News of Radio Prague

General Padelek appointed commander in chief of Air Force

General Frantisek Padelek has been appointed commander in chief of the Czech Air Force. The appointment was made public by the Czech Defense Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik at an international military air show in Hradec Kralove. General Padelek replaces Ladislav Klima who asked to be released from office for personal reasons several months ago. General Padelek, who turns 49 this year, is reported to have been a first class pilot. He spent a year at the Royal Academy of Defense in London. His appointment comes at a time when the Air Force is undergoing a major re-organization.

Police end blockade of busy road

Police used force to end a two hour blockade of a busy main road in Moravia on Saturday . Several dozen locals from Vysoke Myto, a town through which the road runs, effected a blockade of the road complaining about noise and air pollution and arguing that their children were at risk since drivers failed to respect the set speed limit. The blockade which was to have lasted until 8 pm had been approved by the town hall, but the police said that for safety reasons it was essential to clear the main road for traffic. A planned by-pass is to relieve the town of the mentioned problems but it will take five to seven years to complete.

Romania to effect measures to stem flow of economic migrants

The Romanian Premier Adrian Nastase has said he understands the Czech government's decision to impose a visa regime on Romanian nationals. " We are not accusing Prague of hostility, the problem lies with us and it is our duty to resolve it" the Romanian premier said in reference to a mass exodus of Romanian asylum seekers to the Czech Republic and other central and West European states. In recent months the Czech authorities have monitored a significant increase in so-called economic refugees from Romania. For many of them the Czech Republic is merely a transit country. Only last week German border police detained 80 Romanian nationals in an attempt to cross the Czech- German border illegally. The Romanian premier said that his Cabinet had approved a tough new law under which Romanian nationals could be persecuted in their homeland for crimes committed abroad, including attempts to cross borders illegally.

And finally a quick look at the weather:

It seems there is to be no relief from the rain this weekend. We can expect more overcast skies and drizzle in the next twenty four hours with morning fog and Sunday's temperatures rising to between 16 and 20 degs.