The White House today defended Laura Bush’s decision not to disclose she had a skin cancer tumour removed from her right shin last month.

THE FBI is investigating the discovery of three suspicious bags aboard two commercial aircraft in the United States that contained box cutters and at least one note questioning air safety, officials said yesterday.

All commercial flights in America were being searched tonight after box cutters and other potential weapons were found concealed on two planes.

US investigators now believe that a hijacker in the cockpit aboard United Airlines Flight 93 instructed terrorist-pilot Ziad Jarrah to crash the jetliner into a field in Pennsylvania because of a passenger uprising in the cabin.