At a glance

WASHINGTON: Suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden and the Taliban, his protectors in Afghanistan, have had a violent falling-out, raising the possibility that his days of refuge may be numbered, says the New York Times, quoting senior US officials. Thaey said a fight broke out three weeks ago between bin Laden8217;s bodyguards anda group of Taliban officers assigned to keep a watch over him. After the fight, the officials said, bin Laden was expelled from Kandahar, where he had taken refuge with his family. He was stripped of his satellite telephones, which allowed him to plot with radicals throughout the world. The Taliban has shown no sign that it is willing to deliver him to the US. But an official said the Taliban had sent a clear signal that its desire to protect bin Laden is waning.