The 4.4 million euro deal marks the QPI’s first investment in Greece.

Qatar Petroleum (QP), a state-owned corporation established in 1974, is responsible for all phases of the oil and gas industry in Qatar.

According to Gulf Times, Qatar’s Energy and Industry Minister Mohamed bin Saleh Al-Sada also attended the agreement’s signing ceremony yesterday in Doha.

“The power sector is growing steadily worldwide,” Mohammed Saleh Al Sada said at a press conference in Doha late yesterday.

“We have already built capacity internally here in Qatar, but we are interested in extending our investment elsewhere.”

The agreement was also signed, by Nasser Al Jaidah, CEO of QPI, and George Peristeris, CEO of GEK TERNA Group.

The energy-rich Gulf emirate in January announced during a visit by Samaras that it planned to invest up to a billion euros in a joint fund with Athens to bolster recession-hit Greek industry.

The Greek investment scheme is similar to a Qatari plan to invest in Italian companies, which was announced during a visit by Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Monti to Doha last November.

Samaras had originally intended to visit Qatar in November but delayed the trip because Athens was locked in talks to obtain aid from its international lenders.

TERNA was founded in 1972 and since then it has been actively involved in the implementation of a broad spectrum of public and private projects of considerable budget and complex know-how, such as the construction of Railway and Highway networks.

Today, TERNA is the construction company of GEK TERNA Group.

His speech was broadcast on Qatari television on Wednesday afternoon.

Later in the evening, a cabinet reshuffle was announced with Abdallah Bin Nasser Bin Khalifa Al Thani is the new prime minister, replacing the long-serving Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, according to Qatar news agency.

Meanwhile Khalid al-Atiyah has been announced as foreign minister and Ali Sherif al-Emadi  the new finance minister.

The 33-year-old promised he would continue his father’s “path”

In terms of foreign policy, he said that his country rejects sectarianism in Arab societies while stressing  that Qatar was committed to the cause of Palestine, and would work to end Israeli occupation, according to Al Jazeera.

The news agency added that there wasn’t any mention of specific policies in places such as Syria.

Tamim is the fourth son of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and the second child of the Emir with his second wife, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned.

His father, Sheikh Hamad came to power in a coup when he overthrew his own father Sheikh Khalifa in June 1995 while he was in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Emir is famous for helping to establish the first Arab international news network, Al Jazeera.

Qatar holds the world’s third largest natural gas reserves and is the single largest supplier of liquefied natural gas. Qatar is also a member of OPEC and is a significant net exporter of oil.

On Sunday the Qatar-owned Al Jazeera television news channel reported that the sheikh “will meet Monday with the royal family and advisors.”

“The planned meeting comes amid news about the intentions of the emir to transfer power to his heir apparent, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani,” said the Qatar-based news channel.

Sheikh Hamad is due to address the nation on Tuesday.

Sheikh Hamad came to power in a coup when he overthrew his own father Sheikh Khalifa in June 1995 while he was in Geneva, Switzerland.

He will either hand over power to Sheikh Tamim or appoint him prime minister in the place of powerful premier Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani, according to AFP.

Tamim is the fourth son of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and the second child of the Emir with his second wife, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned.

Qatar took part in the armed intervention in Libya and is actively supporting rebel forces in Syria.

The Emir is famous for helping to establish the first Arab international news network, Al Jazeera.

Qatar holds the world’s third largest natural gas reserves and is the single largest supplier of liquefied natural gas. Qatar is also a member of OPEC and is a significant net exporter of oil.

The sheikh “will meet Monday with the royal family and advisors,” the Qatar-owned Al Jazeera television news channel reported Sunday,

The news channel said it had learned of the news from “trusted sources”, but provided no further details.

“The planned meeting comes amid news about the intentions of the emir to transfer power to his heir apparent, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani,” said the Qatar-based news channel.

Sheikh Hamad came to power in a coup when he overthrew his own father Sheikh Khalifa in June 1995 while he was in Geneva, Switzerland.

He will either hand over power  to Sheikh Tamim or appoint him prime minister in the place of powerful premier Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani, according to AFP.

Tamim is the fourth son of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and the second child of the Emir with his second wife, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned.

Qatar took part in the armed intervention in Libya and is actively supporting rebel forces in Syria.

The Emir is famous for helping to establish the first Arab international news network, Al Jazeera.

Qatar holds the world’s third largest natural gas reserves and is the single largest supplier of liquefied natural gas. Qatar is also a member of OPEC and is a significant net exporter of oil.

Based on more than 650 interviews conducted over a two-year period in Jordan Lebanon, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, the study Tricked and Trapped: Human Trafficking in the Middle East sheds light on the situation of trafficked adult workers in the Middle East, the complex processes by which they are ‘tricked and trapped’ into forced labour and sexual exploitation, and the constraints that prevent them from leaving.

It also examines the responses to human trafficking recently put in place by governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations and other stakeholders and provides regional policymakers with recommendations to help them effectively counter the phenomenon.

The Middle East hosts millions of migrant workers, who in some cases exceed the number of national workers substantially. In Qatar, for example, 94 per cent of workers are migrants, while in Saudi Arabia that figure is over 50 per cent. In Jordan and Lebanon migrants also make up a significant part of the workforce, particularly in the construction and domestic work sectors.

“Labor migration in this part of the world is unique in terms of its sheer scale and its exponential growth in recent years,” says Beate Andrees, Head of the ILO’s Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour. “The challenge is how to put in place safeguards in both origin and destination countries to prevent the exploitation and abuse of these workers.”

Although data is scarce, the ILO estimates that there are 600,000 forced labor victims in the Middle East.

The report singles out the Kafala (sponsorship) system – which governs the lives of most migrant workers in the Mashreq and GCC countries – as “inherently problematic” because it creates an unequal power dynamic between the employer and the worker.

It points to deficits in labour law coverage that “reinforce underlying vulnerabilities of migrant workers” as well as significant gaps in national legislation that “restrict the ability of migrant workers to organize, to terminate their employment contracts and to change employers.”

It notes that the lack of inspection procedures maintains the “isolation of domestic workers in private homes” and heightens their vulnerability to exploitation. It also highlights the “real” risks of detention and deportation for workers who are coerced into sex work in the entertainment industry.

Reforming the Kafala system would significantly improve labor migration governance in this regard.

The report proposes empowering ministries of labor to oversee recruitment processes, to handle complaints by migrants and employers, and to verify allegations of mistreatment and respond accordingly as a viable alternative to the Kafala.

It highlights the need to extend legal coverage and equal rights to all categories of workers, revise standard employment contracts, end wage discrimination, improve recruitment systems, strengthen legislative frameworks, and enhance labor inspection.

“The Darfur Development Strategy acknowledges that while current conditions may not be perfect, ‘the people are ready for change’,” the Secretary-General said in his message to the Conference.

The international donor forum hosted by Qatar wrapped up today after two days of pledging which organizers had hoped would raise $7.2 billion to cover reconstruction and development of Darfur over a six-year period. According to reports, at least $3.7 billion was pledged.

“We share a collective commitment to achieving a comprehensive and inclusive peace for the people of Darfur. Resolving the conflict there remains critical to consolidating peace and stability for Sudan as a whole,” said Mr. Ban.

He noted that the long-stalled effort to find a political solution to the conflict reached a turning point last July with the adoption of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur by the Government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement.

Last month, the Justice and Equality Movement-Sudan also agreed to sign on to the Doha Document.

Mr. Ban also urged the Government to cooperate in facilitating the work of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), humanitarian actors and international development partners throughout Darfur, while respecting human rights.

“The Government of Sudan must clearly demonstrate its commitment to fulfil its financial obligations to support recovery and development in Darfur,” Mr. Ban said.

Meanwhile, thousands of civilians are seeking protection, many of them with their livestock, near joint AU-UN peacekeeping teams in Muhajeria and Labado, East Darfur State, after attacks and “possible air strikes” on the towns.

“UNAMID reaffirms its commitment to protect displaced civilians,” the Mission said in a press release.

The peacekeeping mission is working with UN agencies to ascertain the best means of supporting aid delivery to the population, particularly the civilians concentrated around the team site.

“We in UNAMID condemn the use of force seen in the attack on Muhajeria and Labado towns in East Darfur. These actions only bring further suffering to the civilian population and undermine the peace process,” said the new Head of UNAMID and Joint Chief Mediator for the AU and UN, Mohamed Ibn Chambas. He officially takes up his post today.

According to the Mission, members of the Sudan Liberation Army led by Minni Minawi attacked and seized the towns on 6 April wounding at least three civilians, including a staff member from UNAMID.

“At both locations, UNAMID personnel reported several possible air strikes and are taking steps to ascertain the number of casualties caused by the fighting,” according to information in the statement.

Established in July 2007, UNAMID has the protection of civilians as its core mandate, but is also tasked with contributing to security for humanitarian assistance, monitoring and verifying implementation of agreements and assisting with an inclusive political process, among other responsibilities.

According to UN figures estimates, some 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur since the conflict between rebels, Government forces and allied militiamen erupted in 2003 and about 2.7 million others have had to flee their homes. Both sides have been accused of numerous human rights abuses.

Mortar shells struck the cafeteria of the university’s architecture department in the central Baramkeh district killing 15 people, according to the Associated Press.

State media blamed the attack on “terrorists,” while the opposition attributed it to the government.

Loaey Mikdad, a spokesman for the rebel Free Syrian Army, denied the government’s allegations that the FSA had attacked the university, he told the New York Times in a telephone interview.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the attack but put the toll at 10 people.

“The bombing of the Damascus University School of Architecture is a crime against the sanctity of universities and student life,” The Syrian National Coalition said in a statement.

“In continuation of its heinous crimes, and after the bombing of the University of Aleppo earlier this year, the Assad regime has once again attacked students with the bombing of the School of Architecture in Damascus. Dozens of students have been killed and injured. The Syrian regime continues to commit such unprecedented crimes in hopes of rebuilding the wall of fear that the children of Daraa tore down two years ago. The regime repeats these heinous crimes with the reassurance of international silence, which the regime views as a green light.”

The university mortar attack came as Syrian officials denied accusations by the opposition that an Iranian cargo plane carrying weapons to Assad’s regime was hit as it landed at Damascus International Airport.

“Damascus International Airport Administration stressed Thursday that work is continuous in the Airport normally and regularly, as the reception of the arriving plans and the departure of those travelling I is normal,” state-run media SANA said.

It added that news circulated by some media outlets, which are partners in the bloodshed of the Syrians, regarding the airport is false and untrue.

Separately, the Syrian opposition coalition, opened its first embassy in the Qatari capital Doha on Wednesday.

Syria’s ambassador to the league, Youssef Ahmad, accused the League of replacing a legitimate state with a “monstrosity,” Syria’s state-run news agency SANA reported.

He indicated that the practices of the Arab League regarding the crisis in Syria since its beginning haven’t been related to its charter or its internal system or the principles of the joint Arab work as well as the interests of the national security.

Syria’s membership was suspended in November 2011.

Speaking at the opening session Foreign Minister Davutoğlu pointed out that the Summit marks the beginning of a new chapter in the quest of a free, democratic and prosperous Syria.

“It represents a historic milestone as the legitimate representatives of the Syrian people today have rightfully taken the seat of their country in the Arab League”, he added.

Meanwhile, Syrian National Coalition leader Khatib in addressing the summit in Doha said that he had asked US Secretary of State John Kerry to provide Patriot missile protection that covers northern Syria, and that Kerry had “promised to look into the matter.”

The White House said Tuesday that NATO would not provide Patriot missile batteries to protect rebel strongholds in Syria, AFP reported.

“I think that a Patriot missile battery would follow the definition of military assistance,” Carney said, adding that Patriot anti-missile batteries in Turkey were for self-defense only.

Even though al-Kahtib resigned from the coalition due to lack of support from the international community for help in ending the nation’s bloody conflict the Coalition hasn’t accepted his resignation.

NATO’s  involvement in Syria’s war until now has been to position Patriot missile batteries along the Turkish border in order to prevent any  missile launches from the Syrian side. their purpose is solely for self defense.

However, Egypt on Sunday rejected any suggestion of applying for an emergency IMF funding to help it as it struggles an economic and currency crisis.

The funding, known as the IMF’s Rapid Financing Instrument, would is short-term and would not replace Egypt’s negotiations with the IMF on a $4.8 billion loan, the source said, according to Reuters.

The RFI provides rapid and low-access financial assistance to member countries facing an urgent balance of payments need, without the need for a full-fledged program. It can provide support to meet a broad range of urgent needs, including those arising from commodity price shocks, natural disasters, post-conflict situations and emergencies resulting from fragility, according to the institution.

The RFI was created as part of a broader reform to make the IMF’s financial support more flexible to address the diverse needs of member countries.

“Egypt needs bold and ambitious policy actions to address its economic and financial challenges without further delay,” IMF spokeswoman Wafa Amr said on Monday.

Egypt’s foreign reserves have fallen to critically low levels and a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund was delayed by the political unrest that has gripped the country.

Meanwhile, Qatar does not expect to give further financial aid to Egypt in the immediate term, Qatari Finance Minister Youssef Kamal told Reuters on Monday.

Qatar has been a key source of foreign aid to Egypt since its 2011 revolution.

“We already announced $5bn,” Kamal told the news service, when asked how much aid Qatar had provided Egypt to date.

A few weeks earlier, Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday rewarded Egypt for President Mohammed Morsi’s pledges of political and economic reforms by releasing $250 million in American aid to support the country.

The meeting which was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Development Minister Notis Mitarakis and the chief executive of Qatar Holdings, Ahmad Al-Sayed, included at least seven businesses in the tourism, energy and foods sectors, based on the request made by the Qatari side.

Discussion focused on the creation of a fund to support small and medium-sized investment activity, dealing mainly with technical details regarding its structure, operation and method of financing so that it will not clash with Community law.

The agreement was reached during a visit by Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, who was accompanied by his development and defence ministers and a team of Greek business leaders.

Yet while Samaras’s meeting with the government in Doha had concluded that the subsidy fund would start with 2 billion euros, half from each side, it appears that due to a lack of funds and European legislation that could raise obstacles, Greece will not necessarily have to contribute any money to an investment, daily Kathimerini reports.

Qatar is apparently also examining its possible participation in another institution that the Greek government intends to create, the Hellenic Investment Fund.

A Development ministry source told Kathimerini that the meeting discussed three ways of financing the joint fund, through which Qatar plans to subsidize Greek enterprises. These are joint funding by the Greek and Qatari states, funding only by Qatar, and funding with capital originating from Qatar as well as other countries or investment banks in other countries such as France and Germany.

Last month Qatar returned as a candidate in the international competition process to develop Hellinikon, the Greek airport site on the city’s southern coast.

Meanwhile a report in Tuesday’s Financial Times stated that the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), is not only interested in the development of the Greek capital’s former airport, but also in the operation of the new Athens International Airport, seeing it as a potential hub for Qatar Airways.

The same report notes Qatar’s interest in the Astir Palace Hotel at Vouliagmeni, southern Athens.