France gets more time to reach Libya compo deal

UN diplomats said they would give France more time to reach agreement on its demands for new compensation from Libya for a 1989 bombing of a French airliner before voting to lift sanctions against the North African country. But they stressed that France needs to move quickly.

The French government is threatening to block a draft UN resolution that would lift the sanctions, saying it wants a better financial deal for the bombing of the French jet after families of the 270 people killed in the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, got a £1.6 billion settlement.

Britain introduced the resolution on Monday after Libya agreed to the Lockerbie compensation package and to accept responsibility for the attack key conditions for the lifting of the sanctions.