U.S. Fed's closely watched inflation measure rises 2.6 pct in December

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation measure, rose 2.6 percent in December compared with a year ago, as inflation seems to be picking up in recent months, the Commerce Department reported on Friday.

The latest figure follows a rise from 2.1 percent year-on-year in September to 2.3 percent in October, and then to 2.