The Bank of England held its main interest rate at 4% on Thursday as U.K. inflation concerns weigh on policymakers.

U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer formally signed a tech partnership Thursday to strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and nuclear energy.

"It is the biggest investment package of its kind in British history," Starmer said at his country residence Chequers during Trump's UK state visit, calling the agreement "groundbreaking."

Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years, saying that the independence it once had to speak up on social issues has been stifled by its parent company Unilever.

In a letter, which co-founder Ben Cohen posted on social media on Greenfield's behalf, Greenfield said he could not "in good conscience" remain at Ben & Jerry's — citing a loss of independence to Unilever, which he said had once agreed to give Ben & Jerry's autonomy around its social mission when it acquired the brand more than two decades ago.

European officials told Iran on Wednesday it had yet to take the actions needed to stop the return of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear program, warning time was running out.

Japan's exports to the United States plummeted 13.8% in August compared to the same month the previous year, marking the fifth straight month of declines, as auto exports were hit by President Donald Trump's tariffs.

Inflation in the U.K. held steady at 3.8% in the year to August, official figures showed Wednesday, a day before the Bank of England is widely expected to keep interest rates on hold.

Wall Street is stuck on pause Wednesday as it waits to hear from the Federal Reserve in the afternoon, when it's expected to deliver the first cut to interest rates of the year.

Canada's central bank cut its key lending rate to 2.5 percent on Wednesday, offering a boost to borrowers in an economy squeezed by US President Donald Trump's trade war.

A ballooning deficit. A fractious Parliament. Unrest on the streets. The challenges facing Sébastien Lecornu, France's fourth prime minister in a year, are daunting and defeated his immediate predecessors.

So he's trying a different tack. To ease tensions, Lecornu has scrapped proposals to axe two public holidays and trimmed lifetime benefits for former government ministers. A loyal ally to unpopular centrist President Emmanuel Macron, he began meeting with opposition leaders and trade unions this week.

The EU on Wednesday proposed curbing trade ties with Israel and sanctioning ministers in its strongest action over the war in Gaza, but the measures will struggle to be adopted due to reluctance from key member states.

"I want to be very clear, the aim is not to punish Israel. The aim is to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.