ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan's Islamic militia leadership was prepared to discuss US demands to hand over Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden who is accused of two murderous bombings, a Taliban spokesman was reported as saying on Sunday. Washington wanted the expulsion of the alleged terrorist from Afghanistan or his handover to the United States or Saudi Arabia, Taliban spokesman Abdul Mutmaen told the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP).

Speaking to the Pakistan-based private information service from Kandahar, the Taliban's Afghanistan headquarters, Mutmaen said US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian affairs, Karl Inderfurth, made the proposal in talks with Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister MaulviJalil Akhund in Islamabad on Wednesday.Mutmaen said the Taliban position on the American request would be made public after discussion by the leadership.

LONDON: Tycoon Richard Branson is planning to launch a fresh attempt to fly non-stop round the world by balloon later this year from Argentina, a British newspaper reported on Sunday. The Express on Sunday said that Branson would launch a fourth and final bid to lead the first balloon team to circle the globe from Mendoza, Argentina, and that preparations were being made for a June or July take-off. Branson once again would team up with US millionaire Steve Fossett and Swedish balloonist Per Lindstrand, said the weekly tabloid. The threesome failed a round-the-world attempt in December, splashing down on December 25 in shark-infested waters 16 km north of Oahu, the main island of Hawaii.