The head of the state security service in Slovakia, Ivan Lexa, has been replaced, in a decision taken at the last Cabinet meeting of the outgoing government led by Vladimir Meciar.

The move was announced by the TASR news agency from Bratislava, which said Mr Lexa would be succeeded by Rudolf Ziak.

There's no immediate explanation for the change but correspondents say Mr Lexa was implicated, during a court hearing in Austria, into the kidnapping of the son of the Slovak president, Michal Kovac.

During their period of office, Mr Kovac and Mr Meciar were bitter political adversaries.