Washington, Feb. 10 : The US State Department has said that US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke will speak with the Pakistani authorities about the release of Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan from house arrest.

During his visit to Islamabad, Holbrooke is expected to meet President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and senior military commanders.

The US State Department also said that Foreign Ministry officials assured US Ambassador Anne Patterson on Sunday that A Q Khan would not be a future proliferation risk.

Washington, Feb 10 : Legendary musician Paul McCartney may have belted out some of the best hits ever, but that in no way stops him from being a fan of other greats in his field.

The `Let Me Roll It' hitmaker has revealed that he likes the music of Radiohead and Neil Diamond.

"I''m pretty Catholic in my tastes. But I always start with Radiohead. I have a wide range of tastes - I like rap a lot too," Fox News quoted him as saying.

Washington, Feb 10 : Hollywood actress Cate Blanchett may soon be seen playing the role of Maid Marian in Ridley Scott's Nottingham, after Sienna Miller was dropped from the flick.

The makers of Nottingham are keen to get `The Lord Of The Ring' actress to replace Miller.

If Cate gives her nod to the flick, she will be seen alongside Russell Crowe, who will play the lead role in the tale of Medieval English outlaw Robin Hood.

Another Nottingham actor Mark Strong thinks that Cate is ideal to replace Miller.

Washington, Feb 10 : The support for US operations in Afghanistan is declining, with air strikes being a chief concern, according to a poll conducted by ABC News.

A quarter of the Afghans polled said that attacks on American or allied forces are justifiable, double the proportion saying so in late 2006.

The poll, the fourth conducted in Afghanistan since 2005 by ABC News and its media partners, also shows plummeting support for President Hamid Karzai and the Afghan Government.

Washington, February 10 : A group of Italian researchers have found that mice lacking a protein called AT1A live substantially longer than normal mice.

Washington, Feb 10 : Teen sensation Miley Cyrus has once again apologised for recent pictures showing her poking fun at the Asians.

The Hannah Montana star was forced to say sorry after photos leaked of her and a group of male pals pulling on their eyes - while one Asian American sat among them.

Officials at a leading Asian-American organisation rejected the apology insisting it was "not enough".

The 16-year-old star has for the second time apologised for the racist scandal on her website.