NEWS
Guyanese Granny Chopped to Death
An abusive relationship ended in murder on the weekend as Guyanese-born grandmother Enid Rosaline Periana, 62, was chopped to death inside the man’s apartment in Madras Road, St Helena. Police believe Periana was hacked to death Friday night although the gruesome discovery of her body was made the following day in the apartment building at Boyie Trace off Madras Road. The suspect, who residents said is over 65 and sells clothes in Tobago, has gone into hiding. Tenants recalled yesterday that Periana moved into the apartment about three months ago with the suspect. She kept to herself but almost daily, they would hear screams from inside the apartment leading them to strongly suspect she was being physically abused. The tenants, who all did not want to be identified, told police that on Friday at 10 pm, they heard screams from inside the apartment with Periana bawling out for her mother. A short while later the screams stopped and there was silence. Read more here
Enterprise businessman shot dead
Enterprise Businessman Joey Basdeo, owner of Joey and Laura Wholesalers of Enterprise Street, was fatally shot yesterday while exiting Reuben Lane in the community. Reports state that around 2.30 pm, Basdeo, who was in the company of his wife and daughter, was driving out of Reuben Lane when a man on a bicycle approached the vehicle firing several shots at its occupants. Basdeo’s four-year-old daughter was grazed by a bullet during the attack. Read more here
Fiery protest on the Lady Young Road
Some residents of Morvant blocked the Lady Young Road this morning, demanding a better quality of life from government. There are reports of shots being fired in the areas where people and police are facing off. A similar protest happened on May 15. Those demonstrations, which involved residents blockading roads leading into the City, caused traffic mayhem, and led to the Priority Bus Route being opened to help stranded commuters. Read more here
POLITICS
Kamla extends Ramadan greetings
Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has expressed support and encouragement to the local Muslim community as they begin the observance of Ramadan which sees members of the faith fasting and praying as they note revelations in the Holy Qur’an. In a statement, she said, “The fast that you undertake now is a powerful sign of your commitment to your faith and of your obedience to Allah so that, as it says in the Qur’an (al-Baqara 183): “you may become more righteous,” and that “you may glorify God and be grateful” (Baqara 185).” She said, “Your fast expresses thirst and passion for a closer relationship with Allah SWT, for faith and forgiveness, for justice and peace.” During Ramadan, Muslims devote themselves to prayers, beyond the five daily prayer time, and the faith and devotion with which Muslims approach prayers, she said, are truly admirable. Read more here
Anand sticks to his story
Former attorney general, Anand Ramlogan SC, who led a legal challenge against the Government’s property tax exercise. He is holding on to his position the process was not consistent with established protocol. Ramlogan, who is representing former United National Congress minister, Devant Maharaj in the courtroom challenge, was responding to Registrar of the Supreme Court, Jade Rodriguez. Rodriquez, in a letter to Ramlogan last Friday, insisted proper protocol was followed in the fixing of an appointment for the Appeal Court to hear the Government’s appeal of Justice Frank Seepersad’s judgment on Maharaj’s property tax case. Read more here
Rowley leaves for Chile: Imbert to act as PM
Finance Minister Colm Imbert will act as Prime Minister in the absence of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, who left for a State visit to Chile yesterday. This is according to a statement from the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday. Members of the delegation heading to Chile include Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dennis Moses, Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Franklin Khan, Minister of Trade and Industry Paula Gopee-Scoon, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister and Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs Stuart Young and this country’s ambassador to Chile Dr Amery Browne. Read more here
BUSINESS
Scotiabank launches $50M development fund
Scotiabank has launched a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Development Credit Fund, allocating an initial $50 million to it. The fund, launched last Thursday at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, is accessible to all SMEs with (a) gross annual revenues up to $27 million and (b) a good operating history, credit rating and debt ratios. At that same event, the bank also launched the 2017 edition of the Scotiabank Vision Achiever Programme (SVAP). Addressing SME owners at the launch, General Manager, Small Business and Self-Service Channels, Scotiabank Trinidad and Tobago, Gregory Hines, said SMEs are “an important customer segment for us.” “SMEs play an important role in the growth and development of economies globally. They play an even more important role in creating employment, generating wealth and supporting sustained economic growth in smaller economies... Read more here
Royal Castle upgrades Piarco
Despite the downturn in the economy, fast food chain Royal Castle continues to expand and upgrade its restaurants, said Sandy Roopchand, CEO, Royal Castle. “Generally, people still have to eat. Our prices are really affordable and this is what customers come for. Even with the recession they are able to afford. This industry is very competitive but we are able to maintain our customer base as we do have our loyal customers who keep returning,” she said. Roopchand spoke to the Guardian on Friday at the re-launch of its branch at the Piarco International Airport. She could not give the cost of renovating the Piarco branch, but did say that it was “costly.” Read more here
AMCL, GKC earnings lower
This week, we at Bourse review the performance of two stocks in the Conglomerate sector—ANSA McAL Ltd (AMCL) and GraceKennedy Ltd (GKC)—for the first quarter ended on March 31. Both groups reported lower earnings for the period under review, though attributable to different reasons. We provide an outlook on the performance of both companies for the remainder of the year. AMCL reported earnings per share of $0.78 for the first quarter ended March 2017, 2.5 per cent lower when compared to the same period in 2016. Read more here
REGIONAL
Montague's Warning - Minister Sends Strong Message To Gunmen Who Challenge Cops
Minister of National Security Robert Montague has issued a warning to criminals that they will be shot once they point their firearms at the police. Montague was speaking to mourners who turned out for the funeral of recently slain Constable Leighton Hanson at the Portmore Seventh-Day Adventist Church in St Catherine yesterday. It was reported in April that Hanson responded to a robbery incident along Constant Spring Road in the vicinity of the Merl Grove High School. A man he was escorting to a service vehicle reportedly got hold of his firearm and shot him in the head. Read more here
Cayman Islands coalition government deal reportedly falls apart
Following a very mixed result in the first ever election in the Cayman Islands under the system of ‘one man, one vote’ in which no party, group or alliance has enough seats to form a government, a second attempt at putting together a potential coalition administration that was cobbled together just before midnight on Friday and which would have put former premier McKeeva Bush back at the helm of government was reportedly on shaky ground by Saturday morning. Various unverified sources suggested that veteran independent MPs, Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean, are not entirely enamoured of the idea of propping up Bush as leader. They appeared to be looking to shape another potential cabinet line-up that could see Bush maneuvered into the speaker’s chair or off the government frontline altogether. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
ISIS in Southeast Asia: Philippines battles growing threat
The black flag of ISIS has been raised in the Philippines. At least 103 people have died in the city of Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao in less than a week as fighters affiliated with the so-called Islamic State engaged in violent clashes with government forces, and martial law was declared over the entire island. Local resident Chico Usman said the militants had entered the predominantly Muslim city of some 200,000 suddenly, on the afternoon of May 24, wearing masks and carrying assault rifles. "Everybody was shocked and ran into their houses," he said, adding they could hear gunfire and fighting until the following morning. Read more here
Manchester attacks: MI5 probes bomber 'warnings'
29th May 2017