'Will stay alive until July 20': Sonam Wangchuk vows he will come back as a ghost instead if the Parliament march doesn't succeed - The Economic Times

• The European Commission released a new report praising the Hungarian government for making significant progress on sweeping rule of law reforms. • Despite the progress, the EU warned that the election process for the prosecutor general and the prosecution service's structure still risk "undue political interference."

• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is demanding a refund of migration-related fines imposed by the European Union. • Orbán argues that the EU's position has shifted, noting that other member states are now adopting border policies similar to those of Hungary.

• Engineer-turned-activist Sonam Wangchuk has led a hunger strike for 21 days to protest in Ladakh, supported by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). • The movement has gained significant traction among Gen-Z protesters, evolving into a massive social media trend on Instagram despite lacking a traditional political structure.

• Activist Sonam Wangchuk has announced he will end his indefinite hunger strike on July 20. • The decision comes as his fast entered its 20th day, with the conclusion tied to his participation in a planned march to Parliament.

• Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa joined protests at Freedom Park in central Bengaluru on Friday to oppose the Bidadi Township Project. • The event marks a significant political shift, as Yediyurappa has not publicly participated in an agitation of this scale since retiring from electoral politics in 2022.

• Sonam Wangchuk initiated a hunger strike to support the CJP protest, shifting the movement from online mobilization to a high-visibility national campaign. • Wangchuk's involvement provided the protest with significant moral authority, drawing widespread attention to the group's core grievances.

• Activist Sonam Wangchuk is calling for public support for a planned march to Parliament on July 20 to protest examination irregularities. • Wangchuk's health has significantly deteriorated following a prolonged hunger strike aimed at demanding systemic reforms in the education and examination process.

• Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced on July 17, 2026, that the DHS will penalize states that refuse to cooperate with a new federal election security program. • States that do not participate may be deprived of federal funding used to run elections, and individual state officials could be held accountable.

• Stock markets in Tokyo and Taipei plummeted over 6% on July 17 amid a significant rout in the technology sector. • Geopolitical tensions rose as Pyongyang threatened escalation, while Hong Kong conducted sedition arrests and a racist Chinese video sparked anger in the Philippines.

• Former President Donald Trump has revived claims of election fraud, specifically alleging that China interfered in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. • These assertions contradict a 2021 U.S. intelligence assessment and declassified documents, which found no evidence that foreign actors altered technical election aspects or could manipulate voting systems at scale.

• A joint parliamentary committee (JPC) has decided to defer the adoption of its draft report regarding the 130th Amendment Bill, which concerns the removal of prime ministers and chief ministers. • The decision occurred on Friday while the panel was in the process of voting on five specific recommendations included in the draft report.