The first ship carrying Ukrainian grain set out on Aug 1  from the port of Odesa under an internationally brokered deal to unblock the embattled country's agricultural exports and ease a growing global food crisis.

The Sierra Leone-flagged cargo ship Razoni sounded its horn as it slowly departed with over 26,000 tons of corn destined for Lebanon.

As the crude oil prices cooled down in the international market, the oil marketing companies (OMCs) slashed the jet fuel (ATF) prices by 12% to Rs 121,915.57 per kl in the national capital.  As per price notification by state-run retailers, ATF prices for domestic airlines now stand at Rs 121,915.57 in Delhi, Rs 128,425.21 in Kolkata; Rs 120,875.86 in Mumbai; and Rs 126,516.29 in Chennai. This is the third but steepest-ever reduction in rates and follows a Rs 3,084.94 per kl (2.2% ) reduction effected on July 16.

The rates of commercial LPG – the one used by hotels, restaurants and other business establishments – was reduced by Rs 36 to Rs 1,976.50 per 19-kg cylinder. This is the fourth reduction in commercial LPG rates since May. In all, prices have come down by Rs 377.50 per 19-kg cylinder.

There are 3,291 foreign companies that are active out of the 5,068 such companies registered in the country, Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh said.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, he also said the corporate affairs ministry is not considering cancelling the registration of inactive overseas companies.

The corporate affairs ministry is implementing the Companies Act, 2013. Companies operating in the country are registered under this Act.

Generally, active companies are those that are regular in making statutory filings under the Act and complying with various requirements.

He also said that there are 1,777 foreign companies that have closed their place of business in India.

Responding to a query, the minister said that registered foreign shell companies are not defined under the provisions of the Act.

Companies incorporated outside India can close their places of business in India due to reasons, such as cessation of operation of branch office/ rental agreement and expiration of validity granted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

In a separate written reply, the minister said that as of date, the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has been asked to probe 119 cases from 2017-18 onwards.

Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has informed that it has not identified any listed company that has committed corporate fraud during 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 up to June 30 this year, he added.

The minister, in another written reply, said the new version of its MCA21 portal will have a module with the capability to send notices automatically to entities for non-compliance.

The ministry holds drives for compliance with various sections of the Act from time to time wherein notices are generated on certain parameters and sent by email to the companies.

The third version of MCA21, which is mainly used to submit filings under the Act, is being launched and deployed in phases.

This includes company and LLP modules, e-adjudication, e-consultation, e-book, Learning Management and Compliance Management System driven by data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Eighth-seeded Marie Bouzkova cruised past seventh-seeded Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-3 to win the Prague Open for her first WTA title.

The 24-year-old lifted the trophy after playing in her fourth WTA final, the second this year after she lost to American Sloane Stephens in Guadalajara, Mexico in February.

The Wimbledon quarterfinalist broke Potapova seven times to win the final in one hour and 11 minutes. Bouzkova didn’t drop a set during the hard-court tournament.

The 21-year-old Potapova was also playing in her fourth final. The Russian claimed her first title in Istanbul, Turkey in April. In Prague, she eliminated top-seeded World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit 6-1, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.

Bouzkova and Potapova previously only met in qualifying for the Miami Open earlier this year with the Czech winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Australia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan have expressed interest in hosting the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, the Asian Football Confederation said

The AFC "will now work with all bidding member associations on the delivery of the necessary bidding documentation in accordance with the bidding process".

The winning bid will be announced next year and the AFC hailed the growing popularity of the tournament.

India hosted the 2022 Women's Asian Cup, which was won by China and was expanded from eight to 12 teams.

The 2026 edition "is expected to build on the solid foundations of the tournament’s celebrated legacy", the AFC said.

Q1. Name the  visiting  President of Maldives ?

1. Mohamed Nasheed
2. Mohammed Waheed Hassan
3. Abdulla Yameen
4. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
5. None of These

Q2. Which of the following country has  'India First' policy ?

1. Sri Lanka
2. Nepal
3. Maldives
4. Bhutan
5. None of These 

Q3. Name the state in which Congress  has suspended  three MLAs for anti-party activities After  they were caught with a cash in West Bengal ?

1. Chhattisgarh
2. Jharkhand
3. Assam
4. Bihar
5. None of These 

Q4. Name the senior lawyer who has  been representing Anjuman Intezamia Masajid (AIM), the management committee of Gaynvapi mosque, in ongoing litigation over Gyanvapi in Varanasi sessions and district court and who  died heart attack ?

1. Abhay Nath Yadav
2. Abhishek Khare
3. Arun Kumar Mishra
4.  Mohit Kumar
5. None of These

Q5. Name the Al-Qaeda chief  and one of the world's most wanted terrorists and a mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks who has been  killed  in a drone strike in Kabul by the  United States ?

1. Osama bin Laden
2. Adam Yahiye Gadahn
3. Saif al-Adel
4. Abdullah Yusuf Azzam
5. None of These

ANSWERS

1-----------------4   Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

2-----------------3     Maldives

3-----------------2  Jharkhand

4--------------- 1   Abhay Nath Yadav

5---------------- None of These Ayman al-Zawahiri

Parliament on  Aug 1 passed a bill which seeks to ban funding of weapons of mass destruction and also empowers the Centre to freeze, seize or attach financial assets and economic resources of people engaged in such activities.

The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022, piloted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, was passed by the Rajya Sabha with a voice vote even as opposition parties continued their protest over various issues, including the arrest of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in a money laundering case.

The bill was approved by the Lok Sabha in April.

The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, passed in 2005, only banned the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction.

Shiv Sena leader and four-time Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut has been sent to four-day custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on  Aug 1 in an alleged money-laundering case arising out of the Patra Chawl Goregaon land scam.