18th July 2025 Daily Current Affairs

🇮🇳 National Highlights

• IAF’s ‘Axiom‑4’ mission returns
  Group Capt Shubhanshu Shukla safely landed on Earth on 15 July after an 18‑day stint aboard the ISS. His experiments included microalgae cultivation, muscle‑cell myogenesis, space farming of moong/methi, and studies on tardigrade genetics—a landmark for India’s human spaceflight 

• Swachh Survekshan 2024‑25 awards ceremony
  In New Delhi, the President conferred 78 awards to urban bodies. Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai topped the list, with Vijayawada leading the inaugural “Super Swachh League” scores

• Green Hydrogen Summit begins in Andhra Pradesh
  CM Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated this two‑day event at SRM‑AP on 18 July, uniting IIT Tirupati, MNRE, NREDCAP, SRMIST‑TN, and key firms (NTPC, Suzlon, BPCL) to forge policy and commercial pathways for hydrogen energyIndia protests proposed US “Russian Sanctions Act”
  The U.S. bill would impose up to 500% tariffs on countries trading with Russia. India, importing ~38% of its oil from Russia, called this a case of “double standards” and reaffirmed its diversified global procurement strategy from 40 countries

🌧 Weather & Environment

• Monsoon resumes in Vidarbha
  Moderate rains returned in Nagpur and neighbouring districts after a week-long lull. IMD forecasts active monsoon conditions with thunderstorms and gusty winds through 23 July; rainfall to intensify from 21–23 July International Developments

• UK company insolvencies show signs of easing
  June 2025 saw a 16% year-on-year drop in insolvencies in England and Wales (2,043 cases), though sentiment remains cautious due to inflation and consumer uncertainty. Meanwhile, the EU rolled out fresh Russia sanctions targeting oil and finance sectors. Former President Trump criticized the Fed and advocated steep rate cuts

• Thai delegation visits Jagannath Temple, Assam
  A cultural diplomacy initiative saw Thailand’s MFA-led delegation praise the sanctity and rituals at Dibrugarh’s Jagannath Temple—representing deep Hindu–Buddhist ties

• Air‑India Dreamliner crash probe uncovers alarming revelation
  Preliminary analysis of black‑box data from the Ahmedabad‑to‑London flight suggests the captain may have intentionally cut fuel supply mid-flight. With 241 fatalities and a single survivor, the AAIB continues a delicate and cautious investigation

📈 Economy & Business

• India derivatives trading falls post-Jane Street ban
  Since the high-frequency trader Jane Street was banned by SEBI on 4 July, weekly options turnover on NSE dropped ~36% (to ₹396 billion). A similar decline is seen on BSE. Traders warn recovery may depend on fresh liquidity or increased market volatility

🎭 Arts & Culture & Sports

• New Bollywood release—Murderbaad
  Directed by Arnab Chatterjee, this romantic thriller starring Nakul Roshan Sahdev, Kanikka Kapur and Sharib Hashmi hits theatres today, 18 July

🔍 At-a-Glance Summary