Marrakesh/Madrid  - Environmental organizations Monday warned that the Mediterranean stocks of bluefin tuna are on the brink of collapse, calling for a fishing stop to allow the species to recuperate.

Demand for tuna had led to illegal and above-quota fishing, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) warned as 46 countries and other contracting parties to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) met in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh.

Scientists recommend an annual fishing limit of 15,000 tons for East Atlantic bluefin tuna, but the captures amounted to 61,000 tons in 2007, the organization Oceana said, calling for permanent tuna reserves in key spawning areas.

Abu Dhabi  - A group of nations dubbed the "Friends of Pakistan" agreed, in principle, Monday to throw a financial lifeline to Pakistan.

Specific sums to be committed were not named Monday. There will be another meeting of the group in January followed by a ministerial- level meeting in February that should set the specific amounts of assistance to be expected.

Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry, assistant foreign minister for South Asia Affairs, said the group plans to finance projects geared toward policing and security.

Srinagar, Nov 17 : High voting turnout was recorded in Leh and Kargil region in Ladakh division on Monday in the first phase of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls.

Despite severe cold people in large numbers were seen at the various polling stations waiting to cast their vote.

Notwithstanding the freezing cold and the fear of the separatists, the trickle of voters at polling stations across the 10 constituencies in the Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir the crowds were increasing as the day progressed.

Jammu, Nov. 17 : Braving freezing temperatures and ignoring separatists'' boycott call, voters came out in large numbers with an average 55 per cent turnout recorded in the first phase of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir held amid unprecedented security on Monday.

New Delhi, Nov 17 : The first Indo-German Environment Forum programme begins on Tuesday.

It aims to strengthen cooperation in the field of environment. It will focus on issues relating to climate, energy, water and waste policies.

The main purpose of this forum is to share the lessons through extremely fruitful engagement and to widen the scope of commonly, agreed environmental agenda of both the countries.

New Delhi, Nov 17 : Defence Minister A. K. Antony released the in-house ''Manual of Security Instructions - 2008 (MSI-2008)'' at a brief function in his office here today.

Speaking on the occasion Antony underlined the security drill to tackle emerging threats and unpredictable risks.

The Defence Minister lauded the Security Wing of the Defence Ministry in compiling the detailed security instructions.

Antony called upon the security guards and officers to adhere to the instructions in spirit and action.