Archive April 22, 2025

Freddie Mercury’s sister in ‘battle to get back personal items sold by his ex’

By in Entertainment News, News

Freddie Mercury’s sister, Kashmira Bulsara, has reportedly spent a fortune getting back the iconic singer’s belongings put up for auction by his ex, Mary Austin

Freddie Mercury’s family war as sister fights to get back personal items sold by ex

Freddie Mercury’s sister, Kashmira Bulsara, is reportedly battling to get back the star’s personal items after his ex put them up for auction. Freddie and Mary Austin dated from 1969 until the late 70s and were engaged for a time before he eventually came out as gay.

However, they remained close friends until his death, with Mary caring for him when his health deteriorated. The singer even left her half of his estate in his will and his Garden Lodge mansion in Kensington, west London. Mary recently reportedly sold items that belonged to Freddie and even put his mansion up for sale last year.

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Freddie Mercury's mum, Jer, and his sister, Kashmira
Freddie’s sister Kashmira and her son Jamal Zook anonymously bid for his personal items at auction house(Image: Getty Images)

According to reports, Freddie’s sister Kashmira and her son Jamal Zook anonymously bid for those personal items at auction house Sotheby’s as they didn’t want Mary to know it was her bidding.

It is said Kashmira anonymously went for a ‘private viewing’ with her son and her personal assistant to get a better picture of what she wanted to retrieve.

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“Then when it came to auction time, Kashmira’s PA went in person to Sotheby’s and was on the phone to Kashmira throughout,” an insider claimed to The Sun.

Freddie Mercury and Mary Austin
Freddie and Mary dated from 1969 until the late 70s and were engaged for a time before he eventually came out as gay(Image: Getty Images)

It’s said she watched the auction online and told her PA how much to bid for the items after “setting aside a huge budget”.

“She was saddened to think of some of his sentimental belongings not being with his loved ones,” the source added. According to the publication, Freddie’s 73-year-old sister purchased a Wurlitzer Model 850 jukebox for £406,400, a waistcoat with portraits of Freddie’s six cats which went up for auction for £139,700.

Kashmira also purchased a jacket made for Freddie’ 39th birthday, which was £457,200 as well as eight pages of draft lyrics of Queen’s song Killer Queen for £279,400.

Other items included a Daum Persimmons vase for £22,860 and a Nike sweatshirt for £40,640.

In early 2024, , Mary put up Freddie’s ‘country house in west London’ for sale. He tragically passed away in the Kensington home three decades ago and had purchased the property back in 1985.

The mansion went on the market for £30million after its value has increased sixtyfold. Mary – who Freddie referred to as his ‘common-law wife’ – said: “The house has such love and warmth in every room. It has been a joy to live in and I have many wonderful memories here”.

The Mirror have reached out to Kashmira and Mary’s representatives for comment. Kashmira declined to comment.

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Four points separate five teams – who will prosper in race for Europe?

By in News, Sports News

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Manchester City boosted their Champions League qualification hopes with a late victory against Aston Villa on Tuesday, with Matheus Nunes’ 94th-minute winner sending Pep Guardiola’s side third in the Premier League.

That moved them above Nottingham Forest, albeit having played a game more, who earned an important win at Tottenham Hotspur on Monday.

Just three points separate Forest in fourth and Aston Villa in seventh, with the Premier League’s top five guaranteed a spot in the Champions League next season.

Forest have twice lifted the European Cup but haven’t played in Europe’s premier competition since 1980.

As many as 11 European places are up for grabs and there will definitely be a minimum of eight teams – up from the usual seven – playing in Europe next season, but things could change in the coming weeks.

It means Crystal Palace down in 12th still have something to play for.

Who do the contenders have left to play?

Liverpool: Tottenham (H); Chelsea (A); Arsenal (H); Brighton (A); Crystal Palace (H)

Arsenal: Crystal Palace (H); Bournemouth (H); Liverpool (A); Newcastle (H); Southampton (A)

Newcastle: Ipswich (H); Brighton (A); Chelsea (H); Arsenal (A); Everton (H)

Nottingham Forest: Brentford (H); Crystal Palace (A); Leicester (H); West Ham (A); Chelsea (H)

Manchester City: Wolves (H); Southampton (A); Bournemouth (H); Fulham (A)

Chelsea: Everton (H); Liverpool (H); Newcastle (A); Manchester United (H); Nottingham Forest (A)

Aston Villa: Fulham (H); Bournemouth (A); Tottenham (H); Manchester United (A)

Bournemouth: Manchester United (H); Arsenal (A); Aston Villa (H); Manchester City (A); Leicester (H)

Fulham: Southampton (A); Aston Villa (A); Everton (H); Brentford (A); Manchester City (H)

Brighton: West Ham (H); Newcastle (H); Wolves (A); Liverpool (H); Tottenham (A)

Brentford: Nottingham Forest (A); Manchester United (H); Ipswich (A); Fulham (H); Wolves (A)

How many teams could qualify for the Champions League?

Depending on how things pan out this season there will be between eight and 11 teams from the Premier League taking part in Europe next season.

A minimum of five of those will be in the Champions League, which is higher than the usual four because of England’s performance in Uefa’s coefficient rankings.

Graphic showing how many teams could finish in the Champions League

How many teams could qualify for the Europa League?

The maximum number of Premier League teams who could be competing in the Europa League is three.

Two places will likely go to the team who finishes sixth and the FA Cup winners.

However, if the cup winners have already secured a European place it will then go to the next highest placed side that has not qualified for Europe.

A graphic showing there will be a third Europa League spot awarded if Chelsea win the Conference League and fail to qualify for the Champions League

What about the Conference League?

There will be one Conference League place awarded to a Premier League team.

Currently, that will go to Carabao Cup winners Newcastle, but that could change if Eddie Howe’s side qualify for the Champions League or the Europa League.

As Newcastle currently sit inside the top four that looks likely.

How could 11 English teams be in Europe?

This could happen, but it is highly improbable.

It would require Arsenal to win the Champions League, Manchester United or Tottenham to win the Europa League and Chelsea to lift the Conference League trophy, and all three winners to finish outside the top six.

Related topics

  • Nottingham Forest
  • Fulham
  • Brentford
  • Chelsea
  • Aston Villa
  • Brighton & Hove Albion
  • Premier League
  • Manchester City
  • Crystal Palace
  • Bournemouth
  • Newcastle United
  • Football

Olmo Fires Liga Leaders Barca Past Mallorca

By in News, sport-news

Barcelona inched closer to the La Liga title with a 1-0 win over Mallorca on Tuesday which took them seven points clear of Real Madrid.

Spain international Dani Olmo slotted home to help Barca turn up the heat on second-placed champions Madrid, who visit Getafe on Wednesday.

Hansi Flick’s side, aiming for a potential quadruple, outplayed the visitors but could not extend their lead at the Olympic stadium as goalkeeper Leo Roman made save after save.

With Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against rivals Real Madrid in mind, Flick rested several of his usual starters.

The coach handed former teenage prodigy Ansu Fati his first start since October and deployed Hector Fort on the left of the defence, with Ferran Torres up front in place of injured top scorer Robert Lewandowski.

“We had a good game, the whole team, there were a lot of rotations today with players who hadn’t played for a while and I’m really happy for them,” Gavi told Movistar.

“Their goalkeeper had a great game, we had so many chances but that’s football, they’re not going to make it easy. ”

Barcelona created several chances in the first half and could hardly believe the score was goalless at the break.

Gavi’s deflected shot hit the post, while Torres fired over after Olmo played him in.

Fati also fired narrowly off target as the hosts turned the screw, and Roman saved from teenage star Lamine Yamal, before Fort’s shot was blocked as Mallorca rode their luck.

Now 22 and struggling for minutes at Barca, Fati drilled wide of the near post when he might have tested the increasingly-busy Roman, before Mateu Morey blasted home at the other end but was offside.

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Rapid strike

Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder #16 Fermin Lopez prepares to shoot during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and RCD Mallorca at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona, on April 22, 2025. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP)

Barcelona left the pitch frustrated but swiftly took the lead at the start of the second half, with Olmo firing home less than a minute in, after a long string of passes.

Fati came close to a second but Roman palmed his drive to safety. Flick sent on Raphinha and Fermin Lopez to try and finish the job.

Yamal should have added Barcelona’s second when the excellent Pedri sent him through, but Roman made yet another save.

The goalkeeper showed good reflexes to thwart Eric Garcia and then clawed out Lopez’s deflected shot when it looked like it was dipping over his head for his 10th save of the night.

It was Roman’s first appearance in the league in 2025 for Mallorca and although he and his side left without a point to show for it, another save to deny Lopez towards the end underlined his outstanding display.

“The coach has a huge problem deciding (between Roman and usual goalkeeper Dominik Grief),” said Mallorca defender Jose Copete.

“Leo’s been training really well, he hadn’t played for so long, and you just have to see how he played in a tricky game like today’s. ”

Mallorca appealed for a penalty in stoppage time when Garcia held Abdon Prats in the box but their appeals were waved away.

Barcelona have five games remaining in La Liga, including a mouthwatering Clasico showdown against Real Madrid on May 11.

Houthis say group downed US drone in northwest Yemen as US strikes continue

By in News, World News

Yemen’s Houthis have said they shot down a US drone that was carrying out an attack on the northwestern Hajjah governorate whilst the Al Masriah news outlet has reported that United States air strikes targeted at least three areas across the country.

In a statement on Tuesday, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group’s “air defence shot down a hostile American MQ-9 Reaper drone while it was carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of Hajjah Governorate”.

Saree claimed that this is the seventh US drone that the group has downed so far this month, and the 22nd since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began 18 months ago.

Al Masirah, a Houthi-affiliated outlet, said a series of strikes on Tuesday night targeted Kamran Island in the Red Sea, two air strikes hit the Al Salif district in western Yemen, and four air strikes were reported in the Al-Saleem district in the Saada province in the north of the country.

The US has been carrying out near-daily, deadly air attacks against what it claims are Houthi targets in Yemen, killing more than 200 people – including women and children – since March.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has warned that its military campaign will continue until the Yemeni group halts all firings against vessels in the Red Sea,   a major conduit for international trade.

The Houthis have rejected the US assault, stressing that they are targeting ships in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and will stop when Israel ends its punishing war on the enclave.

The latest attack comes just days after 12 people were killed in air strikes conducted by the US on Yemen’s capital Sanaa.

Last week, the  US launched 13 strikes  on Hodeidah’s port and airport. It was three days after its deadliest attack to date targeted the Ras Isa port, also in Hodeidah, killing at least 80 people and wounding more than 150 others.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have reportedly launched more than 100 attacks on vessels they say are linked to Israel, in response to  Israel’s war on Gaza.

The group halted attacks on shipping lanes during a two-month ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year. But they pledged to resume strikes after Israel renewed its assault on the besieged enclave last month.