The Hamburg al-Qaida cell that included three of the September 11 hijackers planned an attack on the World Trade Centre as early as April or May 2000, a German prosecutor said today.

The American government tonight faced embarrassment when a flight school where two of the September 11 hijackers trained received a letter saying they had been approved for visas.

German authorities have arrested a man in Hamburg who allegedly has direct links to the September 11 hijackers.

The CIA believes September 11 hijacking ringleader Mohamed Atta met Osama bin Laden’s top commander in 1999, it has emerged.

The CIA believes the September 11 hijacking ringleader Mohamed Atta met Osama bin Laden’s top commander in 1999, it emerged today.