odds over survey work in contested waters. Turkey
UAE-Syria move ahead on $20 billion real estate mega-developments Major housing and tourism projects in Damascus and Latakia are set to advance following a new agreement with UAE real estate tycoon Mohamed Alabbar. Syria
Lebanon seeks Turkey’s help to join Syria-Saudi rail link: What to know Beirut is seeking Ankara’s support to link its ports to a railway project aiming to link Turkey to the Gulf, through Syria and Jordan. Turkey
Suez Canal tunnels expected to bring new life to Sinai Egypt is expected to complete the construction of four tunnels under the Suez Canal, which will boost economic growth in the marginalized Sinai Peninsula. Egypt
Egypt’s Pan-African road marks millennial milestone for development Egypt announced the completion of its segment of the Alexandria-Cape Town Road, which it is hoped will boost economies, trade and tourism the length of the African continent. Egypt
Cairo metro drillings put heritage buildings at risk Construction work on Cairo's third metro line caused cracks in the heritage building that houses El-Galaa Hospital, and residents wonder if more old buildings are at risk. Egypt
Can Egypt’s new airport revive country’s ailing tourism sector? Egypt opened a new international airport in Giza governorate as part of the government’s efforts to boost the tourism sector that suffered a major setback following the January 25 Revolution. Egypt
Residents of Giza area forced into displacement The Egyptian government is expelling residents from their own homes in Giza and Cairo, as part of a campaign to develop and beautify areas. Egypt
Egypt takes on massive development — and debt While many economists are praising Egypt's major development projects in the fields of energy, agriculture and transportation, others are warning against the unprecedented debt the country faces due to such projects. Egypt
Iran moves forward with railway link to Syria via Iraq Iran is building a 20-mile stretch of railway that will connect railways throughout Iraq to neighboring Syria. Iraq
Egypt eliminates Muslim Brotherhood leaders' names from streets Many streets and squares in Egypt carry the names of Muslim Brotherhood leaders and members — but for not much longer. Egypt
Erdogan won't admit it, but Canal Istanbul dream is over Canal Istanbul, the Turkish president's "crazy project," appears destined for the bin amid Turkey’s economic turmoil, but don't expect its shelving to be officially acknowledged. Turkey
Dozens of Turkish airport workers jailed after protest A labor protest demanding better conditions and a safer workplace at Istanbul’s controversial new airport, due to open in six weeks, lands 24 workers in jail pending formal charges. Officials say they are provocateurs seeking to sully one of Turkey’s grandest infrastructure projects. Turkey
Egypt announces massive budget to develop Sinai The Egyptian government announced a plan to develop the Sinai Peninsula, with the aim to eliminate terrorism that is widespread in this volatile area. Egypt
Iran turns to economic zones to encourage balanced growth Iranian lawmakers have approved a bill to establish a series of new special economic zones to counter the country's uneven development. Iran
