NEWS
Slain after safe cleaned
The 56-year-old son of former police commissioner Noor Kenny Mohammed was murdered during an early morning home invasion and robbery yesterday. Nizam Mohammed was one of two men killed during home invasions yesterday morning, bringing the murder toll for the year to 170. Read more here
Now high court cases stall
Cases called yesterday in the Third Criminal Assize Court in San Fernando, where Justice Marcia Ayers-Caesar was assigned to and presided over for four days, had to be adjourned in the wake of her shock announcement last Thursday that she was resigning as a judge. Justice Malcolm Holdip had to adjourn seven cases, despite the fact that in all these cases, both the State and defence attorneys were ready to proceed. Read more here
Property owners have tax hotline busy
The property tax hotline is ringing off the hook by those wanting more information. And property owners who choose to rip up or ignore the forms being sent in the mail can do so legally but, be warned, there will be repercussions down the road. Valuation Return Form (VRF) have been sent in the mail to homeowners. The forms can also be downloaded from the Finance Ministry's website. Valuer at the Finance Ministry Emeris Garraway-Howell told the Express yesterday that the property tax hotline 1-868-612-9700 option #7 has been ringing constantly. Read more here
POLITICS
Fill out property tax forms please
The Ministry of Finance yesterday started its public relations campaign to educate citizens on the Property Tax, as it seeks to demystify the tax and debunk what it describes as misinformation being fed to the public by the Opposition. In the first instance, people are being advised against ripping up the forms because failure to submit them could result in a fine of $500 on summary conviction. Read more here
Massa DayDone
Saying massa days are over, OWTU’s president general, Ancel Roget, yesterday criticised the Government for not standing up to multinational corporations which he claimed were shamelessly using T&T for its natural resources. Speaking at the annual May Day march held at Harris Promenade, San Fernando, Roget said the Government should be thankful to the trade union movement for leveraging against multi-national corporations. He made no apologies for his recent comments that bpTT should pack up its rig and go after announcing it will no longer be constructing its Angelin rig in Trinidad. Read more here
BUSINESS
Sagicor trades $8.5m
Overall market activity resulted from trading in 14 securities of which three advanced, three declined and eight traded firm. Trading activity on the first tier market registered a volume of 1,139,778 shares crossing the floor of the Exchange valued at $11,200,506.71. Sagicor Financial Corporation was the volume leader with 941,250 shares changing hands for a value of $8,480,662.50, followed by Scotia Investments Jamaica Ltd with a volume of 93,463 shares being traded for $253,257.60. TTNGL contributed 62,639 shares with a value of $1,408,545.91, while Guardian Holdings Ltd added 23,881 shares valued at $370,158.25. Read more here
Ministry highlights value of tuna industry
The Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Ministry says this country must pay attention to managing its marine resources which not only provides a rich source of protein for the local market but also a good source of valuable foreign exchange. On the occasion of World Tuna Day, which is observed today, the Ministry said it is prudent for a coastal State like TT with waters under its sovereignty potentially more than 15 times its land mass, to pay attention to conservation and management of its living marine resources. Read more here
REGIONAL
IMF to assist with pension reform in Grenada
The Washington-based International Monetary Fund (IMF) has promised to assist the Grenada government with pension reform. Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell made this disclosure during a news conference on Thursday following his meeting with Tao Zhang, vice president of the IMF last week. Read more here
Peter Moses Appointed Consultant To GraceKennedy Financial Group
Banker Peter Moses has been appointed consultant to the GraceKennedy Financial Group, effective May 1. He will act as a special advisor to Group Chief Executive Officer Don Wehby on all matters relating to financial services within the Group, a release from GraceKennedy said. It added that subject to approval from the Bank of Jamaica, Moses will also be appointed to the boards of First Global Bank Limited (FGB) and GraceKennedy Financial Group. Read more here
INTERNATIONAL
The FBI translator who went rogue and married an ISIS terrorist
An FBI translator with a top-secret security clearance traveled to Syria in 2014 and married a key ISIS operative she had been assigned to investigate, CNN has learned. The rogue employee, Daniela Greene, lied to the FBI about where she was going and warned her new husband he was under investigation, according to federal court records. Read more here
France election: Le Pen accused of plagiarising Fillon
French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has been accused of plagiarising defeated rival François Fillon in a speech she delivered on Monday. Several sections of her speech in Villepinte, north of Paris, appear to repeat almost word-for-word comments Mr Fillon made in an address on 15 April. An official of her National Front party said she had made a "nod" to Mr Fillon and it showed she was "not sectarian". Read more here
2nd May 2017