"And as the two major cities in Northern Ireland, I thought we could have worked together, " he said.

BBC: John Lewis row hits Belfast City Hall

"We now know that within just 12 years, we could build a line which will see journey times between our two major cities cut to less than half an hour, " she said.

BBC: High-speed rail plan for Glasgow to Edinburgh line

In Tabriz and nearby Ardabil, the two major cities near the earthquake area, several local businesses, teachers and college professors had created ad hoc relief teams, separate from the government, and were sending truckloads of food, water and blankets to the area.

WSJ: Iranians Call Quake Effort Inadequate

In Atlanta, meanwhile, shorts-wearing residents basked in the balmy weather as it and two other major Georgia cities set record highs for this date.

CNN: Weird weather: Temperature extremes coast to coast

Growth in property transactions in tier-one and major tier-two cities has moved into positive territory for the first time since the summer.

WSJ: Heard on the Street: No Springtime for China's Property Sector

Most other major hub cities, such as New York, split traffic between two or more major airports.

BBC: Why is Atlanta the world��s busiest airport?

Following the blast, police said Kufa and Najaf -- both major Shiite cities -- were shut down for two hours.

CNN: Sunni Arab bloc rejoins Iraqi parliament

The Atlanta based-firm recently completed retail deals in two California college towns, branching out from its focus on major U.S. cities.

WSJ: Plots & Ploys: World-Class View

Since then Sy has opened just two more malls (and bought stakes in another), all in second-tier cities rather than major urban centers.

FORBES: Lean on Me