Washington, Oct 28 : A research has determined that despite being protected longer than anywhere else on Earth, Yellowstone National Park’s amphibians are declining fast, all due to climate change.

Yellowstone National Park, founded in 1872, has been protected by law longer than anywhere else in the world.

In 1992 and 1993, researchers in Elizabeth Hadly’s group at Stanford University surveyed amphibians dwelling in ponds left behind by glaciers in northern Yellowstone National Park. 

Over the last three summers, Hadly’s graduate student Sarah McMenamin repeated the study.

Kathmandu, Oct 28 : Nepali Congress (NC) President Girija Prasad Koirala has said that integrating the People''s Liberation Army (PLA) of the Maoists into the Nepal Army (NA) was not mandatory.

Kolkata, Oct 28 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last night conducted a raid at the residence of Ashok Todi, the father-in-law of computer graphics teacher Rizwanur Rehman who was found dead last year after a month of his marriage.

The Special Branch of CBI conducted a raid in search of Ashok Todi, his brother Pradip Todi and brother-in-law Anil Sarogi against whom non-bailable arrest warrants were issued by the court on Monday.

However, none of the three were found in the residence, CBI sources said.

According to CBI sources, a red alert has been issued to all airports and major railway stations against Todi''s and their brother-in-law to prevent them from escaping from the country.

London - A top British general has warned that NATO forces in Afghanistan have "reached their limit" and suggested that it was time to consider supporting the formation of local tribal militias to help stabilize the country.

General Michael Rose, former commander of UN forces in Bosnia, said he believed there were not enough combat troops to enable NATO to uphold the momentum against Taliban fighters.

"As in all insurgency wars, winning the confidence and consent of the people of Afghanistan will always be more important than winning any particular tactical level military battle against the Taliban," Rose said in comments published Tuesday by the military think tank the Royal United Services Institute.

New Delhi - Pakistani troops fired at Indian forward positions along a de facto border between the two countries in Jammu and Kashmir state, a news report said Tuesday.

The Pakistani troops fired rockets, mortars and small arms in forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch region late Monday night, a senior Indian army officer told the PTI news agency.

Around 10 shells were fired during a half-hour period, but did not cause any damage or casualties to Indian troops, the officer said.

India's Border Security Force did not retaliate, he said.

The LoC is a de facto border dividing the disputed Kashmir region into two parts, one administered by India and the other by Pakistan.

Srinagar, Oct 28 : The Centre will send 452 para-military companies during the seven-phased elections in Jammu and Kashmir. 

According to Director General of Police (DGP) Kuldeep Khoda, "The Centre has given consent for the sanction of 452 additional para-military companies for security duties in connection with assembly elections in the state." 

The para-military companies, which will be sent for election duties in the state, would be drawn from the Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Reserve Police Force 
(CRPF), the Special Services Bureau (SSB), the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Rapid Action Force (RAF).