Lockerbie bombing suspect will not face death penalty

A man accused of making the bomb that downed Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, 34 years ago was told he would not face the death penalty as he appeared in a US court.

The US alleges that Abu Agila Masud was a Libyan intelligence operative and played a key role in the 1988 attack, which left 270 people dead.

Scottish and US officials announced on Sunday that Mr Masud was in US custody.

He is the first person charged on US soil in connection with the attack.

A device on board the Boeing 747 exploded as the flight was flying over the English-Scottish border, killing 243 passengers, six crew and 11 local residents on the ground - including a family of four.

The dead were citizens of 21 different countries, including 190 Americans and 43 Britons.

It remains the deadliest terrorist incident to have taken place on British soil.