Atlantis employee claiming police brutality in court today
The Atlantis worker at the centre of police brutality claims is expected to be charged with resisting arrest and disorderly behavior today.
Maxine Adderley, a 40-year-old mother who said police threw her to the ground and dragged her to her knees, was granted $1,500 bail after she was arrested on Taylor Street on March 15.
Adderley's friend, Felicia Campbell, described a brutal encounter with police that left both women shaken. Campbell said after an arresting officer had slapped and stepped on her friend, they impounded Adderley's car and left her standing on Taylor Street alone with no ride home.
Ms Adderley said she cried helplessly when she saw her friend being left behind and was held at the police station from 4.45am until a friend signed her bail at around 1pm.
"Everything my friend told The Tribune last week is the truth. He shoved me, then he slapped me in the face. He also slammed me down to the ground, dragging me, trying to get me into the vehicle.
"I was on the ground crying and praying, and I kept passing out."
Upon release from police custody on Monday March 15, she went to the Police Complaints and Corruption Unit and filed a report.
Ms Adderley said she has faith her complaint will be investigated. "I can't beat everybody with the same stick," she said. "So I just hope and pray that the right thing is done. "
Lawmakers fail to debate marital rape law
Although it inspired plenty of passionate arguments, the decision to make it possible for a man or woman to rape their spouse in was not discussed in the one place it matters – Parliament.
Now the Parliament has been prorogued leaving four Bills sitting on an agenda, no closer to being laws. The agenda will be reset when Parliament begins meeting again.
The proposed changes to the Sexual Offences Act caused a stir when they were presented by Minister of State for Social Development, Loretta Butler-Turner.
The Bahamas Christian Council opposed the Bill, arguing that the change was a threat to marriage and would lead to false reports of rape by wives.
Archbishop Patrick Pinder of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands, supported the amendment and urged other religious groups to follow suite for a plan he said was "right and proper in the sight of God."
A 2007 joint report of the United Nations and the World Bank stated that the Bahamas has the highest per capita rate of rape in the world. Supporters of the Bill say it will provide sorely needed legal recourse for people who have been sexual assaulted by spouses. They point to the lack of evidence globally of any increase in false reports due to comparable changes in legislation.
"We know all too well that sexual violence is a deadly business. Sexual violence has nothing to do with the sexual activity taking place between consenting men and women inside or outside of the marriage," said Crisis Centre director Sandra Dean-Patterson at a press conference last year.
"This is just one example of the misinformation that has permeated the current debate. Sexual violence has everything to do with rage, violence, power and control. It violates the dignity and humanity of every individual it touches," said Dr Patterson.
The agenda for Members of Parliament will be set at the first meeting and there is no telling whether the controversial marital rape law will be included.
Inagua feels earthquake aftershocks from Cuba
Aftershocks from Saturday's earthquake in Cuba reached as far north as Acklins. It is the second time since the start of the year that Inagua residents have reported earthquake aftershocks, the first the result of the January 12th earthquake in Haiti.
Michael Stubbs, chief climatological officer at the Department of Meteorology, said Inagua's proximity and the size of the quake meant that aftershocks there were inevitable. 
"If you look at the geographical location of Cuba to that of Inagua, it is very likely because of the radius. There is a likelihood of feeling tremors falling within a 100km radius from the epicenter of the earthquake. Inagua would have fallen into that required distance. Definitely vibrations would have been felt. There is no doubt," said Mr Stubbs.
The 5.6 earthquake struck Cuba at 1.08pm on Saturday. The first major aftershock was recorded at 2.32pm at a scale of 4.8.
The last time the Met office received reports of tremors from southern Bahamas residents prior to 2010 was in the early 1900s, according to Mr Stubbs.
He said he is concerned about the increase of tremors in the southern Bahamas and the increase in seismic activity in the Caribbean.
Frustrated resident wants to stop Beer Fest
An resident has filed several legal documents in an attempt to stop Burns House Beer Fest, which he says encourages public drunkenness, lewd behavior and potentially criminal behavior.
The Beer Fest is scheduled for 4pm on Saturday and includes music and $10 buckets of beer.
In his complaints, John Black claims the Butler and Sands' wholesale liquor licence does not permit the consumption of alcohol on the premises or for loud music at events on the site and violates zoning laws.
Black's legal writ states: "The promotion, staging and conduct of such events constitute a public nuisance to the residents of Stapledon Gardens Subdivision and surrounding residential areas, contrary to the environmental regulations of the Bahamas and would permit and encourage public drunkenness, lewd behaviour and possibly criminal activities such as public violence, illegal drug consumption and disturbance of residents and families into the wee hours of the morning."
Burns House did not respond to inquiries from The Tribune.
Immigration officers frustrated by unfair work schedule
Immigration officers say they are being pressured to work unfair hours, returning to work within eight hours of leaving and working for months without getting more than one day off at a time.
On Monday, Bahamas Public Service Union President John Pinder met with Director of Immigration Jack Thompson and Controller of Customs Glenn Gomez about workers' mounting frustrations.
Pinder said a number of the activities reported are not only against the Union's Industrial Agreement but is also illegal; including scheduling people to work with only 8 hours between shifts and paying people less than time-and-a-half for overtime.
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Anna Nicole's daughter will not receive any of $300m fortune
Anna Nicole Smith's daughter will not receive any of the $300 million plus fortune awarded to the late Playboy model by her deceased oil tycoon husband, a court has ruled.
The model made infamous by her glamorous lifestyle and death from a prescription drug overdose in 2007 at age 39, had been married to multi-millionaire J Howard Marshall for one year before he died at the age of 90 in 1995.
His death sparked a 15 year legal battle for his fortune between Ms Smith and Mr Marshall's son E Pierce Marshall, who died in 2006.
Minister: More investment needed in food production
NORTH ANDROS - Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Larry Cartwright has called for more investment in food production.
"In order to achieve the goal of food security, investments in agriculture, agro-processing, aquaculture and marine resource development are mandatory," he said.
"To go from where you are to better in the agricultural sector takes putting in some form of assets to reap greater returns."
Mr Cartwright was speaking at the North Andros Agri-Business Expo held over the weekend. North Andros was the sixth of 11 expos to be held throughout the Bahamas. Central Andros is next on April 2.
Hollywood star in Kerzner party 'brawl'
A STAR-STUDDED birthday party for the wife of Atlantis owner Sol Kerzner ended with a top Hollywood actor being involved in a brawl, a UK newspaper reported.
Heather Kerzner is said to have watched in disbelief as a guest at her 41st birthday celebration smeared chocolate cake down the shirt of Bridget Jones' Diary star Hugh Grant.
Grant, 49, retaliated by throwing a punch at the guest, UK PR guru Matthew Freud, hitting his cheek a giving him a black eye.
The fight happened at Mrs Kerzner's 41st birthday party at Annabel's nightclub in London last Wednesday, according to the Daily Mail.
