dome

A key aspect of the Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative is ensuring America’s ability to launch retaliatory nuclear strikes, the nominee to become the next head of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) has stressed. This comes amid particular concerns within the halls of the U.S. government about the new deterrence challenges posed by China’s ongoing push to expand the scope and scale of its nuclear capabilities dramatically.

Navy Vice Adm. Richard Correll, who is currently deputy head of STRATCOM, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week about his nomination to lead the command. Ahead of that hearing, he also submitted unclassified written answers to questions from members of the committee.

One of the questions posed to Correll asked how, if confirmed, he would expect to work with the central manager for the Golden Dome initiative, a post currently held by Space Force Gen. Mike Guetlein.

“Per Executive Order 14186, the Golden Dome for America (GDA) Direct Reporting Program Manager (DRPM) is responsible to ‘deliver a next-generation missile defense shield to defend its citizens and critical infrastructure against any foreign aerial attack on the U.S. homeland and guarantees a second-strike capability.’ If confirmed, I look forward to working with the GDA DRPM to ensure missile defense is effective against the developing and increasingly complex missile threats, to guarantee second-strike capability, and to strengthen strategic deterrence,” Correll wrote in response.

In deterrence parlance, a second-strike capability refers to a country’s credible ability to respond in kind to hostile nuclear attacks. This is considered essential to dissuading opponents from thinking they might be able to secure victory through even a massive opening salvo.

Helping to ensure America’s second-strike nuclear deterrent capability, as well as aiding in the defense specifically against enemy “countervalue” attacks, has been central to the plan for Golden Dome, which was originally called Iron Dome, since it was first announced in January. Countervalue nuclear strikes are ones expressly aimed at population centers, as opposed to counterforce strikes directed at military targets.

“Since the United States withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002 and initiated development of limited homeland missile defense, official United States homeland missile defense policy has remained only to stay ahead of rogue-nation threats and accidental or unauthorized missile launches,” President Donald Trump wrote in his executive order on the new missile defense initiative in January. “Over the past 40 years, rather than lessening, the threat from next-generation strategic weapons has become more intense and complex with the development by peer and near-peer adversaries of next-generation delivery systems and their own homeland integrated air and missile defense capabilities.”

How exactly Golden Dome factors into the second strike equation is not entirely clear. The U.S. nuclear triad currently consists of nuclear-capable B-2 and B-52 bombers, silo-based Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), and Ohio class nuclear submarines loaded with Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles. At present, the Ohio class submarines provide the core of America’s second-strike capability, but are not directly threatened by the kinds of weapons that Golden Dome is meant to shield against while they are out on their regular deterrent patrols.

At the same time, there might be scenarios in which U.S. officials are concerned that the Ohios may no longer be entirely sufficient. A massive first strike that renders the air and ground legs of the triad moot, and also targets ballistic missile submarines still in port, would certainly put immense pressure on deployed submarines to carry out adequate retaliatory strikes with the warheads available to them. If multiple countries are involved, those demands would only be magnified. Threats to the submarines at sea, including ones we may not know about, as well as enemy missile defenses, something China has also been particularly active in developing, would also have to be factored in. Concerns about the potential destruction or compromise of nuclear command and control nodes, including through physical attacks or non-kinetic ones like cyber intrusions, would affect the overall calculus, too. Altogether, ensuring greater survivability of the other legs of the triad, where Golden Dome would be more relevant, might now be viewed as necessary.

Regardless, as noted, concerns about China’s ongoing nuclear build-up and the policy shifts that come along with it have been particularly significant factors in U.S. discussions about missile defense and deterrence in recent years. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) just offered the first public look at elements of all three legs of its still very new strategic nuclear triad at a massive military parade in Beijing in September. In recent years, U.S. officials have been outspoken about massive assessed increases in Chinese nuclear warheads and delivery systems. This includes the construction of vast arrays of nuclear silos for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), as well as the development and fielding of more and more advanced road-mobile ICBMs. China is now fielding air-launched nuclear-capable ballistic missiles and is growing the size and capabilities of its fleet of nuclear ballistic missile submarines, as well. Experts have also highlighted how China’s growing nuclear capabilities could point to plans for countervalue targeting.

“China’s ambitious expansion, modernization, and diversification of its nuclear forces has heightened the need for a fully modernized, flexible, full-spectrum strategic deterrence force. China remains focused on developing capabilities to dissuade, deter, or defeat third-party intervention in the Indo-Pacific region,” Correll wrote in response to a separate question ahead of his confirmation hearing last week. “We should continue to revise our plans and operations including integrating nuclear and non-nuclear capabilities in all domains across the spectrum of conflict. This will convey to China that the United States will not be deterred from defending our interests or those of our allies and partners, and should deterrence fail, having a combat ready force to achieve the President’s objectives.”

Correll’s written responses also highlighted concerns about Russia’s nuclear modernization efforts and growing nuclear threats presented by North Korea. He also touched on the current U.S. government position that there has been a worrisome increase in coordination between China, Russia, and North Korea, which presents additional challenges that extend beyond nuclear weapons.

“The Russian Federation continues to modernize and diversify its arsenal, further complicating deterrence. Regional actors, such as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) present additional threats,” he wrote. “More than nuclear, China and Russia maintain strategic non-nuclear capabilities that can cause catastrophic destruction. The major challenge facing USSTRATCOM is not just addressing each of these threat actors individually but addressing them comprehensively should their alignment result in coordinated aggression.”

It is important to stress that significant questions have been raised about the Golden Dome plans, including the feasibility of key elements, such as space-based anti-missile interceptors, and the immense costs expected to be involved. When any new operational Golden Dome capabilities might begin to enter service very much remains to be seen. Guetlein, the officer now in charge of the initiative, has described it as being “on the magnitude of the Manhattan Project,” which produced the very first nuclear weapons. 

There is also the question of whether work on Golden Dome might exacerbate the exact nuclear deterrence imbalances it is supposed to help address. In his written responses to the questions ahead of his confirmation hearing, Correll acknowledged the impact that U.S. missile defense developments over the past two decades have already had on China’s nuclear arsenal and deterrence policies.

“China believes these new capabilities offset existing U.S. and allies missile defense systems,” he wrote. This, in turn, “may affect their nuclear strike calculus, especially if state survival is at risk.”

Russian officials also regularly highlight countering U.S. missile defenses as a key driver behind their country’s efforts to expand and evolve its nuclear arsenal. Just last week, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin claimed that new tests of the Burevestnik cruise missile and the Poseidon torpedo, both of which are nuclear-powered and intended to be nuclear-armed, had been successfully carried out. The development of both of those weapons has been influenced by a desire to obviate missile defenses.

In terms of global nuclear deterrence policies, there is now the additional wrinkle of the possibility of the United States resuming critical-level weapons testing. Trump announced a still largely unclear shift in U.S. policy in this regard last week. The U.S. Department of Energy has pushed back on the potential for new tests involving the detonation of actual nuclear devices, but Trump has also talked about a need to match work being done by Russia and China. You can read more about the prospect of new full-up U.S. nuclear weapon testing here.

The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is…

— Commentary: Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 30, 2025

American authorities have accused Russia in the past of violating its obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) with very low-yield tests and criticized China for a lack of transparency around its testing activities. Russian authorities say they are now looking into what it would take to resume open critical-level nuclear testing in response to Trump’s comments.

North Korea is the only country to have openly conducted critical-level nuclear tests in the 21st century, and there are fears now it could be gearing up for another one. It should be noted that the United States and other nuclear powers regularly conduct nuclear weapon testing that does not involve critical-level detonations.

For now, as underscored by Correll’s responses to the questions posed ahead of his recent confirmation hearing, concerns about the assuredness of America’s nuclear second-strike capability remain a key factor in the push ahead with Golden Dome.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Out of sheer darkness, the Batman logo was emblazoned across the 86-foot-wide screen and dazzled my young eyes.

From Hollywood, I was instantly whisked away to Gotham City. The iconic DC comic book came to life and the booming thuds of the Caped Crusader smashing a pair of common thieves was real.

These were my first vivid memories of watching a movie in the larger-than-life Cinerama Dome on Sunset Boulevard, and being amazed by the screen’s size and the sense of being transported into another galaxy.

But the dome is magical on the outside, as well as the inside. The concrete geodesic dome is made up of 316 individual hexagonal and pentagonal shapes in 16 sizes. Like Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, it’s a structure that has become a Hollywood landmark.

The Dome represented a special place for me, until it became just another of the dozens of businesses in L.A. that never returned after pandemic closures in 2020.

Ever since, there have been rumblings that the Dome would eventually reopen. Although nothing is definitive, my colleague Tracy Brown offered a bit of hope in a recent article.

What’s the latest

Dome Center LLC, the company that owns the property along Sunset Boulevard near Vine Street, filed an application Oct. 28 for a conditional-use permit to sell alcohol for on-site consumption at the Cinerama Dome Theater and adjoining multiplex. The application doesn’t mention an reopening date or any details about movie screenings returning to the dome but suggests that a reopening may be in the works.

Elizabeth Peterson-Gower of Place Weavers Inc., said Dome Center is seeking a new permit that would “allow for the continued sale and dispensing of a full line of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption in conjunction with the existing Cinerama Dome Theater, 14 auditoriums within the Arclight Cinemas Theater Complex, and restaurant/cafe with two outdoor dining terraces from 7:00 am – 4:00 am, daily,” according to the application filed by the company’s representative.

This would would be a renewal of the current 10-year permit, which expires Nov. 5.

The findings document filed with the City Planning Department also mentions that “when the theater reopens, it will bring additional jobs to Hollywood and reactivate the adjacent streets, increasing safety and once again bringing vibrancy to the surrounding area.”

A representative for Dome Center LLC did not respond immediately Friday to a request for comment.

What happened to the Dome?

The Cinerama Dome opened in 1963 and had been closed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Since the closing, the news about the future of the theater has been ambiguous.

In April, 2021, the owner of Pacific Theatres and ArcLight Cinemas announced they would not reopen the beloved theater even after the pandemic ended. But then, in December, sources told The Times that plans were in the works to reopen the Cinerama Dome and the attached theater complex.

In 2022, news that the property owners obtained a liquor license for the renamed “Cinerama Hollywood” fueled hope among the L.A. film-loving community’s that the venue was still on track to return.

But the Cinerama Dome’s doors have remained closed.

Signs of life

At a public hearing regarding the adjacent Blue Note Jazz Club in June, Peterson-Gower reportedly indicated that although there were not yet any definitive plans, the property owners had reached out to her to next discuss the future of the Cinerama Dome.

Perhaps this new permit application is a sign plans are finally coming together.

After the kind of year Los Angeles has endured — with devastating fires and demoralizing immigration raids — it would certainly bolster the spirits of all Angelenos to have another local landmark reopen its doors to welcome movie-loving patrons like me.

Today’s top stories

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks as he stands with First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom during an election night news conference at a Democratic Party office in Sacramento on Nov. 4, 2025.

(Godofredo A. Vásquez / Associated Press)

Voters approve Prop. 50

After World Series celebration, ICE and Border Patrol gather at Dodger Stadium once again

• Dozens of federal immigration agents were seen staging in a Dodger Stadium parking lot Tuesday morning, a day after the team returned home to celebrate its back-to-back championships with thousands of Angelenos.
• Videos shared with The Times and on TikTok show agents in unmarked vehicles, donning green vests and equipped with white zip ties in parking lot 13.
• Five months ago, protests erupted outside the stadium gates when federal immigration used the parking lot as a processing site for people who had been arrested in a nearby immigration raid.

Sen. Alex Padilla says he won’t run for California governor

• “It is with a full heart and even more commitment than ever that I am choosing to not run for governor of California next year,” Padilla told reporters outside his Senate office in Washington.
• Padilla instead said he will focus on countering President Trump’s agenda in Congress, where Democrats are currently in the minority in both the House and Senate, but hope to regain some political clout after the 2026 midterm elections.

What else is going on

Commentary and opinions

This morning’s must-read

For your downtime

A view of landscaping at the home of Susan Gottleib and her Gottleib Native Garden in Beverly Hills.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Going out

Staying in

A question for you: What’s the best hiking trail in SoCal?

Alexandra writes: “Sullivan Canyon, for sure.”

Rochelle writes: “Can’t ever go wrong in Griffith Park, but for overall exercise, killer views, artifacts, and entertainment without wearing yourself out, my hiking partner and I like the Solstice Canyon Loop in Malibu, 3.4 miles. The most popular hike in the canyon, for good reason!”

Email us at [email protected], and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.

And finally … your photo of the day

Joe Rinaudo hopes to host tours and educational opportunities at his home theater and museum through a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving photoplayers.

(Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times)

Today’s great photo is from Times photographer Jason Armond at the home of Joe Rinaudo, the foremost expert on photoplayers, who is preserving the soundtrack to a bygone movie era.

Have a great day, from the Essential California team

Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters

How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to [email protected]. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.

Will Cinerama Dome ever reopen? Maybe.

Dome Center LLC, the company that owns the property along Sunset Boulevard upon which the iconic movie venue stands, filed an application for a conditional-use permit to sell alcohol for on-site consumption at the Cinerama Dome Theater and adjoined multiplex Tuesday.

According to the application filed by the company’s representative, Elizabeth Peterson-Gower of Place Weavers Inc., Dome Center is seeking a new permit that would “allow for the continued sale and dispensing of a full line of alcoholic beverages for on-site consumption in conjunction with the existing Cinerama Dome Theater, 14 auditoriums within the Arclight Cinemas Theater Complex, and restaurant/cafe with two outdoor dining terraces from 7:00 am – 4:00 am, daily.” This would be a renewal of the current 10-year permit, which expires Nov. 5.

The findings document filed with the City Planning Department also mentions that “when the theater reopens, it will bring additional jobs to Hollywood and reactivate the adjacent streets, increasing safety and once again bringing vibrancy to the surrounding area.” No timetable for this reopening was indicated.

A representative for Dome Center LLC did not respond immediately Friday to a request for comment.

The Cinerama Dome, which first opened in 1963, has been closed since it was shut down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. After it was announced in April 2021 that the beloved theater would remained closed even after the pandemic, it was revealed in December of that year that there were plans for the Cinerama Dome and the attached theater complex to eventually reopen.

In 2022, news that the property owners obtained a liquor license for the renamed “Cinerama Hollywood” fueled the L.A. film-loving community’s hope that the venue was still on track to return. But the Cinerama Dome’s doors have remained closed.

At a public hearing regarding the adjacent Blue Note Jazz Club in June, Peterson reportedly indicated that while there were not yet any definitive plans, the property owners had reached out to her to discuss the Cinerama Dome next. Perhaps this new permit application is a sign plans are finally coming together.

BRITAIN must ramp up missile defences – like Israel’s Iron Dome – or risk its nuclear bases being obliterated in the first hours of a war with Russia.

Moscow would target RAF jets and Royal Navy nuclear submarines if it launched a surprise attack, a report by the Rusi think tank has warned.

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A pre-emptive strike could “cripple” Britain’s nuclear deterrent and conventional military power – as most of the UK’s best weapons are “concentrated on just a few sites”.

The report warned a single Russian Yasen-class submarine could launch 40 cruise missiles from the Norwegian Sea with “relatively low warning”.

Yet the UK lacks both the radars to detect them “skimming over the sea” – or the weapons to shoot them down.

The report’s author Sidharth Kaushal said the immediate threat comes from sub-sonic Russian cruise missiles which can be launched from planes and submarines.

By 2035 the main risk will come from intermediate range ballistic missiles, like the Oreshnik blasted at Ukraine last year.

By 2040 the UK will need to defend against “hypersonic glide vehicles” which can travel at 20 times the speed of sound.

He also warned short range drones could be smuggled close to targets and launched from sea containers – like Ukraine’s Operation Spiders Web – or launched by Spetznaz special forces.

Kaushal said calls for a British Iron Dome were warranted by Russia’s focus on “long-range conventional precision strike” weapons.

He said: “The initial priority is the expansion of its capacity for the defence of critical military installations against what is primarily a cruise missile threat.”

The report urged Keir Starmer to buy space based sensors and long range radars that can see 3000km away, the equivalent of Lands End to Moscow.

He said “long-range precision strikes” was central to Kremlin military doctrine.

He said: “The destruction of aircraft on the ground is particularly salient. The destruction of nuclear attack submarines that carry submarine-launched cruise missiles is also described as a priority.”

Russian targets would likely the Royal Navy Bases at Devonport and Clyde and RAF Marham in Norfolk, where the nuclear capable fleet of F-35 stealth jets is based.

It comes after RAF war games showed Britain would be overwhelmed if it faced a Russian missile attack like the first night of the war in Ukraine.

Air Commodore Blythe Crawford said: “It was not a pretty picture.”

The drills suggested bases would be blown to smithereens and £100 million fighter jets could get blitzed before they could hide.

Air Cdre Crawford, who was head the RAF’s Air and Space Warfare Centre at the time, said it showed the UK “home base” was no longer safe.

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The drills used a £36 million wargaming system to test the UK’s responses to “hundreds of different types of munitions” attacking from multiple different directions.

It exposed multiple vulnerabilities including a chronic shortage of airfields and a lack of hardened shelters for protect and hide jets on the ground.

The government sold off scores of airfields and watered-down the RAF’s powers to commandeer civilian runways.

The Armed Forces rely on RAF Typhoons, which scramble from RAF Lossiemouth, to shoot down incoming drones and cruise missiles.

The only British missiles that could intercept Russian ballistic missiles are based onboard the Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers.

Air Cdr Crawford warned Britain had got lax by standing at the edge of Europe and “feeling as though the rest of the continent stood between us and the enemy”.

He said: “Ukraine has made us all sit up.” The government announced last week it was buying six more launchers to for its Sky Sabre air defence systems.

The weapons, used by the Royal Artillery, can shoot down targets the size of a tennis ball at two times the speed of sound.

Aug. 27 (UPI) — NATO member Turkey has deployed its newly developed “Steel Dome” air defense system on Wednesday amid heightened regional conflicts involving aerial warfare.

Turkish defense contractor Aselsan began developing the system a year ago in August to support the nation’s effort to deploy a multi-layered air defense system that is similar to Israel’s Iron Dome, i24 News reported.

“Today, we are providing our army with the Steel Dome system, consisting of 47 vehicles worth $460 million,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

The Steel Dome “will inspire confidence in friends and fear in enemies,” Erdogan added.

The mobile air defense system is designed to detect and destroy incoming aerial threats and highlight Turkey’s ability to design and produce advanced defensive systems.

The Steel Dome combines sea- and land-based defense platforms and radar systems within a single network to detect and intercept aerial weapons systems.

“Unless a country can develop its own radar and air defense system, it cannot look to its future with confidence,” Erdogan said.

The Turkish president also announced the nation is investing $1.5 billion to build a defensive technology base that is Turkey’s single largest investment in its national defense capabilities.

He said its first phase should be active by mid-2026, and the project will make Turkey a “global player in defense systems.”

The U.S. Senate last month confirmed Space Force Gen. Mike Guetlein at the United States’ overseer of its planned $175 billion Golden Dome air defense system.

The system would be designed to detect and intercept long-range missiles and might be deployed before President Donald Trump completes his second term in the White House.

Plans shared with defence contractors also show a new missile field in the American Midwest, according to report.

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has circulated plans for its $175bn “Golden Dome” missile defence system, revealing a possible new missile field in the Midwest and details of the project’s plans to shoot down missiles in space, the Reuters news agency reports.

According to a series of slides, titled “Go Fast, Think Big!”, presented to some 3,000 defence contractors in Huntsville, Alabama, last week, Reuters says that plans for the Golden Dome include three layers of missile interceptors, radar arrays and lasers, in addition to its space-based defences.

While the presentation highlighted that the US “has built both interceptors and re-entry vehicles” for space-based missile interception before, the plans also acknowledged that the US has never built a vehicle that can handle the heat of reentry while targeting an enemy missile, according to Reuters.

Trump has estimated his Golden Dome could cost $175bn.

So far, Congress has appropriated $25bn for the system in the president’s tax and spending bill passed in July. Another $45.3bn is earmarked for the Golden Dome in Trump’s 2026 presidential budget request.

“They have a lot of money, but they don’t have a target of what it costs yet,” a US official cited by Reuters said.

Plans for the dome included a map showing that a new large-scale missile field, with systems built by Lockheed Martin, could be located in the US Midwest, Reuters reported.

The site would be in addition to two similar missile fields that already exist in southern California and Alaska.

Lockheed Martin has described the Gold Dome as “a defence system that shields America from aerial threats, hypersonic missiles and drone swarms with unmatched speed and accuracy”.

“Thanks to President Trump’s vision, Golden Dome will make this a reality, securing our future,” Lockheed Martin wrote in a post on social media in March.

Reuters said the slides did not include any references to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which was part of a bid for Golden Dome contracts, alongside the software maker Palantir and defence systems manufacturer Anduril.

Trump campaigned on building “a missile defence shield around our country,” in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election. At an earlier campaign event in July 2024, Trump compared his plans with Israel’s Iron Dome.

The Iron Dome is Israel’s missile defence system, which detects an incoming rocket, determines its path and intercepts it. The system was developed with more than $1bn in funding from the US.

Days after taking office on January 27, Trump signed an executive order to “immediately begin the construction of a state-of-the-art Iron Dome missile defence shield, which will be able to protect Americans”.

Although Trump secured $25bn for the system in his tax and spending bill, which also included significant cuts to federal funding for other programmes, including Medicaid, the project still faces a significant funding shortfall.

Trump suggested in May that the shortfall could be partly made up by Canada paying $61bn towards the project.

The BIG3 basketball atmosphere is one of a West Coast summer-style block party — quite literally — bursting with frenetic hip-hop energy brought straight to the hardwood.

At the center is legendary rapper and Hollywood A-lister Ice Cube, who, between games, stands before a BIG3-branded backdrop in the bowels of the Intuit Dome, greeting families and flashing Westside hand signs as cameras click.

“It takes a village; all these people have honed their skills to be the best,” Ice Cube, the league’s co-owner and founder, said of the atmosphere.

Rooted in the streetball tradition of three-on-three hoops played on neighborhood blacktops, the league rolled out its Summer in the City tour — a day-long showcase with eight teams vying for a $1-million championship.

Anthony Anderson, left, and Cedric the Entertainer work as sideline reporters during Big3 games at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Saturday.

(Chapman Baehler / Big3)

Not shy on production value, the event offers an unusually intimate setting — players mingling casually around the concourse, almost like an AAU tournament. Or comedic stars Anthony Anderson and Cedric the Entertainer serving as guest sideline reporters, greeting every fan who stops by with a quick hello.

But for the South-Central–born rapper, whose league has toured the country, Saturday’s showcase in Inglewood marked the first time his hometown crowd could watch one of the BIG3’s newest — and first privately owned — franchises, the LA Riot, play live.

A franchise namesake born from L.A.’s history of tumultuous racial unrest — evoking memories of the 1992 Rodney King riots — also symbolizes a movement, rebellion and cultural takeover, just as Ice Cube envisioned.

“It was a dream come true, not too far from where I grew up,” Ice Cube said. “So to have a league like this, right at the house, is just beautiful.”

After seven years of unaffiliated teams, the BIG3 shifted to a city-based model to cultivate loyal fan bases and sell franchises to local owners. Using L.A. as the blueprint — with a $10-million price tag — the hope is to bring long-term stability to the league.

“We’re going to these eight cities every year,” Ice Cube said. “We can plan long term, hopefully grow the league to other cities, [who] want to get in on the act.”

Since 2017, part of that stability has been built on the backs of veteran players — athletes well past their NBA primes and no longer chasing NBA contracts. Among them is newly elected Naismith Hall of Famer Dwight Howard, alongside names like Joe Johnson, Michael Beasley, and Lance Stephenson.

Howard, a member of the 2020 Lakers championship team, made a highly anticipated return to the city where he played three seasons across three separate stints. With his signing, he has become the face of the Riot, committing to play his final season of professional basketball with the club.

Ice Cube’s Big3 three-on-three basketball league took over the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Saturday.

(Chapman Baehler / Big3)

“It’s our first year, we’re just getting started,” Howard said. “We’re looking forward to keeping it going. Obviously, the first year is always a little difficult — trying to get to know each other — but we’re doing a great job.”

Howard has dabbled in ownership ventures, investing $7 million to purchase the WNBA Atlanta Dream — a deal that later turned out to be a scam — and joining the Asian Tournament, an international league, as a co-owner and player for the Taiwan Mustangs.

In his first Big3 season, Howard has witnessed how well the league connects with its fans, a connection he believes will be key to its long-term success.

Christopher Thomas, 35, a lifelong Angeleno who brought his daughter and best friend to Saturday’s Big3 games, was rocking a No. 12 Howard Riot jersey. Thomas left the arena converted after initially scoring free tickets through his job.

“I have to admit, I never heard of the BIG3,” Thomas said. “Now I’m leaving as a Riot fan, especially with my boy Dwight Howard on the team.”

For Thomas, the draw went beyond basketball. It was the atmosphere, constant energy between games and novelty the league offered. The experience was “something new, something different,” he said — the kind that will have him back in the stands when the BIG3 returns to town.

Making headway in localized markets, Howard — who has played overseas several times throughout his career — says the league can also tap into those international markets with smart decisions and profitability.

“Oh, international,” Howard said. “BIG3 international is what we’re looking for.”

On the globalization front, the league is planning exhibitions in Australia and Asia, which Ice Cube hopes will come to fruition soon.

For now, though, the focus remains on expanding and privatizing within the U.S., beyond L.A., Houston, Detroit and Miami. The BIG3 also aims to grow beyond its current eight-team format by securing investors for four city-based teams, and then aims for further expansion down the line.

“We got some smart people who are buying teams, people who can help us grow the league,” Ice Cube said. “Not just sign a check, but to help us be innovative. Help us with sponsors. We want owners who are active.”

While expansion plans continue to be discussed behind closed doors, the league’s public focus remains on its fast, physical and unpredictable style — all of which was on full display as the action at the Intuit Dome wound down.

The Riot’s matchup against the Boston Ball Hogs came down to the wire with a playoff berth on the line. Clawing back from a 48-45 deficit, the Riot unleashed desperate four-point shots and dove for loose balls galore.

Eventually taking the lead, the Riot-friendly crowd spilled from its seats into the walkways surrounding the court, watching with bated breath as Jordan Crawford drained a walk-off three-pointer to seal a 52-48 victory.

“At the end of the day, I can only do so much to get people hyped up,” Ice Cube said of the appeal of the Big3. “The basketball has to be pure.”

AVP, the biggest and longest-running professional volleyball league, hosted beach volleyball matches for the first time in an NBA arena this past weekend.

Hosted at the Intuit Dome, crews were tasked with bringing 300 tons of sand from a quarry in Palm Springs, which is roughly 16 truck loads. AVP is looking for creative ways to attract a new audiences to the sport, often hosting their marquee volleyball events in unconventional locations.

Timelapse of Intuit Dome transforming into an indoor beach vollyball court. (Kelvin Kuo / Los Angeles Times)

A wooden sandbox was constructed to contain the prewashed sand and form a single court.

It took the crew, which consists of about 150 people for a change over a typical event at Intuit Dome, five hours after the conclusion of the event to ready the arena for Clippers season ticket-holders the following day.

The former “King of the Beach” kept his crown tucked away Saturday night.

Clad in denim jeans and a plain white shirt, Sinjin Smith hovered on the sidelines of the sand.

When Hagen Smith — the son and spitting image of Sinjin — sailed a serve too far, Sinjin craned his neck back and clenched his jaws.

“On the court, he tells me to serve short, and I never listen,” Hagen said.

And when Hagen — a UCLA alum like his father — uncorked a spike that thudded into the sand untouched, Sinjin’s arm sliced the air as a grin stretched across his face and his applause echoed.

“I wasn’t disguising anything,” Sinjin said.

Anonymity didn’t stand a chance as Sinjin watched Hagen and Logan Webber locked in a razor-edged three-setter against the Palm Beach Passion that twice spilled past regulation.

But as Sinjin rode every rally, Hagen and Webber eked out a narrow victory, going 13-15, 18-16 and 18-16. The L.A. men’s duo remains undefeated through five weeks of AVP play, helping offset the L.A. Launch female duo’s first loss of the year earlier Saturday. Their combined records will determine whether they win the AVP League regular season crown.

L.A. Launch’s Hagen Smith spikes the ball as Logan Webber watches during their win over Palm Beach Passion’s Phil Dalhausser and Trevor Crabb at the Intuit Dome on Saturday.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

Two dozen years removed from his final outing on the sand, Sinjin carved his career on the chaos of close calls. But Friday, with his son trading kills in a battle that felt like it refused to end, Sinjin was dodging heart attacks.

As the crowd learned in, Sinjin leaned back.

“It’s nerve wracking to watch him — you couldn’t get a better match for the fans, but I hated it,” Sinjin said. “I want to win in two and go home.”

While Sinjin might’ve winced through every extra-point rally, Hagen soaked it all in — steady under pressure.. He may be “trying his best to live up to” his father, but to hear Sinjin tell it, Hagen had already surpassed the myth.

Sinjin Smith competes in the AVP Santa Barbara Open on 18 Aug. 18, 2001, in Santa Barbara.

(Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“He’s an unbelievable resource to me. I’ll ask him at like, midnight, ‘Hey, can you come out in the morning and coach me?’ He’s there,” Hagen said of Sinjin. “I’ve modeled my game after him, through and through. If I can be as anything like him as a player, I’m honored.”

Sinjin marveled at Hagen with the awe of a fan.

“He’s his own person. He’s playing for himself, trust me,” Sinjin said. “He may be wanting to prove something to me, I don’t know, but he’s done so much more than I ever expected. He’s so fun to watch — the fact that he’s my son, that’s just icing on the cake.”

Sinjin, the UCLA and International Volleyball Hall of Famer, tapped his temple twice when asked where he and his son aligned on the sand. The resemblance, he said, lives in the mind — because Hagen’s style has taken on its own shape, forged far from his father’s shadow.

“He jumps and he’s powerful and he moves in the sand,” Sinjin said. “I did everything pretty well, which was my strength, but he really excels in — for one, attacking the ball, he hits the ball harder and more explosively when he attacks than I ever was.”

For as long as Hagen could remember, Pauley Pavilion was the lighthouse in the distance — the promised land of his childhood dreams. And when he finally walked into the arena, his eyes fixed to a familiar face.

There was Sinjin, featured on the walls around the Bruins’ home.

“Getting to see that, it’s like, ‘Ah, this is home to me. I’ve got dad helping me out, I’ve got dad watching over me. Luckily I got to wear his number that was retired and that felt awesome,” said Hagen, who wore his father’s No. 22 jersey in college.

Sinjin played under Al Scates — the architect of UCLA’s volleyball dynasty and the winningest coach in NCAA men’s volleyball history. Under Scates and his 19 national titles, winning was the annual expectation.

And under Scates’ tutelage, Sinjin bookended his career with national glory, and flooded his cabinets with individual accolades — two All-American recognitions, a Most Outstanding Player distinction at the 1979 national championship and a stalwart of the historic undefeated 1979 squad.

L.A. Launch’s Hagen Smith, left, and Logan Webber, right, celebrate with L.A. Launch teammate Terese Cannon after Smith and Webber beat Palm Beach Passion’s Phil Dalhausser and Trevor Crabb during AVP League play at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood Saturday.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

“[Scates] was the best coach of all time in the United States,” Sinjin said. “Al had a knack for picking players that had more than just a physical game. They had a mental game as well. … There’s so many of them that Al trained and went on to be the best of the very best in either beach or indoors.”

Decades later, Hagen was coached by Scates’ protege John Speraw.

After rattling off the names of former teammates and sand-side partners, Sinjin paused, seemingly struck by a pattern he couldn’t ignore: “God,” he said, “there’s a lot of UCLA legends going around.”

Two of those share the same last name.

“[Sinjin] tried to get me into tennis,” Hagen said, “and I was like, ‘Dad, I just want to play volleyball. I just want to be like you.’”

Other AVP results

In other AVP action Saturday, Palm Beach Passion’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson handed L.A. Launch’s Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft their first loss, winning 12-15, 15-6, 15-10.

San Diego Smash’s Devon Newberry and Geena Urango defeated Miami Mayhem’s Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw 15-10, 15-11.

And San Diego Smash’s Chase Budinger and Miles Evans beat Miami Mayhem’s Chaim Schalk and James Shaw 11-15, 15-11, 15-13.

Devon Newberry is closing in on two years as a professional beach volleyball player. Yet for the last 731 days, “professional” has always felt like an elusive label.

The former UCLA standout is accustomed to life as a beach volleyball player — hauling her equipment on the beach, tugging her bag across the uneven sand while weaving through sunbathers and surfboards. She’s used to hearing provisional bleachers creak under sunscreen-slathered fans as music buzzes through nearby portable speakers.

There’s charm in that chaos. But it’s nothing like the entrance Newberry made Friday at the Intuit Dome.

Above her, the sweeping halo scoreboard glowed, flashing beneath the thump of blasting pop anthems. Around her, where NBA chants once echoed, beach volleyball fans cheered. And strangest of all, tons of sand created a faux indoor shoreline.

After two years chasing it, Newberry found her label.

“I walked into the Intuit Dome today and I was like, ‘I feel like a professional athlete walking in,’” Newberry said. “I haven’t felt like that as a beach player. There’s very rare moments when you’re like, ‘Wow, I am really a professional athlete.’ And when I was going underground here and looking all around me, I was like, ‘I really am a professional athlete.’ And that’s because we’re playing at the Intuit Dome.”

In what began as a head-scratcher for the players themselves, 300 tons of sand were poured into the Intuit Dome, turning the Clippers’ arena into a pop-up beach — where the L.A. Launch kept their perfect run afloat for the start of AVP League Week 5.

The Launch struck first and last — with Megan Kraft and Terese Cannon opening with a win, and Hagen Smith and Logan Webber closing it out — both pairs dismantling the San Diego Smash. Sandwiched between those victories, Palm Beach Passion’s men’s and women’s teams both made quick work of the Miami Mayhem.

The moment Newberry described — descending into an NBA arena re-imagined as a sand-strewn battleground — was the AVP’s moonshot: to re-imagine the sport in lights, not solely sunlight.

“Playing in such an amazing place, brand new building, with everything going on, with the new building around here, it’s really cool,” said 2016 Olympian Chaim Schalk. “To get to play at such an iconic arena is an honor.”

Logan Webber of the L.A. Launch spikes over Chase Budinger of the San Diego Smash at the Intuit Dome on Friday night.

(Joe Scarnici / Getty Images)

Beach volleyball rarely has ventured beyond its coastal roots. But at the Intuit Dome, the sport embraced a new direction.

“This shows that beach volleyball is growing and it’s trying to adapt to the world we live in, finding a new way for fans to interact with the players, and new ways for the sport to be exciting,” said Chase Budinger, a former NBA player who became a beach volleyball player. “This will get more people in the stands because it’s so new and so different.”

In place of sun-worshiping fans camped out on makeshift bleachers, parents lounged on cushioned seats as kids nestled beside them balancing chicken wings and pizzas on their laps.

The sport welcomed a combination of newcomers hunting for Friday night entertainment and AVP devotees.

“There’s so many people who love beach volleyball, and so many people who would love beach volleyball if they were just given the opportunity to go watch,” Newberry said. “And not everybody can make it out.”

Change comes with tradeoffs. With no wind, the court became something of a power chamber — the compact sand lending itself to higher and cleaner jumps, the still air enabling blistering serves and monstrous spikes that might have drifted wide on the beach.

Rallies became quicker and tighter. The margin for error shrank, tightening the grip on the crowd.

“For a lot of people watching beach volleyball for the first time, it’s really hard to conceptualize how wind, how deep the sand is, might affect play,” Newberry said. “So it feels like more of an even playing field which allows everybody to watch really entertaining volleyball.”

By re-imagining the boundaries of where its sport can potentially thrive, the AVP might have sketched out a novel blueprint for other sports.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if other sports follow and start expanding their ideas of where they could play,” said Olympic silver medalist Brandie Wilkerson. “I’m excited to see where this is going to go and see other sports try to catch up.”

AVP, the biggest and longest-running professional volleyball league, will play matches in an NBA arena for the first time this weekend in Inglewood.

A crew picked up 16 dump truck loads from a quarry in Palm Springs, delivering 300 tons of sand into the Intuit Dome for AVP League matches on Friday and Saturday.

The crew constructed a wooden sandbox barrier to protect the arena floor. The sand, pre-washed and compacted upon arrival, was dumped into an 18-inch wooden frame, with elements such as hospitality added to help remove debris from the air.

A worker prepares sand at the Intuit Dome ahead of an AVP tournament.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“If all goes well, it’s about a six- to eight-hour build from start to finish with the court,” said Logan Dan, head of operations for AVP Professional Beach Volleyball Tours. “It takes about six hours to build the court specifically.”

Once the event concludes, the crew dismantles the frame and removes the sand using equipment that looks like a modified small tractor.

“We break the box open and use a skid steer with a box broom attachment — it sweeps up a lot of the sand,” Dan said.

Although indoor beach volleyball is unusual, the AVP’s new league model — introduced last year — has made it possible to bring tournaments to unconventional venues. The league is investing in creative ways to grow accessibility and exposure.

1

2

3

1. One of many trucks makes its way through the Intuit Dome to deliver sand in preparation of an AVP league event. 2. Workers slowly cover the floor of the Intuit Dome with sand. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

“What that has allowed us to do is to bring volleyball into different areas that it might not be,” Dan said. “For instance, we’re going to New York next week, and we’ll be putting a court in Central Park, right in Wollman Rink, where they normally have ice skating in the winter and pickleball in the summer.”

Conditions for beach volleyball differ significantly between outdoor and indoor play. Sun, wind and heat heavily influence outdodor players’ performance and court dynamics. Indoors, the environment remains cooler and still, free from elements such as whipping winds or scorching sun.

“It’s so close and loud and intimate that it creates that very cool environment,” Logan said.

AVP declined to disclose what it costs to build courts in unconventional locations such as the Intuit Dome.

Logan said AVP staff hope fans will enjoy a fun, family-oriented community environment that features more seats close to the action than a typical beach volleyball court.

Workers cover the floor of the Intuit Dome with sand ahead of an AVP league event.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The schedule

AVP League matches start Friday at 5 p.m. with the L.A. Launch playing the San Diego Smash in the first match.

Doors open Saturday at 4 p.m., with the Palm Beach Passion playing the L.A. Launch during the first match.

Tickets started at $43.50 apiece.

What’s at stake

The AVP League format differs from traditional tournaments. A men’s duo and women’s duo represent a city and their combined records determine position in league standings. At the end of league play, one of eight cities will be crowned the AVP League champion. The playoffs feature a postseason tournament seeded based on each duo’s record during the season. The tournament splits into male and female competition groups, with the winning duo in each group earning the top prize.

The top two teams in the league standings are the L.A. Launch and the Palm Beach Passion. L.A. Launch is undefeated, while Palm Beach Passion is 6–2.

Who is playing in Inglewood?

Four of the league’s eight city teams will be represented. The lineup includes numerous Olympians, USC alums and a former NBA player.

No. 1 L.A. Launch
Men: Hagen Smith and Logan Webber | Women: Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft

No. 2 Palm Beach
Men: Trevor Crabb and Phil Dalhausser | Women: Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson

No. 6 San Diego Smash
Men: Chase Budinger and Miles Evans | Women: Abby Van Winkle and Geena Urango

No. 8 Miami Mayhem
Men: Chaim Schalk and James Shaw | Women: Kelly Cheng and Molly Shaw

Fears of exceptional heat as Foreign Office updates advice amid wildfire concerns for British tourists

The South of Europe is bracing for a Heat Dome, which is predicted to extend its reach to Greece, bringing with it heatwave conditions from Sunday, July 6, 2025.

Early reports suggest that this heatwave will be relatively short-lived, but temperatures are expected to soar to a sweltering 42 or even 43 degrees Celsius next week.

Wednesday, July 9, is set to be the toughest day, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. In some areas, such as Halkida in Evia, the mercury will hit 42 degrees Celsius.

Following a brief respite with cooler than average temperatures, the heat is set to return with a vengeance, as a five-day heatwave is forecasted, with high temperatures lingering for several days.

However, relief is in sight, with a significant drop in temperatures expected from Thursday, July 10 Keep Talking Greece reported.

Open TV’s meteorologist Klearhos Marousakis predicts a sharp rise in temperature from Monday to Thursday, July 7-11, due to a westerly current entering Greece, acting as a windbreak for the eastern mainland. He forecasts peak temperatures of 40 to 42 degrees Celsius around Tuesday and Wednesday next week.

From Saturday, July 5, temperatures will gradually begin to climb as the meltemi (summer northern winds) depart the area and the pressure difference decreases. The very dry wind levels are expected to persist until Friday, July 5.

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The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice – with concerns rising about an outbreak of wildfires in the dry country. It said: “There is a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October. Ensure that your mobile phone is registered to receive emergency alerts to be warned of wildfires near your location.

“Wildfires are highly dangerous and unpredictable. The situation can change quickly.”

To avoid starting wildfires:

• leave no litter, especially not glass which is known to start fires
• make sure cigarettes are properly extinguished
• do not light barbecues

Causing a wildfire or a forest fire is a criminal offence in Greece – even if unintentional. If you see a fire, call the emergency services on 112.

Be cautious if you are in or near an area affected by wildfires:

• follow @112Greece for official updates
• follow the guidance of the emergency services
• call the Greek emergency services on 112 if you are in immediate danger
• contact your airline or travel operator who can assist you with return travel to the UK

Meanwhile, Europe experienced its first major heatwave of the summer this week, with Barcelona recording its hottest June in over a century and Paris reaching scorching temperatures.

The iconic Eiffel Tower was shut to visitors due to the heatwave. Health warnings were issued in several countries as the extreme heat persisted.

Samantha Burgess, from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, stated that the unusually hot weather “is exposing millions of Europeans to high heat stress”, with temperatures more akin to those usually seen in July and August.

Barcelona’s Fabra Observatory reported a record-breaking average temperature of 26C for last month, the highest since records began in 1914.

The Observatory also noted a single-day high of 37.9C for June recorded on Monday. Barcelona typically avoids Spain’s most intense heat due to its location between hills and the Mediterranean Sea.

Ramon Pascual, a representative for Spain’s weather service in Barcelona, told the Associated Press that the “very intense heatwave” is undeniably linked to global warming.

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Mr Pascual pointed out that the rising sea temperatures are not helping those living in the Mediterranean region, as they significantly reduce any cooling effects from nearby bodies of water.

Spain’s weather service reported that recent surface temperatures for the Mediterranean near the Balearic Islands are 5-6C above average.

Spain’s national average for June was 23.6C, which is 0.8C hotter than the previous hottest June in 2017.

Madrid was expected to hit a sweltering 39C.

In Paris, temperatures were predicted to reach a staggering 40C. The national weather agency, Meteo-France, placed several departments under the highest red alert.

Over 1,300 schools were either partially or fully closed due to the heat.

Visitors to the Eiffel Tower without tickets were left disappointed as the landmark closed due to the extreme heat.

Visitors were advised to delay their plans as the summit was temporarily shut down until Thursday for “everyone’s comfort and safety”.

Climate specialists are sounding the alarm, predicting that future summers could outdo all previous records, with scorching highs over 40C becoming an annual occurrence by the century’s end.

Italy’s health ministry has reported a heatwave gripping 17 out of its 27 key cities.

Florence felt the brunt of the heat on Tuesday, with mercury hitting 38C, leading to a city centre blackout due to a surge in power usage. Energy giant Enel confirmed that power was swiftly restored thanks to emergency systems.

Tragedy struck near Bologna where a 46 year old construction firm boss succumbed while working on a school car park, with state broadcaster RAI attributing his collapse to the intense heat, pending autopsy results.

In Soest, Netherlands, local fire services announced they’d be joining a water gun battle with a real fire hose, teasing on social media: “Bring your water pistol and swimming clothes with you, because you’re guaranteed to get soaked!”.

Portugal’s meteorological authority confirmed a record-breaking high for June in mainland Portugal, with Mora, west of Lisbon, scalding at 46.6C on June 29.

Meanwhile, Turkey’s firefighters are battling blazes for the third day running, leading to the evacuation of around 50,000 people.

Health and wildfire warnings have been issued by holiday hotspots across the Continent and also in the UK, as a ferocious weather front moves up from Africa and threatens life

Brits braving the Continent in the coming weeks should brace themselves for absolutely roasting temperatures.

Temperatures were tipped to reach a ferocious 42°C in Spain and Portugal this weekend, and are likely to edge even higher today. Road surfaces are beginning to melt in Italy, while Greece has been plagued by wildfires sweeping across the holiday islands in recent days.

The heat dome hanging over Europe is no laughing matter, with one tourist already having lost their life to heatstroke in Majorca. The roasting-hot front has blown up from Africa and looks poised to push thermometers even higher.

It’s unlikely the heat will relent anytime soon, thanks to the heat dome currently hanging over Europe. The meteorological phenomenon occurs when a high-pressure ridge traps a thick layer of warm air in one region, acting like a lid on a pot.

While a little sun, sea and sand might sound tempting, such high temperatures can be very dangerous.

Have you been impacted by the extreme heat? Email [email protected]

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The region around Seville in southern Spain was forecast to reach 42°C through the weekend, while the French Mediterranean coast pushed 40°C on Saturday, with similar temperatures in southern Italy and Sardinia. Highs in London could hit 35°C on Monday, potentially making it the hottest June day on record in the country.

In Spain, today is expected to be the hottest day of a heat wave that began on Saturday and set a record for June in the country, with 46 degrees in El Granado in the south of the country. The arrival of a warm, dry mass of Saharan origin is exacerbating the rise in temperatures to “abnormally high and persistent levels, both day and night, which could pose a risk to people,” the State Meteorological Agency warned.

UK health authorities have issued an amber heat alert for Tuesday covering London, the East Midlands, South East, South West and East of England. The UK Health Security Agency has warned that scorching temperatures could pose a risk to children, older people, and those with medical vulnerabilities.

It warns of “a rise in deaths, particularly among those ages 65 and over or with health conditions. There may also be impacts on younger age groups.”

The heat also increases the likelihood of intense storms. France and Germany have been hammered by ferocious rain, hailstorms and flooding, leaving three people dead. Among them was a child who was crushed to death by a falling tree.

Amber heat warnings have been issued for many parts of Spain, with similar warnings in place for four departments in the south of France. In Spain, weather expert Nacho Espinos has urged people to remain indoors and avoid strenuous exercise.

A double alert has been issued in the Canary Islands due to extreme temperatures, with warnings affecting four of the islands. Weather experts say thermometers could reach 37C. On Gran Canaria, warnings have been issued for the rising risk of forest fires and the health dangers of high heat.

In part due to the high heat there, Greece has borne the brunt of the wildfires in Europe so far this summer, with serious blazes breaking out in several areas.

A fierce blaze ripped through the area south of Athens on Thursday, leading to evacuation orders and forcing officials to shut off sections of the vital coastal route from the Greek capital to Sounion, home of the historic Temple of Poseidon and a key draw for visitors.

In France, firefighters were mobilised to tackle early summer fires as 84 of the country’s 101 administrative areas were put on a heatwave alert from today until midweek.

Extreme heat can be deadly. In 2023, 61,000 people died because of Europe’s record-breaking heatwave. William Spencer, climate and first aid product manager at the British Red Cross, said: “Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and getting worse because of climate change.

“Sadly, we have seen cases already this year of the tragic impact high temperatures can have on human life. High temperatures make it harder for the body to cool itself and we all need to take care to manage the health risks of heat. If you are travelling to a country experiencing extreme heat, there are several steps you can take to keep yourself and others safe.”

Temperatures have started rising rapidly, just as a new early warning system has come into force. Forecaster.health is the first pan-European, publicly available platform that predicts the actual mortality risks of temperatures for different demographics. Those planning a holiday who are concerned about the heat can use it to check how much of a risk to their health they are taking.

If you are heading on holiday in the coming weeks, make sure you know the forecasted weather so you can prepare suitably.

Wildfires have broken out in several European countries loved by British holidaymakers, with Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Turkey and France all impacted as a powerful heatwaves roasts the Continent

Wildfires have broken out across Europe as the Continent battles with ferociously hot temperatures.

The mercury could reach a ferocious 47°C in Spain this weekend, while road surfaces are beginning to melt in Italy. Those in France, Portugal, Turkey and Greece are also struggling to deal with stifling, brutally hot days and nights.

As well as the heat being a danger to the health of locals and holidaymakers alike, with one tourist already having lost their life to heatstroke in Majorca, the risk of wildfires is sky high in countries across Europe, and have already broken out in several.

It’s unlikely the heat will relent anytime soon, thanks to the heat dome currently hanging over Europe. The meteorological phenomenon occurs when a high-pressure ridge traps a thick layer of warm air in one region, acting like a lid on a pot.

The impact of human-driven climate change has only made the risk of such heatwaves worse.

Have you been impacted by the heatwave? Email [email protected]

Greece

Greece has borne the brunt of the wildfires in Europe so far this summer, with serious blazes breaking out in several areas.

A fierce blaze ripped through the area south of Athens on Thursday, leading to evacuation orders and forcing officials to shut off sections of the vital coastal route from the Greek capital to Sounion — home of the historic Temple of Poseidon and a key draw for visitors.

As a dozen aircraft and helicopters swooped in to combat the blaze from above, they supported a ground operation of 130 firefighters and their volunteer counterparts near Palaia Fokaia, on the outskirts of Athens.

The coast guard announced that two patrol boats and nine private vessels were on standby in the Palaia Fokaia area, ready for a potential sea evacuation. Fire department spokesperson Vassilis Vathrakogiannis revealed that 40 individuals had been evacuated by police, while evacuation orders were issued for five areas in total.

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The wider Athens area, along with several Aegean islands, is currently on Level 4 of a 5-level scale for wildfire risk due to weather conditions, with the heatwave predicted to persist until the weekend.

Earlier this week, it took hundreds of firefighters four days to control a significant wildfire on the eastern Aegean island of Chios. Over a dozen evacuation orders were issued for Chios, where the flames consumed forests and farmland.

Wildfires are a common occurrence in Greece during its sweltering, arid summers. In 2018, a colossal fire engulfed the coastal town of Mati, east of Athens, trapping residents in their homes and on escape routes. The disaster claimed over 100 lives, including some who tragically drowned while attempting to swim away from the inferno.

Spain

So far, wildfires have been limited in Spain, but the threat is rising as the country braces for seriously high temperatures over the coming days. The mercury could reach a ferocious 47°C in Spain this weekend.

On Thursday, a forest fire broke out in the Talavera de la Reina region, creating a column of smoke visible from the city. A total of 10 vehicles — two of them aerial — and 38 personnel were called in to put it out.

The Canary Islands government has issued a warning for Gran Canaria starting this Saturday due to high temperatures across the entire island. There is a risk of forest fires at altitudes above 400 metres.

Temperatures in Gran Canaria are expected to exceed 34°C this weekend and will likely approach 37°C, with strong winds increasing the danger. The Canary Islands government is urging the public to avoid lighting fires — even in barbecues or recreational areas — and to avoid using tools or machinery that could produce sparks, such as chainsaws, brush cutters, or welders.

A pre-alert for heat has been issued for the rest of the archipelago, with temperatures expected to be around 30–34°C (86–93°F) on El Hierro, La Gomera, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura, as well as on the eastern, southern, and western slopes of Tenerife, and 26–32°C (79–90°F) on the northern coast of Gran Canaria.

Portugal

Wildfires are serious business in Portugal.

Last year, there were 6,267 individual wildfires recorded, with 16 people losing their lives as a result. In total, 137,000 hectares were destroyed — an area four times larger than the previous year. So far this year, 22 people have been arrested for arson, according to Público.

The total financial loss last year in Portugal — including materials, biomass for energy, fruits, and stored carbon — reached around 67 million euros and affected 2.36 million cubic metres of wood.

While last year was, hopefully, an outlier in terms of wildfire severity, with temperatures nudging 40°C in parts of Portugal this weekend, blazes are likely.

Italy

The boot-shaped country is also facing the risk of wildfires this weekend, with unrelenting sunshine and highs nudging 40°C in the south.

Today, two fires broke out near Rome and in Dragoncello. Flames and smoke rose up, threatening to engulf several properties.

Turkey

Wildfires broke out in eight provinces in Turkey on a single day this week. Most were in western provinces — areas where many Europeans travel on holiday.

All fires were brought under control after coordinated air and ground efforts. According to the General Directorate of Forestry, five of the fires began in rural areas and later spread to nearby forests. “Fifty percent of wildfires start in agricultural zones. Small acts of negligence can lead to major disasters,” the authority warned, urging the public not to “set our future on fire.”

One of the most dangerous blazes broke out in the Osmangazi district of the northwestern province of Bursa. Fueled by strong winds, the flames quickly spread from forested areas to nearby residential zones.

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France

France has yet to be hit by major wildfires this year, but firefighters are on high alert this weekend.

The Bouches-du-Rhône is on orange alert, and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Vaucluse are on yellow alert due to the intense heat expected to persist into the weekend. Strong winds may make matters more difficult to control if a blaze does break out.

According to La Provence, the “risk of major fires is high.”

Let me know if you’d like this shortened or rewritten for publication (e.g., news website, print, or social media).

Trump’s latest comments come as China, North Korea, Russia say the Golden Dome missile defence system will create ‘space arms race’.

United States President Donald Trump says he has told Canada it will have to pay $61bn to be part of his proposed Gold Dome missile defence system “if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation”.

In a post on TruthSocial, Trump claimed Canada “very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System” and would gain free access if it joins with the US.

Participating in the proposed defence system would cost Canada “ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State”, Trump said, adding, “They are considering the offer!”

Trump’s post came just hours after Canada’s parliament hosted the UK’s King Charles III for a rare royal speech in which the monarch emphasised Canada’s sovereignty in “dangerous and uncertain” times, and amid the US president’s exhortations for the country to become part of the US.

Following the king’s speech, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told Canadian Public broadcaster CBC that he hopes Canada will join ReArm Europe by July 1, in an effort to reduce dependence on the US for weapons.

Canada did not immediately respond to Trump’s latest comment, but Carney has previously confirmed his country has held “high-level” talks on the defence system issue with the US.

Funding, timeline uncertain

In total, Trump has claimed the Golden Dome system will cost some $175bn and would be completed by the end of his current term in 2029, although defence industry experts have questioned the feasibility of this timeline and budget.

Trump is hoping to secure an initial $25bn funding for the system through the sweeping “Big, Beautiful Bill” which is next to go up for a vote in the Senate after narrowly passing the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives last week.

The bill boosts spending on the military and border enforcement while cutting funding for social programmes, including Medicaid and food assistance that helped tens of millions of low-income Americans.

The Golden Dome is modelled after Israel’s Iron Dome, which also receives significant funding from the US, including $500m per year for its upkeep.

It is unclear how Trump would scale up the Iron Dome to cover the entire US, since Israel is only about the size of New Jersey, one of the smaller states in the US.

The Iron Dome is also designed to target short-range missiles, with a range of 1,000km (about 620 miles), while the main threat to the US would likely come from long-range ballistic and hypersonic missiles.

Golden Dome will create ‘space arms race’

China, North Korea and Russia have all criticised Trump’s plan to put weapons in space, which the US president described in detail for the first time last week.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs swiftly responded, with spokeswoman Mao Ning saying the plan “heightens the risk of space becoming a battlefield, fuels an arms race, and undermines international security”.

“The United States puts its own interests first and is obsessed with seeking its own absolute security, which violates the principle that no country’s security should come at the expense of others,” Mao Ning said.

North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also responded, saying the US is “hell-bent on the moves to militarise outer space”.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that the Golden Dome project undermines the foundations of “strategic stability” as it involves the creation of a global missile defence system.

According to Russia’s state news agency TASS, Zakharova said developing the Golden Dome would also lead to development of the “means of pre-launch missile destruction and infrastructure that ensures their use”.

“This is already a literal manifestation of the US’s highly dangerous doctrinal course toward delivering so-called preventive, but essentially first strikes,” she said, warning it would turn space into a “weaponised environment” and an “arena of armed confrontation”.

US President Donald Trump announces his latest defence plan: The Golden Dome.

Estimated at a cost of $175bn, it is designed to shoot down advanced missiles headed towards the United States.

Using both ground and space to detect incoming projectiles, it will far surpass a similar system used in Israel known as the Iron Dome.

But critics say it could prove ineffective and upset the balance of world power.

So, might the scheme lead to the militarisation of space and threaten the global order?

And could there be other motives behind Trump’s announcement?

Presenter:

Elizabeth Puranam

Guests:

Michael O’Hanlon, Senior fellow and director of research in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution

Youngshik Bong, Research fellow at the Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies

Marina Miron, Post-doctoral researcher at the war studies department at King’s College London

United States President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he has selected a $175bn design for the multilayered Golden Dome missile defence programme aimed at countering aerial threats “even if they are launched from space”.

As part of the project, the US would deploy missile interceptors in space to shield against ballistic and hypersonic threats.

Here is more about the Golden Dome project.

What did Trump announce?

Trump on Tuesday announced $25bn initial funding for the project that will cost $175bn and be completed by the end of his current term in 2029.

“Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they are launched from space,” Trump said.

“This is very important for the success and even survival of our country.”

Trump also announced that US Space Force General Michael Guetlein would be the lead programme manager, responsible for overseeing the project’s progress.

“I promised the American people that I would build a cutting-edge missile defence shield to protect our homeland from the threat of foreign missile attack,” said Trump.

Trump additionally announced: “Canada has called us, and they want to be a part of it. So we’ll be talking to them.”

What is the Golden Dome project?

Trump said the Golden Dome was made to take down “hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles and advanced cruise missiles”, adding that the programme would have space-based interceptors and sensors.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, speaking alongside Trump, said the system is aimed at protecting “the homeland from cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles, drones, whether they’re conventional or nuclear”.

The announcement comes just months after January 27, when Trump signed an executive order to “immediately begin the construction of a state-of-the-art Iron Dome missile defence shield, which will be able to protect Americans”.

The Iron Dome is Israel’s missile defence system which detects an incoming rocket, determines its path, and intercepts it. The development of the system was funded by a grant from the US.

Trump said existing defence capabilities will be used in the construction of the project, and predicted the total cost would be about $175bn.

The White House has not yet released further details about the project. While Trump said the system would be developed in the US, he has not named which companies will be involved.

A space-based defence system was first envisaged by Ronald Reagan, the Republican US president from 1981 to 1989. Amidst the Cold War, Reagan proposed a barrier to nuclear weapons that included space-based technology, as part of his Strategic Defense Initiative, or Star Wars project.

“We will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago, forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland,” Trump said on Tuesday.

Is the Golden Dome plan feasible?

Industry experts have questioned the timeline and budget of the plan.

Funding for the Golden Dome has not yet been secured. At Tuesday’s news conference, Trump confirmed that he was seeking $25bn for the system in a tax cut bill currently moving through Congress, although that sum could be cut amid ongoing negotiations.

Additionally, some variation is expected in the total cost of the project. The Associated Press quoted an unnamed government official as saying Trump had been given three versions of the plan, described as “medium,” “high”, and “extra high”. These versions correspond to the number of satellites, sensors and interceptors that will be placed in space. AP reported that Trump picked the “high” version, which has an initial cost ranging between $30bn and $100bn.

“The new data point is the $175 billion, but the question remains, over what period of time. It’s probably 10 years,” Tom Karako, a senior fellow with the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told the Reuters news agency.

On May 1, 42 Democratic members of the US Congress signed a letter questioning the possible involvement of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is among the top technology companies seeking to build key components of the Golden Dome.

“If Mr Musk were to exercise improper influence over the Golden Dome contract, it would be another example of a disturbing pattern of Mr Musk flouting conflict of interest rules,” the letter says.

How did China and Russia – the US’s biggest rivals – react?

The US sees a growing threat from China and Russia, its main adversaries.

Over the past decades, China has greatly advanced its ballistic and hypersonic missile technology, while Moscow boasts one of the most advanced intercontinental-range missile systems in the world. Russia and the US have amassed the largest arsenals of nuclear warheads worldwide.

The threat of drones has also grown amid advancements in technology.

China denounced the Golden Dome as a threat to international security and accused the US of prompting an arms race.

“The United States puts its own interests first and is obsessed with seeking its own absolute security, which violates the principle that no country’s security should come at the expense of others,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular briefing.

“(The plan) heightens the risk of space becoming a battlefield, fuels an arms race, and undermines international security,” he said.

The Kremlin said the Golden Dome missile shield plan was a “sovereign matter” for the US.

“This is a sovereign matter for the United States. If the United States believes that there is a missile threat, then of course it will develop a missile defence system,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, including AFP, on Wednesday.

“That is what all countries do,” he added.

“Of course, in the foreseeable future, the course of events will require the resumption of contacts to restore strategic stability,” he said.

Washington, DC – United States President Donald Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have laid out their clearest plan yet for the “Golden Dome” missile defence programme, which would include putting weapons in space for the first time.

Speaking from the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he had “officially selected an architecture” for the system, designed to take down “hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles and advanced cruise missiles”.

“I promised the American people that I would build a cutting-edge missile defence shield to protect our homeland from the threat of foreign missile attack,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

The Golden Dome system, he added, would include “space-based sensors and interceptors”.

“ Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world and even if they’re launched from space,” Trump continued. “We will have the best system ever built.”

The announcement comes just less than four months after Trump signed an executive order kicking off the programme’s development. General Michael Guetlein – who currently serves as the vice chief of space operations at Space Force, a branch of the US military – is slated to manage the programme.

Speaking at the event, Hegseth hailed the plan as a “game changer” and a “generational investment in security of America and Americans”.

The White House did not immediately release further details about the missile defence system, and the Pentagon is reportedly still working out its capabilities and requirements.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated earlier this month that the space-based components of the Golden Dome alone could cost as much as $542bn over the next 20 years.

It noted that a high number of sensors and interceptors would be needed for a space-based system to be effective, particularly as foreign militaries like North Korea’s grow more sophisticated.

But on Tuesday, Trump outlined a much lower price tag and timeline.

“It should be fully operational before the end of my term. So, we’ll have it done in about three years,” Trump said.

He estimated the total cost to add up to about $175bn, adding that he planned to use existing defence capabilities to build the system.

But the funding for the programme has so far not been secured. At Tuesday’s news conference, Trump confirmed that he was seeking $25bn for the system in a tax cut bill currently moving through Congress, although that sum could be cut amid ongoing negotiations.

There is likely to be some variation in the total cost of the project. The Associated Press news agency, for example, cited an unnamed government official as saying that Trump had been given three versions of the plan, described as “medium”, “high” and “extra high”.

Those tiers corresponded to how many satellites, sensors and interceptors would be put in space as part of the programme. The news agency reported that Trump chose the “high” version, which has an initial cost ranging between $30bn and $100bn.

Questions over viability

As he explained his plans for the Golden Dome on Tuesday, Trump cited several inspirations, including Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defence system, which is funded in part by the US.

He also pointed to the work of a fellow Republican, the late President Ronald Reagan, who served in the White House during the Cold War in the 1980s.

As part of his Strategic Defense Initiative in 1983, Reagan had proposed a barrier to nuclear weapons that included space-based technology.

“ We will truly be completing the job that President Reagan started 40 years ago, forever ending the missile threat to the American homeland,” Trump said.

But questions have persisted over the viability of a space-based defence system, its price, and whether it could ignite a new arms race.

Democrats have also questioned the possible involvement of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is a frontrunner among the technology companies seeking to build key components of the system.

A group of 42 Democratic lawmakers have called for a probe into Musk’s role in the bidding process, pointing to his position as a special adviser to Trump and his substantial campaign donations to the president.

“If Mr. Musk were to exercise improper influence over the Golden Dome contract, it would be another example
of a disturbing pattern of Mr. Musk flouting conflict of interest rules,” the Democrats wrote in a letter, calling for the probe.

On Tuesday, Trump did not directly respond to a question about which companies would be involved in the Golden Dome. Instead, he highlighted that the system would boost industries in states like Alaska, Indiana, Florida and Georgia.

He added, “Canada has called us, and they want to be a part of it. So we’ll be talking to them.”