Jail for thug who led family newsagents attack

Bad Blood” led a thug to spearhead a robbery attempt on a family newsagents that saw a shop-keeper bludgeoned with a metal bar. Yasser Hussain, from Chartist Road in Washwood Heath, was among a group of men who charged into Washwood Heath News on 29 December 2012 and demanded till takings.

He threw a flurry of punches at a 25-year-old staff member before turning on the victim’s 19-year-old cousin when he arrived to investigate the disturbance. Birmingham Crown Court heard that an associate of Hussain’s – who police believe fled to Pakistan soon after the raid – brandished an iron bar during

Primary school pupils to be inspired by free music concerts

4,000 primary school children from the West Midlands will experience the wonder of the Symphony Hall at the Primary Prom on Monday 3 February. The two free concerts, organised by national music charity Music for Youth, give children a chance to enjoy a wide range of musical styles in a concert hall setting. For many it will be their first experience of a live concert. Accomplished and talented musicians, who are 21 and under and from Birmingham and surrounding areas, will perform at the Music for Youth Primary Prom concerts designed to inspire young audiences to take up music. The performing groups are Soul Patrol from the

Three due in court over Mariam Alam death cover-up

Tragic tot Mariam Alam died from a “catastrophic” head injury suffered at a house in Fisher Road, Foleshill, on 30 November 2011.   Kamram Khalid will appear at Birmingham Crown Court to hear accusations he failed to call an ambulance or provide any first aid when she collapsed at his Fisher Road home and later lied to police in an attempt to distance himself from the enquiry. It is also alleged that he removed physical evidence from the house and disposed of it.   The 35-year-old is charged with child neglect and attempting to pervert the course of justice; a charge of murder against

Residents advised to tighten up on their home security

Residents in the Abbey ward, Leicester, are being advised to tighten up on their home security following an increase in burglaries in the area.

 

During the last 76 days (November 1, 2013 to January 15, 2014) there have been 63 burglaries spread out across the Abbey ward, compared to 26 burglaries in the previous 76 day period (August 17, 2013 to October 31, 2013). Of the 63 burglaries, 30 have been due to insecure doors or windows.

 

The ward stretched from the inner ring road to Birstall, and includes Stocking Farm, Mowmacre Hill and Frog Island.

 

Inspector Kev Morris, Beaumont Leys Local Policing Unit Commander,

Three arrested over suspicious activity near Great Barr schools

Three men have been arrested as a police inquiry progresses into reports of a van acting suspiciously near schools in Great Barr.   Officers detained the men, aged between 22 and 41, after stopping a white Ford Transit van, which was collecting scrap metal, as it travelled along Sterndale Road, Great Barr at 8.50am yesterday morning (Thursday 23 January).   A teacher at Perry Beeches School raised concerns after parents reported a white Transit-type van cruising the area.   A further call was received today from a concerned member of the public who reported the vehicle approaching a school girl at a bus stop at the junction of

Celebrity Hairstylist Asgar Unveils Winter Haircare Tips

From supermodel Cindy Crawford to Bollywood supremo and one of the world’s most beautiful women Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the name Asgar is synonymous with cutting edge and attention grabbing hairstyles. The UK based hair maestro has worked his magic on scores of celebrities and dignitaries the world over, making the front covers of several leading fashion magazines and item publications with his show-stopping and inspirational coiffures.

 

 

As well as having styled top models for the front covers of high-end fashion magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, Asgar’s work has also graced the fashion and style sections of national

A Strident Pakistan level the Series on the final day

Pakistan started the day knowing they would have to bowl Sri Lanka in the first session to give themselves any hope of winning the Test, and they did exactly that as Talha, Rehman and Ajmal combined to take the final five Sri Lankan wickets for the addition of 81 runs.

Talha had an early shout against Angelo Mathews, Hawkeye adjudging the ball to be clipping leg stump and the umpire’s original decision was upheld. Talha had his man a few overs later. Mathews had struck two boundaries in the over, including a top edge, before Talha induced another top edge which was caught by Manzoor, the man who had dropped the Sri Lankan captain yesterday. Mathews made 31 off 128 balls.

Pransanna Jayawardene departed in a manner similar to his senior namesake, being caught at short leg by Azhar ali off Saeed Ajmal for a well-constructed 49. Ahzar took third catch at short leg, this one the best of the lot, to

SALT’N PEPPER, OPENS ITS FIRST OVERSEAS RESTAURANT

London’s new eatery serves authentic Pakistani cuisine in a contemporary setting

 

Salt’n Pepper aims to re-educate diners about what authentic Pakistani food truly is

 

Pakistan’s distinguishable regional cooking traditions are all brought under one roof offering a unique experience for diners

 

It is generally accepted that London has the best curry and Tandoor cuisine outside of Asia and most recommendations direct tourists towards the city’s Brick Lane. This can no longer be considered the case, with a number of quality pan-Asian establishments popping up across the city in recent years.

 

The most exciting of these recent additions to London’s gastronomic scene is the opening of Salt’n Pepper London, the first overseas restaurant of Pakistan’s revered Salt’n Pepper Group. The

Protecting our mosques and religious institutions

Our country is a very diverse place to live, and home to people from a variety of different backgrounds. On my last visit to Birmingham I saw for myself the immense contribution that people from a range of faiths and cultures make to our society.

That richness and diversity is something we must protect. But sadly, as Security Minister, I am only too aware that there are those who seek to challenge it. This year we have seen the killing of drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich, the murder of grandfather Mohammed Saleem and bomb plots at mosques in Walsall, Tipton and Wolverhampton.

Following the attacks in the West Midlands, the Home Secretary and I met representatives from the affected mosques, and members of Mohammed Saleem’s family. We were deeply moved by the dignified

DAY IN THE LIFE OF…..

Every month we will be bringing you an exclusive insight of a day in the life of an influential personality. Looking at what inspires them, defining the passion they have for what they do and exploring a day of their life.

 

Meet Manrina Rekhi. Dentist. Actress. Wife. A woman who describes herself as a ‘fitness  enthusiast’ and the star of several upcoming  British Asian movies. The Asian Today sat down with the actress to talk about her life, marriage and work.

 

 

Tell me about yourself?                                                                 

 

My name is Manrina Rekhi. I am a dentist. When I was at school I always wanted to become an actor and I started down that pathway by studying drama for A-Level. But I chose to study history, maths and theatre studies. My headmistress took me to the side and said you’re very good at science and art and a nice way of combining the two would be dentistry; so why not consider moving over to do chemistry, maths and biology; and then look in to dentistry. I did some work experience with dentistry and I thought “yeah it is quite creative” and it seemed like an easier choice, with a five year degree.

 

So I changed my A-Level and became a dentist and thought that because I am so creative, cosmetic seemed like the obvious choice for me. I have been doing that for nearly 12 years now. I have always had a sneaky feeling inside me that I wanted

Missing Person : 101-year-old man missing from Coventry

POLICE are becoming increasingly concerned for a 101-year-old man missing from his Hillfields home in Coventry. Atta Mohammed, who uses two walking sticks, was last seen at his home in Leicester Causeway at 11.30am yesterday morning (Thursday). He is described as 5ft 2ins tall, slim build with white hair and a white beard and speaks Punjabi. He is believed to be wearing traditional white Punjabi dress with a black jacket. PC Darren Norton, from Coventry Police, said: "Mr Mohammed is quite active considering his age and is very independent however it is unusual and out of his routine to stay out for more

Priyanka Chopra to meet and greet fans at GUESS

 

GUESS is giving Priyanka Chopra fans a chance to meet the actor-turned-singer at their Regent Street store in London on 20th January 2014.

The world-famous artist will meet fans and sign autographs at the store from 5 pm - 6 pm.

The sultry superstar and GUESS brand ambassador will also give the press an exclusive sneak preview of her new single ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’ at the GUESS store only.

The first 200 fans who arrive at the store will get a free remix download of Priyanka’s NFL theme song ‘In My City’ featuring will.I.am.

The Bollywood

Birmingham man jailed for 17 years for blackmail and rape

A man who blackmailed a woman by threatening to share photos of her in her underwear in return for sex and cash has been jailed.

　

Daood Hussain, of St Andrew"s Road, Birmingham, was found guilty of 12 counts of rape and one count of blackmail at Birmingham Crown Court today (15 Jan) and was jailed for 17 years.

　

The court heard that 28-year-old Hussain had mocked up a leaflet which contained an image of his victim in her underwear and a caption with her contact details advertising her as a prostitute.

　

Unemployed Hussain continued to threaten to share them with

Forum aims to make West Midlands a hate free place

West Midlands Police hosted a force first with members of the public coming together to pledge their commitment to tackling hate crimes.

 

 

Around 80 delegates representing faith groups, disability rights campaigners and others attended the meeting held at police headquarters in Birmingham on Friday (10 January).

 

 

The event was the first time that representatives from the 100 third-party hate crime reporting centres in the region had been called together with the creation of a new networking forum.

 

 

The centres provide people who have been targeted because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or impairment with an alternative to reporting incidents directly to the police.

 

 

The day was part of West Midlands Police’s ongoing commitment to increase the number of

Maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle

The first of January marks the start of a New Year and one of the most common resolutions made is to lose weight.   

 

Being overweight can lead to health conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke. Making sensible changes to your levels of physical activity as well as your diet will make a difference.  

 

Drastic fad diets and exercise regimes that result in rapid weight loss are unlikely to work for long since these types of lifestyle changes are difficult to maintain. Losing weight will not happen overnight.

 

The healthy body mass index (BMI) is a

Dozens Turn up for Bone Marrow Testing

Queues were seen outside a Sikh temple in Coventry in renewed hope for a bone marrow match to fit a seven-year-old leukaemia sufferer.

 

More than 50 people turned up to give bone marrow samples at Gudwara Guru Nanak Parkash Sikh Temple in hope to find a match for Rhiane Tamna-Francois. The youngster was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of leukaemia in September and has been battling with the condition ever since being admitted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

 

The donor drive was organised by the UK’s leading blood cancer charity and bone marrow register, the Anthony Nolan Trust, who

MEET PAKISTAN’S FUTURE POP STAR

Asim Azhar. Even at a very young age his is considered the next big name in Pakistani pop music. Using platforms such as YouTube, he has been able to establish himself and share his music with his thousands of funds. His music is a combination of Urdu/ Punjabi and English with hits including “Sunlay” and a Urdu remix of Ed Sheeran’s “The A Team.” Asim spoke exclusively to The Asian Today about his new single, “Hands in the Air” and what brings out the best in him.

 

1.      Your new single, Hands in the Air, released on the on December 27th which is also your mothers birthday, what was the inspiration behind the single?

  

Yes, it was released on my mom’s birthday. I wanted to make it special for her. As far as the inspiration behind the single is concerned, it’s a very happy song which intends to make the listener jam to the beat and move. Whenever I go to a party and see people dancing to up-beat pumpy tracks, I start wanting it to be my track that’s being played, so I see people enjoying and having the time of their lives to my music. But I also realised that the type of music I have made till

Andy Flower Eyes Response

Team director Andy Flower is determined to get England “moving in the right direction again” following their 5-0 Ashes defeat.

Optimism was high as Alastair Cook’s men headed Down Under seeking a fourth successive triumph over the old enemy, having retained the little urn last summer.

However, they were unable to hit anything like their best form and ultimately succumbed to a determined Australia side.

The upshot is a result that, while causing understandable frustration, has left Flower determined to lead a revival.

Andy Flower is looking forward to a period of planning as he attempts to get England's Test

Thief snapped on bus wearing stolen coat

Two laptops and a coat were stolen after a break-in at a Birmingham student's flat in Alum Rock in November last year - now police have released a picture of a man spotted on a local bus wearing the coat!

　

Officers were alerted to the break at Nansen Road which happened overnight on Friday 15 November. The 24-year-old occupant of the shared house found his door had been forced open and a check of his belongings revealed that two laptops, a black HP and a silver Samsung, had been taken containing valuable college work.

　

Also missing was a distinctive

Birmingham school fundraises for survivors of Typhoon Haiyan

Pupils at a Birmingham school have raised more than £500 to help the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

 

Members of the sixth form at Waverley School in Bordesley Green sold cakes and snacks to raise cash for the global children’s charity Plan UK.

 

The event was organised by 16-year-old pupil Kinza, who is a member of the charity’s youth advisory panel.

 

She recruited her mum to help buy supplies and encouraged her friends to get involved baking and selling the goods.

 

“My mission was to raise as much as I could for the benefit of the Philippines,”

Jaz Dhami releases ZULFA REPRISE

AFTER HUGE DEMAND JAZ DHAMI RELEASES ZULFA REPRISE  

FOLLOWING THE SUPER SUCCESS OF ZULFA, TOPPING CHARTS WORLDWIDE Jaz Dhami has been inundated with requests from fans across the world to release ZULFA with his vocals alone.   So in order to give the fans what they want for 2014, Dr Zeus and Jaz now present ZULFA REPRISE - A version without the rap. ZULFA topped the Official Asian Download Chart, making it the Christmas Number 1 of 2013. Meanwhile JAZ has been performing in India and UAE over the festive period. Look out for highlights of JAZ DHAMI's New Years Eve performance in Dubai at the Jumeirah Emirates Towers

Study shows Ethnic Minorities Winning Battle against Blood Cancer

The combined effects of scientific developments and increasing public awareness appear to be equalising opportunities for people of diverse ethnic backgrounds, such as the Asian and Afro-Caribbean populations, for whom it is much harder to find a suitable match.

 

Traditionally, blood cancer patients without a matched sibling donor have searched a register of unrelated volunteer donors prepared to give stem cells. Experts then analyse genetic markers in the immune system which are heavily influenced by ethnicity – to determine the best donor for each patient. The more people on the register of similar ethnic backgrounds, the better the chances of finding a good match. Research has shown that better matched donors increase the survival for patients, so better donors lead to a greater chance of survival.

 

Low numbers of unrelated BAME donors on registers around the world

Candle Lit Vigil for Delhi Gang Rape Victim One year on

An award winning media professional from Wolverhampton, in the UK who launched a campaign raising awareness on issues of rape and abuse in India held a vigil in Bham in memory of the Delhi Gang Rape victim, ‘Damini’ on the 1st anniversary of her death. The vigil attracted over 100 people who came to pay their respects and show their support.

 

Supporters gathered in extremely cold temperatures and took time out of their festive holidays to join the vigil.

 

Reena Combo, an entertainment editor, decided to convene a campaign calling for justice following a horrific assault on a female bus passenger in the Indian city of Delhi on December 16th in 2012, which

New Long Haul Routes Announced From Birmingham Airport

Birmingham Airport will commence twice weekly scheduled flights to both New York and Dhaka in the spring of 2014; a long-haul operation made possible thanks to Birmingham’s £40m runway extension soon to open.

 

Birmingham will become only the third UK airport to have direct flights to New York JFK and offer the only non-stop service between the UK and Bangladesh outside of London.

 

Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Bangladesh’s National Flag carrier, will operate between Dhaka, Birmingham and New York’s John F. Kennedy airport using a Boeing 777 aircraft, offering Business and Economy seating.

 

Paul Kehoe, Birmingham Airport’s Chief Executive, said,

Aftabs celebrates 30 years of trading

Kick-starting the New Year, Aftabs, one of iCandy’s most dedicated stockists, will be holding an in-store event from the 3rd-5th January 2014. As part of the store’s 30th anniversary, Aftabs will be showcasing a variety of its stocked nursery brands and promoting some great in-store offers.

 

To express its gratitude iCandy, the leading luxury pushchair brand, has chosen to exclusively launch the Peach 3 in Jet. An iCandy representative will be at the store on the 3rd and 4th January 2014 to provide hands-on demonstrations to end users and will be giving away a free iCandy parasol to

'Arrogant' young man, beat sister after she broke family rule

A 21-year-old man with a string of criminal convictions who carried out a sustained assault on his sister when she challenged the moral authority he had imposed on the household has been jailed for nine months.

 

Faisal Iqbal struck Rukhsana Shaheen round the head, tried to hit her with a vacuum cleaner attachment and then kicked her in the head, Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday.

 

Iqbal pleaded guilty to causing Miss Shaheen actual bodily harm at the family home in Princeville Road, Great Horton, Bradford, on October 30.

 

Iqbal, who has convictions for criminal damage, assaulting a police officer, threatening behaviour

Police warn of 'Top 5' street thieves trick list

SLY street thieves struck more than 200 times across the West Midlands during 2013 using an array of 'sleight of hand' tactics to swipe purses, phones and bank cards.

　

Favourite cons used by brazen tricksters include nimble-fingered jewellery swaps stealing necklaces and leaving victims wearing cheap imitations and warmly hugging targets as a distraction technique whilst they dip into bags or pockets.

　

A total of 225 people reported being targeted by thieves using distraction scams like these most in the street, in shops or at bus stops but police believe there could be many more victims who perhaps don't realise they've been swindled.

　

West Midlands Police has issued a Top 5 list of new tricks being adopted by pickpockets in the hope members of the public can help protect themselves against street scammers.

　

Chief Inspector Jane Parry said: "These are calculated groups