Live updates: Early midterm voting gets underway

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde suggested she might leave her position before her term officially ends in October 2027. • Lagarde replied "we'll see" when asked by Irish national broadcaster RTE if she would remain in the post until the end of her term.

• State Street identified a unique opportunity for Saudi Arabia to build modern digital financial infrastructure as digital assets move toward institutional use. • The shift is driven by the growth of digital money solutions and increasing institutional interest in asset tokenization, which is the process of converting rights to an asset into a digital token.

• 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.

• Crude oil prices exceeding $100 per barrel are creating a simultaneous price and supply shock across Asia. • Middle East output is falling, leading analysts to warn of lasting demand destruction as fuel demand drops and inflation rises.

• The global market for laminated polypropylene FIBCs, which are large industrial bags, is projected to grow through 2035. • The market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 4.5%.