Excitement overload! That's the best description for the fun that's to be had at the All Star International Circus; and with one show left tonight, it's not to be missed.

The family-oriented event staged by Soft Touch Productions will feature all new acts at Kendal G.L. Isaacs Gym in its final showing tonight at 8 p.m. It's expected to be a fun, topsy-turvy occasion for the young and the young at heart. "You've seen Casual Cal's Bumping Big Show Circus for the first two years, but this time around we have the All Star International Circus with acts from all over the world Canada, the U.S. and even Europe," said organizer Gloria Wallace. Acts include a strongmanfrom the Ukraine, a high wire act family from Canada, a couple who specialize in quick change, a clown who will ride the world's smallest bicycle, a contortionist, an acrobat, and for the first time, an animal act with three trained performing dogs. Wallace said that it would definitely not be the same circus acts people saw last year.

The excitement overload she said will leave the audience begging for more. "This circus aims to bring families together," said Wallace."There are too many events out there for certain age groups but not enough for the whole family. We want this to be a great opportunity to go out with grandma and the kids. It is something that will get everyone excited. Of course we have had matinee shows for the kids who may not get the chance to go on the weekend.

But for the adults who are young at heart, or parents who want to supervise their children the evening showings are just for you." Prior to coming to New Providence, the All Star International Circus stopped in Grand Bahama where Wallace said they received rave reviews. She hoped for the same response from the New Providence crowd. And as families enjoy the circus, Wallace wanted them to have fun while realizing that proceeds from the raffles drawn throughout the event would go toward charities like R.E.A.C.H, which will celebrate Autism Awareness Month in April, as well as primary schools that are in need. Tanya Carey foresees this event as the perfect setting for her family to get together for fun and excitement. "The circus is a perfect way to start off a great family evening.

The kids will be entertained and we adults will have a good time too. Then afterwards we intend to go out to bowl andget something to eat. So to me this is the makings of a good evening. I've been to the circus before and it has been a wonderful experience so I anticipate that this year will be just as good if not even better," she said. Being able to take his two daughters out for an evening of clean fun is all Gregg Mackey, 38, wants to do. He had planned to do a movie and fast food with them but since hearing about the circus coming to town, he is excited to have a more interesting alternative. "If the circus hadn't come to town for this weekend I was sure I would be suckered into seeing yet another kiddie movie that I struggle to stay awake in. I think the circus will be just as entertaining for me as it will be for them. I was a bit skeptical at first thinking it would be with animals like elephants and tigers which I don't think is safe for my kids. But since most of the show is about human acrobatics and performance, I am much happier and I think Sasha and Kayla will be excited."

Tickets for the show can be purchased at the Seventeen Shop, Original Swiss Pastry Shop, Conliffe Bakery and Carey's Department Store. The Circus When:Friday, March 30-Saturday, March 31 Where:Kendal G.L. Isaacs Gymnasium Time: 8 p.m. Cost: Children$15; general $20; VIP $25

Two small businesses that were adversely affected by the New Providence Road Improvement Project (NPRIP) have already received compensation from the government, according to Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham.

The prime minister's comments came in the House of Assembly on Wednesday in response to Elizabeth Member of Parliament Ryan Pinder's charge that the government has ignored the'suffering'of business owners. However, Ingraham did not reveal which businesses were compensated or what form of compensation was provided. During his contribution to a debate in the House, Pinder claimed that the Ingraham administration was "trying to find the right spin" to win over voters in the upcoming general election,

instead of acting in the best interest of the Bahamian people from the beginning. Ingraham announced earlier this month that the government will provide some form of compensation to affected businesses, acknowledging that the project has been "vexing and tortuous". On March 21, the Ministry of Finance began conducting a door-to-door survey to determine how adversely businesses along the corridors of the project have been impacted. "You see the prime minister did not commit to anything regarding compensation," Pinder said. "All he committed to was the exercise of a surveying of businesses affected to determine what the scope of losses might be." Ingraham, who rose on a point of order, announced that two small business owners"produced verifiable information regarding their losses"and were compensated.

Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing said recently that while the government intends to compensate business owners, people should not assume that they will receive checks. "It's not only a matter of a check in your hand,"he said."The assessment that we are doing is to make a determination as to what people's various issues are in relation to the impact because there are some things that could be done that may not be a check. It may be a relief on a tax that the government has. It may be that you run into some arrears and the government can provide relief along those lines." But when asked to elaborate on Ingraham's comments yesterday, Laing said the prime minister revealed "as much as he wanted to" in the House.

Pinder suggested that the government was not serious about compensating business owners given the survey is only being conducted for two weeks. Once the surveys are handed out, business establishments will be provided a minimum of one week to complete them before they are collected by enumerators, according to Ministry of Finance officials. The survey seeks details regarding respective business establishments'expenses, revenue, profits, and accounts receivable and payable during the period 2007 to 2011. Pinder added that the survey is a "rushed and poorly constructed exercise".

"Many businesses are not going to be reached," he said."Many owners, who have already been forced out of businesses, will likely not be surveyed." He added,"If [the prime minister] would have done this from the very beginning, then Bahamian businesses and business owners, their employees and vendors would not have had to experience the pain and suffering brought on [by the project]."

A man who denied fathering a child will have to take a court-ordered paternity test, a judge ruled yesterday. Family Court Magistrate Ellen Serville ordered a DNA test after the man opposed an application for child support by the toddler's mother.

Raphael Moxey argued the court did not have the jurisdiction to order the test without first giving the man the opportunity to explain why he was not the father of the child of 18 months. During the appeal, Moxey disclosed that the mother had placed another man's name on the child's birth certificate.

What's more, the man named on the birth certificate died on January 3, 2011 and the mother is now receiving a National Insurance Board survival benefit on behalf of the child. Moxey exhibited an obituary in which the mother is referred to as the decedent's "special friend" and the disputed child is named as his daughter. Moxey described the woman's application for child maintenance as "an abuse of the court's process" and an "attempt at extortion".

Chief Justice Sir Michael Barnett dismissed Moxey's arguments as 'extravagant'. He said: "An application for maintenance is an application for the benefit of the child. It is the child, not the mother, who is entitled to be maintained. "The submission is extravagant. If the appellant is the father, he is obliged to pay maintenance. If not, the DNA test would go a long way in proving it." Sir Michael said there was no legal requirement for a court to hear evidence before ordering a DNA test. Romona Farquharson-Seymour appeared for the mother.

The Bahamas is not immune to major financial scandals and Bahamians need to be cognizant of how their money is invested, according to Patrick Smith, chairman of the Bahamas Institute of Chartered Accountants' (BICA) continuing professional education program.
"Simple matters, or ones that we take for granted, occur even in our midst because in a lot of cases we give too much credence to a person based on their name and their supposed reputation," he said.
"In some cases, these persons are doing stuff and they are riding on their reputation because they know that will not be checked out diligently before persons invest with them."
Smith told Guardian Business that the issue of risk management was discussed at great length at Wednesday's BICA seminar on the topic, "Financial & Accounting Scandals: Red Flags & Lessons Learned".
The seminar's guest speaker was Karen Hocher, who is based in Vancouver, Canada. The one-day seminar took place at British Colonial Hilton.
"Our featured speaker addressed risk management and how we could avoid them. It was generally felt that persons who are putting money out there for investment with whoever should do more information gathering on the companies with whom they plan to invest their monies," Smith added.
He explained the key lesson learned by those attending the seminar is not to take anyone's reputation for granted.
"In fact, you should do background checks," said Smith.
He also emphasized the importance of research before making the risky decision to invest large sums of money.
"You need to check out who you are giving to, what bank you are putting it in. You need to read their financial statements, have some assurance by requesting audited financial statements," Smith said.
"You need to know the management structure and the background of the persons who are in charge.
"With all of the pending matters that will affect us commercially, we need to be even more mindful of how we proceed with our transactions."