Czech news in brief for April 16: Thursday's top afternoon headlines

The Russian Ministry of Defense criticized selected European countries, including the Czech Republic, for what it describes as their belligerent attitude because of plans to increase supplies of drones to Ukraine. It also published a list of what former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev described as "potential targets of the Russian armed forces" due to their involvement in drone production, including the Prague address of the local branch of a Ukrainian company and another of Czech defense manufacturer PBS.

Czech police carried out its large-scale Speed Marathon road safety operation this week, recording a total of nearly 3,200 violations, including nearly 2,000 involving speeding. Fewer vehicles were checked compared to last year but more infractions were uncovered, according to police officials, despite the fact that locations where speed would be checked and measured had been published in advance.

The annual inflation rate is rising once again across the EU, reaching 2.8 percent in March compared to 2.1 percent the previous month, according to the latest data published by Eurostat, the EU's statistical office. In the Czech Republic, consumer prices rose by an average of 1.5 percent last month, half a percentage point higher than in February but one of the lowest inflation rates in the EU.

Trams will stop running on part of the Vinohradská street between the stations of Želivského and Vinice, iDnes.cz reports citing a spokesman of Prague's transport company DPP. Effective from April 18 to July 7, the closure is due to the construction of a tram line to Malešice and is set to affect trams 7, 15, 16, 26 and 91. Replacement buses and a temporary tram will be introduced during that time.

The government's national anti-drug coordinator Pavel Bém put forward a proposal to ban the sale of alcohol after 9 am in small convenience stores, corner shops and gas stations, Novinky.cz reports. Supported by the Ministry of Health, the measure could be the first step in the government's plans to curb and limit alcohol consumption but has been criticized by some who point to the lack of reliable data about its effectiveness.