The two other Britons who lost their lives have previously been named as theatre director Kayleigh Smith, 36, and her partner Will Nelson, a 44-year-old lecturer at Manchester’s Arden School of Theatre.
Image: Kayleigh Smith and Will Nelson shared a photo of their time in Lisbon. Pic: Instagram/Kayleigh Smith
Authorities have said the likely cause of the crash was an issue with a cable which connected the streetcar’s two cabins.
The Gloria funicular, which is 140 years old, was packed with passengers when it came off the rails, and 21 people were injured in the tragedy, including five seriously.
Mr Young, also known as Dave, was from Holyhead in Wales, and had a long career as a customs officer, according to his family.
They said in a statement released by North Wales Police: “A lifelong transport enthusiast, in retirement, he enjoyed visiting heritage railways and tramways around the world.
“It is a comfort to his sons, their mother, and his brothers that his final moments were in pursuit of the hobby which gave him so much happiness.”
The funicular features two separate yellow carriages which travel between Restauradores Square in central Lisbon and the Bairro Alto area, with journeys taking three minutes. It is electrified and uses steel cables.
Image: The remains of the crashed funicular carriage in Lisbon. Pic: Reuters
The derailment resulted in one of the carriages crashing into a building at a bend in a road.
In its first investigative report into the crash, Portugal’s Office for Air and Rail Accident Investigations said on Saturday the cabins had travelled “not more than about six metres” when they “suddenly lost the balancing force provided by the cable connecting them”.
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Lisbon funicular crash: What happened to the cable car?
The report stated: “Cabin No. 2 suddenly reversed, its movement halting approximately 10 meters beyond due to its partial excursion past the end of the track and the burial of the underside of the trambolho (trolley) at the end of the cable trench.
“Cabin No. 1, at the top of Calcada da Gloria, continued its downward movement, increasing its speed.
“The cabin’s brakeman immediately applied the pneumatic brake and the hand brake to try to halt the movement. These actions had no effect in stopping or reducing the cabin’s speed, and it continued accelerating down the slope.”
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An examination of the wreckage showed “the connecting cable had given way” at the attachment point to the cabin at the top of the hill, the report added.
Also among the dead were five Portuguese nationals, two Canadians, two South Koreans, one American, one French, one Swiss and one Ukrainian.
A preliminary and final report are expected to be published later.
A federal agent wears a badge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement while standing outside an immigration courtroom at the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in New York City, on June 10.
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The Department of Homeland Security announced it’s launching an immigration enforcement operation in Illinois in the latest escalation of federal action on U.S. cities and states led by Democrats.
The agency said in a post on X that the U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement’s “Operation Midway Blitz” is in honor of Katie Abraham, a 20-year-old woman it says was killed in January in a drunk-driving hit-and-run accident involving a man who is an undocumented immigrant in Illinois.
Officials identified him as Julio Cucul-Bol. NPR has not confirmed details about the incident. The DHS post featured an interview with the parents of the victim, Joe and Michelle Abraham, who said the incident took place in Urbana, Ill.
DHS says the ICE operation targets “criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois” because they knew Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s sanctuary policies would protect them.
This latest announcement about Illinois follows a summer in which the Trump administration has targeted Democratic-led cities for increased immigration enforcement and National Guard deployments.
It also follows an earlier announcement from DHS that said it was launching a new immigration enforcement effort in Massachusetts, according to reporting from NPR member station WBUR in Boston.
Meanwhile, National Guard troops — some of them armed — are still patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C., ostensibly to address the administration’s concerns about crime. This is despite the fact that the city is experiencing a 30-year low in crime, according to the U.S. Justice Department from earlier this year. And earlier Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with President Trump, allowing immigration raids in Los Angeles to continue. This allows immigration agents to conduct “roving patrols” and profile people based on their appearance in Los Angeles and Southern California.
Chicago intervention
The announcement that Illinois will be the target of increased immigration enforcement comes after a confusing weekend during which Trump escalated threats toward Chicago and then walked them back.
Throughout the weekend, Trump maintained that the National Guard would be sent to the city and to other major U.S. cities, all led by Democrats, to fight crime and to step up immigration arrests and deportations.
Like in Washington, D.C., where Trump sent National Guard troops last month, data shows that violent crime has gone down in Chicago in recent years.
Trump posted on social media that Chicago was about to find out why the Department of Defense is called the “Department of War.” (Last week, the president signed an executive order renaming the department, but it would take an act of Congress to make that official.)
In response to Trump’s post, Pritzker this weekend wrote on X that Trump was “threatening to go to war with an American city. This is not a joke. This is not normal.”
But then Trump later told reporters on Sunday as he left the White House, “We’re not going to war. We’re going to clean up our cities. We’re going to clean them up so they don’t kill five people every weekend. That’s not war, that’s common sense.”
As Trump’s back and forth continued, residents in Chicago expressed deep concern about what this threatened federal action would look like. It appears, for now, this federal presence will take the shape of an increase in ICE agents on the streets. As of Monday afternoon, there has been no indication there’s been an uptick in immigration enforcement.
Boston faces enforcement surge
Over the weekend, DHS confirmed to WBUR that it is launching a second immigration enforcement surge throughout Massachusetts, but didn’t specify how long there would be increased ICE activity.
This enforcement effort may be heavily focused on the city of Boston, according to WBUR which reported that the DHS specifically called out Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, claiming the city’s sanctuary laws “attract and harbor criminals.”
In May, federal immigration officials said they arrested nearly 1,500 people as part of a month-long crackdown called “Operation Patriot,” WBUR reported. DHS refers to this new surge as “Patriot 2.0.”
This kind of federal intervention in major U.S. cities and states is not likely to stop any time soon, as Trump has also threatened to send troops to Baltimore and New Orleans in recent days.
NPR’s Joe Hernandez and Kat Lonsdorf contributed to this story.
The device will look like an iPhone 16 with a 6.3-in. display, possibly at 120Hz. Colors may include black, white, steel gray, green, purple, and light blue. The processor will be a 3nm A19 chip, with advanced thermal performance and support for Apple’s own network chips.
iPhone 17 Pro
More durable, the devices might use an aluminium frame and less glass than before. The camera system changes too, becoming a larger horizontal bump across the width of the device, featuring three lenses and up to 8x zoom. Better battery life and a super speedy A19 Pro chip (with more RAM) are also on the tab;e. The Pro Max brings all the above with an even better camera.
iPhone 17 Air
Replacing the iPhone 17 Plus, the star of the show might be the new iPhone Air. Set to replace the iPhone Plus, the iPhone Air is just 5.5mm thin and carries a 6.6-in. display. Lighter, it will use AI to help optimize battery life, comes in four colors, including sky blue, and might cost around $1,000. (The price is tariff sensitive). It may use an eSIM, Apple’s C2 5G modem, and carry a single camera. It could still boast a powerful A19 chip.
Google is opening up AI Mode to more languages. Starting today, the AI chatbot the company is integrating into Google Search is available in Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean and Brazilian Portuguese.
The company has been rapidly expanding access to the search experience. In May, Google started offering it to everyone in the US (and later the UK and India) after starting public tests just two months earlier.
Google added more features to AI Mode in July, including support for the Gemini 2.5 Pro model and Deep Search. As of last month, AI Mode has been present in more than 180 countries. But until now, AI Mode had only been available in English. This is the first language support expansion for the chatbot.
“Building a truly global Search goes far beyond translation — it requires a nuanced understanding of local information,” Hema Budaraju, Google’s vice president of search product management wrote in a blog post. “With the advanced multimodal and reasoning capabilities of our custom version of Gemini 2.5 in Search, we’ve made huge strides in language understanding, so our most advanced AI search capabilities are locally relevant and useful in each new language we support.”
Google has been claiming recently that traffic to websites from Search is “relatively stable” since the rollout of AI Overviews and that “the web is thriving.” However, the company admitted something very different in a court filing last week. Its lawyers stated that “the open web is already in rapid decline.” That, plus the expansion of AI Mode, will surely be welcomed with open arms by publishers who are seriously feeling the pinch of declining web traffic.
From surprise hospitalizations to life-changing diagnoses, 2025 has seen a wave of celebrities opening up about their personal health battles. Stars like Elton John, Eric Dane, andJustin Timberlake have revealed everything from vision loss to ALS and Lyme disease, reminding fans that fame doesn’t make one immune to medical challenges.
As these stars speak out about their conditions, they’re not only raising awareness but also inspiring others to prioritize their well-being. Below, we’ve rounded up the most notable health scares of the year so far and other health updates.
Justin Timberlake
On July, 31, 2025, Justin, 44, revealed he was diagnosed with Lyme disease while completing his Forget Tomorrow World Tour. In an Instagram post, he shared, “Among other things, I’ve been battling some health issues, and was diagnosed with Lyme disease — which I don’t say so you feel bad for me — but to shed some light on what I’ve been up against behind the scenes.”
He added, “If you’ve experienced this disease or know someone who has — then you’re aware: living with this can be relentlessly debilitating, both mentally and physically.”
Jessie J
British singer Jessie J announced in early June 2025 that she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. The 37-year-old confirmed she will undergo surgery soon and emphasized that the cancer was detected in its earliest, most treatable phase. In an Instagram video posted on June 3, 2025, she said, “I’ve always shared everything that I go through in my life. Before ‘No Secrets’ came out, I was diagnosed with early breast cancer.”
“I’m highlighting the word early. Cancer sucks in any form, but I’m holding on to the word early,” she explained, noting that she’s been in and out of tests.
She added, “I know how much sharing in the past has helped me with other people giving me their love and support, and also their own stories.”
Eric Dane
Euphoria star Eric Dane announced in April that he had received a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). At 52, he shared that he is grateful to have his “loving family” by his side while going through his health battle.
He added, “I feel fortunate that I am able to continue working and am looking forward to returning to set of Euphoria next week. I kindly ask that you give my family and I privacy during this time.”
Teddi Mellencamp
Former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Teddi Mellencamp has battled a diagnosis of stage 2 melanoma since 2022. In early 2025, she was hospitalized for multiple brain tumors linked to the skin cancer. After surgery to remove tumors from her brain—and further surgeries for lung tumors—she expressed gratitude for her medical team and remains in active treatment.
On April 2, the 44-year-old shared a health update on her Instagram Stories while lying in bed, thanking fans for their support. “I woke up to so many kind messages,” she said. “I just want to say thank you guys so much. So many messages about how strong I am. And I gotta tell you, some days I feel really really strong and some days I feel really really sad and alone. And I think that’s a normal part of what any of us are going through, and that’s okay. Stage 4 cancer can be scary.”
Bindi Irwin
Bindi Irwin was hospitalized in May 2025 after experiencing a ruptured appendix. During her recovery, the 27-year-old also underwent surgery to remove endometriosis lesions and repair a hernia. She shared her journey publicly and on her Instagram she thanked fans for their support while she healed. “Thank you for your incredible words of support and kindness. The reason I share my health journey is because more girls and women desperately need answers to their undiagnosed pain. I’ve battled with endometriosis for more than 12 years. This disease is crippling and can make you feel incredibly isolated.”
She added, “We need to raise awareness and change the narrative for women’s health.”
Lupita Nyong’o
Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o revealed in July 2025 that she’s been silently battling uterine fibroids since 2014—the same year she earned her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for 12 Years a Slave. The 42-year-old shared on Instagram that she started talking about her experience privately and soon realized so many women were going through a similar situation.
“We’re struggling alone with something that affects most of us. No more suffering in silence!”
Elton John
Music legend Elton John, 78, has spoken candidly in 2025 about a serious eye infection he contracted in 2024 that resulted in significant vision loss—completely losing sight in his right eye and suffering limited vision in his left.
In April 2025, he told Times of London that his vision loss got worse to the point where he can’t “see TV, I can’t read. I can’t see my boys playing rugby and soccer, and it has been a very stressful time because I’m used to soaking it all up.”
Billy Porter
In September 2025, Broadway’s Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club revealed Billy Porter, 55, was bowing out of his role as Emcee in the production because he was battling sepsis—a condition that when the body’s immune system has a dangerous reaction to an infection (usually bacterial).
“Due to a serious case of sepsis, Billy Porter must also withdraw from the production,” a statement from the company’s Instagram account read. “His doctors are confident that he will make a full recovery but have advised him to maintain a restful schedule.”
If there had been any doubt that we had stopped in an upmarket town during our long drive, it was dispelled as we walked past a shop front for ‘wealth management services’. A fancy patisserie, an antique store and a few wine merchants’ later, our suspicions were confirmed: Topsham in Devon is really posh.
But there’s more to this claim than the uneducated impression of a first-time visitor. For years, it has been hailed as home to Devon’s poshest pub crawl, while in 2023 it was reported to be home to one of the UK’s most prestigious residential streets.
The market town on the outskirts of Exeter has an enviable position, overlooking the estuary of the River Exe. The boats bobbing along Topsham Quay looked picture-perfect as we arrived, even on a rainy Monday.
Huddled under umbrellas, we searched for somewhere to take shelter from the unexpected downpour, and shuffled into The Boathouse Café just behind the ferry landing. This cosy cafe is apparently known for its crepes, but we discovered it also does a perfect flat white, which was a reasonable £3.50 and set us up for the day nicely.
A break in the clouds tempted us outside again in no time and we even considered a boat trip as the sun made a brief appearance. You can get a ferry ride for £9 return, with hourly departures listed on the blackboard during the day we visited, although it seems frequency varies from day to day.
It goes back and forth between Topsham Quay and the Turf Hotel, which pitches itself as an “idyllic” spot in an “extraordinary waterside location”. We decided to give that a miss given another turn in the weather, setting out instead for a spot of shopping.
The high street is a short stroll from the water’s edge, though we took a scenic route past some impressive historic buildings along the way and even more jaw-dropping houses — detached homes here sell for an average of £756,042, according to Rightmove. The high street is lined with luxurious-looking boutiques, gift shops and lunch spots, including two that have made it into the Michelin guide.
That said, there are still bargains to be had if you’re shopping on a budget. I can’t resist a charity shop and found three that were open in Topsham, including Estuary League Of Friends where there was an incredible £1 sale rail. Devon Air Ambulance also has a specialist ‘vintage and variety shop’, which was a treasure trove of retro clothing, antiques and homeware.
On a Saturday there is a weekly market at Matthews Hall, described by organisers as having a “glorious mix of stalls” including food, gifts, clothes, vintage and home items. It’s an indoor market, making it another ideal spot for a rainy day.
Elsewhere we loved the look of Country Cheeses cheesemonger, but it wasn’t open on a Monday. The vibrant painted exterior of the Squid and The Kid meant I couldn’t give that a miss, where I could have spent a small fortune on adorable toys and clothing for my toddler.
I was a bit hesitant about finding somewhere family-friendly for lunch, but we had a lovely bite to eat at Route 2 cafe, where there were plenty of high chairs as well as a baby change facility. For something sweet there were bakeries, coffee shops and delis with mouth-watering displays in the window, but we ended up trying Sara’s Petite Cuisine as it has such great reviews online.
After stepping through the pastel-pink entrance I was slightly alarmed to realise there were no prices displayed on the counter, but I felt too embarrassed to check as there were a few customers already seated in the tiny cafe within earshot.
Preparing for a shock to my bank account, I decided on the delicious-looking banoffee cake and was pleasantly surprised by the £4 fee for such a generous portion — I’ve paid more for a cookie at some of Bristol’s trendy bakeries.
We did have a bit of a battle to get the pushchair back out the door past a rather impatient waiting customer who felt no obligation to step aside, but otherwise everyone we encountered was incredibly friendly and welcoming of the obvious imposters in their midst.
Topsham is easily accessible from anywhere along the M5, as it’s just 10 minutes from Junction 30. From there it’s straight along the A376 and into the town, where there are a couple of council car parks. We opted for the Holman Way Car Park as it’s bigger than Topsham Quay and a short walk away.
The Conjuring: Last Rites has broken a horror movie opening weekend record. Many knew that The Conjuring: Last Rites, billed as the final film in the franchise, would be big, but few people expected it would be as big as it was. While initial estimates had it opening in the $50 million range, the movie exceeded those expectations, grossing $84 million in its opening weekend. It became the third-highest opening weekend for a horror movie at the domestic box office, behind only It‘s $123 million and It Chapter Two’s $91 million. Worldwide, however, Ed and Loraine Warren vanquished Pennywise.
Variety reports that The Conjuring: Last Rites grossed $194 million worldwide to become the highest global opening for a horror film, beating the record previously set by It in 2017 ($179 million). The Conjuring: Last Rites brought in $110 million internationally, beating the record previously set by It: Chapter Two as the biggest international opening weekend ($93 million back). This gives Last Rites the highest grossing opening weekend for a horror movie worldwide, as well as the biggest weekend for a horror movie in 2025 in all markets. Of course, Last Rites is also easily the highest opening weekend in The Conjuring franchise.
Horror is Having a Great Year in 2025
Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga in The Conjuring: Last RitesWarner Bros.
The Conjuring: Last Rites‘ box office performance has been good news all around, and not just Warner Bros., giving them their seventh consecutive $40 million-plus opening weekend. Following a lackluster Labor Day weekend and summer 2025 performing a bit below expectations, theater owners were potentially bracing for a quiet few months. Yet The Conjuring: Last Rites’ record-breaking opening weekend has drawn audiences out in a momentum that hopefully can continue with titles like Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, The Long Walk, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Infinity Castle.
The self-proclaimed final Conjuring film is one of several horror hits for the studio this year. Sinners is one of the highest-grossing films of the year at the domestic box office, with $278 million in domestic revenue and $366.6 million worldwide. Final Destination: Bloodline‘s $307 million worldwide total made it the highest entry in the franchise. Meanwhile, Weapons became the breakout hit of the summer movie season, grossing $251 million against a $38 million budget. Notably, all four films were released by Warner Bros., and three of those from New Line Cinema.
Now, with The Conjuring: Last Rites‘ massive box office performance, the supposed finality of the franchise is called into question. The possibility of Phase Two for the franchise has already been floated. With the It films about to be spun off into a television series on HBO with It: Welcome to Derry, it is not difficult to imagine The Conjuring series returning sometime in the near future.
Warning: this article contains spoilers for the Gladiator franchise.Ridley Scott’s Gladiatorand Gladiator II contain some of the greatest battles and fight scenes that have been captured on film in the last quarter-century, treating audiences to massive set pieces on both land and sea in the midst of an epic multi-generational saga between Maximus and Lucius’ quests for revenge.
However, there’s no denying that the true stars of the franchise are the gladiator fights, pitting men against beasts like rhinos and baboons and formidable warriors of old in bloodied combat for the spectacle of thousands of onlookers. So, for all those people who have yet to experience their “Roman Empire” moment today, here are the greatest gladiator fights in Gladiator and Gladiator II.
Gladiators vs. Baboons
The baboons in Gladiator IIParamount Pictures
One of the more memorable fight scenes from Gladiator II is the baboon fight scene, which sees Lucius (Paul Mescal), Jugurtha (Peter Mensah), and other Numidian prisoners take on hordes of CGI violent, rampaging monkeys that tear through bone and feed upon the flesh of these potential gladiators with terrifying, blood-soaked precision.
After Jugurtha is killed by one of the baboons, Lucius then uses his shackles to hold off the jaws of one of the primates before viciously biting him and then choking him out with his chains, impressing Denzel Washington’s Macrinus character enough to be mentored by the power broker as a gladiator.
Chain Duo
One of the earliest fight scenes in Gladiator occurs after Maximus (Russel Crowe) is betrayed by Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), captured by slave traders, and then purchased by Proximo (Oliver Reed) for use in the games in Zucchabar. Here, Maximus is paired with Juba (Djimon Hounsou), a Nubian hunter, against several armored gladiators wielding swords, nets, and flails.
Maximus and Juba’s binding makes this battle uncomfortably claustrophobic, as the two are forced to stay close and periodically hug one another’s backs while taking on multiple gladiators at once. The fight then climaxes with the pair overpowering a trident-wielding gladiator that dies after Maximus stabs him with his own weapon.
Indoor Duel
One of the more intimate fights in Gladiator II occurs when Lucius takes on Senator Thraex’s (Tim McInnerny) fighter in the presence of Emperors Geta (Joseph Quinn) and Caracalla (Fred Hechinger), with the latter giving the order of “No Quarter.” Although Lucius is initially hesitant to fight the gladiator, he eventually relents, even using his fists and a vase to overpower the man.
“No Quarter” is a military term that designates soldiers to not take prisoners and instead execute the captured.
After a minute of scuffling, Thraex’s fighter gets the advantage against Lucius after recovering his blade. However, Lucius is eventually able to retrieve the dagger, stabbing the gladiator in the chest. In a film dominated by massive CGI set pieces and battles, this fight is a well-needed break from the chaos that still demonstrates the cruelty of Rome’s leadership.
Rhino Duel
A gladiator riding a rhino in Gladiator II
One of the biggest set pieces in Gladiator II occurs when Lucius and a team of gladiators take on an axe-wielding gladiator riding a rhinoceros in the Colosseum. Indeed, it’s one of the more fascinating spectacles in the entire Gladiator saga, and a breathtaking testament to the prowess of modern CGI artists.
In a bold stunt, Lucius puts down his blade, grabs two handfuls of sand from the arena’s floor, and tricks the rhino into charging into the walls of the Colosseum. With the rhino stuck, Lucius then takes on the opposing gladiator, who seemingly gets the upper hand until Lucius stabs him through the heart after refusing the mercy of the emperors.
Colosseum Naval Battle
A naval battle in the Colosseum in Gladiator II
Gladiator II’s spectacle reaches its pinnacle in the scene where the emperors flood the Colosseum’s floor to reenact the Roman naval battle with Persia. As Lucius leads his team of rowing gladiators, great white sharks swim amidst the battling ships, thirsty for the blood of the warring sailors.
After archers light their sails ablaze with fiery arrows, Lucius and his team of gladiators are forced to maneuver around the opposing vessel, overcoming their volleys after ramming the enemy ship into the side of the Colosseum. From there, Lucius and his gladiators board the wreck, viciously attacking their foes in one of the franchise’s most savage displays of violence.
Battle of Zama
Gladiator features its own battle reenactment when Maximus and his posse oppose a team of gladiators in a recreation of Carthage’s second fall that sees them cast as the barbarian hordes of Hannibal in Zama. Here, Maximus uses his past leadership to coordinate a battle plan against the rival gladiators, who are aptly labeled the “legions of Scipio Africanus.”
The second fall of Carthage occurred in 201 B.C.E., while Gladiator takes place 381 years later in 180 C.E.
These legions arrive in the arena by chariot in a cinematic nod to Ben Hur’s iconic chariot race from 1959. Though initially overcome by the chaos of the calvary and archers, Maximus organizes a response that cripples the legions’ chariots, leaving them vulnerable to attack and eventual defeat by the barbarian hordes.
Lucius vs. Acacius
Pedro Pascal’s Acacius tackling Paul Mescal’s Lucius in Gladiator II
One of the most anticipated fights in Gladiator II was Lucius’ duel with Acacius (Pedro Pascal), the general who ordered the death of his wife and is now married to his mother Lucilla (Connie Nielsen). After attempting to dethrone the emperors and free Lucius, Acacius is arrested, stripped of his honors, and thrust into the Colosseum to meet his fate.
Throughout Gladiator II, Lucius goes by the alias “Hanno.”
In a surprising twist, Acacius, after revealing he knows Lucius’ true identity, raises his right hand, signaling his surrender to the crowd. In response, Lucius spares the defeated General, who—with his last words—tells the grandson of Marcus Aurelius that he would’ve died for his father before being executed by the Praetorian Guard.
Maximus vs. Tigris of Gaul
Tigris of Gaul in Gladiator
Perhaps the most legendary Colosseum fight in Gladiator occurs when Maximus takes on Rome’s former champion and only undefeated gladiator, “Tigris of Gaul,” a formidable, muscular opponent donning a silver, masked helmet that bears a teardrop on its left eye. Tigris isn’t the only challenger in this duel, however, as Commodus has one more trick up his sleeve—real-life tigers.
Maximus remains on the backfoot for the majority of his fight with Tigris, fending off powerful blows while tigers prowl at his heels. However, once Maximus is able to disarm Tigris of his axe, he’s able to stab him with it in his foot, ending the fight. In an act of defiance against Commodus, Maximus also refuses to kill Tigris, setting up his eventual duel with the boy-king.
Maximus vs. Commodus
Joaquin Phoenix and Russell Crowe as Commodus and Maximus in Gladiator
Perhaps the most satisfying duel in the entire Gladiator franchise comes when Maximus takes on Commodus one-on-one in the Colosseum at the climax of the film, in which the latter—being entirely devoid of any virtue or honor—stabs him in the side before concealing his wound, rigging the fight in his favor.
This isn’t enough to stop Maximus, however, who easily defeats Commodus even after being stabbed twice by the tyrant, drifting off into Elysium after securing Rome’s future as a Republic (that is, until that reality becomes a dream once more, ushering in the events of Gladiator II).
Lucius vs. Macrinus
Likewise, the most satisfying duel from Gladiator II arrives at the film’s climax when the armies of Acacius and Macrinus are poised to face off against one another on the outskirts of Rome before Lucius and Macrinus begin a duel fated to determine the future of the empire.
After Macrinus disarms Lucius, kicks hot coals in his eyes, and shoves him in the river, the battle appears finished as he repeatedly stabs the boy in the water. However, Lucius—bearing the armor of his father, Maximus—is unscathed, resurfacing to cut off Macrinus’ arm and kill him.
At the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, a final farewell for one rock giant heralded the televised return of another.
Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler returned to the stage during the annual awards show, joining bandmate Joe Perry , singer Yungblud and Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt to honor the life and music of late heavy metal pioneer and Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne, who died in July at age 76. “Livin’ on the Edge” singer Tyler, 77, helped the VMAs pay tribute to Osbourne more than a year after Aerosmith announced its retirement from touring.
Sunday’s tribute was a medley of the hits “Crazy Train,” “Changes” and “Mama, I’m Coming Home”and began with Yungblud energizing the crowd with his take on the first song. Before making his way up to the stage, Yungblud kissed the cross necklace Osbourne had gifted him and appeared to mouth, “For Ozzy!”
Yungblud also offered VMAs attendees a taste of his performance from the Black Sabbath “Back to the Beginning” farewell concert in July. After plenty of head-banging during “Crazy Train,” he slowed things by singing an excerpt from “Changes,” which he had performed at Osbourne’s final show.
Finally, Tyler made his grand entrance with Perry, singing the opening lyrics to Osbourne’s “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” Images of Osbourne throughout his life faded in and out in the background. Yungblud joined Tyler for the tribute’s grand finale, harmonizing and trading lines to finish out the emotional power ballad.
“Ozzy forever, man!,” Yungblud yelled out at the end of the song, embracing Tyler.
Aerosmith announced its decision to step away from live performances after Tyler injured his vocal cords during a September 2023 show on the group’s Peace Out: The Farewell Tour. The rock band’s August 2024 announcement said Tyler had struggled with “getting his voice to where it was before his injury.”
“Sadly, it is clear, that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible,” the statement added. “We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision — as a band of brothers — to retire from the touring stage.”
Tyler reportedly returned to performing live months after that announcement, jamming with Aerosmith bandmate Tom Hamilton for his sixth annual Jam for Janie Grammy Awards viewing party in February at the Hollywood Palladium. He delivered a six-song set that also featured appearances by Bettencourt, Billy Idol, Joan Jett, Lainey Wilson and other musicians, according to Billboard.
After the VMAs, Tyler’s daughter Mia Tyler praised her father’s stage comeback, sharing a snippet of the performance to her Instagram. “And that’s how you do a tribute,” she captioned her post. “Beautiful. Just beautiful.”
“And how good does my dad look??? So proud of him,” the younger Tyler added before sending her love to Osbourne’s loved ones.
The VMAs aired live on CBS from the UBS Arena in New York and saw LL Cool J pick up hosting duties. Lady Gaga, hours before her concert at Madison Square Garden, was the big winner of the night, taking home four prizes including artist of the year and best direction. Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter followed with three wins apiece.
Mariah Carey joined the exclusive club of Video Vanguard award winners while Busta Rhymes and Ricky Martin picked up the Rock the Bells visionary award and Latin icon award, respectively. In true diva fashion, Carey jokingly threw some shade at the music show for previous snubs as she received the award from Grande.
“I can’t believe I’m getting my first VMA tonight. I just have one question: What in the Sam Hill were you waiting for?” she said, adding “I’m kidding, I love you MTV, this is amazing.”
Fresh off the release of his new album Different Night Same Rodeo, Bailey Zimmerman is prepping for an extensive 2026 trek in support of the project — and it will mark his first tour headlining arenas.
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The singer-songwriter revealed his excitement over the upcoming tour in a Monday (Sept. 8) Instagram post, while also expressing gratitude for his current New to Country Tour. Of his Different Night Same Rodeo Tour, he wrote, “MY FIRST TIME PLAYING ARENAS,” and further noted, “This year’s tour has been nothing short of unbelievable y’all…LIKE THE CRAZIEST SHOWS OF MY LIFE…and I thought why would we stop now? LET’S KEEP IT GOINGGG…”
His Live Nation-promoted Different Night Same Rodeo Tour will visit more than 30 venues in the United States and Canada next year. The trek will launch Feb. 19 in Estero, Fla., with stops in Boston, Atlanta, Nashville, Toronto and more before concluding on June 20 in Ottawa, Ontario.
Joining Zimmerman are openers Hudson Westbrook (“House Again”) and Blake Whiten (“Made for Goodbyes”). Tickets for the tour will go on sale Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. local time on Zimmerman’s website, while fans can sign up for an artist presale until Sept. 9; the artist presale access will run Sept. 11 from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. local time.
Zimmerman’s new album features an array of collabs, including his Luke Combs collaboration “Backup Plan,” and work with The Kid LAROI (“Lost”) and Diplo (“Ashes”). Those aren’t Zimmerman’s only recent collabs. In April, Zimmerman and BigXthaPlug released their Billboard Hot 100 top 5 hit “All The Way.”
See the full tour schedule for Zimmerman’s Different Night Same Rodeo Tour 2026 in his announcement below:
