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Today marks 35 years since the bombing of Pan Am flight 103 – and a series of events will take place in memory of those who died.

When the Boeing 747 exploded over the Scottish town of Lockerbie, it killed all 259 passengers and crew on board and 11 people on the ground.

The bombing – which took place on 21 December 1988 as the plane made its way from London to New York – remains the UK’s worst terrorist attack.

A policeman stands guard over houses damaged in the Pan Am Boeing 747 Lockerbie crash, which killed all 258 on board and 17 people on the ground.
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A policeman standing guard over houses damaged in the bombing

The Dumfries and Galloway town will mark the 35th anniversary of the tragedy on Thursday with a series of events.

Lockerbie Academy will host its annual remembrance assembly.

A small number of pupils will then take part in a rose-laying ceremony at Dryfesdale Cemetery at 11.30am. They will be accompanied by a remembrance scholar from Syracuse University who will be representing the 35 students from Syracuse who were killed in the disaster.

Wreaths and floral tributes left during the commemoration service in the Memorial Garden at Dryfesdale Cemetery in Lockerbie to mark the 30th anniversary of the Lockerbie bombing.
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Wreaths and floral tributes at Dryfesdale Cemetery on the tragedy’s 30th anniversary in 2018


A number of public events have also been organised and all those wishing to take part are warmly invited to attend.

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10am: Communal wreath-laying and remembrance service at Tundergarth Church.
•​​​​​​​ 11.45am: Communal wreath-laying at Dryfesdale Cemetery.
•​​​​​​​ 12.15pm: Communal wreath-laying at Sherwood Crescent.
•​​​​​​​ 12.45pm: Communal wreath-laying at Rosebank Crescent.
7pm: Mass at Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church. A service will also take place at Hendricks Chapel at Syracuse University and can be watched online.

Lockerbie Town Hall will be open between 10am and 8pm, where light refreshments will be available. Soup will also be served between 1pm and 2.30pm.

The Remembrance Room at Tundergarth Church and Dryfesdale Lodge Visitor Centre will remain open throughout the day, and both offer a wealth of information surrounding the disaster.

First Minister Humza Yousaf has marked the anniversary by paying tribute to all those who lost their life in the disaster.

He added: “My thoughts are also with the emergency workers who responded in the immediate aftermath of the atrocity.

“Their rapid response along with the people of Lockerbie while facing extraordinary circumstances demonstrated extreme kindness and humanity in the face of such horrific events.

“While those lost on that night can never be replaced, and the events have had a lasting impact on the town, I know links were forged following the disaster between Lockerbie and other communities that continue to this day, including the Syracuse University scholarship programme with Lockerbie Academy.

“The strength and compassion that both the victims’ families and the community of Lockerbie have shown has created a legacy of friendship and ensured that the memory of those who died lives on.”

The Stone of Remembrance at the Memorial Garden, Dryfesdale Cemetery, in Lockerbie, as people prepare to mark the 30th anniversary of the Lockerbie bombing.
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The Stone of Remembrance within the Memorial Garden at Dryfesdale Cemetery

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Father’s search for truth

Key dates in the three decades since the Lockerbie bombing:

21 December 1988: Pan Am flight 103 explodes over Lockerbie in Scotland, killing 270 people – 259 on board and 11 on the ground.

Undated file handout photo issued by the Crown Office of the late Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi. Nelson Mandela's attempts to act as an intermediary over the Lockerbie bombing led to friction with Blair's Labour government, according to newly-released official documents. Files released to the National Archives at Kew, west London, showed officials in No 10 feared the former South African president's efforts to act as a go between with the Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi were "unli
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Abdelbaset al Megrahi

January 2001: Following a trial at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands, Libyan intelligence officer Abdelbaset al Megrahi is found guilty of mass murder and jailed for life. Co-accused Lamin Khalifah Fhimah is found not guilty.

A newsagent displays the outcome of the Lockerbie trial in Lockerbie. Libyan Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi was found guilty of the Lockerbie bombing, the biggest single act of mass murder in British history. *... But co-defendant Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah was found not guilty of the bombing. Three Scottish judges delivered unanimous verdicts on the two men at the specially-constructed Scottish court at Camp Zeist in Holland. The two Libyans were accused of causing the Lockerbie disaster and the
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A newsagent displaying the outcome of the Lockerbie trial

August 2003: Libya accepts blame for the bombing and agrees to compensate victims’ families.

March 2004: Then prime minister Tony Blair offers Colonel Muammar Gaddafi “the hand of friendship” following talks with the Libyan leader in a tent outside Tripoli. The UK and Libya go on to sign a memorandum of understanding, with a commitment to negotiate a prisoner transfer agreement (PTA).

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi ahead of their talks in Tripoli. Mr Blair's visit follows Libya's agreement in December to dismantle its WMD programme and its acceptance of responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing and the murder of Wpc Yvonne Fletcher.
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Tony Blair and Muammar Gaddafi in 2004

May 2007: Oil giant BP and the Libyan government sign an exploration and production sharing agreement.

June 2007: The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC) recommends Megrahi is granted a second appeal against his conviction after the first, in 2002, was refused.

December 2007: It is revealed the UK government has decided not to exclude Megrahi from the PTA.

September 2008: Megrahi is diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer.

Aisha Al Megrahi, wife of the Lockerbie bomber Adbeldbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi with his son Khalid during a candle-lit vigil to highlight alleged miscarriages of justice outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.
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Megrahi’s wife and son during a candle-lit vigil outside Holyrood in 2008

May 2009: The Libyan government submits an application to the Scottish government for Megrahi’s transfer under the PTA, followed by an application for release on compassionate grounds.

August 2009: Then Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill announces Megrahi is to be freed from Greenock Prison and returned to his home country on compassionate grounds. The UK and the US condemn the “hero’s welcome” given to Megrahi as he arrives in Tripoli to cheering crowds.

A convoy carrying Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi arrives at Glasgow Airport, for a plane bound for Tripoli, after he was released on compassionate grounds by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.
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Megrahi arriving at Glasgow Airport in 2009 after being released from Greenock Prison on compassionate grounds

Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi climbs the steps of a plane at Glasgow Airport, bound for Tripoli, after he was released on compassionate grounds by Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.
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Megrahi leaving Glasgow for Tripoli

September 2009: Then UK justice secretary Jack Straw acknowledges the prospect of trade and oil deals with Libya was “a very big part” of his decision to include Megrahi in the PTA.

July 2011: Megrahi appears in a televised pro-government rally in Libya and says his conviction was the result of a “conspiracy”.

October 2011: Gaddafi, the deposed leader of Libya following an uprising, is killed by rebels.

May 2012: Megrahi dies at home in Tripoli aged 60.

December 2013: The UK, US and Libyan governments vow to cooperate to reveal “the full facts” of the bombing.

An aerial view showing part of the wreckage of Pan Am Flight 103 which is now kept in the corner of a salvage yard near Tattershall, Lincolnshire.
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An aerial view of some of the plane wreckage recovered, which was kept in a Lincolnshire salvage yard

June 2014: Six members of Megrahi’s family join forces with 24 British relatives of those who died in the atrocity to seek another appeal against his conviction in the Scottish courts.

December 2014: Scotland’s then top prosecutor, lord advocate Frank Mulholland, reaffirms Megrahi’s guilt and pledges to track down his accomplices.

July 2015: Scottish judges rule relatives of the victims of the bombing should not be allowed to pursue an appeal on Megrahi’s behalf.

October 2015: Scottish prosecutors announce they want two Libyans they have identified as suspects to be interviewed by police.

July 2017: Megrahi’s family lodges a new bid to appeal against his conviction, five years after his death.

May 2018: The SCCRC says a full review of Megrahi’s case will be carried out to decide whether a fresh appeal against conviction can be made.

November 2018: A police investigation finds no evidence of criminality in relation to the handling of the Lockerbie investigation and prosecution.

March 2019: It’s revealed the Crown Office questioned retired Stasi agents over the bombing, examining the possible role of the East German intelligence service in the tragedy.

March 2020: The SCCRC rules a fresh appeal is to be allowed, and refers the case to the High Court of Justiciary.

June 2020: The appeal against the conviction of Megrahi is formally lodged at the High Court.

November 2020: A crowdfunder is launched to help pay for the appeal. It then begins at the High Court in Edinburgh, sitting as the Court of Appeal, and lasts three days.

December 2020: The US charges a “third conspirator” in connection with the Lockerbie bombing, on the 32nd anniversary of the atrocity.

January 2021: Judges reject both grounds of appeal, meaning Megrahi’s conviction stands.

December 2022: Third suspect – Libyan Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir al Marimi – is taken into US custody and appears at Washington DC federal courthouse accused of being the bombmaker.

Still of Abu Agila Mas’ud attached. Released by Alexandria Sheriff’s Office.
Credit: Alexandria Sheriff's Office.
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Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir al Marimi. Pic: Alexandria Sheriff’s Office.

December 2023: Marimi remains in US custody awaiting trial.

A new Sky documentary tells the story of Britain’s deadliest terrorist atrocity.

Lockerbie is available to watch on Sky Documentaries and Now.

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Asylum seekers face being removed from Epping hotel after council granted High Court injunction

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Asylum seekers face being removed from Epping hotel after council granted High Court injunction

A council has won its bid to temporarily block asylum seekers from being housed at a hotel in Essex.

Epping Forest District Council sought an interim injunction to stop migrants from being accommodated at the Bell Hotel in Epping, which is owned by Somani Hotels Limited.

A government attempt to delay the application was rejected by the High Court judge earlier on Tuesday.

The interim injunction now means the hotel has to be cleared of its occupants within 14 days.

Somani Hotels said it intended to appeal the decision.

Several protests have been held outside the hotel in recent weeks after an asylum seeker housed there was charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl.

Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was charged with trying to kiss a teenage girl and denies the allegations. He is due to stand trial later this month.

Police officers ahead of a demonstration outside The Bell Hotel in July. Pic: PA
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Police officers ahead of a demonstration outside The Bell Hotel in July. Pic: PA

At a hearing last week, barristers for the council claimed Somani Hotels breached planning rules because the site is not being used for its intended purpose as a hotel.

Philip Coppel KC, for the council, said the problem was “getting out of hand” and “causing great anxiety” to local people.

He said the hotel “is no more a hotel [to asylum seekers] than a borstal to a young offender”.

File pic: PA
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File pic: PA

Piers Riley-Smith, for Somani Hotels Limited, said a “draconian” injunction would cause “hardship” for those in the hotel, arguing “political views” were not grounds for an injunction to be granted.

He also said contracts to house asylum seekers were a “financial lifeline” for the hotel, which was only 1% full in August 2022, when it was open to paying customers.

Protesters and counter-demonstrators outside The Bell Hotel in July. Pic: PA
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Protesters and counter-demonstrators outside The Bell Hotel in July. Pic: PA

The hotel housed migrants from May 2020 to March 2021, then from October 2022 to April 2024, with the council never instigating any formal enforcement proceedings against this use, Mr Riley-Smith said.

They were being placed there again in April 2025 and Mr Riley-Smith said a planning application was not made “having taken advice from the Home Office”.

At the end of the hearing last week, Mr Justice Eyre ordered that Somani Hotels could not “accept any new applications” from asylum seekers to stay at the site until he had made his ruling on the temporary injunction.

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TikTok and Instagram accused of targeting teens with suicide and self-harm content

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TikTok and Instagram accused of targeting teens with suicide and self-harm content

TikTok and Instagram have been accused of targeting teenagers with suicide and self-harm content – at a higher rate than two years ago.

The Molly Rose Foundation – set up by Ian Russell after his 14-year-old daughter took her own life after viewing harmful content on social media – commissioned analysis of hundreds of posts on the platforms, using accounts of a 15-year-old girl based in the UK.

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The charity claimed videos recommended by algorithms on the For You pages continued to feature a “tsunami” of clips containing “suicide, self-harm and intense depression” to under-16s who have previously engaged with similar material.

One in 10 of the harmful posts had been liked at least a million times. The average number of likes was 226,000, the researchers said.

Mr Russell told Sky News the results were “horrifying” and showed online safety laws are not fit for purpose.

Molly Russell died in 2017. Pic: Molly Rose Foundation
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Molly Russell died in 2017. Pic: Molly Rose Foundation

‘This is happening on PM’s watch’

He said: “It is staggering that eight years after Molly’s death, incredibly harmful suicide, self-harm, and depression content like she saw is still pervasive across social media.

“Ofcom’s recent child safety codes do not match the sheer scale of harm being suggested to vulnerable users and ultimately do little to prevent more deaths like Molly’s.

“The situation has got worse rather than better, despite the actions of governments and regulators and people like me. The report shows that if you strayed into the rabbit hole of harmful suicide self-injury content, it’s almost inescapable.

“For over a year, this entirely preventable harm has been happening on the prime minister’s watch and where Ofcom have been timid it is time for him to be strong and bring forward strengthened, life-saving legislation without delay.”

Ian Russell says children are viewing 'industrial levels' of self-harm content
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Ian Russell says children are viewing ‘industrial levels’ of self-harm content

After Molly’s death in 2017, a coroner ruled she had been suffering from depression, and the material she had viewed online contributed to her death “in a more than minimal way”.

Researchers at Bright Data looked at 300 Instagram Reels and 242 TikToks to determine if they “promoted and glorified suicide and self-harm”, referenced ideation or methods, or “themes of intense hopelessness, misery, and despair”.

They were gathered between November 2024 and March 2025, before new children’s codes for tech companies under the Online Safety Act came into force in July.

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What are the new online rules?

Instagram

The Molly Rose Foundation claimed Instagram “continues to algorithmically recommend appallingly high volumes of harmful material”.

The researchers said 97% of the videos recommended on Instagram Reels for the account of a teenage girl, who had previously looked at this content, were judged to be harmful.

Some 44% actively referenced suicide and self-harm, they said. They also claimed harmful content was sent in emails containing recommended content for users.

A spokesperson for Meta, which owns Instagram, said: “We disagree with the assertions of this report and the limited methodology behind it.

“Tens of millions of teens are now in Instagram Teen Accounts, which offer built-in protections that limit who can contact them, the content they see, and the time they spend on Instagram.

“We continue to use automated technology to remove content encouraging suicide and self-injury, with 99% proactively actioned before being reported to us. We developed Teen Accounts to help protect teens online and continue to work tirelessly to do just that.”

TikTok

TikTok was accused of recommending “an almost uninterrupted supply of harmful material”, with 96% of the videos judged to be harmful, the report said.

Over half (55%) of the For You posts were found to be suicide and self-harm related; a single search yielding posts promoting suicide behaviours, dangerous stunts and challenges, it was claimed.

The number of problematic hashtags had increased since 2023; with many shared on highly-followed accounts which compiled ‘playlists’ of harmful content, the report alleged.

A TikTok spokesperson said: “Teen accounts on TikTok have 50+ features and settings designed to help them safely express themselves, discover and learn, and parents can further customise 20+ content and privacy settings through Family Pairing.

“With over 99% of violative content proactively removed by TikTok, the findings don’t reflect the real experience of people on our platform which the report admits.”

According to TikTok, they not do not allow content showing or promoting suicide and self-harm, and say that banned hashtags lead users to support helplines.

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Backlash against new online safety rules
Musk’s X wants ‘significant’ changes to OSA

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Why do people want to repeal the Online Safety Act?

‘A brutal reality’

Both platforms allow young users to provide negative feedback on harmful content recommended to them. But the researchers found they can also provide positive feedback on this content and be sent it for the next 30 days.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “These figures show a brutal reality – for far too long, tech companies have stood by as the internet fed vile content to children, devastating young lives and even tearing some families to pieces.

“But companies can no longer pretend not to see. The Online Safety Act, which came into effect earlier this year, requires platforms to protect all users from illegal content and children from the most harmful content, like promoting or encouraging suicide and self-harm. 45 sites are already under investigation.”

An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Since this research was carried out, our new measures to protect children online have come into force.

“These will make a meaningful difference to children – helping to prevent exposure to the most harmful content, including suicide and self-harm material. And for the first time, services will be required by law to tame toxic algorithms.

“Tech firms that don’t comply with the protection measures set out in our codes can expect enforcement action.”

Peter Kyle has said opponents of the Online Safety Act are on the side of predators. Pic: PA
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Peter Kyle has said opponents of the Online Safety Act are on the side of predators. Pic: PA

‘A snapshot of rock bottom’

A separate report out today from the Children’s Commissioner found the proportion of children who have seen pornography online has risen in the past two years – also driven by algorithms.

Rachel de Souza described the content young people are seeing as “violent, extreme and degrading”, and often illegal, and said her office’s findings must be seen as a “snapshot of what rock bottom looks like”.

More than half (58%) of respondents to the survey said that, as children, they had seen pornography involving strangulation, while 44% reported seeing a depiction of rape – specifically someone who was asleep.

The survey of 1,020 people aged between 16 and 21 found that they were on average aged 13 when they first saw pornography. More than a quarter (27%) said they were 11, and some reported being six or younger.

Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.

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Ed Conway: Something odd is happening in the markets – with no compelling explanation

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Ed Conway: Something odd is happening in the markets - with no compelling explanation

There is one thing scarier than markets lurching around. And that’s markets lurching around without a very compelling explanation.

Just yesterday, the yield on the government’s 30-year bonds – the best measure out there of the UK government’s long-term cost of borrowing – closed at the highest level since 1998, not long after Oasis released the album Be Here Now. Indeed, the yields on pretty much all UK government debt has been creeping up in recent weeks, though not all are back to Britpop era levels.

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In some senses, this looks very odd indeed. After all, the Bank of England just cut interest rates. In normal circumstances, you would expect measures of borrowing costs to be falling across the board. But clearly these are not normal times.

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‘Is the Bank worried about recession risk?’

All of which raises the question: is this a UK-specific phenomenon? Are markets singling out Britain for particular concern, much as they did after Liz Truss’s notorious mini-budget? Actually, there are more questions on top of that one. For instance, is this all about Rachel Reeves’s recent woes, and her need to find another £20bn, give or take, to make her sums add up? Are investors fretting about the Bank of England’s inflation-fighting credibility, given its cutting rates even as prices rise?

The short answer, I’m afraid, is that no one really knows. But a glance at a few metrics can at least provide a bit of context.

The first thing to note is that while government borrowing costs in the UK are up, they have also been rising in other leading economies. The UK, it’s worth saying, is a bit of an outlier with higher yields than in fellow G7 nations. But that’s not exactly a new thing: it’s been the case since the mini-budget. But the UK is a particularly ugly duckling in a lake full of them.

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Are taxes going to rise?

Indeed, look at other nations, and you see that Britain’s budgetary challenges are hardly unique. The US and France have ballooning budget deficits which are rising rapidly. Most European nations have pledged enormous increases in military spending to satisfy Donald Trump’s demands of NATO.

And over the Atlantic, the US administration has just committed to a sweeping set of generous fiscal measures, under its One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Even Elon Musk has voiced concerns about what this means for the deficit (which is set to continue rising ad infinitum, at least on paper).

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All of which brings us to the broader, possibly scarier, lesson. There are signs afoot that while G7 nations could depend for decades on other surplus countries – most notably China and other Asian countries – buying vast amounts of their debt in recent years, that might no longer be the case. In short, even as rich countries borrow like crazy, it’s becoming less clear who will lend them the money.

That’s an enormous conundrum, and not good news for anyone.

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