A French tourist has died in California’s Death Valley after becoming stranded on the side of the road during 46.6C (116F) heat.

Police found 68-year-old Pierre Michel Formosa recently following a brief search, with the National Park service saying he died while trying to seek help in the blistering heat when his car got stuck in mud.

“This is a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly conditions here can turn dangerous,” Death Valley National Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said in a statement.

Soaring temperatures across the United States have caused millions of people to sweat through record heatwaves, leading to dozens of heat-related deaths.

Formosa was driving through Death Valley with his French travelling companion last Monday when their vehicle became stuck in mud on West Side Road.

The pair sought help by walking across the salt flats, before severe heat prevented the 68-year-old from continuing after 1.3 miles, according to the Death Valley National Park.

The travelling companion managed to hail down a nearby driver, before rangers and police found Formosa later that afternoon where he was pronounced dead.

“Death Valley is an extraordinary place, but its heat, distances, and remoteness can be dangerous, regardless of experience,” Reynolds said.

“We’re grateful to everyone who took part in the search, and our thoughts are with his loved ones.”

Coroners would determine the cause and manner of his death, the national park said.

An extreme heat warning is currently in effect across Death Valley, which brands itself as the “hottest place on Earth”, according to its official website, having recorded a global high of 57C (134F) in 1913.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service expected Southern California would experience its “hottest week of summer so far”, the bureau said in a recent statement.

Record heatwaves have endangered tourists visiting US landmarks throughout the summer.

At least four hikers died in June while trekking through the Grand Canyon, state authorities reported in Arizona.

Alejandro Garnacho was given just four minutes of game time on the opening day of the Premier League season

Ex-Aston Villa midfielder Ray Houghton feels alarm bells should already be ringing for former Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho after getting just four minutes for his new club on the opening day of the season. Villa were thrashed 4-0 by Brighton with Fabian Hurzeler’s side four goals to the good after just 31 minutes.

It’s been yet another summer of upheaval for Garnacho, who left Chelsea after just one year at Stamford Bridge. The Argentinian forward scored eight times and notched four assists in 43 appearances for the Blues after joining from United.

However, he struggled for consistency and regular game time, with his behaviour off the pitch causing a stir during his time at Old Trafford. Garnacho has followed both Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho in moving to Villa Park in an attempt to restart his career.

Things worked out for Rashford, who impressed under Emery before a loan spell with Barcelona, returning to the United fold this season. But the same can’t be said for Sancho who is still without a club after leaving United earlier this summer.

Now Garnacho finds his career at a similar crossroads, and Emery will be hoping he can get the best out of the United academy graduate.

“I’ve got every respect for the kid, but I think the alarm bells should be ringing,” Houghton told GOAL after the defeat to Brighton.”His closest people, his family and friends, should be telling him that.

“What they should be saying to him is: ‘Look where you’ve been, look what’s happened to you and look where you are now, there’s a reason this is happening, and it’s down to you now.

“‘This is another club that’s going to give you a chance. You’ve got to seize it. No more excuses. No more saying, oh well there’s something else at that club and someone else at that club.’

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“That’s all gone now. It’s down to the individual now. It’s down to him as a player to seize it, grasp it and when he gets his chance make sure he’s ready to take it.

“Emery, he’s been brilliant at Villa. I love him. I think he’s a fantastic manager. I love his passion. I love his desire and if anyone’s going to get the best out of him, I think it would be him.

“I think he’ll give him some tough love but there’ll be an expectation and you’ve got to live up to that expectation and you’ve got to deliver. If you don’t deliver, he won’t hang about with you.

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“He’s not that type of manager. He’s not there for sentimentality, he’s there because he wants people to be comfortable at the club, be given a chance and take it.

“Look what he’s done with [Youri] Tielemans. Tielemans had a great start at Villa, then he went off the boil for a bit. The manager obviously had a word with him and he turned it around.

“Absolutely outstanding last season and he decided to move on but the manager’s seen something in him and trusted him, believed in him and got him back on the path where he should have been.”

Emily Atack has shared an insight into her wedding day with her husband Alistair Garner after the couple married in an intimate UK ceremony at the weekend.

The actress, 36, posted more photos of her incredible white Josephine Scott gown, which was teamed with a lengthy lace veil and headpiece.

Emily said she needed a ‘moment for the dress’ as she shared photos taken from the day and thanked the boutique and brand for creating her dream wedding look.

Photos taken in the garden of her home in Bedfordshire show Emily enjoying a glass of champagne, while one of her bridesmaids tweaked the dress for snaps.

The couple had two stunning cakes on the day, including a jaw-dropping creation of herself, Alistair, their son Barney and dog Penny made from icing.

A second pink cake was topped with the couple’s initials and piped with white, blue and red icing, while also featuring a portrait of the family dog. 

The couple had two stunning cakes on the day, including a jaw-dropping creation of herself, Alistair, their son Barney and dog Penny made from icing

One of the images shared showed the beaming couple leaving the church

Photos taken in the garden of her home in Bedfordshire show Emily enjoying a glass of champagne, while one of her bridesmaids tweaked the dress for snaps

The Inbetweeners star tied the knot with the scientist over the weekend ahead of their lavish Spanish nuptials next month.

Emily shared snaps of her £2,325 Josephine Scott dress that had long sleeves with lace cuffs and a plunging pleat neckline as she and Alistair walked down the aisle after being declared husband and wife.

The Rivals star reposted a sweet black-and-white photo shared by one of their pals that showed them embracing at their wedding reception as Alistair kissed her forehead.

On Sunday she wrote in her Instagram post announcing the wedding: ‘Yesterday we officially got married among close family and friends. It was absolutely perfect. 

‘I can’t believe we get to do all that again in a few weeks time. Christ, we have fun don’t we @dralistairgarner.’

Her famous pals were quick to offer their congratulations in the comments as author Elizabeth Day wrote: ‘Stunning. So so happy for you both! Congratulations’, and Will Manning said: ‘go on!!! congratulations.’ 

Earlier this year, Emily shared details of her second wedding as she revealed her special day abroad will be a ‘fat, f*** off party’.

She added: ‘I think I’ve nailed it. We’re getting married in September. I’ve very much enjoyed the planning process.’

She went on to tell Luxury London Magazine: ‘Choosing napkins and stuff. I’m like, “My God, my life is here!”‘

Emily’s friend catered the event from his Italian restaurant serving delicious pasta

A second pink cake was topped with the couple’s initials and piped with white, blue and red icing, while also featuring a portrait of the family dog

A stunning photo showed Emily and her new husband Alistair at the altar

Emily sweetly leant into Alistair as the couple exchanged vows

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The Inbetweeners star tied the knot with the scientist over the weekend ahead of their lavish Spanish nuptials next month 

The Inbetweeners star tied the knot with the scientist in a UK ceremony over the weekend, ahead of their lavish Spanish nuptials next month

Emily shared snaps of her plunging £2,325 Josephine Scott dress and floor-length veil after she and Alistair were declared husband and wife

The Rivals star, who has been inspired by the 80s fashion on the show, is pushing the boat out in all areas and will also be opting for a ‘big’ wedding dress.

Discussing her plans for a show-stopping gown, she told Grazia magazine: ‘Since Rivals, in terms of fashion, I tend to go quite big now generally.’

After much speculation about the location of their September nuptials, Emily revealed she would be marrying Alistair ‘abroad’ – thought to be somewhere in Spain.

Emily shared her delight over marrying Alistair, 40, telling the publication: ‘Life is good. It doesn’t get much better than where I am now.’

The mother of one, who has a two-year-old son, Barney, with Alistair, got engaged to the scientist in July 2025, having welcomed their son the year before.

Emily’s mum previously let slip that the star would tie the knot this year, after joking that Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala look would be her dream ‘mother-of-the-bride’ outfit.

Last year, it was reported that Emily and Alistair had been considering wedding venues in Spain.

An insider told The Sun On Sunday: ‘Emily has been going to Spain with her family on holiday ever since she was a child and loves the idea of getting married there.

‘She and Alistair adore the stunning countryside there, and guaranteed sun is a bonus.’

She previously said: ‘I loved my family holidays there when I was growing up. 

‘We had a property there and my dad sold it a couple of years ago, but it’s our favourite place and we still go every year, and stay in a hotel.’

Back in June, Emily joked that she’d had ‘enough rosé to last a lifetime’ as she posed in a white bikini and cover-up by Agent Provocateur, with a novelty veil, in fun-filled snaps from her Cannes hen weekend. While her group of friends tucked into countless bottles of Lady A rosé and enjoyed an incredible spread of food.

The mother of one also looked incredible in a black two-piece as she posed in front of a mirror before topping up her tan in the sunshine.  

She wrote: ‘The most insanely perfect few days. Pure joy from start to finish and enough @drinkladya to last us a lifetime.

The newly married actress also reposted a snap shared by one of her pals, that showed her full length wedding gown

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‘I thoroughly recommend having a hen do, even if you aren’t getting married btw. It’s the most fun you’ll ever have losing all of your belongings.’

It came after Emily revealed she’s banned children from attending her second wedding to Alistair, despite being a mother herself.

The actress has laid down strict rules for the three-day celebrations in Andalusia, Spain.

She has admitted that she’s told her guests that no children will be allowed, adding she’s been surprised by how accepting they’ve been of the idea.

She said: ‘We’re being kind to our friends and making sure that people don’t have to worry too much about paying for lots of things, but we have said no kids at the wedding, no children.’

Speaking on The Romesh Ranganathan Show podcast, Emily added: ‘I’m surprised by how many people are happy about that. I thought I’d get a lot of people kicking off, but they’re like no, “f*** those kids.”‘

Keir Mather is inviting his constituents in Selby and Kippax to take part in a public discussion held at Selby Town Hall on Friday (September 4).

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) was stalled in the House of Lords after a majority of 314 MPs voted in favour of the Bill, brought by Kim Leadbeater MP, in June 2025.

At the time, York Central MP Rachael Maskell chose to vote against the Bill, with York Outer MP Luke Charters voting in favour.

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It is due back in the House of Commons on Friday (September 11).

If voted in, it would allow adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to live, to apply for an assisted death subject to the approval of two doctors and an expert panel.

Speaking about this, the MP said that it would “one of the most important decisions” he would take as a Member of Parliament.

He added: “I supported the Bill the last time it was debated, but it did not pass through the House of Lords. I

“I now have to decide whether to support it again.

“To give everyone the opportunity to take part in the debate, I’m hosting a ‘town hall’ event in Selby next week.”

Mr Mather acknowledged that assisted dying remains a deeply sensitive issue that attracts strongly held opinions on both sides, but said the event gives people the opportunity to come together for a discussion as parliament considers a year on.

The event will take place from 5.30pm till 7pm.

Places are limited, and residents wishing to attend have been encouraged to reserve a space by emailing keir.mather.mp@parliament.uk.

Those who are unable to attend have been invited to submit a question or statement to the MP.  

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham says he plans to travel to the US next month with European leaders to lobby US President Trump on Ukraine’s defence needs.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Burnham said, “I’m looking forward to going to New York in September,” when the UN General Assembly will meet.

He said that while the details were not “fully confirmed”, it is “likely” he will go. The trip would be his first to the US since becoming prime minister in July.

“Leaving today, I’m quite clear what I need to do in the next few weeks,” he said following his official visit to Ukraine on Monday, during which he promised to continue pressuring Russia.

The UK has also agreed to hand over blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile, a French version of the UK’s Storm Shadow cruise missile. The blueprints will allow Ukraine to produce the long-range weapon domestically.

Burnham’s visit to Ukraine was his first official international visit. He met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and chaired his first meeting of the “coalition of the willing”, set up by the UK and France under his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer.

Burnham has been reaffirming the UK’s support for Ukraine in the wake of escalating Russian strikes in recent weeks – including one last week on a shopping centre that killed at least 16 people.

Ukraine has been relying on American supplies of the Patriot interceptor missiles, which are used to combat Russia’s ballistic missiles, but stockpiles are running low due to the war in Iran, leaving Ukraine vulnerable to Russian attacks.

Zelensky has said he is hoping to secure 300 patriot missiles ahead of winter, when Russia is likely to increase its attacks on energy infrastructure, as it has done in past years.

In the interview with Bloomberg, Burnham said that he felt “really confident” that the issue was “fixable”. But he pointed out that it wasn’t only the US who could supply Ukraine with Patriots.

“There are other players who could help in the mix who we have influence with,” he said. “It’s probably going to be a solution that involves a lot of layers and a lot of negotiation.”

In July this year, three weeks after offering Ukraine the right to produce Patriots itself, Trump backtracked, saying, “We have not agreed to that. We’re talking about it. But it’s a hard thing to give away, that kind of technology.”

“These weapons are incredible. We have to be very careful about letting somebody build them,” Trump told a cabinet meeting.

In a joint statement after the meeting in Ukraine, Burnham and co-chairs French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the group would aim to strength Kyiv’s air defences “as a matter or urgent priority”.

They also condemned Moscow’s “systemic and escalating strikes against Ukraine’s cities, critical infrastructure and civilians” and pledged to “constrain Russia’s war chest through sanctions and actions against the “shadow fleet”.

In a statement ahead of the visit, Burnham said: “On Ukraine’s 35th anniversary of independence, the Ukrainian people should be in no doubt: the UK is behind you today and for as long as it takes.

“I am proud of the contribution our country has made to Ukraine and I want the Ukrainian people to hear it directly from me that our support will not waver. After all, Ukraine’s security is our security.”

He said the friendship Ukraine shared with the UK would “long outlast Russia’s illegal war”, adding: “Russia should be in no doubt of our resolve. We will not back down until there is a just and lasting peace.”

It is easy to be caught out when it comes to luggage allowance for both hand luggage and checked-in bags.

Ryanair has a long list of rules that travellers must follow to help keep its fares as low as they are.

The travel company has a very strict policy when it comes to hand luggage, so you must be careful to avoid being forced to pay extra for your bags.

Ryanair passengers told to be careful with hand luggage

Crossbody bags are hugely popular for travellers, as it is easy to keep all of your important documents in one place close to you.

However, for many people, a crossbody bag might not be big enough to carry everything you want to take on board.

On the Ryanair website, it says: “All fares include one small personal bag (40 x 30 x 20 cm) that must fit under the seat.

“Additional options include Priority boarding with a second 10kg cabin bag, checked bags of 10kg, 20kg (up to 3), or 23kg (1 allowed).

“Infants have no cabin allowance but may bring a 5kg baby bag and two baby equipment items free.”

Ryanair has no specific policy about crossbody bags, but you should be careful if you also have another bag with you, like a backpack or handbag.

Ryanair can fine passengers for extra bags, which can cost between £40 and £51.

To avoid being charged extra, you should always make sure you have enough space in your cabin bag to fit your crossbody bag inside.

Many people have been debating this topic on Reddit in the r/Ryanair thread and how they avoid being charged for their crossbody bags.

One user wrote: “I always have a small cross body bag along with my carry-on, but I hide it under my coat when going through the gate check.”

Another user wrote: “Technically they will charge you for it if they see it.

“However, you can put it in your other bag at the gate and take it out later, or hide it under your coat.”

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Another user said they have never had a problem and wrote: “Have never had a problem taking a messenger bag (for a laptop) along with the free under seat bag.

“The way I look at it is it’s a personal item (similar to a hand bag) as long as you can stow it under the seat in front should be fine.”

Do you take a crossbody bag on flights with you, and do you hide it while boarding? Let us know in the comments.

Hill took on the role of Sarah Sugden on Emmerdale back in 2017.

But the 23-year-old actress became concerned after learning that Sarah would accidentally kill Dr Caitlin Todd in a recent storyline.

The dramatic scenes unfolded after Sarah discovered that Dr Todd had been sexually assaulting her grandmother, Charity Dingle.

Hill said: “I was a bit speechless at first.

“And then I kind of thought, ‘Do I go to prison?’

“(Producer Sophie Roper) immediately said, ‘Don’t worry, you don’t go to prison.’

“I was like, ‘okay, and breathe – I’ve still got a job’.”

Once she was reassured she was not being written out, Hill was thrilled to be part of such a juicy plot.

She said: “I was just honoured to be trusted with the storyline.

“This is the biggest storyline I’ve had.”

Following the accidental death, Hill spoke about the emotional impact the storyline would have on her character.

She said: “You know, it changes everything, it completely rocks her world.

“But obviously, it was by accident.

“We all know Sarah as a character, she doesn’t have that in her.

“So, it comes as a massive shock.”

“I think when it first happens, she just doesn’t even know how to process it.

“She can’t comprehend that this has happened.

“It’s sort of transitioning Sarah from being this innocent, happy young mum…to then this massive moment in her life that will change her forever.”

Katie Hill’s character (Sarah Sugden) has been the centre of several dramatic Emmerdale storylines in 2026. (Image: Ian West/PA Wire)

Katie Hill the centre of several dramatic Emmerdale storylines in 2026

Sarah (Hill) has been the centre of several dramatic Emmerdale storylines this year.

This included the arrival of her daughter Leyla, who was carried by her grandmother, Charity, as a surrogate.

However, Sarah is unaware that Leyla is not biologically hers and is instead the result of a fling between Charity and Ross Barton.

Hill admitted she struggled to get her head around the family connection.

She said: “Honestly, I didn’t even think about that for a long time.

“Then someone said to me, ‘Sarah’s breastfeeding her auntie’, and then I couldn’t get it out of my head.

“I was like, ‘this is really, really weird’.”

The actress believes Sarah would still see Leyla as her child, even if the truth came out.

She said: “It’s a massive thing, because, obviously, she’s raised this baby since she was born.

“That love can’t just go away like that.

“The biological side of things has changed, but you don’t just stop loving a child that you’ve raised.”

Hill said the revelation would likely strain Sarah’s relationship with Charity.

She added: “Charity’s given her the best gift she ever could have asked for.

“So, for that to be taken away from her, it’ll definitely cause issues with their relationship.”

You can watch Emmerdale weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and STV or from 7am on ITVX, STV Player and YouTube.

What has been your favourite Sarah Sugden storyline on Emmerdale in 2026? Let us know in the comments below.

By JACQUES PETERSON, US ASSISTANT SHOWBIZ EDITOR

Published: 23:24 BST, 24 August 2026 | Updated: 04:00 BST, 25 August 2026

A retired actor who has starred in some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises was recently spotted out and about in Los Angeles. 

The 86-year-old burst onto the scene in the ’60s and remained a fixture on television up until the late ’90s, before retiring to run a bookstore. 

He appeared in small screen classics like The Love Boat, Wonder Woman, Seinfeld, Knight Rider, Family Ties, Dynasty, and Star Trek: The Next Generation.

On the film side, most people will remember him as the hunter from 1997’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

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He’s married to English actress Pamela Franklin, now 76, who is best known for being a 1970s scream queen thanks to her roles in horror hits like Necromancy and The Legend of Hell House.

Can you guess who he is?

A retired actor who has starred in some of Hollywood’s biggest franchises was recently spotted out and about in Los Angeles

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The 86-year-old burst onto the scene in the ’60s and remained a fixture on television up until the late ’90s, when he retired to run a bookstore

It’s retired English actor Harvey Jason, who was recently spotted outside of his boutique bookstore Mystery Pier Books in West Hollywood.

The former thespian donned a floral shirt and khaki pants as he moved a traffic cone from the front of his shop on Thursday. 

The Sunset Boulevard bookstore is known for carrying collectible literature in its first print.

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It’s a favorite of A-listers like author James Ellroy, actors Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, and director Guillermo del Toro.

He runs the store with his son Louis, which has been called ‘one of the most revered first edition book shops in America’.

One of the most expensive items in the store is a first print of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind, worth $35,000. 

The biggest sale in the history of Mystery Pier Books was the original sheet music to God Bless America, signed by contralto Kate Smith. It was sold for $150,000.

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Speaking to Spectrum News, Jason admitted that he enjoyed the spotlight during his time as an actor, but ultimately decided to leave the business because of the ‘egos’ and ‘superficial people’ in Hollywood.

It’s retired English actor Harvey Jason, who has starred in The Love Boat, Wonder Woman, Seinfeld and Star Trek: The Next Generation (pictured)

Most people will remember him as the hunter from 1997’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park

The retired actor now runs the boutique bookstore Mystery Pier Books in West Hollywood

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‘I’ve never been happier professionally,’ he said of his second career as a bookstore owner. 

‘I’ve come to the point of my life where I realize what’s important and what’s superficial and what I want to do with the remaining time that God allots me here.’

Jason wed actress Pamela Franklin in 1970 after they met on the set of Necromancy, which they filmed that same year. 

Franklin was successful in her own right, winning Best Supporting Actress at the National Board of Review Awards in 1970 for her role in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.

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She retired from the business in the early ’80s to focus on raising her two sons, while Jason continued acting until the ’90s, with his final on-screen role being one of his biggest, 1997’s The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

For Monday-to-Friday workers who get bank holidays on top of their annual leave allowance, the 2027 calendar offers several opportunities to turn a handful of holiday days into much longer breaks.

And with colleagues likely to be eyeing up the same dates, workers may want to start planning their 2027 annual leave now.

Why would you want to maximise your days off?

While you get the same number of days however you arrange them, some workers say the planning and handover required to take time off means they can’t make the most of odd days dotted through the year, and they’d rather have longer blocks of leave.

For others, who may have caravans, second homes or family at a distance, a longer break can mean they can get away, which more evenly spread days wouldn’t allow.

For those workers, the biggest opportunities include turning four days of annual leave into 10 days off over Easter, while another four days could create a nine-day break around the May bank holiday.

There is also a particularly useful Christmas trick, with just three days of annual leave potentially creating 10 consecutive days away from work.

The 2027 annual leave dates to know

The key is to place annual leave directly next to weekends and bank holidays, rather than simply booking individual weeks.

Easter: four days of leave for 10 days off

Book off: Monday, March 22, to Thursday, March 25
Annual leave used: Four days
Total time off: 10 days

Good Friday falls on March 26, followed by Easter Monday on March 29.

Booking the four working days beforehand could mean finishing work on Friday, March 19, and not returning until Tuesday, March 30.

May bank holiday: four days for nine days off

Book off: Tuesday, May 4, to Friday, May 7
Annual leave used: Four days
Total time off: Nine days

The Early May Bank Holiday falls on Monday, May 3.

Taking the following four days off could give workers a nine-day break from Saturday, May 1, to Sunday, May 9.

Spring bank holiday: another nine-day break

Book off: Tuesday, June 1, to Friday, June 4
Annual leave used: Four days
Total time off: Nine days

The Spring Bank Holiday falls on Monday, May 31.

Taking the four days afterwards could give workers nine consecutive days off, from Saturday, May 29, through to Sunday, June 6.

August bank holiday: four days for nine days off

Book off: Tuesday, August 31, to Friday, September 3
Annual leave used: Four days
Total time off: Nine days

The Summer Bank Holiday in England and Wales falls on Monday, August 30.

Booking the following Tuesday to Friday could create another nine-day break, running from Saturday, August 28, to Sunday, September 5.

Christmas: three days for 10 days off

This could be the biggest annual leave trick of 2027.

Book off: Wednesday, December 29, to Friday, December 31
Annual leave used: Three days
Total time off: 10 days

Christmas Day falls on a Saturday in 2027 and Boxing Day falls on a Sunday, meaning substitute bank holidays fall on Monday, December 27, and Tuesday, December 28.

New Year’s Day 2028 then falls on a Saturday, with Monday January 3 becoming the substitute bank holiday.

That means booking just December 29, 30 and 31 could potentially give workers 10 consecutive days away from work.

The advice comes from Josh Felber, entrepreneur, performance coach and founder of FLBR Motorsport, who has outlined the dates workers should consider booking.

The ‘Tuesday Return Rule’

But there is another piece of advice for workers planning their holidays: don’t necessarily make every break as long as possible.

Felber suggests considering the so-called ‘Tuesday Return Rule’ – using Monday as a buffer after a holiday and returning to work on Tuesday instead.

Returning late on Sunday before being expected at work first thing Monday can leave workers exhausted.

Instead, keeping a day free could give you time to unpack, catch up on sleep, restock the fridge and mentally prepare for getting back to work.

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Five ways to make your annual leave go further

Book popular dates early: Bank holiday periods can fill up quickly, so request sought-after dates as soon as possible.

Plan the whole year: Look at the 2027 calendar before using your allowance piecemeal.

Keep days in reserve: Don’t use every day immediately. Keeping two or three back gives you flexibility later in the year.

Try the Tuesday Return Rule: If you can spare the extra day, consider returning to work on Tuesday rather than Monday.

Use weekends strategically: Booking a Friday and Monday can create a four-day break while using just two days of annual leave.

For workers who get bank holidays in addition to their annual leave, 19 carefully chosen days could therefore unlock 47 days away from work across five separate breaks.

The catch? Your colleagues may have exactly the same idea, so those coveted dates could disappear quickly.

The judge’s order did not specify the nature of newly discovered evidence

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A federal judge has postponed the trial of a man charged over the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie.

US District Judge Dabney Friedrich’s cited the discovery of new evidence that defence lawyers want to examine as the reason for postponing the trail on Monday, August 24.

Jury selection was scheduled to begin on Wednesday for the of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi in Washington, DC. His trial is the first in the US for the December 21, 1988 bombing.

Judge Friedrich’s order did not specify the nature of the newly discovered evidence.

Al-Marimi’s lawyers say prosecutors disclosed the new evidence to them on Saturday and that their “constitutional and ethical obligations require the defence to investigate this development”.

The judge scheduled a September 1 hearing in Washington to discuss the status of the case.

Al-Marimi is charged in the US with making the bomb that a plane 31,000 feet over Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway.

The flight was en route to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York when a bomb in the plane’s forward cargo area exploded 38 minutes after take-off from London Heathrow Airport.

The blast killed all 259 passengers and crew members and 11 people on the ground in Lockerbie.

Citizens of 21 countries were killed, including 190 Americans and 43 from the UK.

Prosecutors allege Al-Marimi and others carried out the bombing at the direction of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was ousted and killed during a 2011 civil war.

Al-Marimi, now in his mid-70s, is charged with two counts of destruction of an aircraft resulting in death. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted.