The widow and daughter of a British adventurer who died in a Peruvian avalanche are engaged in a High Court dispute over his £10 million estate.

Paul Samuel, 55, was remembered as “an adventurer in a slightly old-fashioned sense”. He was killed in June 2018 when an avalanche struck Alpamayo, a 19,511ft mountain in the Peruvian Andes. A Slovenian climber and their local guide also died in the incident.

The explorer, writer and entrepreneur left a fortune estimated at £10 million. Under the terms of his will, the estate was intended to be divided broadly equally between his partner, Ana Lesiak Samuel, 59, and his daughter from an earlier relationship, Kate Samuel, 25.

Yet eight years after his death, the two women remain locked in a bitter disagreement over the inheritance. The court has heard claims of a “difficult relationship”, reportedly worsened when Ana allegedly refused to let Kate’s mother attend Paul Samuel’s memorial service.

The High Court in London was told this week that disputes between the beneficiaries and the lawyer overseeing the estate have contributed to years of delay in distributing the fortune.

Samuel’s achievements included sailing across the South China Sea, trekking through the jungles of Borneo and climbing Mount Everest. He also wrote Find Your Own Mountains, a collection of 18 letters reflecting on his life and adventures, written for Kate’s 18th birthday. The book was published in the months following his death.

Judge Master Francesca Kaye heard that much of Samuel’s wealth, including Bank Farm near Whitchurch, Shropshire, valued at £780,000, was placed in a trust under the terms of his will. The arrangement provides for Kate and Ana to receive equal shares.

Part of the inheritance has already been transferred. Kate has received a £1 million payment, while Ana was given the farm and another property, the court was told.

However, the pair—who were said to have been “not close” even before Samuel’s death—are now opposing each other in proceedings involving will trustee and solicitor Anna Unett.

The inheritance dispute previously came before the High Court in 2023, when disagreements arose over the value of estate assets and the way they should be divided. Ana then unsuccessfully sought the removal of Mrs Unett and Samuel’s father, Peter, as trustees. Peter has since died.

Although the court issued instructions on how the assets were to be allocated, the conflict has continued.

Mrs Unett, supported by Kate, is now asking for Ana to be removed as executor and as a co-trustee of the will trust. She accuses Ana of prolonging the process and increasing costs for the estate.

Ana is resisting the application and wants to retain her position, arguing that Samuel specifically intended for her to oversee his estate.

Julie Case, representing Kate, accused Ana of trying to “delay and frustrate the proper and efficient administration of the estate”.

She told the court: “Kate believes that Ana is unsuitable to act as an executor. The relationship between Ana and Kate has been strained for some time.

“Ana has caused difficulties and delays since the April 2023 hearing. She appears to be unable—whether deliberately or otherwise—to deal with matters in a straightforward and transparent manner.”

The court heard that Mr Samuel’s will created two trusts, of which both Ana and Kate were to be equal beneficiaries. Ms Case said the aim had been to create a ‘clean break between them… having regard of the difficult relationship’. 

She concluded: ‘It is Kate’s position that, but for Ana’s conduct since the April 2023 order, all the distributions would now have been made and the administration of the estate would have been completed some time ago.

‘Kate wants to see the administration of the estate concluded as quickly as possible and with minimal cost to the estate. The deceased never intended Ana to act as the sole executor.’

But Alexander Learmonth KC, for Ana, told the judge that she denies being at fault for the delay and insists she is the right person to be in charge of the estate as that is what her dead husband wanted.

‘Ana resists her removal as executor: there is simply no proper ground for doing so,’ he said, labelling the ask a ‘drastic step’.

‘Ana experienced a period of poor mental health in 2024 following her bereavement, but… that has fully resolved,’ he said, adding that she had driven the publication of his book and had been raising funds for a school in Nepal in his memory.

Blaming Mrs Unett, the lawyer, for the delay, he said Ana had been denied access to vital estate documents, delaying the administration of the £10million fortune.

‘Mrs Unett says that the estate administration is almost complete. If so, then Ana, as the appointed and properly constituted executor, should simply be allowed to complete it,’ he said.

For Mrs Unett, barrister Mark Baxter claimed administration and distribution of the estate had in fact been ‘delayed and complicated by Ana’s conduct’.

‘Generally, Ana’s approach to all matters related to the estate is uncooperative, if not combative,’ he told the judge.

‘The only person with any interest in the matter who wishes Ana to remain in office is Ana herself.’

Following a half day hearing, the case was adjourned, but is due to return to court at a later date.

Throughout his first season as Jets head coach, Aaron Glenn repeatedly pointed to his time in Detroit. He often cited the 2021 Lions — the team Dan Campbell inherited as head coach, with Glenn serving as defensive coordinator — as proof that a franchise can recover despite a bleak record and begin building toward something better.

Detroit finished 3-13 that season and opened 0-10-1. Yet by the end of 2022, the Lions had improved to 9-8, remained in the playoff hunt late in the season and completed much of the foundation that has since made them, for the most part, a consistent NFC contender.

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That makes Sunday’s matchup especially fitting. After two weeks of largely encouraging football ended with a game-management collapse last week, Glenn and the Jets will travel to Detroit to face the 1-1 Lions. The game offers New York a chance to respond to the criticism surrounding the Week 2 defeat while also providing an early measure of Glenn’s tenure as Jets head coach.

In Week 1, the Jets appeared capable of being a respectable team. In Week 2, they came close to opening 2-0 before a late collapse changed the outcome. Now, against the franchise Glenn helped shape, he has an opportunity to show that these Jets are not the Same Old Jets — that his vision for a different future is possible, and that the blueprint he witnessed in Detroit can work in New York.

Pope Leo XIV arrived in France on Friday for his fifth Apostolic Journey as pontiff. The four-day visit is the first official papal trip to the country once known as “the eldest daughter of the Church” since Pope Benedict XVI traveled there in September 2008.

French bishops have chosen “That the world may have life” as the theme of the visit. The journey comes as the officially secular nation reports a surge in adult baptisms: More than 21,000 adults have entered the Catholic Church so far this year, according to the Conference of Bishops of France, with people ages 18 to 25 driving much of the increase.

“Pope Leo’s visit to France has sparked a real tidal wave” of interest, retired French Bishop Marc Stenger told Reuters. “French Catholics are… saying loudly that they need the Church to find their way in these uncertain moments in world history.”

The renewed interest follows a 2021 report that found approximately 330,000 French children had been abused by Catholic clergy and lay leaders over seven decades. The report said the Church had displayed “deep, total and even cruel indifference” toward victims. Stenger, who led the Diocese of Troyes from 1999 to 2020, told Reuters that the scandals “have deeply wounded the Church and damaged its credibility.”

In an unusually personal step, the Vatican press office said Pope Leo will hold a private meeting in Lourdes with seven abuse survivors, presenting it as an act of healing and vulnerability.

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The Vatican describes the journey as “a journey that unites faith and public engagement, memory and the future, with listening and bridge-building at its heart.” After French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed him and hosted a courtesy visit at the Élysée Palace on Friday, Pope Leo is expected to deliver 15 speeches. His remarks will address spiritual and social issues, including protection for immigrants, the sick and unborn, the defense of human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence, as well as peace, culture and unity.

French bishops have said they were surprised by the enthusiasm surrounding the visit. The Associated Press reports that organizers preparing for Pope Leo’s Saturday Mass at Paris’ Place de la Concorde expect as many as 1 million people. Security barriers have therefore been extended beyond the 1.2-mile Champs-Élysées, where the pope is scheduled to travel in the Popemobile.

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One of the trip’s most significant stops comes Sunday at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, among Christianity’s most visited pilgrimage sites and a destination particularly associated with the sick. During his final foreign trip in 2004, an ailing Pope John Paul II visited Lourdes and delivered a strong denunciation of abortion and euthanasia.

The papal visit follows France’s recent national debate and passage of legislation permitting adults with incurable illnesses to obtain lethal medication. The measure came after a 2024 law made abortion a constitutional right.

On Friday, Pope Leo will address UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, at its Paris headquarters. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the pontiff is likely to renew his call for a pause in the development of artificial intelligence and speak “with regard to the meaning of existence, to what makes human beings human and what does not.”

The address follows the pope’s manifesto in May, when he warned about AI’s potential dangers and called for international regulation of the industry. That stance again places him at odds with President Trump, who has promoted AI innovation so the United States can compete with and surpass China.

After his UNESCO appearance, Pope Leo will lead a prayer service at the newly restored Notre-Dame Cathedral. The event will mark the first papal visit to the landmark since a 2019 fire nearly destroyed one of France’s national treasures.

The pope will end the journey Monday with a symbolic full-day visit to the border city of Metz, the birthplace of former French Prime Minister Robert Schuman, regarded as one of the European Union’s founding fathers. The Vatican says the setting will allow Pope Leo to “champion friendship among European peoples.”

French Ambassador to the Vatican Charles Personnaz told Reuters that Macron has invited leaders from all 27 EU member states to hear the speech and meet with the pope. Other media reports indicate that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may also attend.

Taylor Swift has released new material for The Life Of A Showgirl: The Encore, and one track has left fans stunned by what they see as a risqué reference to Travis Kelce.

The 36-year-old singer, who has been backing her husband throughout the NFL season, added four songs to the expanded edition of the album.

The new tracks are Patient Zero, Pink Clouding, Babylon and Cleveland! The final title appears to nod to Kelce’s hometown in Ohio.

In the upbeat song Cleveland!, Swift sings: “The taste of me is acquired, but it’s his favorite dish.”

Fans immediately took to X to react, with one writing: “THE TASTE OF ME IS ACQUIRED BUT ITS HIS FAVORITE DISH????????????? OHHH TAYLOR I LOVE IT WHEN YOUR DIRTY.”

Another fan called the line “The taste of me is acquired but it’s his favorite dish” “insaaaaaane of her.”

“The taste of me is acquired but it’s his favorite dish oh they’re FREAKYYYYYYYYYY,” another X user posted.

Daily Mail has contacted Swift’s representatives for comment but has not received a response.

This is not the first time Swift has used suggestive lyrics that appear to reference Kelce.

Last year, the star released The Life Of A Showgirl, an album featuring the song Wood.

In that track, Swift sings: “Redwood tree, it ain’t hard to see/His love was the key that opened my thighs.”

The Grammy winner’s song Cleveland! also sparked an enthusiastic response, with fans interpreting its lyrics as Swift calling Kelce the “love of my life.”

One person wrote on X: “why is cleveland! making me sob like…she found the love of her life guys,” while another said, “cleveland is so a cute sweet song and I’m so happy for her.”

“Cleveland is for Travis, she found her true love,” one Swiftie posted. Another highlighted the lyric: “Now I’m wearing white so hate all you like” and added, “YES TAYLOR YES.”

Another fan shared: “I’m loving every second. Thank Taylor for loving us and loving your job.”

Other lyrics from Cleveland! include: ‘But my baby likes what he likes/He already took me to Cleveland/and showed me The Heights,’ which seemingly was a subtle reference to Kelce’s New Heights podcast.

Earlier this week on Wednesday, Swift revealed that The Life Of A Showgirl: The Encore would drop on Friday. 

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‘About a year ago, you guys did a truly unfathomable thing,’ the star wrote on Instagram.

‘Something that completely blew my mind… You gave The Life of a Showgirl the biggest first week for an album in history.’

Swift recalled traveling to Sweden ‘to celebrate with Max and Shellback, my two collaborators on this album.’

She added that while their plan was simply to take in the album’s release, ‘we did what we do when we feel anything at all: We wrote more songs.

‘I hope you love them, because they were born out of pure gratitude for your exuberance for and celebration of the album we made.’

And on Tuesday, the songstress also announced the release of her new single Patient Zero, which is also found on the extended edition of Life Of A Showgirl.

Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell are featured in the forthcoming music video for the track, and a first look was recently shared on Thursday on CBS Mornings.

The snippet showed Swift inside a dark bathroom as instrumental music played in the background.

Other moments included both Swift and Johnson standing next to a statue inside a spacious room. They both were then seen wearing all black at a snowy cemetery as two dark roses were placed on a grave.

The teaser concluded as the trio appeared in the same room before the clip cut to black.

Johnson reflected on having the chance to collaborate with Swift on the music video during an interview with Fan Girl Nation.

‘Taylor and I have been friends for a really long time, and we’re very close, and we decided to work together,’ the Fifty Shades Of Grey actress said. ‘And it’s great.’

The star continued, ‘Normally, I would say don’t work with your friends, but we work really well together.’

Along with the Patient Zero music video debuting at the MTV Video Music Awards, Swift will also receive the inaugural Artist-Director Award.

The songstress previously dropped the song I Knew It, I Knew You back in June for the Toy Story 5 soundtrack.

On Tuesday, a countdown clock had appeared on Swift’s website shortly before the music announcement, causing some fans to speculate that she was going to share wedding photos.

And while Swift has yet to unveil photos from her big day, she has been cheering on Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs who currently have two wins under their belt for the season thus far. 

Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet on Thursday criticized the attorney representing a Venezuelan man shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Austin, Texas. Kolvet called attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch and her client a “perfect match” after renewed backlash over a deleted social media post mentioning the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kolvet, who also serves as executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show, told Fox News Digital that the organization supports the federal immigration officers involved in the incident. He also condemned Lincoln-Goldfinch and her client, 28-year-old Wilber Rafael Garces Perez.

“We stand with our brave men and women of ICE who are defending American sovereignty and keeping American citizens safe,” Kolvet said. “While everyone is entitled to their defense, it’s not surprising the quality of lawyer an illegal alien from Venezuela attracts who had a final notice of deportation before leading law enforcement on a dangerous high-speed chase.

“They seem a perfect match.”

Lincoln-Goldfinch faced criticism this week after a previously deleted social media post referencing Kirk resurfaced online.

In the post, she questioned whether someone could avoid being shot while referring to Kirk’s death.

“How do you resist getting shot in the neck? Does Charlie Kirk have any advice on that?” Lincoln-Goldfinch wrote.

She later addressed the controversy in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying her office concluded that the wording could be understood in a way she did not intend and decided to remove it.

“A post referencing the death of Charlie Kirk was removed from our account. We recognized the post could be misconstrued, and that’s why it came down. We have also addressed this issue internally,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said.

The exchange unfolded as additional evidence emerged about the ICE operation that ended with Garces Perez being shot.

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Surveillance video released Wednesday appeared to show at least two federal law enforcement vehicles pursuing Garces Perez’s vehicle with emergency lights activated and sirens sounding before the shooting.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed the footage was authentic to Fox News Digital.

Lincoln-Goldfinch has challenged the federal account of the incident. She said Garces Perez was working as a DoorDash driver when an unmarked vehicle hit his car and that he initially did not realize federal agents were pursuing him. She has also disputed DHS’ description of his immigration status.

DHS identified Garces Perez as a Venezuelan national with a final order of removal who was the target of a planned vehicle stop.

The department further said his work authorization expired in 2025 and rejected claims regarding his treatment following the shooting.

“No amount of smears and false narratives will slow down ICE from doing its job to arrest illegal aliens from our communities,” DHS said.

Austin police released body-camera footage Tuesday showing officers arriving shortly after the shooting and assisting Garces Perez out of his vehicle. The footage contradicted an earlier claim that federal agents removed him from the car, though it did not show the shooting itself.

The case has now expanded into federal court. Lincoln-Goldfinch’s firm filed a lawsuit seeking to block Garces Perez’s immediate removal from the United States. A federal judge ordered that he remain in the country so he can attend a Sept. 30 hearing.

The events leading to the shooting remain under investigation.

Homeland Security Investigations, assisted by the FBI, is handling the federal inquiry. Austin authorities have also examined evidence related to the encounter.