German inflation puts ECB policy back in spotlight

A second month of high inflation in Germany in January will likely prompt a fresh round of complaints against the European Central Bank's loose monetary policy, analysts predicted. Consumer prices in Europe's largest economy rose by 1.9 percent year-on-year, federal statistics office Destatis said in preliminary data released Monday, up from a rate of 1.7 percent recorded in December. The last time inflation was that high in Germany was in July 2013, the statisticians observed.