The Bank of England (BoE) held its benchmark interest rate steady on Thursday but signaled a more hawkish stance as rising energy prices linked to the Middle East conflict threaten to push inflation higher. The nine-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) voted unanimously to keep rates unchanged at 3.75%, marking its first unanimous decision in over four years. The outcome came despite expectations among economists of a split vote, underscoring the heightened uncertainty facing policymakers. The central bank indicated a clear shift in tone, warning that the inflation outlook has worsened due to geopolitical ... (full story)