Czech news in brief for May 17: Sunday's top afternoon headlines

Experts have successfully removed the skull of St. Zdislava from concrete after it was stolen from a basilica in Jablonné v Podještědí earlier this week, police said. Authorities said the relic was found in good condition and will undergo restoration. A 35-year-old man accused of the theft was released from custody and faces up to eight years in prison if convicted.

Czech Communist Party leader Kateřina Konečná will step down at the party congress on May 30–31 after nearly five years in the role. The 45-year-old said she wants to focus on her work in the European Parliament and family life. Five candidates are set to compete for the leadership of the extra-parliamentary party, which has struggled financially and politically since losing representation in the Czech lower house in 2021.

The Czech government will discuss raising the parental allowance from CZK 350,000 to CZK 400,000 for children born after Jan. 1, 2027, at Monday’s cabinet meeting. Ministers will also consider extending one-day motorway vignettes to a full 24-hour validity period, tougher penalties for environmental crimes, and rules requiring women to hold at least one-third of board positions at large companies to comply with EU legislation.

Czechia was not allowed to repeat its performance at the Eurovision Song Contest final after a brief camera failure interrupted singer Daniel Žižka’s appearance. Organizers said the technical issue affected only the broadcast image, not the live audio or staging. The European Broadcasting Union confirmed the act wouldnot be performed again, as the fault was not considered performance-related. Žižka finished 16th in overall voting, while Bulgaria's DARA won the annual song contest.

The Central Bohemian Region plans to build two new residential care homes for seniors in cooperation with the towns of Říčany and Kralupy nad Vltavou, adding more than 200 new beds. However, both facilities are expected to open only after 2030. The projects aim to address a long-term shortage of capacity for elderly care, particularly for patients with dementia, in the region.