Pan Am bombing suspect Abu Agila Mohammad Masud. Handout via Reuters
Pan Am bombing suspect Abu Agila Mohammad Masud. Handout via Reuters
Pan Am bombing suspect Abu Agila Mohammad Masud. Handout via Reuters
Pan Am bombing suspect Abu Agila Mohammad Masud. Handout via Reuters

US judge schedules Lockerbie bombing suspect's trial for April 2026


Cody Combs
  • English
  • Arabic

The US judge overseeing the case of Lockerbie bombing suspect Abu Agila Mohammad Masud has set jury selection for April 20, 2026.

Judge Dabney Friedrich acknowledged the “complicated nature” and “voluminous discovery of evidence” in the case surrounding the 1988 attack that resulted in the explosion of a Pan Am flight and the deaths of 270 people in Scotland.

Mr Masud, 73, limped into court and donned headphones to listen to the status conference in Arabic. He looked straight ahead for the whole proceedings, never glancing at victims' families, who took up several rows of court seats.

  • The remnants of a Pan Am commercial aircraft lie in a field in Lockerbie, Scotland, in December 1988. AFP
    The remnants of a Pan Am commercial aircraft lie in a field in Lockerbie, Scotland, in December 1988. AFP
  • Local residents look at one of the four engines of the Pan Am jet on a street in Lockerbie. AFP
    Local residents look at one of the four engines of the Pan Am jet on a street in Lockerbie. AFP
  • The Boeing 747 'Clipper Maid of the Seas, which was flying from London to New York, was destroyed when a bomb was detonated in its forward cargo hold. AFP
    The Boeing 747 'Clipper Maid of the Seas, which was flying from London to New York, was destroyed when a bomb was detonated in its forward cargo hold. AFP
  • The bombing of the jumbo jet killed all 259 people on board and another 11 people on the ground. AFP
    The bombing of the jumbo jet killed all 259 people on board and another 11 people on the ground. AFP
  • Police and investigators look at what remains of the nose of Pan Am Flight 103 in a field in Lockerbie in December 1988. AP
    Police and investigators look at what remains of the nose of Pan Am Flight 103 in a field in Lockerbie in December 1988. AP
  • The nose section of the crashed Boeing 747. AP
    The nose section of the crashed Boeing 747. AP
  • Houses destroyed by the downed jet. Getty
    Houses destroyed by the downed jet. Getty
  • The bombing remains the deadliest terrorist attack to have taken place in the UK. Getty
    The bombing remains the deadliest terrorist attack to have taken place in the UK. Getty
  • A memorial to those killed in the 1988 bombing in Lockerbie. Reuters
    A memorial to those killed in the 1988 bombing in Lockerbie. Reuters
  • Abu Agila Mohammad Masud, second from left, a Libyan man accused of making the bomb that destroyed Pan Am Flight 103, has been taken into US custody. He was charged by the US two years ago in connection with the Lockerbie bombing. Reuters
    Abu Agila Mohammad Masud, second from left, a Libyan man accused of making the bomb that destroyed Pan Am Flight 103, has been taken into US custody. He was charged by the US two years ago in connection with the Lockerbie bombing. Reuters
  • Some of the destruction caused by Pan Am Flight 103 after it crashed. Getty
    Some of the destruction caused by Pan Am Flight 103 after it crashed. Getty
  • Investigators reconstructed parts of the jet and proved a bomb caused the crash. Getty
    Investigators reconstructed parts of the jet and proved a bomb caused the crash. Getty
  • Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, the only person convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, was released early from prison after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. He died in May 2012. Many have maintained that Al Megrahi was innocent.
    Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, the only person convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, was released early from prison after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. He died in May 2012. Many have maintained that Al Megrahi was innocent.

He didn't appear to communicate with his court-appointed lawyer during proceedings. In 2023, Mr Masud pleaded not guilty in connection to one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in UK and US history.

Only one other person, former Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, has been convicted for the bombing. After his conviction in 2001, Megrahi spent seven years in a Scottish prison, but he was eventually released on compassionate grounds and died in Libya in 2012. In 2003, Libya claimed responsibility for the attack that brought down the plane.

  • After a three-year investigation by the FBI and Scotland’s Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary into the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, arrest warrants were issued for two former Libyan intelligence operatives, Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, pictured, and Lamen Khalifa Fhimah in November 1991. AFP
    After a three-year investigation by the FBI and Scotland’s Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary into the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, arrest warrants were issued for two former Libyan intelligence operatives, Abdelbaset Al Megrahi, pictured, and Lamen Khalifa Fhimah in November 1991. AFP
  • Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi handed over the two men for trial at Camp Zeist, the Netherlands, in 1999. Megrahi, pictured, was convicted and jailed for life in 2001 – he was subsequently released in 2009 on compassionate grounds while terminally ill with cancer, and died in Libya in 2012. Megrahi was a Libyan intelligence officer and had collected the bomb in Malta and ordered the bombmaker to set the timer to detonate 11 hours later. The bomb was surrounded by clothes Megrahi had purchased in Malta. Getty Images
    Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi handed over the two men for trial at Camp Zeist, the Netherlands, in 1999. Megrahi, pictured, was convicted and jailed for life in 2001 – he was subsequently released in 2009 on compassionate grounds while terminally ill with cancer, and died in Libya in 2012. Megrahi was a Libyan intelligence officer and had collected the bomb in Malta and ordered the bombmaker to set the timer to detonate 11 hours later. The bomb was surrounded by clothes Megrahi had purchased in Malta. Getty Images
  • Court proceedings started in May 2000 and the judges announced their verdict on January 31, 2001. They were unanimous in finding Lamen Khalifa Fhimah not guilty. It had been alleged he had collected the suitcase containing the bomb in Malta and had placed it on the luggage conveyor belt. Mr Fhimah was released from custody and returned to his home in Libya in February 2001.
    Court proceedings started in May 2000 and the judges announced their verdict on January 31, 2001. They were unanimous in finding Lamen Khalifa Fhimah not guilty. It had been alleged he had collected the suitcase containing the bomb in Malta and had placed it on the luggage conveyor belt. Mr Fhimah was released from custody and returned to his home in Libya in February 2001.
  • Last year the US extradited Abu Agila Mohammad Ma'sud from Libya and charged him with making the bomb. He is expected to stand trial next year. “The Justice Department has worked for more than three decades to seek justice for the 270 innocent victims of the Pan Am 103 bombing,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division said. “Mr Mas'ud is charged for his alleged role in this heinous act of terror and he will appear in an American courtroom to answer for those crimes. To those who would seek to harm Americans anywhere in the world, know that we will find you however far you run and we will hold you accountable however how long it takes.” It is alleged Mr Mas'ud worked for the Libyan intelligence service between 1973 to 2011 as a technical expert in building explosive devices. In the winter of 1988, it is alleged he was directed to fly to Malta with a prepared suitcase where he met Megrahi who instructed him to set the timer on the device in the suitcase for the following morning, so that the explosion would occur exactly 11 hours later. Subsequently, Mr Mas’ud boarded a Libyan flight to Tripoli. Reuters
    Last year the US extradited Abu Agila Mohammad Ma'sud from Libya and charged him with making the bomb. He is expected to stand trial next year. “The Justice Department has worked for more than three decades to seek justice for the 270 innocent victims of the Pan Am 103 bombing,” Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division said. “Mr Mas'ud is charged for his alleged role in this heinous act of terror and he will appear in an American courtroom to answer for those crimes. To those who would seek to harm Americans anywhere in the world, know that we will find you however far you run and we will hold you accountable however how long it takes.” It is alleged Mr Mas'ud worked for the Libyan intelligence service between 1973 to 2011 as a technical expert in building explosive devices. In the winter of 1988, it is alleged he was directed to fly to Malta with a prepared suitcase where he met Megrahi who instructed him to set the timer on the device in the suitcase for the following morning, so that the explosion would occur exactly 11 hours later. Subsequently, Mr Mas’ud boarded a Libyan flight to Tripoli. Reuters
  • Pan Am 103 was destroyed by a bomb hidden inside a stereo, killing 270 people. The original trial was told that the bomb had been placed on Air Malta flight KM180 and transferred to Pan Am flight 103. Clothes that covered the bomb were thought to have been bought in Malta and a shop owner identified Al Megrahi as the man who bought them. Remnants of the clothes were found at the crash site. Getty Images
    Pan Am 103 was destroyed by a bomb hidden inside a stereo, killing 270 people. The original trial was told that the bomb had been placed on Air Malta flight KM180 and transferred to Pan Am flight 103. Clothes that covered the bomb were thought to have been bought in Malta and a shop owner identified Al Megrahi as the man who bought them. Remnants of the clothes were found at the crash site. Getty Images
  • In 2003 Libya claimed responsibility for the attack as part of a deal to lift UN sanctions. It paid more than $2 billion in compensation to the families of the victims. A month after it accepted culpability the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution lifting sanctions imposed on it over the bombing. Getty Images
    In 2003 Libya claimed responsibility for the attack as part of a deal to lift UN sanctions. It paid more than $2 billion in compensation to the families of the victims. A month after it accepted culpability the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution lifting sanctions imposed on it over the bombing. Getty Images

The US government filed charges against Mr Masud in 2020, but it took more than two years to extradite him from Libya. Mr Masud's health problems, lawyer changes and logistical problems have caused the trial planning to move at a snail's pace.

A court transcript seen by The National show the methodical nature of the case. At least three depositions of foreign citizens will have to take place outside the US before the trial begins, according to the court transcript.

Though specifics are not disclosed, ways of potentially dealing with Mr Masud's health problems are also discussed. His court-appointed lawyers have promised to provide updates about his medical condition to better prevent any delays.

In court on Thursday, Judge Friedrich emphasised the need to stay on schedule. “I want this to be aggressive,” she said, referring to trial planning dates and schedule preparations.

Mr Masud's lawyer told the judge that although there is “some disagreement” about the extent of his medical problems, both defence and prosecutors are on the same page about how to deal with it going forward.

All 259 people on board the Pan Am flight died in the attack and 11 people were killed on the ground by falling debris on December 21, 1988, shortly after the plane took off from London bound for New York.

Of the victims, 190 were US citizens, along with people from the UK and Argentina, India, South Africa and Spain, among others.

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Company Profile

Name: JustClean

Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries

Launch year: 2016

Number of employees: 130

Sector: online laundry service

Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

FIGHT CARD

Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31

Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) v Ahmed Saeb (IRQ)

Women’s bantamweight
Cornelia Holm (SWE) v Corinne Laframboise (CAN)

Welterweight
Omar Hussein (JOR) v Vitalii Stoian (UKR)

Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) v Ali Dyusenov (UZB)

Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) v Delfin Nawen (PHI)

Catchweight 80kg​​​​​​​
Seb Eubank (GBR) v Mohamed El Mokadem (EGY)

Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Ramadan Noaman (EGY)

Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Reydon Romero (PHI)

Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Juho Valamaa (FIN)

Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) v Austin Arnett (USA)

Super heavyweight
Roman Wehbe (LEB) v Maciej Sosnowski (POL)

Managing the separation process

  • Choose your nursery carefully in the first place
  • Relax – and hopefully your child will follow suit
  • Inform the staff in advance of your child’s likes and dislikes.
  • If you need some extra time to talk to the teachers, make an appointment a few days in advance, rather than attempting to chat on your child’s first day
  • The longer you stay, the more upset your child will become. As difficult as it is, walk away. Say a proper goodbye and reassure your child that you will be back
  • Be patient. Your child might love it one day and hate it the next
  • Stick at it. Don’t give up after the first day or week. It takes time for children to settle into a new routine.And, finally, don’t feel guilty.  
RACE RESULTS

1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012 
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Carzaty%2C%20now%20Kavak%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ELaunch%20year%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20launched%20in%202018%2C%20Kavak%20in%20the%20GCC%20launched%20in%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20140%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Automotive%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECarzaty%20raised%20%246m%20in%20equity%20and%20%244m%20in%20debt%3B%20Kavak%20plans%20%24130m%20investment%20in%20the%20GCC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

Villains
Queens of the Stone Age
Matador

Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:

1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68

if you go

The flights

Air France offer flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Cayenne, connecting in Paris from Dh7,300.

The tour

Cox & Kings (coxandkings.com) has a 14-night Hidden Guianas tour of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. It includes accommodation, domestic flights, transfers, a local tour manager and guided sightseeing. Contact for price.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Fines for littering

In Dubai:

Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro

Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle. 
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle

In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final:

First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2

Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)

UAE%20athletes%20heading%20to%20Paris%202024
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEquestrian%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EAbdullah%20Humaid%20Al%20Muhairi%2C%20Abdullah%20Al%20Marri%2C%20Omar%20Al%20Marzooqi%2C%20Salem%20Al%20Suwaidi%2C%20and%20Ali%20Al%20Karbi%20(four%20to%20be%20selected).%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EJudo%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMen%3A%20Narmandakh%20Bayanmunkh%20(66kg)%2C%20Nugzari%20Tatalashvili%20(81kg)%2C%20Aram%20Grigorian%20(90kg)%2C%20Dzhafar%20Kostoev%20(100kg)%2C%20Magomedomar%20Magomedomarov%20(%2B100kg)%3B%20women's%20Khorloodoi%20Bishrelt%20(52kg).%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECycling%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESafia%20Al%20Sayegh%20(women's%20road%20race).%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESwimming%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMen%3A%20Yousef%20Rashid%20Al%20Matroushi%20(100m%20freestyle)%3B%20women%3A%20Maha%20Abdullah%20Al%20Shehi%20(200m%20freestyle).%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EAthletics%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EMaryam%20Mohammed%20Al%20Farsi%20(women's%20100%20metres).%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Updated: June 05, 2025, 6:21 PM