A Libyan man accused of making the bomb which destroyed Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie 34 years ago is in United States custody, Scottish authorities have said. The US announced charges against Abu Agila Masud two years ago, alleging that he played a key role in the bombing on 21 December, 1988. The blast on board the Boeing 747 left 270 people dead. It is the deadliest terrorist incident to have taken place on British soil. All 259 passengers and crew on board the jumbo jet bound to New York from London died while another 11 people were killed in Lockerbie when wreckage destroyed their homes. Last month it was reported that Masud had been kidnapped by a militia group in Libya, leading to speculation that he was going to be handed over to the American authorities to stand trial. A US Justice Department spokesperson told the Reuters news agency that Masud would make an initial appearance in a federal court in Washington. Five years ago he was serving a prison sentence in Libya for bomb-making.(BBC)…[+]

South Korea’s parliament has passed a motion calling for the dismissal of the interior minister over the government’s response to the Itaewon crush. Lee Sang-min has been facing mounting pressure to step down following the incident that killed 156 people and injured 152 others on 29 October. The opposition-controlled assembly passed the motion on Sunday. But President Yoon Suk-yeol is widely expected to reject calls for his minister’s resignation. The Democratic Party has threatened to impeach the minister if the president rejects the motion, Yonhap News Agency reports. The Interior Ministry oversees South Korea’s police, who have been criticised for their response to the incident in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul with narrow streets and alleys filled with bars and restaurants. The crush happened as crowds gathered to celebrate Halloween without restrictions for the first time since the start of Covid. Yoon Hee-keun, the country’s police chief, said the emergency response was “inadequate” and vowed a full investigation over what had happened.(BBC)…[+]

The American space agency Nasa has brought home its next-generation astronaut ship after a near-26-day mission to orbit the Moon. The Orion capsule splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after a fiery re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere and a descent that was further slowed by parachutes. Because this was a test, there were no people aboard this time, but that will change for the next flight. Nasa is planning ever more complex missions with Orion. These will likely start in late 2024 and include, in 2025 or 2026, an attempt to put humans back on the lunar surface. This was last achieved exactly 50 years ago to the day by the crew of Apollo 17. The agency’s new project is called Artemis, who in Greek mythology was the sister of Apollo. Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson said he was overwhelmed to see the splashdown. “It’s historic because we are now going back into space, into deep space, with a new generation,” he added.(BBC)…[+]