MUMBAI (AFP) Indias annual inflation accelerated a faster-than-forecast 9.06 per cent in May, official data showed on Tuesday, and increasing pressure on the central bank to raise interest rates further. The rise in the wholesale price indexthe governments preferred measure of the cost of livingwas much higher than Aprils provisional 8.66 per cent, the ministry of commerce said. Economists had forecast inflation in May to be 8.70 per cent. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that core inflation, excluding food, fuel and power price rises, showed no sign of easing. This poses some concerns, which will have to be addressed, he told reporters. Soaring prices are one of the biggest problems for Indias government and inflation is the highest among all major Asian economies. Indias central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has been among the most hawkish in the region, having increased key interest rates nine times in the past 16 months.