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The Health Minister Tomáš Julínek has said that changes will be needed in order to prevent a further rise in the number of the country’s nurses leaving their profession for better opportunities. He and Dana Jurásková, the head of the Czech Nurses Association, agreed on Saturday that changes in education and training were needed, as well as an increase in nurses’ pay. In the short-term, nurses should see an increase in salary bonuses; in the long-term more significant changes will be needed, the officials said. According to some statistics, the Czech health care sector is short around 1,000 nursing staff.

Prague’s Botanical Garden in Troje celebrated Halloween on Friday with events for visitors and visitors’ children. Attendees were given the opportunity to carve their own pumpkins. A spoon, knife, and mask were among the required implements. Disguises worn included costumes of animals, witches and knights. According to the Botanical Garden's organisers, Halloween is their busiest day of the year, when the gardens see an average of around 2,000 visitors.

The daily Právo has reported that Czech Member of the European Parliament Jan Zahradil may run for the post of leader of the Civic Democratic Party at the party’s December congress. He told the daily he might aim to lead the party for an interim period of one year, saying such a move depended on how two blocs within the ruling party clashed in December. One faction may back current leader Mirek Topolánek, another, his challenger Pavel Bém. Mr Zahradil said he would consider such a clash “unfortunate” and made clear his decision to run would be an effort to re-unite his party. The MEP is known for having close ties to the country’s president, Václav Klaus, founder of the Civic Democratic Party. By comparison, the president’s relationship with current chairman Mirek Topolánek is known to be rocky.

Právo has also reported that Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek met with opposition leader Jiří Paroubek on Thursday to discuss the Czech Republic’s taking up the six-month EU presidency on January 1. The two men – major rivals in the 2006 national election – reportedly met for 90 minutes to “fine-tune” future steps. In recent days some media, as well as several EU parliamentarians, questioned the Czech Republic’s ability to lead the union during a time of global financial crisis and recession. A weak showing by Mr Topolanek’s party in recent regional and Senate elections – won almost single-handedly by Mr Paroubek’s Social Democrats – has also raised questions about the Czech government’s strength.