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LAS VEGAS – Even if you've been to aDef Leppardconcert before, you've never seen them like this.

The enduring British quintet kicked off their12-show residencyatThe Colosseum at Caesars PalaceFeb. 3, with a 100-minute blitzkrieg of stunning visuals, frenetic lasers and a setlist deftly curated to hopscotch between nearly 50 years of classics and dashes of newer material that verifies their vitality.

In recent years, Def Leppard hasprimarily played stadiums, arenas and festivals, making the confines of the 4,100-capacity Colosseum feel especially intimate.

The new production designed for this monthlong, mostly sold-out run is spackled with Def Leppard hallmarks – the lighted"Hysteria"-era trianglethat rises and lowers to bookend the show, the 3D graphics of a menacing leopard, the zigzagging lights that prompt sheer euphoria.

It's all delivered around a sleek set that featuresdrummer Rick Allen, his Union Jack headphones firmly in place, atop a platform reachable by lighted stairs, and plenty of open space for the band to roam.

Led by silver fox frontmanJoe Elliott, Def Leppard exudes the confidence of a band that has absolutely nothing left to prove, but wants to, anyway.

More:Biggest tours of 2026, including Bruno Mars, Harry Styles and Rush

GuitaristsPhil Collen– he of ripped bare chest under vest and sparkly sneakers – andVivian Campbell– unassuming cool in dark glasses – frequently crisscrossed on stage, their dual guitar attack so integral to Def Leppard's sound.

The band, which has played two previous Las Vegas residencies since 2013, kicked off the show with their new song,"Rejoice."Filled with layered harmonies and a gripping drum loop, it sounds likeclassic Def Leppardwith a glow-up.

As Elliott told USA TODAY in an exclusive interview at Caesars Palace following the band's final rehearsal, the goal of new music is "not to sound old-fashioned, but at the same time maintain our identity. ("Rejoice") has all the ingredients – great guitar riffs, melodies, drama. We like a bit of onstage drama; we don't like drama in the dressing room."

Casual fans of the band's abundant hits –"Animal,"Armageddon It"and "Love Bites" among the smashes from 1987's 12-million-selling "Hysteria" album and"Bringin' on the Heartbreak"and "Foolin'" from earlier that decade among them – can devour the familiar. But what makes this residency special are the outliers.

In 2018,Def Leppard recorded a coverof Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus" for a hits collection, yet never performed it live.

Until now, where the dark electronica of the original paired perfectly with Def Leppard's chiming guitars and a flurry of white lights added to the vibe.

The band also hadn't played their hit version ofDavid Essex's "Rock On"since 2019. The clever live production finds cool cat bassist Rick Savage thrumming out a solo before dovetailing into the song's familiar opening riff, which gives Elliott enough time to dash to the top level of the theater to belt the evocative anthem.

Diehard fans will appreciate the resurrection of"White Lightning,"a 1992 "Adrenalize" track written in tribute to Steve Clark, the band's early guitarist who died in 1991. Elliott clearly had his old friend top of mind at song's end as he raised his fist and blew a kiss skyward.

The endurance of Def Leppard is not only due to their stability. Yes, they're one of the few rock bands to boast an original/longtime lineup and yes, while all of the members are in their 60's, they still ooze rock star fire.

More:Styx's Tommy Shaw talks Vegas shows, favorite blanket and why he loves bus tours

Elliott's voice, while occasionally husky on the high notes in "Rocket" and "Photograph" (a visual nostalgia-fest showcasing a retrospective of the band in, well, photos), still contains plenty of heft. And the blistering fretwork from Collen and Campbell injects every Def Leppard song with adrenaline.

But it's the band's atypical ability to experiment without altering their musical DNA that adds to their legend.

The underappreciated,near-electronica "Slang"has returned after several years and the combination of zippy neon green lighting, a mid-song detour into David Bowie's "Fame" and Elliott's stroll through the crowd to slap hands with fans made it a set highlight.

But Def Leppard can just as adroitly spin into the defiant"Rock of Ages"(complete with a special feathered guest to handle its illustrious "gunter glieben" intro) or the delicate guitar strains and emotional longing of"Hysteria."

The band famously sings in "Rock of Ages" that "it's better to burn out than fade away." But Def Leppard has proven yet again that it won't be doing either any time soon.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Def Leppard blazes through new Las Vegas residency

JUSTIN TALLIS / POOL / AFP via Getty

NEED TO KNOW

• Queen Camilla faced questions from a reporter about the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and his victims during a royal visit to a school

• It came one day after Prince Edward briefly addressed the scandal

• The former Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson appeared in emails and photos in the latest release of Epstein-related documents by the Department of Justice

Queen Camillawas faced with questions about the royal family's reaction to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and his victims after the former Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, appeared in files recently released by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The Queen, 77, arrived at London's Christ Church Primary School for a planned engagement to help mark the National Year of Reading on Feb. 4, when a reporter asked the royal questions as she exited her car.

In a video shared by ITV News on social media, a reporter is heard saying, "Good morning, Your Majesty, good morning. Will the royal family help the Epstein investigation? Do you have a message for Epstein's victims, Your Majesty?"

Queen Camilla ignored the questions, heading straight into the school and shaking hands with a greeter just inside.

The Queen didn't respond when asked if she had a message for Epstein's victimshttps://t.co/VJzFCNJxGzpic.twitter.com/qm24AsHrgE

— ITV News (@itvnews)February 4, 2026

Just one day prior to the Queen's questioning,Prince Edwardmadebrief remarks about the matterat the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Feb. 3, becoming the first member of the royal family to address it since the latest files were released. He told CNN's Eleni Giokos: "Well, with the best will in the world. I'm not sure this is the audience that is probably the least bit interested in that. They all came here to listen to education, solving the future."

"But no, I think it's all really important always to remember the victims, and who are the victims in all this, a lot of victims in all this," Prince Edward said.

Kate MiddletonandPrince Williamfaced aheckler during their Jan. 20 visit to Scotland. The Prince and Princess of Wales did not react to the person calling out after they arrived at The Gothenburg pub, who asked repeatedly, "How long have you known about Andrew and Epstein?

Rick Friedman/Corbis via Getty; Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty; Mike Marsland/WireImage

Newly released documents link Andrew, 65, and Ferguson, 66, to Epstein, including numerous email exchanges that took place after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting a minor for prostitution and soliciting prostitution.

In onemessage dated Jan. 30, 2010, Ferguson allegedly wrote, "You are a legend. I really don't have the words to describe, my love, gratitude for your generosity and kindness." In another exchange fromAug. 3, 2009, she thanked Epstein for helping her with brand deals and "being the brother I have always wished for."

Other emails from the new batch of Epstein-related evidence includedisturbing commentsabout Andrew and Ferguson's two daughters,Princess Beatrice, now 37, andPrincess Eugenie, now 35. In one, Epstein asked Ferguson about a possible upcoming trip to New York, to which she replied, "Not sure yet. Just waiting for Eugenie to come back from a shagging weekend!!"

In addition, new photos from the Jan. 30 releaseshow Andrew kneeling on all foursover an unidentified woman on the ground.

Can't get enough of PEOPLE's Royals coverage?Sign up for our free Royals newsletterto get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Andrew'sroyal titles and honors were strippedby King Charles in the fall amid renewed interest in his and Ferguson's ties to Epstein.

Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and a representative for Ferguson had no comment when PEOPLE reached out about these latest emails.

Read the original article onPeople

VALERIE MACON / AFP via Getty; Alamy Stock Photo

NEED TO KNOW

• Jennifer Garner revealed that she once bit off a portion of a stunt performer's ear while filming a fight sequence for her 2007 movie The Kingdom

• Garner reunited with the stunt performer in question, Sala Baker, for the upcoming season of her Apple TV series The Last Thing He Told Me

• The Last Thing He Told Me's second season begins streaming Feb. 20

Jennifer Garneris revealing she once pulled off a feat more commonly associated with boxerMike Tyson.

Garner, 53, told reporters at a Tuesday, Feb. 3 press day for her Apple TV seriesThe Last Thing He Told Mein Santa Monica, Calif. that she once bit a portion of a stunt performer's ear off while filming a fight sequence for her 2007 movieThe Kingdom, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.

After Garner and her costarNicolaj Coster-Waldaupresented a scene fromThe Last Thing He Told Me'supcoming season, in which Garner performs a fight sequence with actor and stunt performer Sala Baker, the actress noted that she previously worked with Baker onThe Kingdom.

"Pete Berg, who was the director, told him to try to kill me. We did not have a lot of choreography, and he told me to do anything I could to survive," she recalled. "He did, and I did, and I ended up scrambling onto his back. I bit his ear, and we have a picture of him missing a chunk of ear, because we were not kidding."

Garner also noted that when she and Baker reunited forThe Last Thing He Told Me, the series' crew asked him, " 'Can you be careful with her?' " "I was like, 'No, no, no, no, he's not going to be careful. I'm not going to be careful. Just back out of the way. I have a score to settle here.' And Sal was with us the entire season," she said. "So prepare yourselves."

Alamy Stock Photo

Garner specifically said that she bit Baker's ear "like Mike Tyson," when Coster-Waldau asked her further about the incident. Tyson, 59, was famously disqualified from a boxing match against Evander Holyfield in 1997 after hebit off a portion of Holyfield's ear. "Why are you all looking as if this is a great thing? What is wrong with you people?" Coster-Waldau jested.

"Don't make me mad. I seem nice. I've warned you before," Garner responded with a smile, perTHR.

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Garner costarred with Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper and Jason Bateman inThe Kingdom, an action-thriller that follows a group of FBI agents who travel to Saudi Arabia to investigate terror attacks on American and Saudi citizens in the country.

The Last Thing He Told Me's second season begins streaming on Apple TV Feb. 20.

Read the original article onPeople

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Authorities in Cyprus said Wednesday a body discovered last month on a beach along the country's southern coastline has been identified as the former chief executive of Russia's largest potash company who had been detained in Belarus in 2013 on charges of harming the Belarusian economy.

Police on a British military base in Cyprus said DNA analysis confirm the body is that of Vladislav Baumgertner, 53, who went missing from his home in the coastal city of Limassol on Jan. 7. Baumgertner's body was found a week later on Avdimou beach.

An investigation into the circumstances as well as the cause of Baumgertner's death is ongoing, according to the British Sovereign Base Areas police. Baumgertner's relatives have been notified. Avdimou lies inside one of two military bases on Cyprus that the U.K. retained after the island gained independence from British colonial rule in 1960. The bases have their own police force and courts.

Baumgertner was the CEO ofUralkali when Belarusian authoritiesplaced him under house arrest in September 2013 after a dispute between his company and its Belarusian trading partner escalated.

He was released two months later and extradited to Russia where prosecutors launched a criminal probe against him on abuse of office charges.

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At the time, analysts had attributed Baumgertner's arrest to retaliation for Uralkali's decision to pull out of a joint venture.

Uralkali and state-owned Belarusian Potash Co. had been exporting the commodity — a key ingredient in fertilizer — through a joint venture that at the time accounted for about a quarter of the world's potash.

Uralkali pulled out of the trading venture after accusing the government in Minsk of allowing the state-owned company to export potash independently.

Uralkali's withdrawal left Belarusian Potash Co. with virtually no qualified staff and raised fears of a price war. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that Uralkali and Baumgertner's actions harmed his country's economy.

Baumgartner had been living in Cyprus for several years. He had reportedly been staying in an apartment above his place of business in Limassol that thousands of Russian expatriates have made their home.

Since the collapse of the old Soviet Union, Russia has cut a substantially diminished figure on the international stage.

The breakup, back in 1991, of what US President Ronald Reagan once dubbed an "evil empire" left the Kremlin with less territory, less financial muscle and less influence around the globe.

But Russia retained its clout in one crucial area.

Its continued status as a nuclear superpower, on a roughly equal footing with the United States, guaranteed even a weakened Moscow a place at the top table of international diplomacy.

At nuclear summits, the Kremlin's leader could grandly sit across from the incumbent in the White House – just like in the glory days of the Cold War – to decide on matters of international security.

In 2010, then-US President Barack Obama and his briefly empowered Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, did just that, agreeing the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), which was hailed at the time by the White House as "historic." The New START treaty limits both countries to a maximum of 1,550 deployed long-range nuclear warheads on delivery systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and bombers.

But those days, like the New START treaty itself that expires on Thursday, now appear to be over.

The demise of the last arms control deal between the US and Russia – which Washington repeatedly accused Moscow of violating by denying inspections of Russian nuclear facilities – has been brushed off by the Trump administration, with the US president himself shrugging off the terrifying prospect of a world without nuclear limits.

"If it expires, it expires,"Trump quipped in January, while suggesting a "better" deal may eventually be done.

That distinct lack of urgency from Washington stands in stark contrast to the anxiety in Moscow, where there has been much wailing and gnashing of teeth over the arms reduction issue.

Speaking to journalists in Moscow as the expiry of the New START treaty loomed, Medvedev – no longer president but an outspoken security official on the margins of power – warned of the danger of allowing the deal to lapse. He suggested it would speed up the "Doomsday Clock," the symbolic representation of how close humanity is to destroying the world.

"I don't want to say that this immediately means a catastrophe and a nuclear war will begin, but it should still alarm everyone," Medvedev added.

The Kremlin certainly seems alarmed.

It's proposal to extend the terms of New START has, according to the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, so far been met with silence from the US side, threatening to unleash a new era of insecurity.

"For the first time, the United States and Russia, the two countries that possess the world's largest nuclear arsenals, will be left without a fundamental document that would limit and establish controls over these arsenals," Peskov told journalists on a recent conference call focused on the nuclear issue.

"We believe this is very bad for global and strategic security," he added, pressing on fears likely to be shared around much of the world.

But the Kremlin's expressions of concern may be more self-interested and strategic than they are prepared to admit.

Apart from being deprived of an arms-reduction platform that grandstands one of their last remaining vestiges of Soviet-era power, Moscow is now facing a future of potentially unconstrained US nuclear expansion.

The Trump administration has, for example, already re-floated the idea of nuclear-armed "Trump-class" battleships, a Cold War era policy that was abandoned decades ago.

The old Soviet Union could have matched it. But with an economy and a defense budget that are a fraction of Washington's, Moscow has virtually no hope of keeping up – exacerbating the already vast gap in power and leverage between the old rivals.

Of course, the US has its own reasons for allowing nuclear arms control with Russia to lapse, not least its desire to include China, an emerging nuclear power, in future agreements.

But the expiry of New START marks the end of an era, not just of "superpower" arms control treaties that focused exclusively on Moscow and Washington, but also of one in which the US was willing to accept nuclear limits.

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