| Russian President Vladimir Putin has “really let me down,” Trump said yesterday, while insisting that allies must stop purchasing oil from Russia if they want the US to further intervene and pressure the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine. The European Union is meanwhile planning measures to accelerate the bloc’s phaseout of Russian liquefied natural gas by a year, sources say. With golden carriages, military splendor and an opulent banquet, the UK’s royal gambit paid off this week, as Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer concluded an historic state visit by hailing the trans-Atlantic relationship and — at least publicly — smoothing over policy differences. To be sure, there was little sign of significant shifts in Trump’s stances on issues including trade and Ukraine, but the leaders stressed their common ground along with big-ticket investments in tech and energy, while skirting over the areas where they diverged.  Photographer: Chris Jackson/Getty Images China slammed the US for blocking a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, signaling Beijing’s frustration with the system just as it seeks to reshape global governance. Washington said the resolution, backed by all the 14 other Security Council members, failed to adequately condemn Hamas. Meanwhile, with the war intensifying, Israel’s economy and businesses are bracing for further strain. French unions led widespread anti-austerity protests yesterday, raising the pressure on newly appointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu as he struggles to find allies to piece together a budget. The latest official gauge of business sentiment published today remained stable at a low level, with French firms and households facing heightened uncertainty over taxation and spending after the second government collapse in a year this month.  WATCH: Paris Bureau Chief Alan Katz discusses the French protests on Bloomberg TV. Trump said US broadcast networks should face scrutiny over their licenses if they’re too critical of him, in what amounts to his furthest-reaching threat to media freedoms. Presidents have long had adversarial relationships with the press — but no American head of state has taken the war on media to the extremes that Trump has. One of the leading candidates to become the next head of Japan’s ruling party, Sanae Takaichi, said today she would roll out tax benefits and make cash payouts to households if she wins the party’s Oct. 4 leadership election.  Takaichi in Tokyo today. Photographer: Richard A. Brooks/AFP/Getty Images The reformist party that won Thailand’s most-recent election is seeking a comeback by targeting populist and conservative strongholds ahead of an expected vote, even as its pact to back rival Anutin Charnvirakul for prime minister risks eroding support. For the first time since at least the 1990s, China hasn’t bought any US soybeans at the start of the export season, a sign that Beijing is once again using agriculture as leverage in its trade fight with Washington. South Africa expressed cautious optimism over progress in trade talks with the US, a month after Trump slapped the nation with 30% tariffs on its exports. Don’t miss from Bloomberg Weekend: Historian Jung Chang tells Mishal Husain about the follow-up to her book Wild Swans and her frustrations with modern China. Derek Li, founder of Chinese ed-tech company Squirrel Ai Learning, outlines his belief that adaptive software powered by artificial intelligence is the future of education, and Dexter Fergie asks whether World War II really ended in September 1945. Subscribe to the Bloomberg Weekend newsletter here. | 
