atlantis hotel in bahamas
Bahama Islands News, Articles and Information
I-Group gets 20-year break
The government has given the I-Group 20 years of concessions and exemptions, which could be extended upon the request of the company.Minister of Financial Ser-vices and Investments Vin-cent Peet on Wednesday revealed the details of the Heads of Agreement signed on March 7 between the government and the Massachuse-tts-based company.
The group is planning to build a $1.8 billion resort and condominium project in May-aguana, and fund the development of much needed infrastructure on that remote sout-heastern island.
The project is being made possible through a 50/50 joint venture agreement with The Bahamas government, the first of its kind.
"Recognising the considerable benefits that will accrue from the development of The Bahamas, the government has agreed to grant to the Mayag-uana Island Developers Ltd and its licensees, in respect of the development, the concessions and exemptions for a period of 20 years," said Mr Peet, during his contribution to the government's 2006/07 Budget debate in the House of Assembly.
Athol Island
There may no longer exist in law a designation of that area off Athol Island as a sea garden, but in reality the sea garden is still there, and recognising what it is and what it means should be reason enough for its continued protection.There is a fear today that the proposed development of Athol Island which will include a golf course will do untold damage to the marine life there and will eventually destroy the coral reefs. Director of Maritime Resources Michael Braynen told The Guardian on Monday that an amendment to the Fisheries Act, in 1986, took away the protection from what was considered by many as "the world's oldest sea gardens."
However, the government and the people of The Bahamas should not be in agreement to let the sea gardens be destroyed for the simple reason that it may not be illegal, in law, and because the development of the island will bring in millions of dollars for the public and private sectors.
007 'left me shaken, stirred'
London - Hunky English actor Daniel Craig will dazzle as the new James Bond because he is sizzlingly sexy in love scenes and looks like a genuine killer, co-star Caterina Murino insisted on Wednesday.The Italian actress, who plays Bond's love interest Solange in the forthcoming film Casino Royale, said she was convinced Craig was the right man for the role as the fictional British superspy.
Craig, 38, has come in for criticism for his un-Bond-like blonde looks and monosyllabic media launch as the secret service agent.
"He's a great actor," Murino said.
"Casino Royale is the first book Ian Fleming wrote and it means we see how James Bond became James Bond.
"Daniel is giving to this James Bond something else we never saw before.
"When he's going to kill someone, he looks like a real killer, when he kisses me, when he makes love, he's so sexy.
Slow Start for Venezuela Oil Initiative
One year after 13 Caribbean countries signed a deal with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to buy oil under preferential terms, a majority of them have not received a single drop of fuel, while those that have are still paying high prices at the pump.Cash-strapped Caribbean countries have welcomed the pact known as Petrocaribe as a way to counter soaring oil prices. But eight nations say they haven't gotten fuel shipments yet, largely because they're figuring out how to handle them.
The program has gotten bogged down because many governments don't have state-owned docking or storage facilities, or the know-how of running an oil business -- a task they previously left to private companies.
While Chavez's critics say he is using "oil diplomacy" to build anti-U.S. political alliances, many Caribbean leaders say they believe the program will be genuinely helpful and are determined to take advantage of it.
Ex-CEO's boating request opposed
Federal prosecutors say money that should have belonged to investors in the defunct National Century Financial Enterprises was transferred to an account in the Bahamas. The information was disclosed by the government in documents opposing a request by the companys former CEO, Lance K. Poulsen, to be allowed to travel in a 20-foot fishing boat. Poulsen was one of seven former National Century Financial Enterprises executives charged in May with engineering a $3 billion fraud at the Dublinbased company. All seven have pleaded not guilty. A trial date was set last week for Sept. 3, 2007. No hearing date has been set on Poulsens request. National Century provided financing for troubled hospitals, clinics and other health-care providers, buying their accounts receivables at a discount with money raised from investors.NXTV's Global Expansion Surges Forward; European and Asian ...
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 16, 2006--NXTV, Inc., the leading provider of digital and high-definition (HD) in-room entertainment, voice and data services to luxury hotels worldwide, has greatly expanded its global footprint in recent months. The company's subsidiaries in Europe and Asia, both opened in 2005, have recently signed and will soon announce several key contracts in their territories. These new contracts build upon NXTV's strong presence throughout the United States and Canada, adding properties in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean to the company's rapidly growing portfolio of 50,000 upscale hotel rooms throughout the world. NXTV's Asian subsidiary completed its first installation in Asia, the Four Seasons Hong Kong, in the fall. Earlier this year, that office, based in Hong Kong, inked deals with the Langham Place Hotel and the Luxe Manor, and is aggressively pursuing a number of signature properties elsewhere in the region, including Macau, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.