Austrian anti-nuclear activists cancel border blockade

Austrian anti-nuclear activists have called off a planned border blockade after failing to gain permission from the Austrian authorities. Demonstrators had planned to block the Gmund border crossing with the Czech Republic in protest at plans to reactivate the Temelin nuclear power station across the border in South Bohemia. Temelin's first reactor will probably be switched on at the weekend, and not on Friday as originally planned. The reactor has been shut down since the beginning of May, to allow essential repairs on the plant's generating turbine. Temelin has been plagued with technical problems since going into test operation last October.