As it strengthens toward Jamaica, the slow-moving but deadly Tropical Storm Melissa, which has already claimed four lives and is threatening catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean.
Before making landfall across central Jamaica on Tuesday, Melissa is expected to become a significant hurricane, possibly by later Saturday or Sunday. Forecasters predict that the system will dump up to 89 centimeters (35 inches) of rain across Haiti.
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Jamaica could experience hurricane conditions for more than 72 hours due to the storm’s crawling speed, which the hurricane’s 3.1 miles per hour on Friday, and southwestern Haiti, where forecasters have described flash flooding as life-threatening.
According to officials, two people were killed in a landslide in Port-au-Prince and another was killed in Marigot when a falling tree hit them in Haiti. In the Dominican Republic, one person has died, and another is still missing.
Residents of Jamaica should be prepared for a “double effect” as the hurricane’s eye passes over the island, with the strongest winds coming from opposite sides of the center, according to Jamaica’s Meteorological Service principal director Evan Thompson.
The forecast represents a significant change from the previous week’s “slim chance” landfall.
Airports will close once a hurricane warning is issued, according to authorities, who have prepared more than 650 emergency shelters throughout Jamaica. The incoming storm posed a serious threat, according to Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ warning to the general public. Take all precautions possible, he advised.
In the Dominican Republic, nearly 200 homes have been damaged and more than half a million people have been left without water as a result of the storm.
Families were forced to flee rising floodwaters on Thursday evening from the capital’s Los Rios neighborhood, Santo Domingo, after nearby streams allegedly burst their banks.
More than 20 Dominican towns are still without water because of floodwaters, which has forced forced school closures nationwide and forced evacuations.
The situation in Port-au-Prince is particularly dire for the thousands of people who have been displaced by gang violence and are now living in dorms under no cover. Nephtali Johnson Pierre, a journalist for The Associated Press, stated, “I’m dealing with two storms: the gangs and the weather.”
The Tiburon Peninsula in Haiti, which could receive up to 89 cm (35 inches) of rain through Tuesday, was advised by the United States National Hurricane Center.
In preparation for the Peoples Democratic Party’s convention, Dauda Lawal, the governor of Zamfara State, inaugurated the Accreditation and Special Duties subcommittees.
The 2025 Elective National Convention, which will take place in Ibadan, Oyo State’s capital, will be held on November 15 and 16 under the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The accreditation subcommittee was established at the Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja, according to a statement from the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Idris.
Governor Lawal described the accreditation subcommittee as the most important component of the national convention, according to the statement.
I extend a special welcome to the men and women who were chosen for this subcommittee, he said. You were chosen for one of the most crucial tasks in our democratic process, not one for a routine task. Your efforts will form the foundation of a credible, transparent, and prosperous convention.
The committee’s task is an honor and burden, ladies and gentlemen. Your responsibilities include organizing, accrediting, and ensuring the welfare of all delegates and dignitaries, as well as producing the official Delegate’s list, booklets, and tags for all participants and observers as well as for the Board of Trustees.
This is not merely a bureaucratic task. A sacred trust is involved. You are responsible for maintaining the integrity of our convention. You will be the first to welcome each and every participant, and by doing so, you will set the tone for the entire event.
We must keep in mind the larger context as we begin this crucial internal journey. Our party is navigating a complex and contentious political landscape. I want to make a sincere appeal in these circumstances.
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Governor Lawal made a point about the Special Duties subcommittee’s responsibility for protecting the most important aspect of the National Convention at the opening ceremony of Wadata Plaza.
He stated, “I congratulate you on behalf of the honorable committee members.” You were chosen for your commitment, fiscal prudence, and moral character. Your job is to empower each committee while other committees perform specific tasks. You control the convention’s central nervous system, making sure that every organ has the necessary resources.
Your portfolio precisely satisfies the requirements for a seamless convention, including coordinating subcommittee financial activities, collecting and approving budgets, raising funds, managing payments in a transparent manner, and carrying out other responsibilities as assigned by the chairman of the National Convention Organising Committee.
James Martin has been a staple of Saturday morning TV for 20 years, but the TV chef has now revealed a significant secret he has kept throughout his 20-year television career.
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James Martin has revealed a huge TV show secret that has been in place for 20 years(Image: Stuart C. Wilson via Getty Images)
James Martin, a television chef, has kept a big secret throughout his long and successful career on television.
The 53-year-old has appeared on Saturday morning television for 20 years, starting with James Martin’s Saturday Morning and then Saturday Kitchen.
Speaking on the Road To Success with Benedict Fowler podcast, he revealed how he refuses to rehearse preparing the dishes ahead of filming his cookery shows.
“Many people don’t realize that every recipe I’ve ever made, I’ve never rehearsed it,” James said. “For the 20 years I’ve been on Saturday Mornings (and Saturday Kitchen), I’ve been on Saturday Mornings.
He noted that it’s common for others in the industry to rehearse in advance, despite his desire to avoid doing so in advance.
There are only a certain number of ingredients, he continued. I have a set of ingredients every Saturday, but I’ve never used them before. They press “action”!
His career began when he began honing his culinary skills in France at the three-Michelin-star restaurant Maison Troisgros in Roanne, before spending his days broadcasting some of Britain’s most well-known cookery programs.
Before making his TV debut in 1996 with roles in James Martin: Yorkshire’s Finest, Ready Steady Cook, and The Big Breakfast, he worked at a number of high-end restaurants before moving back to the UK.
One of his most notable professional achievements was when he was chosen to replace Antony Worrall Thompson on Saturday Kitchen for the BBC in 2006. He did, however, choose to resign from the position after presenting the program for ten years.
Within less than twelve months, he had returned to TV screens after securing his own Saturday morning programme on ITV, James Martin’s Saturday Morning.
He will once more appear on our screens today on his Saturday Morning program, where he will join Ben Miller, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, and Sami Tamimi, Professor T’s Ben Miller, Lisa Goodwin-Allen, and David Domoney discuss his vegetable garden, and he will also speak with David Domoney about his vegetable garden.
His recent emotional revelation regarding his late grandmother led to this discussion.
Continue reading the article.
He said in a podcast interview that “It sounds absurd talking about your grandmother, but I’d be a better person (than I am right now) if I could be 10% of her.”
In expressing his sincere gratitude to his grandmother, he claimed that only the late Queen Elizabeth could have lived up to her standards in terms of dignity and presence. He continued, “My grandmother, it sounds daft, but my grandmother was the same (as Queen Elizabeth), because she would walk into a room and I don’t know if it was how I was raised, but you were told respect and you shut up and listen. And I adored that so much.
After a challenging upbringing and putting her long career as a talent agent for the stars aside, Melanieie Blake exclusively shares how she came to be successful in her bestselling novels.
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Melanie says iconic authors like the late Jilly Cooper ‘changed her life’(Image: Melanie Blake)
Melanie Blake is being hailed as the new “queen of the bonkbuster” – and she couldn’t be more delighted at the accolade, particularly as it originally belonged to one of her idols, the late great Jilly Cooper. The celebrity talent agent has represented some of the biggest names in TV.
For 25 years she represented Emmerdale ’s Claire King, Coronation Street ’s Beverley Callard, Dynasty ’s Stephanie Beacham and Holby City ’s Patsy Kensit. She even returned Danniella Westbrook to EastEnders. But Melanie has decided to hang up her talent agent hat for good, to focus on her global success as a best-selling author.
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Her explosive new novel, Vengeful Women – one of the much-loved, internationally best-selling Falcon Bay sagas – looks set to continue in the vein of previous tomes, full of the now expected doses of raunch, revenge, treachery and even murder. Here, Melanie, 49, as ballsy and straight-talking in real life as her no-holds-barred characters, opens up exclusively about the tough childhood that made her determined to succeed, celebrity encounters that have left a bad taste in her mouth and how she’s feeling about turning 50…
Melanie, how do you feel about being dubbed the “new queen of the bonkbuster”?
It’s lovely – a true honour. Especially because when my first book hit the bestseller charts, Dame Jilly Cooper sent me a card saying, “Welcome to the bonking club.” I was gobsmacked! And I was so sad to hear of Jilly’s death. Those original queens – Jilly, Jackie Collins, Shirley Conran – changed my life.
As a dyslexic child, my teachers dismissed me as a “thick no-hoper.” Then I discovered the adult section of our neighborhood library, where those glamorous, outrageous women’s books swore I there was still life, and that if I wanted it, I could have it. If it’s my turn to wear the bonkbuster crown, I’ll do it proudly and preserve their legacy because without them, I wouldn’t be here.
Tell us about your most recent book, Vengeful Women, and how you got your inspiration.
A true escapism and a look inside the scenes was what I wanted to write. The filming of Vengeful Women took place on St Augustine’s Cove, a glamorous soap that is on the verge of cancellation. Although it may appear like paradise, it actually contains secrets, sex, sabotage, and scandal.
The soap’s five women will do anything to keep their show from being saved. It’s the most outrageous thing I’ve ever written, but my readers are aware that my books are as true to the word as they can get. There’s a courtroom showdown, a serial killer, and a jaw-dropping twist. The most outrageous scandals never occur on-screen; they occur in hotels, bars, and award-winning lobbies. I’ve witnessed blackmailers, drunks, drunken people, cheaters, and divas. The names in my books have changed, but the sins remain the same.
You’ve previously made an earlier mention of some explosive real-world encounters. What actually occurred?
Oh, there have been too many to mention – and if I listed them here, most of the women would end up seeing me in court. An example was the one whose career I helped revive when I took her on, but she later got her contract renewed, cutting me out of the loop. That betrayal was the final straw for me. In my experience, the most toxic people on TV are usually the women being horrible to each other, although that’s not to say the men aren’t bad.
And you’ve already made the decision to leave talent management…
It lasted for 25 years. The parties were crazy, the women were legendary, and the money was crazy. I helped to bring older women into the spotlight and fight for them to keep their jobs during the golden years of the 2000s. I’m proud to have helped them achieve the spotlight they deserved by fighting ageism. Then, lockdown gave me the opportunity to write the book that altered my life. I realised it was time for me to take the lead in my own story after years of developing other women’s careers.
You mentioned going through difficult times,…
I’ve endured humiliation, homelessness, and poverty. I’ve slept on people’s floors and pondered how to get a bus fare home. However, my idols have also s**gged rock stars and called me genius. Without the dirt, diamonds cannot be obtained.
When did you realize you had succeeded in becoming a best-selling author?
My first book The Thunder Girls did well but didn’t make waves – but while I was doing the interviews for it, journalists kept asking if I’d ever thought about writing a bonkbuster. Eventually, I did just that, and when Ruthless Women was published, I finally understood how it felt to be a successful author. It went straight in at No4 on The Sunday Times bestsellers chart. It stayed in the charts for 25 weeks and went into 10 languages, and then I found myself on magazine covers, often next to celebs I represented. Everything before that moment in my career was carefully planned. Since then, life has been an unexpected roller coaster.
What about your upbringing and how it influenced who you are today?
We had to be so poor. My parents neglected me while I was bullied in school. Although my education and early years were terrible, they gave me a strong desire to succeed. However, I dislike dwelling on the past. I made the most of every means to get to London when I was 17 years old, and I did.
Next year, you’ll turn 50. What are your thoughts on that?
I don’t give it any thought because I’m not defined by it because age is just a number. Thanks to Harley Street, neither my face can recognize that number either! I don’t take any time for granted because my mother passed away at age 54. Every year will count, and I want to look incredibly good doing it.
I use specialist moisturisers, get a facial every week, exfoliate every day, and use every other type of skincare. I also use fillers, but my choices are subtle. I never go in the sun, drink a lot, or smoke; those are the keys to having good skin.
What is then to be accomplished?
Plenty! My life’s just getting started. I’ve had Hollywood offers for two books and I’ve directed a major documentary. I’ve also just launched my own publishing house, Piranha Publishing, to give a home to authors like me: storytellers with real-life experience who have been told that the traditional industry is “not for the likes of us”. My books are surprisingly popular in Australia, and I’d like to explore life over there in some way. I’m ready for a new chapter. Jilly Cooper would say that she wanted to stay “on top”. As for me, I want to head “down under”.
Do you have a motto you abide by?
Be positive instead of angry. Negativity is only brought on by sinister people. Go get what someone else has if you want it.
Continue reading the article.
On November 6th, Vengeful Women will be available. Purchase a limited edition hardback on Amazon while supplies last.
Martin Kemp, a star of the Spanish Ballet, has updated fans after it was revealed that he was taken to the hospital after an incident with a chainsaw that caused him to break his hand.
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Martin Kemp has shared an update after his hospital dash(Image: PA)
Following a chainsaw accident, Martin Kemp, who was taken to the hospital, has provided an update to the concerned fans.
After receiving countless messages from enraged fans, the 64-year-old Spandau Ballet star took to Instagram to share a video and reveal how he is doing. When Martin picked up a chainsaw by the blade and it started, he injured his fingers, so he was taken to the hospital.
Roman Kemp, Martin’s enraged son, discussed the incident on a recent episode of his podcast You About? Tom Grennan was among the unfortunate ones who lost their hands in the collision, according to their son.
Martin posted a video to his Instagram page and updated his followers with an update. He continued, “Hey guys, just a little message. You might have noticed that I had a terrible chainsaw accident, which I did last week, in the papers.
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I’m feeling much better right now. And just so you know, Lincoln Cathedral is still open if you were concerned and are going there tonight for a DJ set.
“But I get your concerns,” And pay attention, it’s improving every minute.
He continued, laughing, “I’ll explain how it happened another time, but just to reassure you, I’m alright.” Bye, Martin, “Lots of love, bye.” The end of his message.
Martin wrote, “Don’t worry, I’m fine now!” as he posted the video. “All gigs are still going!” Fans expressed congratulations on his update in the comments, with one saying, “So good to hear you are okay,” and another, “Very happy to hear you are okay.” Perhaps hire a professional the next time. Take caution.
While a third poem, “Ship healing hugs to Shirley’s Silver Fox xxx,” was written.
It comes after Martin’s son Roman revealed the shocking incident on his podcast. Roman explained on the latest episode of his and 30-year-old singer Tom’s You About? podcast that he did not know what had happened to Martin until the Gold singer sent a picture of his bandaged fingers to the family WhatsApp group. Roman told Tom: “Oh God. It’s scary.
When my father sent a picture of his hand with all of his fingers strapped up, I had just finished work and looked at my phone on Friday night.
“And all he writes in the family WhatsApp group is, Yep, chainsaw,” he said.
I texted him and asked, “What? ” but no response, and Harley, my sister, asks, “What’s happened? ” but no response yet.
In the end, Martin explained the photo. He continued, “Oh, there was a bit of the branch that we wanted to chop down, so I went and got a chainsaw.”
Do you understand what he said? I removed the sheath from the blade, which I found to be unprotected.
He said he had the device turned on, and he had picked it up and the engine started moving.
I know a mate who lost a finger through that, Roman said, “lucky not to lose his hand.”
Continue reading the article.
Roman wished Martin had used him instead of the chainsaw to sort out the garden.
Roman said:” He’s 65. More than enough dough is his. You can’t be doing that without a professional in.
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At UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Tom Aspinall will face Ciryl Gane for the first time in the title defense.
When Jon Jones retired from his position as interim champion in June, Manchester’s Aspinall was upgraded to the title of interim champion.
Aspinall, 32, was the interim champion for 19 months while he waited for a fight with Jones to happen, but after the match-up was announced three months ago, he decided to focus his efforts on Gane.
Former interim champion and 35-year-old Frenchman Gane is aiming to win the undisputed belt for the first time.
Which fighter will win the UFC’s heavyweight division on Saturday at Etihad Arena and start a new era?
The main event is scheduled between 21:00 and 21:30, with live text commentary available on the BBC Sport website and app as of 20:00 BST.
a day ago
a day ago
15 hours ago
What data are gathered from this quiz?
UFC strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern
“I believe the fight will be incredible,” she said. Although I don’t believe it will go through five rounds, Tom Aspinall will be playing. He’s a dangerous fighter, in my opinion, with his strength and ability to grapple.
Alexander Volkov was Aspinall and Gane’s previous adversary.
“Every time I make predictions, I fail,” says the worst person I’ve ever been to make them. However, I believe Tom Aspinall has a greater chance of winning if you ask me. He appears to be improving. However, Ciryl Gane also has the opportunity to submerge him during the final rounds. Because Aspinall has not participated in a five-round fight, we will see.
Ciryl Gane has worked on his wrestling abilities, and he makes a good match for him because he can move very well, avoid damage, and avoid falling. Tom Aspinall appears much better right now, though.
UFC heavyweight Chris Barnett
Man, I believe this Aspinall has a lot of tools. He and the strongest man in the world squared off. He has fought the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu players in the past. And the question is, “Where are the holes?”
We’ve seen the holes, Ciryl Gane said. Someone of this caliber won’t sit back and allow that to become a hole for a while, I assure you. However, Aspinall’s level of experience just outweighs it, so I’ll choose Aspinall for this one.
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Analyst and commentator for the UFC Laura Sanko
We could see Tom advance past the first round, even past the second, third, fourth, and fifth if Ciryl can use his footwork the way you expect him to.
What does it look like for Tom if Ciryl is able to be elusive, and that’s what I find fascinating?
“On the other hand, how elusive can any giant man be inside an octagon,” the statement continues. There is a good chance that Tom Aspinall’s fight with Jon Jones will look much like the second he can shoot and get his hands on Ciryl Gane.
However, Ciryl Gane, who I believe is the biggest challenge for Aspinall right now, is open to both of those possibilities, and I think he faces the biggest challenge.
UFC lightweight champion Mason Jones
“Two minutes. In three minutes, Tom Aspinall will finish him. In three minutes, Tom Aspinall will finish him if you want to wager money.
Winner of the lightweight competition Alfie Davis (PFL 2025)
Tom should do it quite convincingly, I believe. Gane is a good athlete, but I believe his grappling has always been lacking. Tom has a strong team behind him and a strong, solid base, even though he is a difficult striker. Tom should make simple work, but we’ll see if it’s the fight industry.
UFC Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira
It’s a difficult fight, they say. Tom is a true fighter, but I do believe he has fought a lot of aggressive guys, and that Gane is going to be a little more cautious and will likely be moving around a lot, which may irritate him.
“Maybe Tom can’t find Ciryl Gane in the first, second, or third round, but I believe it will be a different fight.”
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Middleweight Caio Borralho vs. UFC
“This fight is a very, very good fight,” the statement read. I’m very divided on this fight because, in my opinion, Tom Aspinall is outsmarting all of his rivals and is doing very well in the division.
“But Ciryl Gane, on the other hand,” is present. He has faced difficult competition unlike Tom Aspinall did not yet face. And as a result, Gane has the experience to make this fight last longer than one round, which Aspinall doesn’t typically do.
Gane could use his experience and win the belt, Gane said, “but I’m like 50-50 on this fight.”
Winner of the middleweight competition PFL 2025, Fabian Edwards
“I believe Aspinall is because Gane hasn’t really been in MMA in the last year or so. Because he believed he was going to fight Jon Jones, Aspinall has been working out while he has been watching a movie.
Aspinall also has momentum. He has the self-assurance and other qualities that he needs to succeed in order to become a champion. So I’ll stick with Tom, the homeboy.
British boxer Josh Padley is a super-fighter.
“I’ll take Aspinall,” I say. Gane has visited the location numerous times before it appears to have finished. Everyone wanted Jon Jones to fight, and that’s Spinall. He is moving quickly and has momentum in his favor.
Full UFC 321 fight card
Main card from 19: 00 BST:
UFC heavyweight champion title fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane
