Two women charged over 21 July plot

Yeshshiembet Girma, 29, who lives at Blair House in Stockwell, and her sister Muluembet Girma, 21, also from Stockwell, were charged under Section 38 of the Terrorism Act 2000 last night in relation to the 21 July attacks. They are the first women to be charged in connection with the failed bomb attacks.

Another person, Ishmael Abdurahman, 23, appeared yesterday at Bow Street magistrates' court under the Terrorism Act for failing to pass to the police information which could have led to suspected Tube bomber Hussain Osman's arrest. Osman was detained in Rome this week and is being held there on international terrorism charges. Mr Abdurahman's lawyer, Ann Faul, said her client, who was remanded in custody until 11 August, "vigorously" denied any connection with terrorism.

The New York Police Department admitted last night that information that the 7 July suicide bombers used hair bleach and nitric acid to bomb London transport had not been cleared for release by the British authorities. Its police commissioner, Ray Kelly, said: "I do not believe we compromised the investigation."

On Wednesday he said the 7 July bombs, which killed 52 people as well as the four perpetrators, were built in Leeds, stored in powerful refrigerators and were probably detonated using mobile phones. "It's more like these terrorists went to a hardware store or some beauty supply store."

Andy Trotter, the Deputy Chief Constable for the British Transport Police, described the release of such information as "unhelpful".