INFLATION IN GERMANY HIGHER:

Inflation in Germany reached a high for the second consecutive month in April as consumers paid more for food and energy, and the head of Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, said the economy should prepare for rising interest rates. Consumer prices in Germany rose at an annual rate of 7.8 percent in April, the Federal Statistics Office said Wednesday, citing preliminary figures that are adjusted to make them comparable with inflation data from other European Union countries.