Frankfurt / AFP Despite a raft of different measures by the European Central Bank to kickstart sluggish consumer prices in the eurozone, inflation in the single currency bloc turned negative in February for the first time in five months. The ECB estimates that consumer prices need to rise at an annual rate of close to but just below 2.0 percent …

Barcelona / AFP In 2009, the Nissan factory in Barcelona in northeastern Spain seemed condemned to close. But it was saved thanks to labour rights sacrifices, becoming a symbol of “flexisecurity” — a cooperative approach to labour relations in which employees accept a degree of flexibility in working arrangements — which is being held up as an example to follow …

Washington / AfP As Apple’s legal battle with the FBI over encryption heads toward a showdown, there appears little hope for a compromise that would placate both sides and avert a divisive court decision. The FBI is pressing Apple to develop a system that would allow the law enforcement agency to break into a locked iPhone used by one of …