Factbox-From Australia to Europe, countries move to curb children's social media access

• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the creation of the "Carpathian Eight" (C8), a new international group comprising Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary. • The head of the Budget Committee of the Parliament of Pidlas reported that 39 billion UAH in costs, including winter energy preparations for September through November, were postponed.

• The United Kingdom government announced sanctions connected to West Bank settlements on Sept. 9. • Prime Minister Andy Burnham took office in July to lead the current administration.

• KfW Research found that geopolitical tensions are increasingly weighing on German foreign trade, with exports being particularly exposed. • The analysis shows that the link between geopolitical alignment and trade flows has become considerably more pronounced since 2016.

• A new study found that approximately 10% of Americans will vote in a different congressional district before the upcoming midterm elections. • Election administrators must now revise ballot combinations, polling arrangements, and voter information on compressed schedules to accommodate these map changes.

• India is facing a policy dilemma following a new US sanctions bill targeting Russia that threatens its oil import strategy. • Potential US tariffs on Indian exports could disrupt bilateral trade relations if New Delhi continues purchasing Russian energy.

• Former President Trump attempted to restrict mail-in voting processes leading up to the midterm elections. • State election officials in Alabama, North Carolina, and Wisconsin had already begun mailing ballots before the Supreme Court ruled on the plan.

• Early midterm voting began on September 18, 2026, as voters started casting ballots ahead of the general election. • The Postal Service chief announced that work has stopped on a computer system intended to support Donald Trump's efforts to limit mail-in voting.

• Oil prices fell 2% on Friday, marking the third consecutive session of losses as fears over Saudi supply disruptions eased. • Brent crude futures dropped by $2.14 to reach $102.68 a barrel by 0806 GMT.

• Gold prices rose for a second straight session on Friday to reach a one-week high. • Spot gold increased 1.1% to $4,387.69 per ounce by 0829 GMT, while US gold futures rose 0.6% to $4,428.

• The European Union is developing new laws to restrict how social media platforms interact with children to protect their physical and mental wellbeing. • The proposed regulations would ban addictive platform features and disable push notifications during the hours children are sleeping.

• Germany, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, and Austria called for a smaller European Union budget for 2028-2034 on Friday. • These five nations stated the final budget must be several hundred billion euros less than the €2 trillion proposed by the European Commission.