The trial of a former Libyan intelligence officer linked to the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing faced a delay on Monday. This decision comes after the defense received a fresh batch of evidence from prosecutors over the weekend, prompting a federal judge to grant the postponement.

Originally scheduled to begin with jury selection on Wednesday in Washington, D.C., the trial of Abu Agila Mohammad Mas’ud Kheir Al-Marimi marks a significant legal milestone. It would have been the inaugural U.S. trial connected to the tragic bombing, which claimed the lives of 270 individuals, a majority being Americans.

U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich’s order did not disclose details about the newly surfaced evidence, leaving room for speculation regarding its impact on the proceedings.

Citing their “constitutional and ethical obligations,” Al-Marimi’s defense attorneys stressed the necessity of examining the new developments thoroughly. They reported receiving the surprise evidence on Saturday and called upon the judge to allow time for adequate investigation.

The judge granted Al-Marimi’s lawyers the delay and scheduled a status hearing on Sept. 1.

Al-Marimi is charged with making the bomb that downed the Pan Am flight, killing all 259 passengers and crew members. The plane came down over the small town of Lockerbie, Scotland, where it destroyed an entire city block and killed 11 people on the ground.

Citizens of 21 countries were among the victims, including 190 Americans and 43 people from the United Kingdom. Among those aboard were 35 Syracuse University students returning home from a semester abroad.

The bomb exploded less than 40 minutes into the flight, which had departed from London Heathrow Airport and was headed to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.

Kara Weipz, board president of the nonprofit Victims of Pan Am Flight 103, told The Associated Press that her organization has not received any details about what caused the delay in Al-Marimi’s trial.

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Weipz’s brother, Richard Monetti, was one of the Syracuse students who died on the flight.

Weipz said the families of the victims had already been packing to head to Washington for the trial.

“At the same time, for almost 38 years we’ve been seeking the truth of what happened,” Weipz said. “If that’s what this is, then that’s a good thing, and this delay is worth it… It’s important to hear all the facts.”

Prosecutors say Al-Marimi carried out the bombing at the behest of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, who was ousted from power in 2011 and violently killed by rebels.

In 2000, two other Libyan agents were tried by a panel of Scottish judges on a U.S. military base in the Netherlands. One was convicted, while the other was acquitted.

For decades, the true identity of the bombmaker has been a mystery.

Al-Marimi, now in his mid-70s, faces two counts of destruction of an aircraft resulting in death. He could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors say Al-Marimi worked for Libya’s intelligence service from roughly 1973 until 2011, eventually attaining the rank of colonel.

Investigators allege he brought a suitcase containing a bomb to an airport in Malta and handed it off to co-conspirators for a flight to Frankfurt, Germany. The suitcase was then transferred to London, where it was loaded onto Flight 103.

On Monday night, Angel Reese channeled her inner Dennis Rodman with an unforgettable performance.

The star forward of the Dream dominated the court by grabbing an astounding 26 rebounds, leading her team to a 78-71 triumph over the Sparks. This remarkable feat shattered the longstanding single-game record of 24 rebounds set by Chamique Holdsclaw back in 2003.

With this phenomenal display, Reese also ascended to the top of the WNBA’s single-season rebounding list. She now boasts a record-breaking 458 rebounds for the Sky, surpassing A’ja Wilson’s previous high of 451 established in 2024.

On top of her rebounding heroics, Reese contributed 11 points, dished out three assists, and nabbed three steals during her 38 minutes of play.

Reflecting on her performance during the postgame show on Peacock, Reese remarked, “The last time I played here, I was perfect from the field. Tonight, however, my shots just wouldn’t fall. So, I decided to make my mark by crashing the boards. My aim is to always be a consistent force for my team, whether that’s on offense, defense, or wherever I’m needed to secure the win.”

Reese is certainly playing some of her best basketball at the right time as the WNBA playoffs approach, with Monday’s win keeping Atlanta atop the East with a 25-13 record, ahead of the Fever by a half-game.

Atlanta has already clinched a playoff spot.

For Reese, her 26-rebound mega-effort comes on the heels of an impressive Saturday performance where she posted a career-high 31 points against the Mercury.

ALSO READ: US Air Force Transport Jet Executes Rare Landing in Moscow

“That’s a talent,” Dream guard Allisha Gray said. “I’m just in awe watching her rebound.”

Her improvement on all sides of the ball is something that her coach Karl Smesko noticed.

“Angel’s been remarkable on this trip,” he said. “You can see her getting better each month.”

Reese needed just 37 games to set the league’s new rebounding mark and has six more games to pad her total.

She credits Tina Charles, the WNBA’s all-time leading rebounder over 14 seasons, for helping her find her way around the basket to clean up the glass.

“All the vets pour into me,” Reese said. “The players that have come before me were able to do so many amazing things so I can be in this very moment right now. So I’m really grateful for them, especially Tina.

“I remember last year when I was playing against her and how she was giving me little keys to playing around the basket and doing things to make yourself consistent and try to be one of the best players. And I just want to do that every single night.”

The Dream host the Fire on Aug. 28 and the Lynx on Aug. 30 before the league’s break for the FIFA women’s basketball World Cup.

A remarkable incident unfolded on Tuesday as a US Air Force transport aircraft executed an unexpected landing in Moscow, igniting widespread curiosity and speculation regarding its enigmatic mission.

The aircraft in question, a C-17A Globemaster III, arrived at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport on August 25, originating from Riga, Latvia, as corroborated by public flight-tracking systems.

This plane is renowned for its capabilities as a large, long-range military transport vehicle, routinely used to airlift troops, vehicles, and substantial cargo across the globe.

The journey commenced in NATO-member Latvia at approximately 8:50 a.m. Moscow time, equating to 12:50 a.m. Eastern Time, with the aircraft touching down in Moscow just about 74 minutes later.

Notably, the C-17A navigated through the heavily regulated Russian airspace, requiring specific clearance for such entry. According to FlightRadar24 data, the flight’s journey began in Riga on August 23, after departing from Joint Base Andrews near Washington, DC, a base familiar as the home of the presidential fleet, including Air Force One.

Neither Washington nor Moscow has explained the reason for the flight as of Tuesday morning, leaving it unclear who or what the giant military aircraft was carrying.

The silence prompted speculation that it could be connected to a prisoner exchange, sensitive diplomatic talks over the war in Ukraine or an operation involving embassy personnel.

One X user who tracks US military planes said: ‘In a highly unusual move, a US Air Force C-17 transport aircraft has just landed in Moscow from Riga, Latvia, flying across restricted airspace. I wonder what is going on…’ 

No evidence has emerged to support any of those theories, and the true purpose of the rare flight remains a mystery. The Daily Mail has contacted the White House for comment.

However, the flight path was shared online, sparking a range of theories from users.

One X user posted: ‘I suspect possibly a prisoner exchange or maybe a group of US officials are going for negotiations?’

While many agreed that a prisoner exchange was likely the reason for the secret mission, another user said: ‘Wouldn’t that be public knowledge though? All seems a bit covert.

Another user suggested that a prisoner exchange would not likely happen with a C-17A, as previous swaps have all used smaller, private-style jets. 

Some military-aviation observers also speculated that the mission could be associated with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, raising the possibility that he could be travelling to Moscow. 

Pentagon records show Hegseth spent Monday, August 24, visiting Nebraska and Wisconsin as part of his ‘Arsenal of Freedom’ tour. 

The mysterious flight also coincided with a Reuters report on Tuesday that Ukraine had worked with US and European officials to draw up a fresh proposal for Moscow. 

Footage from Moscow, however, reportedly captured a US diplomatic convoy traveling through the streets around the same time the jet was spotted.

The C-17A Globemaster III is a hulking four-engine military transport designed to carry troops, armored vehicles and oversized cargo around the world.

The Boeing-built aircraft stretches 174 feet from nose to tail and has a wingspan of nearly 170 feet.

It can haul up to 170,900 pounds, enough to carry 102 fully equipped paratroopers or a 69-ton M1 Abrams battle tank.

The jet cruises at approximately 518mph and can travel about 2,760 miles without refueling while carrying close to its maximum payload. Aerial refueling gives the aircraft a virtually global range.

Despite its enormous size, the aircraft can take off and land on runways as short as 3,500 feet and even reverse under its own power.

The Air Force uses the aircraft, which is not an armed fighter,  to deliver troops and equipment, conduct airdrops, evacuate wounded patients and support humanitarian missions.

Its cavernous cargo hold can transport some of the US military’s heaviest equipment, and publicly available flight data did not reveal what was aboard the plane that landed in Moscow. 

The roots of the C-17 stretch back to the late 1970s, when the US Air Force began searching for a powerful new transport capable of delivering troops and heavy combat equipment directly to remote battlefields.

The service formally opened its C-X competition in 1980, calling for an aircraft that could carry enormous loads, including the M1 Abrams tank, into small, austere airfields.

McDonnell Douglas beat Boeing for the project in August 1981 with a design based partly on its earlier YC-15 prototype, and the aircraft was designated the C-17 the following month.

Development was plagued by cost overruns and repeated delays as engineers wrestled with mission-computer software, flight controls and a complex wing designed for short-runway operations.

The problems became so serious that the Pentagon placed McDonnell Douglas and the C-17 program on probation in the 1990s.

The prototype, known as T-1, finally completed its maiden flight on September 15, 1991, and the first operational squadron was declared ready in January 1995. 

Boeing inherited the program after merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997 and continued building the aircraft at its Long Beach, California, plant.

Production ended in November 2015 after 279 C-17s had been built for the US Air Force and military operators including the UK, Australia, Canada, India, Qatar and NATO partners.