China’s economic might has rolled up to America’s doorstep in the Caribbean region, with a flurry of loans from state banks, investments by companies and gifts from the government to The Bahamas, according to a photojournalism piece on The New York Times website. See the photos here.

Small cap oil and gas companies Matra Petroleum (LON:MTA) and Bahamas Petroleum (LON:BPC) were in the limelight this afternoon after seeing their shares surge in early deals.

Bahamas Petroleum did well, rising eight percent to claw back some of Friday’s losses, which came after Bahamas Prime Minister said he would ban oil drilling in Bahamian waters if re-elected.

Today, BPC noted that its exploration licence states that if it complies with its terms and conditions, it should be renewed for another three years by the governor-general.

According to the company, it has “significantly” exceeded all of its licence commitments and obligations, having spent more than US$50 million.
“The company is already working to fulfil the increased requirements of this next three-year phase,” BPC said in a statement.

This is an excerpt from Proactive Investors as it appeared on April 23, 2012. For updates or to read the current version of this post in its entirety, please click here.

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Emerging markets present an opportunity–not just for the financial services sector, but also for the Bahamas’ tourism industry, according to Julius Baer chief economist Janwillem Acket.

The Swiss economist predicts that the fastest growing economies in 2013 will be those in Asia, Latin America and Africa and says targeting wealthy tourists from these areas could significantly boost the Bahamian tourism sector.

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Shaun Ingraham, president of the One Eleuthera development project, explains how the $10-million, three-year initiative is designed to create a strategic development plan for the island including arts, culture and tourism. Watch the full interview here.

Local television broadcaster ZNS has reported that a major supermarket store chain has been sold to a competitor, while Arawak Port Development Company shares have been launched on the local stock exchange. Watch the full report here.

US President Barack Obama and Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette joined 32 other Heads of State and Government from the region in the Sixth Summit of the Americas held in Cartagena, Columbia, April 14-15.

US President Barack Obama (front row, middle) and Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette (back row, second from right) joined in discussions at the Sixth Summit of the Americas held in Cartagena, Columbia.

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The Bahamas International Film Festival (BIFF) and the Bahamas Video Cooperative will present a panel discussion with guest speaker Barry Baeres Tuesday, April 24 at Popop Studios at 6:30pm. The event is free of charge.

After studying law in Munich and working for BIS Mackintosh in London, Baeres founded Intertainment in 1993–a film financing and licensing company with offices in Los Angeles and Munich. From 1998 until 2006, Beares was chairman of the managing board responsible for the operational running of the business.

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Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) this week announced the appointment of veteran broadcast journalist Jerome Sawyer to its senior management team.

“We are excited to have someone as qualified and experienced as Jerome Sawyer join our team as part of our ongoing commitment to recruiting the best local talent to become a part of the BTC family,” said BTC chief executive officer Geoff Houston at the time of the announcement.

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Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) in George Town opened its doors today following a major two-month renovation that transformed the dated administrative offices into a 2,500 sq ft sophisticated, vibrant retail outlet, with a wide selection of devices and products not previously available in Exuma.

The store includes interactive stations for downloads, games, music and data, as well as a range of other services.

The George Town renovation is part of a pledge that the company made just under a year ago, promising to open 50 new or remodeled locations by the end of 2012.

“We pledged a new retail footprint and we are pleased to be delivering on that promise,” says BTC chief executive officer Geoff Houston (pictured).

“We have been able to meet our self-imposed deadlines through the hard work and dedication of our entire team and employing some 200 Bahamian construction workers since we began with the Mall at Marathon project late last year.”

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From American Idol alum Kimberley Locke and Scott MacIntyre to members of Cartoon Network Studios, Atlantis Paradise Island resort in The Bahamas has assembled a long list of talent to entertain and educate during this years summer season.

Running June 25–August 17, 2012, the four-night/five-day 2012 Atlantis summer camps invite attendees aged 6 and above, to pursue their dreams with a variety of different camp programmes starting from $495 per person, not inclusive of room cost.

In addition to the daily camp activities, participants will have access to various Atlantis offerings including the state-of-the-art 8,000 sq ft kids club AKA (Atlantis Kids Adventures), the $11-million teen club Crush, as well as the world’s largest open-air marine habitat featuring more than 50,000 marine animals.

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