Economics After months of political wrangling, passage of Iraq's $118 billion budget still hangs on the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region's insistence that the government allocate $3.5 billion to pay oil companies working the Kurdish oil patch. More from Iraq Oil Report Egypt’s government has outlined an economic plan to win International Monetary Fund loans, with steps to narrow the budget deficit toned down to avoid inciting further unrest. More from Bloomberg An open-ended strike by Lebanese civil servants and teachers is picking up steam as it enters its second week, with the country’s Catholic schools deciding to close Tuesday in solidarity with the protest. More from The Daily Star Companies Solidere, Lebanon’s largest property developer expects to spend as much as $200 million on real estate projects in the country this year even as civil war in neighboring Syria threatens to slow construction work. More from Bloomberg
