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US diplomat Nina Fedoroff, science and technology adviser to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, arrived in the national capital late Monday. She is here on an official visit.

Fedoroff made it to New Delhi just in time for the much-awaited decision on the commercial release of Bt Brinjal, expected Tuesday evening.

In the past, she has often urged Indian industry to boost research and development for transgenic crops like Bt Brinjal.

The genetically modified version of the vegetable has been developed by US-based firm Monsanto and India-based Mahyco.

The US embassy and the environment ministry denied that Fedoroff’s visit had anything to do with the decision on Bt Brinjal.

“She arrived here last night. There are no appointments scheduled with the environment minister,” a US embassy official told IANS.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh also confirmed to IANS that he had not met Fedoroff Tuesday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday opposed the decision of the West Bengal government to provide 10 per cent quota in government jobs for Muslims under the backward class category.

“This is a decision taken with an eye to next year’s assembly elections. Politics of appeasement is central to the politics of the Left and Congress,” BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy told IANS here.

He said the decision will meet the same fate as the Andhra Pradesh law providing four percent reservation in government jobs and educational institutions to 15 socially and educationally backward classes among Muslims.

“I feel the decision of West Bengal government will meet the same fate as the religion-based law of Andhra Pradesh that has been quashed by the state high court,” Rudy said, adding that such a decision will be in the interest of the country.

He said that BJP does not favour religion-based reservation policy.

The Left government in West Bengal Monday announced 10 per cent reservation in government jobs for other backward classes among Muslims. But in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh High Court quashed a state law providing four per cent jobs to certain identified backward classes among Muslims.

A benchmark index of Indian equities Tuesday shut shop 94 points higher than its last close to close above the 16,000-mark.

The 30-scrip sensitive index (Sensex) of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 15,940.73 points, closed at 16,029.95 points (provisional), up 94.34 points or 0.59 percent from its previous close at 15,935.61 points.

At the National Stock Exchange (NSE), the broader 50-share S&P CNX Nifty ended at 4,786.45 points, against the previous close at 4,760.4 points, a gain of 0.55 percent or 26.05 points.

Broader markets also ended in the green with the BSE midcap index closing 0.43 percent up and the BSE small cap index 0.39 percent higher

The oil price of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) continued falling at the start of the week, the cartel announced Tuesday.

OPEC-produced oil slid to $68.86 per barrel (159 litres) on Monday, down $0.85 from the previous trading day.

The group’s 12 member countries pump over a third of the world’s crude oil.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nitin Gadkari was elected unopposed as the party’s national president for a term of three years here Tuesday.

He was announced winner by the party’s general secretary Thawarchand Gehlot after the organisational elections held here Tuesday.

“A total of 18 nominations were received from 18 states – all in favour of Gadkari. He had filed the nomination papers in December,” said a party functionary.

The 53-year-old leader succeeds Rajnath Singh. His election will be ratified at BJP’s national executive meeting at Indore later this month.

Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh and M. Venkaiah Naidu were also present on the occasion.

Shiv Sena activists Tuesday attacked several places that will screen Shah Rukh Khan’s “My Name Is Khan”, barely an hour after Mumbai Police assured full security at the 63 cinemas and multiplexes that will showcase the movie.

Sena mobs attacked and damaged the booking windows of the Mehul Theatre in Mulund and staged noisy protests outside Shreyas Theatre in Ghatkopar, both in the suburbs, officials said.

Groups of Sena activists were also seen protesting and shouting slogans in Kanjurmarg, Bandra, Khar and other parts of the city even as police promised tough measures to prevent any untoward incident during the release of the film directed by Karan Johan and also starring Kajol.

While 12 Sena activists were nabbed from Mulund, 24 were detained in Ghatkopar and Kanjurmarg in connection with the protests.

Earlier in the afternoon, director Karan Johar had called on Police Commissioner D. Shivanandhan and returned satisfied by the police security promised for the movie.

Joint Police Commissioner (Law and Order) Himanshu Roy said anybody attempting to disrupt the film in any manner would be dealt with “very firmly”.

“We shall also frisk and search suspicious persons coming to view the movie to prevent any untoward incidents inside the cinema auditorium,” Roy told a packed news conference.

The Sena violence came a few days after the party had unofficially dissociated itself from banning the movie release in the city.

However, on Tuesday, senior party leader and former Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi reiterated in Nagpur that Shah Rukh must apologise for his remarks advocating the cause of Pakistani cricketers participating in the Indian Premier League.

His much awaited film is slated for a global release this Friday, including 63 cinemas and multiplexes in Mumbai and another 250 across the state.

Jennifer Aniston has jetted down to Los Cabos, Mexico, with her “Friends” co-star Courteney Cox to bring in her 41 birthday in style. But there wasn’t so much as a crumb of birthday cake in evidence.

Aniston will turn 41 Thursday.

The two have pulled on their exercise gear for another gruelling work-out. Thesun.co.uk reports, their healthy lifestyles are obviously paying dividends on the physical front, with both 40-plus actresses displaying bodies most 20-somethings strive to achieve.

The twosome were spotted sun-lounging at their private pool at the weekend.

Following is the scoreboard at tea on the fourth day of the first cricket Test between India and South Africa here Tuesday.

South Africa first innings: 558/6 declared

India First innings: 233 all out

India second innings (following on, Overnight 66/2):

Gautam Gambhir b Morkel 1

Virender Sehwag c Smith b Steyn 16

Murali Vijay c Morkel b Harris 32

Sachin Tendulkar b Harris 100

Subramaniam Badrinath c Boucher b Parnell 6

Mahendra Singh Dhoni c de Villiers b Harris 25

Wriddhiman Saha batting 4

Harbhajan Singh batting 11

Extras (b 14, lb 6, w 6, nb 2) 28

Total (for six wickets in 79 overs) 223

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Gambhir, 1.2 overs), 2-24 (Sehwag, 4.4), 3-96 (Vijay, 31.2), 4-122 (Badrinath, 41.3), 5-192 (Tendulkar, 67.2), 6-209 (Dhoni, 75.6)

Bowling:

Dale Steyn 13-0-46-1

Morne Morkel 16-5-44-1

Wayne Parnell 11-2-47-1

Paul Harris 29-15-45-3

Jacques Kallis 9-2-16-0

Jean Paul Duminy 1-0-5-0

Umpires: Steve Davis (Australia) and Ian Gould (England)

TV umpire: Amiesh Saheba (India)

Match referee: Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)

South Africa were just four wickets away from a crushing victory against India in the first cricket Test here Tuesday.

At tea on the fourth day, India were 223 for six in their second innings with Test debutant Wriddhiman Saha (4) and Harbhajan Singh (11) at the crease. India, following on after being bowled out for 233 in the first innings, trail by 102 runs.

South Africa had declared their first innings at 558 for six.

Sachin Tendulkar was out after scoring 100 while Mahendra Singh Dhoni was dismissed for 25.

Left arm spinner Paul Harris (3-45) accounted for both the batsmen, breaking the 107-run stand and with it hopes of India’s fightback.

Tendulkar, who stood resolutely in the morning session, was out trying to play a sweep shot, the ball brushed his pad and fell onto the stumps. He played 179 balls hitting 13 fours.

Dhoni, who played 112-balls for his 25, stroking three fours, got an inside edge and was caught at silly point by AB de Villiers.

In fact, it was clear in the morning session that Harris will play an important role as he was getting a vicious turn from the rough outside the leg stump.

Before lunch, Harris got the wicket of Murali Vijay (32) who top edged a sweep to fine leg to be caught by Morne Morkel.

Subramaniam Badrinath, who had struck a solid 56 in the first innings, was the next to go as he edged one behind to wicket-keeper Mark Boucher off left-handed seamer Wayne Parnell.

The Shiv Sena again hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi Tuesday, this time for referring to Mumbai as Bombay in a speech before students during his four-hour trip here last week.

Rahul Gandhi, who challenged the Shiv Sena in its own turf by his hugely successful visit in which he travelled by local trains, had mentioned Bombay several times in his opening remarks at a speech in Bhaidas Hall, according to the videotapes of the function telecast on some television channels.

By doing so, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said in Tuesday’s issue of Saamna, Rahul Gandhi had sought to rub salt and deprive Maharashtrians their right over Mumbai.

“Those people who want to break off Mumbai from Maharashtra always refer to the city as Bombay,” Thackeray said in the edit.

He added that Rahul Gandhi could say this only because he was given protection by over 22,000 policemen on his trip, his footwear picked up by Minister of State for Home Ramesh Bagwe and Chief Minister Ashok Chavan doing the duty of a sentry.

“After all this, Rahul blatantly lied that only 10-15 people opposed his trip, the rest of Mumbai was supporting him,” he pointed out, adding that scores of Shiv Sainiks were detained the night before Rahul Gandhi’s arrival and over 500 nabbed for showing him black flags during the trip.

“What kind of macho (mardangi) he displayed by moving around the city surrounded by a posse of armed commandoes?” demanded Thackeray.

The edit said that Congress needs security for its meetings and funerals.

Rahul Gandhi’s trip would prove to be the last journey of the Congress – for which it would again need police protection, he said.

Thackeray 84, had last year as well hit out at the Congress general secretary for his statements on the role of north Indians in protecting Mumbai during the 26/11 terror attacks.

He said: “It seems that since Rahul won’t grow any further physically, he has now grown horns and wisdom teeth to make such statements.

“Despite advancing age, if a person does not get married, he becomes frustrated, even Rahul seems to be a victim of this disease and makes stupid remarks,” Thackeray said, lashing out at the 39-year-old Congress general secretary.