Black belt ceremony awards young trainers
Five martial artists from a kickboxing academy in Bradford were awarded their black belts last week after passing the grade in the fast-paced sport.
The students, from Azar Farooq Kickboxing, received the decorated honour at a special ceremony on Monday, with family and friends in attendance.
To achieve the final colour belt in the sport, the...
Ashfaq helps Britain clinch victory
Leeds’ Qais Ashfaq registered an emotional victory last week as he made a winning start to his life a British Lionheart.
Coming up against China Dragon’s Diao Jianhao, the 21-year-old won on a split decision as he battled through the five-round contest in the World Series of Boxing.
It was a tough mental challenge for Ashfaq, whose...
Exhausting seven-hour Thai Boxing challenge completed
Battered, bruised and hurting, Mubz Bajwa walks away from the ring after 111 consecutive rounds of boxing yet still has a smile on his face, knowing he has broken a world record and raised hundreds of pounds for charity.
The Birmingham competitor, who has been involved in the sport for almost 20 years, took on...
Varun Dhawan talks about his role in ‘Badlapur’
That Varun Dhawan is hugely popular with the ladies is no surprise. The young actor’s six-pack, cute looks and incredible charm on the screen have won him a huge female fan following.
However, this time he is out to prove a different point. ‘Badlapur’, a revenge saga directed by thriller specialist Sriram Raghavan,...
“At first I couldn’t believe what was happening.”
A Dewsbury shopkeeper says he was left ‘terrified’ after being the victim of a gunpoint robbery just three months after starting his job.
Haider Afzal, from Saville Town, had been working at Rupyal Superstore when a gunman entered the premises on Thursday 27th December around 8.20pm.
Pointing a gun at the 22-year-old, the armed...
Teens head to recording studio in aid of massacre victims
Three musical siblings from Bradford have taken their fundraising to a whole new note this week after releasing their own song in aid of those affected by a Taliban attack on a Pakistan school last month.
16-year-old Shakeeb Hussain, and his sisters, Ayesha, 19, and Areeba, 15, all from Undercliffe, pulled...
Asian Express hosts event-packed night to mark the end of 2014
The glitterati of Yorkshire and beyond were out in full force as guests came together to mark the end of 2014 with a big bang.
The star-studded 3rd annual ‘Asian Express Year End Party’, which has been dubbed as ‘the must-go-to party of the year’, witnessed sensational live performances from...
Abhishek Bachchan excited to see his wife’s comeback on big
Aishwarya Rai is making her comeback on the silver screen with Sanjay Gupta's highly-anticipated film 'Jazbaa'.
Aishwarya who was last seen on the big screen in the 2010 film 'Guzaarish', and took a break to have a baby, has stayed away from the cameras as much as possible.
In November 2011,...
There is a lot of controversy surrounding Amir Khan’s box-office hit ‘PK’ and though the film has become one of the biggest earners in India, the negative comments on the film keeps pouring in.
The Rajkumar Hirani film has evoked discussion and Aamir Khan feels that the motive of the movie was to spark off healthy debates and discussions. Though...
Actress Bipasha Basu, who just turned 35 (and looks great), considers herself to be very blessed and says her friends and family have made her feel on top of the world.
"I am the most blessed girl in the world! My loved ones make me feel like a Princess," the star tweeted.
Bipasha, who celebrated her birthday on 7th January described...
In the wake of the terrorist attack, where gunmen in Paris killed 12 people, many Muslim clerics across the globe quickly condemned the attack and said there was no acceptable justification for the killings.
It was a signal from some of the Islamic world's strictest voices that cartoons lampooning the Prophet Muhammad in the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were not...
Arbaaz Khan, who is producing ‘Dolly Ki Doli’ is extremely happy with how things have panned out.
"Sometimes when you start making a film you are excited initially, but then you could get disappointed as it may not shape the way you wanted it to. But I am pretty satisfied with ‘Dolly Ki Doli’.
“In fact, the final product is looking...
Candlelit dinner and presents handed out this winter
A very special dinner was served up to Leeds’ homeless population last month as a three-course upmarket meal was brought to those most in need this winter.
Since July 2012, generous volunteers have been giving up their own time, on the final Friday of each month, bringing and giving out food, whilst speaking...
Bradford’s renowned International Grand Mawlid is set to take place this weekend as thousands of people celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad.
On Sunday 18th January, from 12pm until late, Bradford’s Al-Jamia Suffa-Tul-Islam Grand Mosque, on Horton Park Avenue, will be hosting the annual celebration and procession, spreading the true message of Islam - of peace, love and tolerance.
For...
Yorkshire’s biggest photocake served up by Asian Express
The Asian Express New Year’s Bash drew in some of the biggest talents from around the world last month yet the ‘sweetest’ surprise of all perhaps came in an even tastier form altogether.
A mammoth cream cake, measuring 54inch by 30inch (or 1,620 square inch), was unveiled on the night with the bespoke...
Shraddha Kapoor doesn't believe in New Year resolutions as she believes that it puts a lot of pressure on her.
"The only change I can see is that I will be writing 2015 like everybody. I believe in going with the flow and don't like getting stressed up with New Year resolutions," says Shraddha, who was delighted to have spent...
Special praise for high-flying Keighley kids
Children and staff at a Bradford pre-school had another reason to celebrate over the festive period after receiving a perfect report from Ofsted.
Highfield Community Pre-School, located on Drury Lane, Keighley, impressed across all areas when inspectors visited last year, claiming the highest rating of ‘Outstanding’ in every category.
Based in the Highfield Centre since 2004,...
Conversation tests welcomed by association chief
Drivers across Bradford are being told they will face some extra English lessons this year if their linguistic skills don’t pass the grade with the city council.
The announcement was made in a report released earlier this month, with Bradford Council proposing tougher tests to ensure the city’s cabbies are able to hold conversations with...
Leeds fundraiser finishes UK to Syria challenge
After 365 days of exhaustive running and cycling, Naheem Yacub has finally completed his ‘2,313 miles in 2014’ challenge.
Setting himself the target of completing the distance, the equivalent of travelling from the UK to Syria, in aid of charity, the fundraiser from Leeds finally reached his target last weekend at the Lancashire half-marathon.
Battling...
South Asian community recognised in annual Honours List
For most people, an inclusion on the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List would be considered a once in a lifetime opportunity but for one Bradford resident, her second entry is just as special as her first.
Adeeba Malik, deputy chief-executive of charity QED-UK, was named on 2015’s prestigious list for her services as...
