Istanbul: The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani arrived in Istanbul yesterday night to take part in the summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) Standing Committee for Economic and Commerical Cooperation (COMCEC) , due to open here today.

Gulf waters face pollution threat

DOHA: The Arab territorial waters are facing a threat of oil pollution due to the accelerating pace of routine operations in the waters and the surrounding costal zones.

The activities in the regional waters have turned the sensitive Arab waters into a riskier zone for the marine environment, a top official of the regional environmental watchdog told The Peninsula yesterday.

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Deal on Kirkuk sets stage for polls

Baghdad: Iraqi legislators have finally agreed on a formula to include the bitterly contested city of Kirkuk in a national election in January, ending months of political wrangling and fears that the planned US troop pullout might be delayed. However, the agreement struck in parliament last night deals only with how to apportion votes in the enclave. The deal sets a framework for the poll to be held, probably on January 21 instead of the original date of January 16.