China CPI Jumps as Middle East Crisis Pushes Energy Costs Higher

China's consumer inflation accelerated to 1.2% in April, topping analyst estimates, as the Middle East crisis drove a surge in energy prices. The Chinese consumer price index (CPI) rose by 1.2% last month from a year earlier, accelerating from 1% annual inflation in March, data from China's National Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday. The CPI exceeded an analyst consensus estimate of 0.9% inflation last month. The core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, also accelerated to 1.2% in April from a year earlier, according to the data.…