Global roundup: self-immolation, heatwave deaths, and political tremors

A Tibetan protester's desperate act, France's deadly heatwave, and Khamenei's funeral draw world attention.

Global roundup: self-immolation, heatwave deaths, and political tremors — On July 3, 2026, 52-year-old Tibetan émigré Lobsang Rangzen set himself on fire near the UN headquarters in New York, protesting China's new law on ethnic unity. Since March 2009, over 150 people have self-immolated in protest against Chinese occupation. Rangzen's act, a lone Uber driver's desperate statement, underscores the enduring intensity of Tibetan resistance. [^1] In France, Health Minister Stéphanie Rist reported that 2,025 people died in the extreme heatwave that hit in recent weeks. The toll highlights the growing vulnerability of European populations to climate extremes. Meanwhile, Ryanair warned that the EU's new border control system (EES), launching at the height of the summer holiday season, could paralyze airports. Chief Operations Officer Neal McMahon stated that passengers 'should not be used as guinea pigs for an unprepared border system.' [^2] In Tehran, the coffin of Ali Khamenei was displayed today (Friday) ahead of a funeral procession ending on July 9 in Mashhad, where he will be buried. The event draws regional and global attention, with foreign dignitaries arriving. Amid this, Lt. Col. (res.) Amit Yagur, in a column for Maariv, analyzes the systemic crisis in Iran: an electricity deficit of 13,640 MW, official food inflation at 113.8%, and meat consumption fallen to 35 g per day. 'Tehran's militant rhetoric masks the catastrophic state of civilian infrastructure,' the dilemma notes. [^4][^5] In California, a jury convicted seven pro-Palestinian protesters of obstructing traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge during 2024 protests against the Gaza war. Defense lawyers argued that their clients acted out of 'moral responsibility,' but the most serious charge of criminal conspiracy could carry up to 15 years in prison. The verdict reflects the legal consequences of civil disobedience in support of Palestinian causes. [^6] IDF targets Hamas commander, Hezbollah sites as internal debate over force cuts simmers — On Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the IDF and Shin Bet eliminated Muhammad Naim Jandia, head of military security of Hamas's Shuja'iyya Battalion in the northern Gaza