Australia April consumer prices rise 2.4% y/y, above forecasts
SYDNEY, May 28 (Reuters) - Australian consumer prices in April rose above forecasts as higher insurance and holiday costs offset a drop in petrol, while core inflation edged higher in a slightly disappointing report.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed the monthly consumer price index (CPI) rose 2.4% in April compared to a year earlier, unchanged from March but above median forecasts of 2.3%. Estimates had ranged widely from 1.9% to 2.5%.
The trimmed mean measure of core inflation increased by an annual rate of 2.8% in April, up from 2.7% in March. A measure excluding volatile items and holiday travel also picked up to 2.8%, from 2.6%.
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Reuters
3 hours ago
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Israel's inflation rate eases more than expected to 3.1% in May
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BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
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A couple whose flat was destroyed in a fatal tenement fire in Perth said they considered "jumping out the building" to escape the Gibson and partner Ellen Fulton had not long moved in together when they lost nearly all their belongings in the incident at the block on the corner of Scott Street and South Gibson, 30, said he could hear the "sounds of the ceiling coming down" after they dialled 999 in the early hours of Saturday morning.A man died and several others, including an eight-year-old girl, were injured in the fire. Two firefighters, one of whom was struck by falling masonry, were given medical treatment. Mr Gibson said he and Ms Fulton, 31, were woken shortly before 02:00 to the sound of their smoke couple live on the third floor, one below the top which has been completely destroyed. Mr Gibson said he opened the door to the tenement hallway, at which point smoke came billowing into the called the emergency services and said Ms Fulton was "screaming for help" out of the bedroom crews arrived a short time later, but Mr Gibson admitted he was worried about being forced into a life or death said: "At one point, I was trying to work out whether it would be better to jump out the building and take our risk that way or get burned to death."If you're with your partner, your only thing is 'how do I get this person out safely?'"The whole time all we could hear was the sound of our ceilings and our roofs caving in behind us."He added: "We just didn't want to look back. The smell was just awful and the sounds were just horrific." The couple were rescued from the flat about 25 minutes after making the initial emergency Gibson said they were in the process of moving in together for the first time and were yet to take out contents insurance on their rented said the vast majority of their possessions had been lost, but they were unsure of the scale of the added they had only been able to leave with what they could gather from the bedroom and were now staying with 40 other residents in the area were evacuated, with some staying at the nearby Salutation Hotel, which is being used a respite Gibson credited Tayside fire and rescue's blue response team for saving their lives and praised the call handler's response as "spectacular". Police Scotland are investigating the and pedestrians have been urged to stay away from the area, while a temporary airspace restriction has been put in place until 13:00 on Wednesday to prevent drones from flying from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service worked through the night into Saturday morning to extinguish the left the scene early on Sunday afternoon but a team was scheduled to carry out a reinspection at about 17: Scott Street and South Street remain closed to traffic.
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
Majority of Australians think China will be world's most powerful country by 2035, poll finds
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