The best summer companion is a good book. This year has already given us some truly brilliant ones making it really hard to whittle down the best. But no matter what your tastes are, we have you covered. These novels range from historical fiction to gripping crime drama. From 1800s Ireland, to 1930s Taiwan, to post revolution Iran, this international selection will take you to all sorts of places without ever having to leave your own home.

1. Land by Maggie O’Farrell

Maggie O’Farrell’s exquisite new novel, Land, is a haunting tale of loss, endurance and renewal. Spanning generations and continents, O’Farrell traces the fragile threads that connect people and place. Moving between intimacy and sweeping historical change, the novel reveals the land itself as a living archive of rupture, survival and belonging.

Land begins in 1860s Ireland, on an unnamed “windswept tongue of land” that branches out in the roiling, icy currents of the Atlantic. As a scholar of Ireland’s Great Famine, An Gorta Mór, I am aware of how devastating the 1840s were. One million lives were lost to starvation and disease and two million people emigrated in the immediate aftermath.

This is the context for O’Farrell’s novel: the land was changed utterly. A whole way of life was eroded, and Land imagines what it must have been like to walk among the ruins, to see an agrarian culture collapse, and, for those left behind, to forge a future from remnants.

David Nally, Professor of Historical Geography in the Department of Geography

À lire aussi :
Land by Maggie O’Farrell is a haunting tale set in post-famine Ireland about history, map-making and memory

2. Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-zi, translated by Lin King

Set in 1930s Taiwan under Japanese colonial rule, this exquisitely layered novel follows Japanese writer Aoyama Chizuko and her Taiwanese interpreter Ông Tshian-ho’h through a culinary and emotional landscape seeded with deliberate breadcrumbs: details that only reveal their full significance upon return visits to the book.

Taiwan Travelogue’s meta-fictional architecture is quietly audacious. Yang frames the narrative through a fictional author, a fictional translator and their respective silences, making the unreliable narrator not merely a device but a structural argument about whose knowledge counts and whose remains obstructed.

What makes the book genuinely pleasurable, however, is its treatment of intimacy between the two women. The queer undertow is rendered through the minute economies of shared meals and unfinished sentences, through which Yang smuggles the most profound questions about desire, friendship and colonial entitlement into the everyday.

Eva Cheuk-Yin Li is a lecturer in screen industries

À lire aussi :
Taiwan Travelogue wins 2026 International Booker – a deftly translated tale of food, love and history

John of John is about the secrets and lies that fester under an oppressive atmosphere that is thick with damp and shame.

Fifty pages into Douglas Stuart’s atmospheric third novel you can almost feel the cold, damp air of the fictional Hebridean village of Falabay, and come to recognise its brooding and eccentric inhabitants like old friends and neighbours. Through a microcosm of everyday island life, Stuart demonstrates his finely honed skill in exploring the fundamental tensions of the human condition that have preoccupied men and women for centuries.

An omniscient narrator presides over John of John as we follow John-Calum Macleod – Cal – returning home to the Isle of Harris after student life in Edinburgh. Recently graduated from art school, Cal has been studying fashion and textiles, in an echo of the author’s own history.

The drama and (sometimes verging on implausible) twists of this novel make it feel like a soap opera, in the traditional sense of the term: small, interconnected characters and high melodrama, with domestic spaces as scenes of desire, revelation and unpredictability.

But this is not a criticism. Stuart’s lyrical prose and atmospheric narrative elevate the genre – reimagining the domestic and familial tropes by focusing on the unrequited affections of the men in the story.

Stevie Marsden is a lecturer in publishing

À lire aussi :
John of John: weaving an island tale of secrets that lie beneath repression and shame

4. Cathedrals by Claudia Piñeiro, translated by Frances Riddle

Cathedrals is the latest work by Argentinian crime writer Claudia Piñeiro. Here, the crime is the murder and dismemberment of 17-year-old Ana Sardá 30 years ago. Yet, as ever in Piñeiro’s work, nothing is quite what it seems.

Each section is written from the perspective of a key character, and the truth emerges gradually as the stories intertwine. The first section is narrated by Lía, Ana’s middle sister. Cathedrals opens with Lía’s loss of faith, confirmed 30 years earlier at Ana’s funeral. This sets up a core premise of the book: how can a barbaric act that takes a human life ever be rationalised as “God’s will”?

Cathedrals is crime fiction with social comment. The characters’ experiences are connected to the sociopolitical context in Argentina: the dictatorship is still fresh, and society has not broken free of its restrictions. Poverty is rising, and religious doctrine is a powerful means of keeping women in set roles, because in the Bible: “[N]o one cares about heroines, they care about mothers and wives.” Those who think for themselves or break with expectations are ostracised.

With her characteristic edge-of-the-seat storytelling, Piñeiro exposes not only the monsters we live among, but also the society that produces them.

Helen Vassallo is an associate professor of French and translation

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Cathedrals by Claudia Piñeiro is a gripping Argentinian crime story about gender violence and the weaponisation of religion

5. Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur, translated by Faridoun Farrokh

Published in 1989, Women Without Men was banned almost immediately and Shahrnush Parsipur was imprisoned twice for writing openly about women’s sexuality and autonomy – an act of artistic courage the Islamic Republic deemed intolerable. Despite the regime’s attempts to erase it, the novella endured. It moved through underground networks and crossed borders with quiet determination.

Women Without Men follows five women who flee violent marriages, stifling social expectations, and political chaos. Together, they build a sanctuary in a garden outside Iran’s capital, Tehran. The women’s retreat is not an escape, but a feminist rupture that marks a refusal to live within a world that insists on defining them. It is a choice to build, however precariously, a space where those rules collapse.

Through mysticism and magical realism, the women’s transformations gain political force. Each metamorphosis becomes an act of resistance: women reclaiming autonomy, dignity and possibility in a society intent on erasing them.

Parsipur’s novella exposed the brutality of Iranian patriarchy with rare clarity. It did so long before global audiences recognised that violence. The novella’s first English-language publication operates as a bridge between past and present. It makes visible how the structures that constrained women’s lives in the 1950s continue to shape Iran’s political realities today.

Hind Elhinnawy is senior lecturer in social science

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Women Without Men: the feminist book that Iran’s regime has failed to silence since the 80s

This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org; if you click on one of the links and go on to buy something, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have donated $26 million to at least 20 charities this week, ahead of their wedding extravaganza in New York City.

The superstar couple, both 36, are set to officially tie the knot at Madison Square Garden in NYC on July 3, with more than 1000 guests in attendance.

A smaller, more intimate rehearsal dinner for the couple’s closest 100 friends and family will be held at the Infosys Theater inside MSG on July 2 – and Swift’s longtime friends and collaborators have been spotted on the East Coast ahead of the wedding weekend.

The charities benefiting include nine foodbanks – including one in Swift’s hometown of Reading Pennsylvania – three children’s hospitals and seven educational programs.

The announcement from the pair’s representatives to The Daily Mail reads, ‘This week, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift donated $26 million to charities across the United States. They include the following…’

The list of charities is; City Harvest New York City, Food Bank For NYC, New York Cares, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Harvesters – The Community Food Network, (Kansas City), The Store, (Nashville), Helping Harvest (Reading), Rhode Island Community Food Bank, Feeding America, ASPCA, Dolly Parton‘s Imagination Library, Grammy In The Schools, Education Through Music, Answer The Call, Musical Mentors, After-School All- Stars, After-School All-Stars, MSK Kids, the pediatric cancer program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Children & Teen and Adolescents & Young Adult (AYA) Programs, Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone and Children’s Mercy Hospital.

The A-list couple got engaged in August 2025 after two years of dating 

In the wake of the donations, The Store’s Instagram page shared a thank you post reading, ‘We’re incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce for their transformative gift to The Store. 

‘Their kindness will help more families across Middle Tennessee access fresh, healthy food with dignity and choice, and we’re honored to have their support.

‘Congratulations to Taylor and Travis on your upcoming wedding! Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness as you begin this next chapter together. Thank you for helping make a difference in the lives of our neighbors.’

Jilly Stephens, CEO of City Harvest said, ‘We are incredibly grateful for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s generous $1 million donation to City Harvest. 

‘This donation is a love letter to New York, and a bold commitment to our efforts to ensure that no New Yorker goes hungry. Their support comes at a critical time, with visits to New York City soup kitchens and food pantries near record highs and expected to increase further in response to federal funding cuts.’

On Tuesday, the Daily Mail definitively confirmed that Swift’s wedding would be taking place in New York City after a key member of her entourage was spotted at the venue.

The wedding itself, initially expected to take place over the upcoming holiday weekend at Madison Square Garden, has now been nailed down as occurring on Friday, July 3.

The rehearsal dinner is said by a source to require ‘cocktail attire,’ and only family members have been invited for the pre-wedding event.

While it’s assumed that members of Swift’s squad – of which Hadid is a member – are likely to constitute her bridal party, few details have so far leaked about which of her friends will play a major part in her and Kelce’s wedding.

Ahead of the Mirrorball singer’s visit to her runway star friend, other close pals have been spotted congregating on the East Coast. 

Her friend and mentee, 26-year-old Sabrina Carpenter, was spotted enjoying a meal at Emmett’s on Grove in the West Village on Tuesday evening.

A video posted to X showed the beaming songstress chatting with friends ahead of the wedding.

The charities benefiting include nine foodbanks – including one in Swift’s hometown of Reading Pennsylvania – three children’s hospitals and seven educational programs.- Above, the couple in March

In the wake of the donations, The Store’s Instagram page shared a thank you post reading, ‘We’re incredibly grateful to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce for their transformative gift to The Store

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Swift and Kelce have allegedly dropped $160,000 for law enforcement presence at MSG on Thursday, July 2 and Friday, TMZ reported; taken on June 29

Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City holds a special place in the couple’s hearts – Swift visited just days after her The Eras tour wrapped in late 2024 – pictured with patient Baylee 

Carpenter was Swift’s opening act for 13 concerts on the 2023 Latin American leg of her blockbuster Eras Tour, before rejoining her the following year for a dozen shows split evenly between Australia and Singapore.

Two of Swift’s male pals were also spotted around New York State in recent days.

Her longtime friend and fellow singer–songwriter, Ed Sheeran, 35, was spotted enjoying the company of The National guitarist–turned–superstar record producer Aaron Dessner, 50, while in Upstate New York.

Dessner produced and co-wrote much of Swift’s Folklore and Evermore albums (both 2020), as well as bonus tracks on the deluxe 3am edition of 2022’s Midnights, before returning to work with her on much of The Tortured Poet’s Department (2024).

Sheeran and Dessner, who have previously worked together, were pictured dining at Buona Sera on the Lake in Malta, New York.

The restaurant is only about 60 miles from Dessner’s recording space, Long Pond Studio, where Swift and Sheeran have both worked with him. 

In addition to Hadid, other stars believed to be on the guest list include her sister Bella, her boyfriend Bradley Cooper, Swift’s longtime BFF Selena Gomez, Emma Stone, Lena Dunham and Zoe Kravitz.

Kelce’s football coach, Andy Reid, has already confirmed he will be attending the couple’s nuptials.

Also expected to attend are Kelce’s brother, Jason Kelce, and his teammate Patrick Mahomes, who previously revealed that he was responsible for inviting Kelce to the fateful Eras Tour concert at which he tried – unsuccessfully – to give Swift a friendship bracelet that listed his phone number.

Swift and Kelce’s wedding guests have also been left in the dark about the exact ceremony location ahead of the couple’s anticipated nuptials.

A source claimed to Us Weekly last week that lucky guests who scored an invitation to the big day have not yet been informed of the specific location.

‘Taylor and Travis told guests to be in NYC. No other location was provided,’ the insider told the outlet.

Those who received an invite were told to be in NYC on Thursday and Friday with no other information being provided.

Swift and Kelce are ‘putting their guests on hold for a couple days,’ the source said, before claiming that they have spent ‘millions’ on the wedding.

The A-list couple is allegedly planning on hosting a smaller gathering at Madison Square Garden on July 2, followed by a larger affair with roughly 1,000 attendees the next night, per the New York Times .

Earlier this week on Monday, equipment was seen being delivered and unloaded into MSG in photos taken for the Daily Mail

And on Tuesday, more pictures shot for the Daily Mail captured forklifts and additional equipment at the venue

An insider informed the Daily Mail in early June that Swift and Kelce had embraced the idea of a ‘spectacle’ wedding and selected Madison Square Garden as the venue.

Sources also previously claimed to the Daily Mail that guests who received an invitation are being required to sign an NDA before receiving information about the wedding.

Those who RSVP are then sent a link to the agreement, which requires guests not to disclose information about the wedding.

In August, Kelce proposed to Swift, and she shared photos from the intimate engagement on Instagram with the caption: ‘Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.’

The Football star had turned his backyard in Kansas City into a secret garden wonderland, which offered a romantic atmosphere.

Pointedly, Mauricio Pochettino was one of many in the dark. In ordinary circumstances, the United States securing their second-ever World Cup knockout victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday would have dominated the agenda for its historical context and national impact. Instead, Pochettino and his squad will leave Santa Clara for their Irvine base, 400 miles down the Californian coast, with an overwhelming sense of frustration, perhaps teetering towards infuriation.

Because despite the USA’s accomplished and well-deserved victory, there was a hot-button issue. Folarin Balogun’s second-half sending-off was clearly the major talking point. Pochettino had already voiced his dismay at the decision – “it’s never a red card, there was never [any] intention to step on the player” – when he pondered: “It should be possible to appeal the red card…”

Was it a query or a statement? He glanced over to his media officer; it was the former. Quickly, a reporter informed him that, by the black-and-white Fifa rulebook, it was not possible to appeal a red card. Article 66.4 of the regulations states: “A sending-off automatically incurs suspension from the subsequent match. The FIFA judicial bodies may impose additional match suspensions and other disciplinary measures.”

So, there you have it: not only is it not possible to appeal a verdict which bemused so many, pundits and fans alike, but the wording insinuates that the only possible modification to Balogun’s one-match sanction is an increase to two or three games. The lack of manoeuvrability, the opportunity for the US to present their case and have it assessed retrospectively, is somewhat baffling for a stage as grand as the World Cup.

US midfielder Tyler Adams, speaking afterwards, had an altogether simpler viewpoint: “Typical Fifa.”

World football’s governing body would argue the introduction of VAR (Video Assistant Referee) has negated the need for an appeals process. In real-time, the decision of an on-field referee can be reviewed and changed. Here, Brazilian referee Raphael Claus missed Balogun’s studs plunging into the calf of Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic as the pair battled for the ball.

The VAR trio – Juan Soto (Venezuela), Nicolas Gallo (Colombia) and Jerome Brisard (France) – directed the referee over to the monitor. Of course, by this time, we all know the decision has already been made, given that on-field officials rarely stick with their original decision once directed pitchside. Claus was shown numerous super-slow motion and still images of the incident.

Balogun was guilty of “serious foul play, defined as “challenging for the ball… with excessive force or endangering the safety of an opponent.” The freeze frame, undoubtedly, is nasty. Any fan waking up to that one image this morning may well ask: what is all the fuss about?

Yet there are two inconsistencies. First, the incident itself. As Pochettino was keen to stress, there is clearly no “intent” from Balogun. Instead, it is a collision and clashing of legs regularly seen every minute of every match, with the unfortunate consequence of the point of impact. But the bigger issue at play is the interpretation of the IFAB (International Football Association Board) rules for VAR.

In checking the footage, they state that slow-motion replay should only be used for “facts” (like the position of a player or the ball) whereas normal speed should be used for the “intensity of an offence.” Why, then, was the referee repeatedly shown a stream of slow-motion images? The incident and impact did not happen in slow motion; it should not be judged as such.

The second is recent history, involving the greatest player of his generation. In the same game that Lionel Messi opened his 2026 World Cup account with a hat-trick against Algeria, the Argentina captain did escape a card for a near-identical challenge on Aissa Mandi in the 30th minute. It was a foul, yet VAR had a look and decided against any sanction. Once again, with video reviews, the lack of consistency is exasperating.

Asked about the comparison, Pochettino opined: “For me, neither are red cards.” Yet the most obvious conclusion is undoubtedly that if Balogun’s tackle is a red card, Messi’s tackle simply has to be too.

Yet given such inconsistency, with the earlier incident setting a precedent for how such tackles should perhaps be judged, the fact that the US cannot even launch an appeal of any kind is deeply flawed. It leaves the unfortunate Balogun banned and watching on from the sidelines for the last-16 clash against Belgium in Seattle on Monday; a match which would have been the biggest of his career.

For a player who has been the co-hosts’ revelatory asset so far this summer, it is a hammer blow. Yet the notion that the decision is unrectifiable as per the rules is completely inadequate. Once again with Fifa, common sense is not the order of the day.

Emergency services raced to Johnsons of Old Hurst, near Huntingdon, and a critical incident was declared by police on June 18. 

He was rescued from the pit by staff members, including the zoo’s owners Andy and Tracey Johnson, who are said to have leapt into the enclosure.

The toddler received treatment at the scene before being rushed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

It has since been revealed he was attacked by one of the reptiles when he ended up in the enclosure on June 18.

The boy remains in a stable condition.

In a statement issued on Thursday (July 2), Johnsons of Old Hurst described the incident as “one of the most distressing” in its history.

Police declared a critical incident after the toddler suffered serious injuries (Image: Newsquest)

A spokesperson said: “We were alerted to reports that a child had allegedly been thrown into our of crocodile enclosures in the Tropical House.

“Everyone who was on site that day acted with incredible speed and determination. Within minutes of the first radio call, the child had been rescued from the enclosure and was receiving first aid.

“The emergency services arrived very quickly, supported by the MAGPAS Air Ambulance, and we cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, compassion and dedication in such difficult circumstances.

“We would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to the visitors who stepped forward to help, including off-duty paramedics and police officers whose calm and immediate actions made a real difference.”

They added: “We are immensely proud of our own staff, who responded without hesitation and did everything they could to help and support the child until the emergency services took over.

“The kindness we have received from our local community and from people across the country has been overwhelming.

“Every message of support, every kind word and every expression of concern has meant a great deal to our family and our team during an incredibly difficult time. Thank you for standing with us.

“Above all, our thoughts remain with the young boy and his family. We continue to hope and pray for his speedy recovery and ask that they are given the privacy, compassion and support they need at this time.”

A 30-year-old from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder shortly after the incident (Image: Joe Giddens/PA)

A 30-year-old man from Norfolk was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder shortly after the incident.

The suspect, believed to have learning difficulties, has since been released on bail until September 18.

The force confirmed the man, who is not known to the victim, has been assessed as “not being fit for interview”.

Detectives are now reviewing CCTV at the premises in a bid to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A fundraising page set up to pay for the toddler’s treatment and recovery has raised more than £22,000 days after it was first launched.

More than £22,000 has been raised for the injured toddler (Image: Joe Giddens/PA)

According to the organiser, any funds remaining after meeting the family’s needs will be donated to charities and organisations within the Addenbrooke’s Trust.

In a statement released on Wednesday (July 1), the victim’s family said: “We would like to thank the staff at the zoo who rescued our son from the enclosure.

“We are truly grateful for the public support and well-wishes we have received, as well as to everyone who has been directly involved in our son’s care and recovery in hospital.

“Our attention remains focused on his recovery and supporting him through this extremely challenging and prolonged period of time.”

It has since been revealed no safety concerns were indicated regarding the zoo’s conditions at the time of the incident.

Have you got a story you want to share? Get in touch at oliver.murphy@newsquest.co.uk

Hello and welcome to coverage from Wimbledon as Great Britain’s Jacob Fearnley takes on Jaume Munar.

Fearnley needed a wild card to get into the tournament after a difficult 12 months so fighting back from two-sets down to beat American Alex Michelsen was a real shot in the arm for the Scotsman.

“I have practised with him a lot,” said the 24-year-old. “It is not an easy match, but there are worse draws out there. Two years ago, I drew Novak [Djokovic].

“You do kind of go into the match thinking you’re in it, where sometimes when I have drawn [Alexander] Zverev second round, you kind of just go in thinking, ‘Well, I’ll try and get some games’.”

Munar, the world No 44, beat Queen’s Club champion Francisco Cerundolo in the second round.

Fearnley could receive a visit from the Princess of Wales, who is at the All England Club today. Dressed ‌in ‌a ⁠blue outfit, the 44-year-old made her way to Court 18 to watch Arthur Fery and was seated ​beside British former ‌semi-finalist Tim Henman.

On arrival ‌earlier, the Princess, who is patron of the AELTC, spent time ​meeting attendees who queued up since early ​in the morning, alongside ‌the honourary ​stewards.

Fery came from a set down to beat Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 6-3. It is a first appearance in the third round of a grand slam for Fery, and with Shelton exiting this quarter of the draw in the first round, the youngster from Wimbledon could yet go further still.

Organisation reveals they often receive alerts from panicked travellers who have headed off on holiday – only to realise they have left vital prescriptions like inhalers, insulin, blood pressure tablets, or other needed medications at home.

Lanarkshire holidaymakers are being warned not to let a simple mistake turn into a stressful health scare by forgetting their essential medicines when they travel away from home.

NHS 24 reveals that they often receive alerts from panicked travellers who have headed off on holiday – only to realise they have left vital prescriptions like inhalers, insulin, blood pressure tablets, or other needed medications at home.

Dr John McAnaw, associate clinical director at NHS 24, said: “It happens more frequently than you might think.

“People arrive at their destination ready to enjoy themselves, then suddenly realise their medicine is still at home. It can quickly turn a relaxing break into a stressful one.”

Missing doses of medicine, even for a short time, can have a real impact – particularly for people managing long-term health conditions.

Therefore, NHS 24 is urging people to take a moment before they travel, whether it’s a fortnight abroad or a weekend away, to check they have everything they need.

Dr McAnaw added: “It doesn’t matter if you are jetting off to Jamaica or camping in the Cairngorms.

“Remember to take your medicine with you as it might not be easy to replace when you get there, especially if you are in an unfamiliar or remote area.”

As part of its summer campaign, NHS 24 is promoting its Pack, Plan, Protect messaging.

“That means packing essential medicine, planning ahead with remedies for any health needs such as bites, stings, or hay fever, and protecting yourself and loved ones during any spells of hot weather.

“Before you head off on your summer adventure, just take a moment to check you’ve packed what you need,” advises Dr McAnaw.

“Make sure in advance that you’ve got enough medicine for your whole trip, keep it somewhere easy to reach such as your hand luggage, and check how it should be stored – especially in warm weather.

“These are really easy steps, but they can save you a lot of hassle at a time when you should be enjoying yourself on your well-earned break.”

For more summer health tips from NHS 24, visit https://www.nhsinform.scot/summer

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Vogue Williams has laid into ‘really stupid’ Lee Andrews as she hit out at Katie Price‘s husband for ‘taking the p*** out of everybody’ with his outlandish claims.

Lee, 43, who was recently imprisoned in Dubai’s infamous Al Awir prison for a month, claimed he was held on suspicion of espionage, but was actually arrested in connection with fraud allegations and private civil matters.

During their weekly podcast, My Therapist Ghosted me, Vogue was told by her co-host Joanne McNally that Lee’s recent claims include being offered a role on EastEnders and adopting all five of Katie’s children from previous relationships.

Vogue was reluctant to talk about Lee because she has a problem with the fact he is trying to ‘make people seem stupid’ by feeding them fabricated stories.

When she was told by Joanne that the BBC confirmed Lee hadn’t been offered a part on the soap, she said: ‘Thank f***ing god. That’s the best news you’ve come with. He can’t leave Dubai. I have never heard a greater sentence. Thank you.’

Lee, 43, who was recently imprisoned in Dubai’s infamous Al Awir prison for a month, claimed he was held on suspicion of espionage, but was actually arrested in connection with fraud allegations and private civil matters

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‘He’s taking the p**s out of everybody. This is why I have such a problem with it, I’ve likened it to being really stupid.

‘He’s trying to make people seem stupid and think that we actually believe his b******t and I can’t bear it.

‘I feel like he doesn’t even have two brain cells to rub together, that’s how I feel about him and I hate being dragged down to his level.’ 

Last week, Lee claimed he has bagged a part in Britain’s favourite soap EastEnders. 

The so-called businessman, 43, was released from Al-Awir prison in Dubai earlier this month where he was detained due to fraud allegations, although he insists he was captured at gunpoint after being suspected of espionage.

During a Cameo video the so-called businessman claimed is having ‘conversations’ with the EastEnders casting director.

He said: ‘Between you and me, I’ve got a little cameo coming on EastEnders. I’m trying to get Kate on there as well.

‘I’ve been speaking with the BBC casting director. I’ve got some projects lined up.

‘Let me get to England, let’s do it. Me in the Queen Vic, you know, ‘Get out of my pub,’ I’ll do it.’

He added: ‘Let me get to England, let’s do it. Me in the Queen Vic, you know, ‘Get out of my pub,’ I’ll do it’ (pictured 

A source confirmed to The Daily Mail: ‘There are no plans for Lee Andrews to appear.’

It comes after Lee claimed on Father’s Day that he had ‘adopted’ Katie’s five children – despite having never met Katie’s children.

Lee had said in a Cameo clip: ‘I haven’t got children, but we’re trying. I’ve adopted five of them. I love my wife and I love her children.’

But a source told The Metro, Lee has told ‘yet another lie’ and it is ‘categorically untrue’.

Lee is yet to meet Princess, 18, Junior, 21, and Katie’s eldest son Harvey, 24, despite being married to their mother since January. He is said to have spoken to them on FaceTime.

In his Father’s Day video, Lee spoke about how they are trying to have a baby, following his release from Al-Awir prison in Dubai where he was jailed for a month.

Lee and Katie recently reunited after the former glamour model was seen at Gatwick airport on Tuesday as she travelled to meet her husband. 

 She was said to be set on grilling him after being left with unanswered questions following his prison stint.

However any tense conversations or arguments looked far from Katie’s mind as the pair danced in the car together to Mr Saxobeat. 

Katie showcased her surgically enhanced assets in a skimpy yellow halter neck top and shades as she messed around while Lee filmed the two of them. 

Lee had previously teased there would be a live stream on his Instagram last week as he uploaded a poster, which read: ‘The grilling on Lee Andrews by Katie Price. Katie needs answers from her husband.’

Now a new report suggests Lee – who claims to be a millionaire and successful businessman – is also at the centre of a high-stakes property dispute.

The Sun reports court documents show he is the first-named defendant among three in the case, brought before the Dubai Court by claimant Alexander Keya.

The documents also show an accounting expert has been instructed to carry out a financial examination of the situation, the newspaper goes on to claim.

The documents show the court ordered the review on July 15 last year, with a remote judicial meeting scheduled later that month.

The precise allegations remain the subject of ongoing proceedings according to the publication and there hasn’t yet been a final judgement.

Sources claimed last week that Lee faces being hauled back to prison in 14 days if he fails to pay his outstanding debts, after documents revealed the extent of his money troubles.

Documents have also shown that the debts which instigated a warrant for Lee’s arrest included £54,000 pertaining to the hiring of a rental car, and £15,000 to a United Arab Emirates legal firm.

While it’s thought that Lee was not ‘actively wanted’ by police officials at this stage, he must pay his debts within two weeks.

Yarm Contemporary Gallery, which only opened in December, announced it will be closing its doors for good on Saturday (July 4). 

Artist Lucy Storrs, who set up the gallery, thanked customers for their “support, interest, and words of encouragement” since it opened. 

She said she has loved being a part of the Yarm community but that the site has “not been viable as a permanent gallery model” – and will now go back to being an artist full time. 

A statement posted on Facebook said: “If you have not already heard, July 4 is our last day on the high street.

Yarm Contemporary art gallery (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

“You folk have been wonderful; thank you for all your support, interest and words of encouragement. It has meant so much to us.

“We’ve loved being part of the community of Yarm. Keep an eye out for future possibilities whether a pop-up event or online, we are still exploring ideas.

“We have loved our little gallery but it has not been viable as a permanent gallery model. Sometimes you have to try these things to know if it’s going to work or not. 

Yarm Contemporary art gallery (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

“Now back to being an artist full time and a half. I have a tonne of work to catch up with, next stop London… thank you everyone. I am going to miss that river.” 

Lucy, who uses textiles like wool to add texture and depth to her pieces, set up the gallery to bring original work and prints from local and national artists to the town. 

She had been displaying artwork in Fairfax Court for some time but decided to open a permanent gallery due to the town’s “strong sense of community”.

The 311 square foot former Pop Up Shop has now been put back on the market, with a rental fee of £1,250 per calendar month. 

We will rise up and rebuild,” was the defiant message from Ukrainians after Russia unleashed one of the biggest attacks of the war on the capital Kyiv, leaving at least 21 dead, 90 hurt and 130 buildings damaged.

The EU ambassador to Ukraine said that “Russia unleashed hell on Kyiv” in the overnight attack, with 74 missiles and 496 drones launched, according to the Ukrainian air force. Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha described the assault as a “night of horror”.

The attack caused the widest destruction in Kyiv so far this year, and was the deadliest since at least May, when 24 people were killed in a strike that brought down an apartment block. Footage and images from the city showed widespread destruction as residents were left picking up the pieces.

You can follow the latest updates on the Ukraine war here.

Kyiv citizens told The Independent they were left in shock after the latest assault from Vladimir Putin’s forces, which Moscow said was launched in retaliation for Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia.

Kashtanchik kindergarten, which serves around 70 local children aged between two and six, was one of the scores of buildings hit in the onslaught.

Director Tetiana Konovalchuk, who has run the nursery for 26 years, said when the explosions woke her before dawn, she rushed the 500 metres from her home to inspect the damage.

Asked whether she felt anger after another attack had damaged the kindergarten – it was also hit last year – she paused, looked away and fought back tears.

“I will only say that we will rise up and rebuild,” the 49-year-old replied.

As workers hurled shattered window frames onto the pavement below, she shouted warnings to those walking past to avoid being struck by falling debris.

Before long, another air raid siren echoed across the district, followed by two more within the hour, briefly interrupting the clean-up.

President Volodymyr Zelensky cut short a visit to Ireland on Wednesday evening and had warned Ukrainians that a major attack was imminent.

“The main strike was directed at Kyiv. Air defence supplies for Ukraine are an absolute and critical priority,” he said, urging Ukraine’s allies to maintain contributions to a fund to buy US weapons, including Patriot air defence missiles for Ukraine.

The multiple waves of strikes, which began shortly after 2am on Thursday, destroyed apartment buildings and sent plumes of black smoke over the capital that lingered well into the morning. In the city centre, a hotel was set ablaze, its upper storeys burning for hours after the impact.

Residents in Kyiv’s eastern Darnytsia district, the worst-affected area of the capital, described a series of earth-shaking explosions that ripped away five floors of a nine-storey residential block and gouged a crater several metres deep in front of a neighbouring building.

“Everyone is just in total shock,” said Myroslava Fedykovych, a psychologist who arrived to provide emergency mental health support.

Ms Fedykovych said she had spoken to a 20-year-old woman who fled to a shelter about 50 metres away after an initial explosion struck the area at around 3.30am.

Half an hour later, as dozens of residents sheltered in the basement, another missile slammed into the courtyard outside.

The blast rendered her apartment building “completely unliveable” and shook the shelter so violently that those inside feared the ceiling would collapse. Several men began trying to force open the rear exit in case they needed another escape route.

“There was a first hit, and after that, they ran to the shelter nearby. You can see the crater behind me, which was just after they got to the shelter,” Ms Fedykovych said.

“So the first strike basically saved their lives. But then they thought the shelter was going to collapse because it was shaking and pieces of the ceiling were falling on them.

“The men in the shelter tried to break open the back door because they thought they were going to be trapped.

“This building behind is completely unliveable now,” she continued. “At the moment, everyone is just in total shock. They are just sitting there in silence. But I know from previous experience that everyone will reach out again, when it has calmed down.

“It has been very difficult emotionally. We have been having our therapy as we go.”

Nearby, rescuers clambered over the shattered building, clearing debris and searching for survivors trapped beneath the rubble.

As colleagues passed a body bag up through the ruins, a washing machine suddenly tumbled from the eighth floor, crashing to the ground beside a fire engine.

Residents huddled nearby waiting for humanitarian assistance when a man suddenly screamed and ran into the destroyed building. A dozen armed police officers chased after him before dragging him back outside.

Ms Fedykovych pointed towards the young woman, who declined to speak. She sat, stunned into silence, in the shade beside a basketball court, opposite the blackened shell of what had once been her home.

Between her and the ruined building, a Ukrainian serviceman stood at the edge of the missile crater examining fragments of the weapon that had destroyed it.

Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko described it as “a terrible night” and said damage had been recorded in every district of the city. The Darnytsia residential block suffered the worst destruction, he said, with part of the building “literally blown away”.

Rescuers were still searching for people trapped beneath the rubble, including a 15-year-old girl and her family. Friday has been declared a day of mourning in the capital.

The Russian Defence Ministry, in a Telegram post, said its “massive attack” using long-range, high-precision air, land and sea-launched weapons and drones hit military and energy facilities, as well as airports in Kyiv and other locations.

Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted most of the missiles and drones, but 25 ballistic missiles and 12 drones struck 33 locations across the country, with Kyiv the primary target.

The government, which has stepped up strikes in recent weeks on Russia’s domestic fuel supply, said it had hit an oil refinery overnight in the Russian region of Nizhny Novgorod, where the governor reported one person killed in a strike on an industrial facility.

Kaja Kallas, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said only sustained military support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Moscow could help stop Russian attacks.

“Today, I will propose to sanction more entities supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex in response to the strikes,” she said in a post on X. “The more Moscow attacks civilians, the more sanctions must be imposed.”