Czech news in brief for May 7: Thursday's top morning headlines

The Office of the President announced on Wednesday it will not appeal the police decision to drop an investigation into Foreign Minister Petr Macinka. According to Czech Television, the case involved text messages sent to a presidential advisor that President Petr Pavel initially labeled as political blackmail. The National Center against Organized Crime concluded its review in late April, finding no evidence of criminal conduct in the negotiations.

Brief: The Czech Senate rejected a legislative proposal to establish a legal right to cash payments and "offline" services during its Wednesday session. According to ČTK, the upper house voted against the amendment for the third time, citing concerns that the mandate would impose excessive administrative burdens on businesses. Proponents argued the law was necessary to protect digital privacy and elderly citizens, yet senators maintained that existing currency regulations provide sufficient protection.

The Federation of Jewish Communities and the Prague Jewish Community announced their opposition to American rapper Ye’s July concert in Velká Chuchle on Wednesday. Representing Holocaust survivors, the group said on social media that the artist's history of anti-Semitic remarks and Nazi sympathies makes a public performance unacceptable. While local Pirate Party leaders have also voiced concerns, organizers have prioritized commercial interests despite international precedents in which other nations denied the rapper entry.

The Prague Castle Administration reopened the historic Hartig Garden on Wednesday, following a ten-year closure. According to officials and ČTK, the baroque space is now open to public access as part of a broader initiative to increase transparency at the castle. The site features two terraces and distinctive greenery, with ongoing renovations planned for perimeter walls and facilities. President Petr Pavel's wife, Eva Pavlová, attended the ceremony at the site.

Seven capybara cubs were born at the Prague Zoo on Monday, marking the largest litter in the facility's breeding history. Zoo spokesman Filip Mašek told the media that the newborns bring the total local population to twelve individuals. Due to high demand for the popular rodents, three older males from a previous litter are scheduled to be transferred to the Spišská Nová Ves zoo in Slovakia to manage enclosure space.