Latest news with #Yousuf
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Shopkeepers' night vigil at Bengaluru mall helps catch burglars
1 2 Bengaluru: Frustrated with repeated burglaries at their closed shops for the last four months, merchants at a commercial complex finally decided to put up night vigil themselves. The result: One burglar was caught red-handed, while two others were nabbed later. The shopkeepers handed over the burglars to Commercial Street police station. They have been identified as Imran Khan, 30, Yousuf Pasha, 22, and Nabil Ahmed, 25. A senior police officer said all three accused are residents of Shivajinagar. Clothes, a TV, and other valuables were recovered from them. Police have registered a case under multiple sections of BNS, and the trio is being interrogated. According to the complaint filed by Mohammed Mujahid, who owns four shops and a gym at the five-storey Krupa Shree Palace Mall on Thyagi Doraiswamy Road in Shivajinagar, the 30-shop complex was sealed by BBMP on Jan 29 over unpaid property tax. Since then, shopkeepers were not allowed to enter the premises. However, some of them noticed strangers coming out of the building in the wee hours, carrying items in bags. One of the shopkeepers, who had installed CCTV cameras at his establishment, found out that some intruders had sneaked into the shopping complex from its rear entry point. He immediately alerted Mujahid and the other shopowners. Speaking to TOI, Mujahid said it was then that they realised that the thefts were going on for the last four months. "We are already at a loss as we are not able to open our shops. Our savings have almost run dry. These thefts are now like rubbing salt to the wound." Pushed to the brink, the shopkeepers decided to put up a night vigil to catch the culprits. On May 28, they spread out in groups and hid themselves around the building complex at night. "Around 7 am the next day, as one of the thieves, Imran, tried to enter the building through a broken window on the ground floor, we caught him. He later revealed the names of Yousuf and Nabil," Mujahid said. While Yousuf was nabbed from his house, Nabil was caught near the shopping complex. "We recovered Rs 3 lakh worth of clothes, mostly women's garments, from the three accused. Once the unpaid property tax is cleared and BBMP allows us to open our shops, we will know the extent of loss."
Express Tribune
24-05-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
'Private Hajj quota' lost due to negligence
Listen to article The religious affairs minister on Friday confirmed that this year, only 25,698 pilgrims will be able to perform Hajj under the private Hajj scheme, as the quota was not utilised properly due to negligence and delays in completing the necessary procedures on time. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad alongside the secretary of the ministry of religious affairs, Sardar Muhammad Yousuf said the Hajj policy was approved in November 2024 while he took charge of the ministry in March, 2025. He said according to Pakistan's Hajj policy, the total quota of 179,210 pilgrims was divided equally between the government and private schemes. "The arrangements for the government scheme were fully handled by the ministry and in accordance with Saudi directives, the entire government quota was utilised within the deadline, payments were completed, and approvals obtained. "However, the private sector, which includes NGOs and clusters of tour operators, failed to comply with the instructions. They know the reasons for this failure. They were equally informed and involved in coordination with the Saudi authorities and the ministry," he said. He said the operators missed the deadline and sought to continue operating under old companies, which was against Saudi regulations. "Under the new rules, only those companies with a minimum cluster of 500 pilgrims could operate. For 2025, the companies were to have a quota of at least 2,000 pilgrims." Yousuf said 904 companies formed clusters to meet the 2,000-pilgrim target. They were monitored by their umbrella organisation HOPE, which was responsible for overseeing and implementing the policy. "HOPE was given a February 14 deadline to deposit 25% of the amount required for the process to proceed. However, bookings could not proceed without these payments. "By February 14, only 3,600 pilgrims had deposited their payments. Even after a one-week extension and an additional 48 hours, the total only reached around 13,600," he said. Realising the issue, the minister said, he personally travelled to Saudi Arabia and requested an extension. However, the Saudi authorities clarified that global Hajj policy cannot be altered for one country. He then briefed the prime minister, who took immediate notice and directed the foreign minister to intervene. Following diplomatic efforts, Saudi Arabia granted an additional quota of 10,000 pilgrims for Pakistan, which was equally offered to other Muslim countries as well. "As a result, 25,698 pilgrims will now perform Hajj under the private scheme this year. "The Saudi government is not granting any additional Hajj quota, and those who have been left out under the private scheme will not be accommodated this year. All Hajj flights will be completed by 30 May and all arrangements will conclude from this end," he added. According to Yousuf, the Saudi Minister for Hajj confirmed that the timeline was clearly stated in the official agreement, which was signed by HOPE's representative Waheed Butt. "Some people now claim ignorance, but the ministry had fulfilled its duty responsibly and issued timely instructions. It issued repeated public notices, urging pilgrims to confirm their bookings only through authorised companies, and not proceed without verification." The minister acknowledged the disappointment felt by pilgrims who could not proceed due to the operators' negligence, stating that the government is aware of this and action will be taken. "The PM has already formed an inquiry committee, and action will follow after the report is submitted," he said. When asked about mismanagement of funds by private tour operators, the religious affairs secretary said out of the required 700 million riyals, only 50 million riyals were deposited in the account of the DG Hajj. "These were mistakenly sent to outdated accounts, but the issue was resolved and the amount returned by January. Even those funds could have been used for bookings."
Toronto Star
15-05-2025
- Toronto Star
Toronto man who used COVID-relief money to help fund ISIS sentenced to 12 years
A Toronto man who financed ISIS using bitcoin, pandemic relief payments and money raised from bogus GoFundMe campaigns was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Monday. The acts committed by Khalilullah Yousuf, 37, that occurred between 2019 and 2022, are 'exceptionally troubling,' Ontario Superior Court Justice Jane Kelly said. Yousuf pleaded guilty to financing terrorism and participating in the activities of a terrorist group. Although he did not plead guilty to a third offence, facts heard in court demonstrated that he facilitated terrorist activity, Kelly said. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Court was told Yousuf redirected more than $35,000 he received from the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) — which provided financial support to Canadians directly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic — and money collected from multiple GoFundMe campaigns purported to benefit charitable causes to individuals in the United States and overseas associated with ISIS. He also created and disseminated pro-ISIS propaganda for the purpose of radicalizing and recruiting people to join or support the Islamic State. This included material that glorified mass killings, said federal prosecutor Martin Park reading from an agreed statement of facts. Initially, Yousuf used MoneyGrams and Western Union to transfer cash, before switching to the cryptocurrency bitcoin because, he wrote to someone, it was the best way to move money without leaving a trail, Park said. A note found on Yousuf's computer indicated he believed an Islamic caliphate is the only acceptable form of rule. Not much is known about the defendant, the judge stated. He has the support of his family — one man was in the otherwise empty courtroom on Monday — and he has engaged in a program designed to address the factors that can lead to violent extremist activities. Wearing a long black beard, dark grey hoodie and slacks, Yousuf declined to address the court Monday when asked if he had anything to say before the judge retired to consider his sentence. But he was polite and responsive when asked if he understood the significant implications of his guilty pleas. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Crown and defence lawyers agreed he should receive a sentence of 12 years. Factoring in credit for time served, Yousuf has nine years and 105 days left. He has been in custody since December 2022. Kelly said she believed 12 years is a fit sentence for such serious offences. But she noted that his pleas saved weeks of court time in a trial and prevented 'the further advancement of a platform' due to the public nature of such a proceeding. 'I do hope that the rehabilitation does work, Mr. Yousuf both for you personally and for the safety of our community,' Kelly told him. She followed the recommendation that he serve half of his sentence before becoming eligible to apply for parole. Yousuf faces no immigration consequences because he is a Canadian citizen.
Winnipeg Free Press
15-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Toronto man pleads guilty to terrorism charges, including financing ISIS, RCMP says
TORONTO – The RCMP says a 36-year-old man from Toronto has pleaded guilty to two charges in what the force calls the largest terrorism financing scheme in Canada's history. Mounties say Khalilullah Yousuf used cryptocurrency and money transfers to fund a terrorist organization outside of Canada between September 2019 and December 2022. They say Yousuf admitted in court to raising over $15,000 through GoFundMe and contributing more than $35,000 to 'multiple receivers' for the benefit of the listed terror group Daesh, also known as ISIS. Police say Yousuf also pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of a terrorist group by creating and distributing more than 3,800 internet-based hyperlinks with the purpose of radicalizing, indoctrinating and recruiting for Daesh. They say that between October 2020 and March 2021, Yousuf was in contact with an individual in the United States who was later convicted there for attempting to provide material support to Daesh. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Police say this is the largest terrorism financing conviction in terms of monetary value in Canadian history and the first successful terrorism financing conviction in the country where the accused used crypto currency and online crowdfunding. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Toronto man pleads guilty to terrorism charges, including financing ISIS, RCMP says
TORONTO — The RCMP says a 36-year-old man from Toronto has pleaded guilty to two charges in what the force calls the largest terrorism financing scheme in Canada's history. Mounties say Khalilullah Yousuf used cryptocurrency and money transfers to fund a terrorist organization outside of Canada between September 2019 and December 2022. They say Yousuf admitted in court to raising over $15,000 through GoFundMe and contributing more than $35,000 to "multiple receivers" for the benefit of the listed terror group Daesh, also known as ISIS. Police say Yousuf also pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of a terrorist group by creating and distributing more than 3,800 internet-based hyperlinks with the purpose of radicalizing, indoctrinating and recruiting for Daesh. They say that between October 2020 and March 2021, Yousuf was in contact with an individual in the United States who was later convicted there for attempting to provide material support to Daesh. Police say this is the largest terrorism financing conviction in terms of monetary value in Canadian history and the first successful terrorism financing conviction in the country where the accused used crypto currency and online crowdfunding. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025. The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
