OTTAWA—Canada’s annual inflation rate accelerated again in December, hitting a 30-year high, data showed on Wednesday, bolstering expectations the central bank could start hiking interest rates as early as next week. Inflation rose to 4.8 percent, in line with expectations and up from 4.7 percent in November, Statistics Canada said. It was the ninth consecutive month in which headline inflation topped the Bank of Canada’s 1–3 percent control range. Core inflation measures all rose, with the closely watched CPI common measure hitting a nearshopper 10-year high at 2.1 percent. That could add fuel to bets the central bank will start hiking interest rates next week, despite uncertainty around the impact of the Omicron coronavirus variant. “We have core inflation getting to the upper end of the (Bank of Canada) target range and I think that’s going to spook them,” said Derek Holt, vice president of capital market economics at Scotiabank. …