Sep 29, 2026, 09:00 AM UTC

Moldova's Parliament has approved the first reading of a bill tightening tobacco controls, introducing updated health warnings and stricter reporting requirements for manufacturers of traditional and electronic cigarettes. Concurrently, tobacco giant Philip Morris faces scrutiny over its launch of nicotine pouches ahead of an impending statutory ban, leveraging legal ambiguities to prolong market presence.

In the fiscal arena, the non-alcoholic beverage industry has petitioned authorities to cancel a planned 2027 excise tax of 1.60 lei per liter on sweetened and energy drinks, citing potential price increases of up to 34 percent and job losses.

Separately, a Ministry of Health audit exposed systemic deficiencies at the Medicines and Medical Devices Agency, including over 1,200 unprocessed files and security flaws in state registries.

Sources: Moldova1, Newsmaker, Point, Ziarul de Gardă.

Malaysia has initiated the return of roughly 5,000 Myanmar nationals, marking the first phase of a coordinated repatriation plan. The operation commenced on Tuesday, with nearly 1,500 individuals scheduled to depart on three Myanmar navy vessels.

The arrangement follows an agreement between Malaysian officials and Myanmar military leader Min Aung Hlaing. Human rights organizations have strongly condemned the deportations, warning that returnees face severe dangers upon arrival, including forced military conscription, targeted persecution, and ongoing conflict. Millions of civilians remain displaced across Myanmar as fighting continues to destabilize the nation.

Sources: BBC News, Bloomberg.

Burkina Faso has inaugurated its first national gold refinery in a bid to process its precious metals locally and retain greater economic value within the country. Junta leader Ibrahim Traoré announced the facility's launch, framing it as a strategic initiative to reduce reliance on foreign processing facilities and establish tighter state control over the mining sector.

Gold is one of Burkina Faso's primary economic exports, but raw minerals have historically been shipped abroad for processing. The military-led administration aims to transform this arrangement by processing domestic gold production internally. Traoré highlighted the government's intention to eventually refine all metals produced within the nation's borders, signalling a policy shift toward economic self-reliance in the mining industry.

Sources: BBC News

Global equities dropped to a one-week low as escalating crude oil prices and expectations of further interest-rate hikes by the Federal Reserve rattled financial markets. The shift in investor sentiment drove United States Treasury yields to multi-year highs, creating headwinds for international stock indices ahead of European trading.

Concurrently, energy market anxieties were heightened by reports that Iranian officials privately expressed pessimism regarding the likelihood of reaching an agreement with the United States administration before the upcoming US midterm elections. The combination of anticipated monetary tightening and geopolitical uncertainties surrounding Middle Eastern oil policy continues to exert pressure on global financial markets.

Sources: Bloomberg.

China has launched a program providing low-cost funding to state-affiliated local firms to help them settle outstanding debts, according to people familiar with the matter. The initiative aims to repair corporate balance sheets and eliminate significant hurdles to investment across the country.

By targeting unpaid bills accumulated by local government-affiliated entities, Beijing seeks to improve cash flow for contractors and suppliers affected by delayed payments. The targeted financing mechanism reflects broader efforts by Chinese authorities to stabilize the domestic economy and restore liquidity among commercial enterprises facing financial strains.

Sources: Bloomberg