area is opened up for offshore oil and gas drilling. The centre launched a law suit two years ago to place the Pacific walrus on the list of endangered species . The federal government must rule by January 2011 whether to grant endangered species protection to the Pacific walrus, which would put restrictions on offshore oil drilling and shipping routes through the Arctic. Most popular on the Guardian Today in pictures After advising tourists against travel to the cities of Jammu and Srinagar for nearly 20 years, the Foreign Office has lifted its guidelines after a fall in violence. So, Dal Lake and part of the Valley of Kashmir, one of India's most beautiful regions, are once again open to visitors