Prague/Ramallah - The European Union condemns Israeli plans for settlement expansion in the West Bank, the Czech EU presidency said in a statement delivered on behalf of the 27-member bloc.

The EU called on Israel in the statement issued late Friday to reconsider plans for construction in the vicinity of the Adam settlement in the West Bank, as it would violate international law and Israel's commitments made to the Palestinians in the Annapolis peace talks.

The union said that expansion of the settlements "is a major obstacle to peace in the Middle East."

Liberec, Czech Republic - Justyna Kowalczyk attacked on the final turn to win a first cross-country skiing world title for the Polish women on Saturday, in the
15-kilometres pursuit.

Kowalczyk, 26, passed long-time leader Kristin Stoermer Steira of Norway and crossed the finish line in 40 minutes 55.3 seconds.

Steira trailed by 1.7 seconds as she missed out on a major individual title yet again despite setting a fierce pace. Thursday's 10km world champion Aino Kaisa Saarinen of Finland came third, 8.0 seconds behind the winner.

Islamabad  - Pakistan's top three Taliban commanders have set aside their rivalries and decided to cooperate as the US expands its covert drone attacks against militants on Pakistani soil, media reports said on Saturday.

Baitullah Mehsud, the head of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella organization of more than a dozen militant organizations in Pakistan's ungoverned tribal region and neighbouring North West Frontier Province, held a meeting with his rival commanders Maulvi Nazir and Hafiz Gul Bahader last week, it has emerged.

Kabul  - The speaker of the US House, Nancy Pelosi met Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday in Kabul for talks on a strategic review of the US mission in Afghanistan, which is currently under way in Washington, presidential palace said.

Three US-led soldiers - whose nationality was not immediately revealed - were meanwhile killed in a roadside bomb attack in southern Uruzgan province.

And hundreds of Afghans blocked a key road links Kabul city to south-eastern provinces to protest the killing and arrest of Afghan civilians by US forces.

London - Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson admitted in an interview Saturday that he would consider becoming involved in Formula One if certain financial and environmental conditions were met.

"They need to get the rules changed to make F1 economically viable in these tough times," he told BBC 5 Live radio.

"F1 should be also championing cleaner technology. If we were to get involved we'd want our cars run on clean fuels."