CJP protest prompts rare selfie message from Modi on paper leak: Here's what PM said

• Activist Sonam Wangchuk has ended his hunger strike following a visit and negotiations with ministers representing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. • The protest, which included a "cockroach" themed demonstration, focused on demanding constitutional safeguards for Ladakh's environment and political autonomy.

• The deadlock between the CJP and the government has intensified, leading to the announcement of nationwide protests scheduled for tomorrow. • Protesters have rejected a government offer to hold talks at the health minister's residence, while authorities suspended mobile internet services around Jantar Mantar.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to punish officials responsible for widespread exam leaks, stating that those harming the future of India's youth "will not be spared." • The scandal has sparked massive protests led by the "Cockroach Janta party" (CJP), a satirical movement named after a top judge who referred to unemployed youths as "cockroaches."

• The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day during the 2026 Monsoon Session following intense protests by Opposition members. • Protesting lawmakers are demanding the immediate resignation of Minister Kiren Pradhan, though the specific cause of the grievance was not detailed.

• Justice Elena Kagan stated on Thursday that the U.S. Supreme Court is not a "rubber stamp" for President Donald Trump, despite the court's deep conservative majority. • The comments come amid a period where public trust in the Supreme Court has reached historic lows and critics have accused justices of being driven by political motivations.

• European centrist-liberal parties are shifting toward a "politics of security," increasingly supporting a more muscular state approach they previously opposed. • This strategic pivot includes backing higher defense budgets and implementing tighter controls over social media to protect European freedoms.

• The European Council on Foreign Relations proposes a "Team Enlargement" coalition consisting of ten EU member states to accelerate the accession of Ukraine and other candidate nations. • The group includes diverse interests: France, Germany, and the Netherlands focus on rule of law; Austria and Italy lead Western Balkans efforts; Poland, Lithuania, Denmark, and Sweden prioritize eastern security; and Hungary represents a complex outlier.

• NGOs, including Transparency International EU and the Corporate Europe Observatory, are challenging the European Commission's selection of Guidehouse to design the rules for its hydrogen bank subsidy scheme. • The controversy centers on whether Guidehouse maintains inappropriately close ties to the fossil fuel industry, potentially compromising the bidding and evaluation processes for qualifying projects.

• Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan asserted that the Court does not act as a "rubber stamp" for former President Donald Trump's legal and policy initiatives. • To support her claim, Kagan highlighted specific judicial rulings that rejected Trump's implementation of sweeping tariffs and his attempts to eliminate birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants.

• During a Senate subcommittee hearing on July 14, Justice Amy Coney Barrett and Justice Elena Kagan addressed concerns regarding the judiciary's ethical standards. • Senatorial questioning focused on whether the Supreme Court has implemented policies to manage the "meteoric rise" of prediction markets and the resulting ethical predicaments.

• The House of Representatives passed a series of bills focused on GOP priorities, including election security and the conflict in Iran, just before the summer recess. • In a separate legal development, a judge issued a temporary halt to an unspecified acquisition process following an antitrust lawsuit filed by 12 states.