Toba

US President Donald Trump has launched a website honouring Christopher Columbus as 'the quintessential American hero', held a ceremony reviving his legacy with the ambassadors of Italy and Spain, and is preparing a four-metre Columbus monument at the White House. The moves are widely read as an appeal to Italian-American voters and a defence of Columbus Day against critics who view the figure controversially.

China has agreed to reduce its exports of hybrid vehicles to the European Union, with both sides announcing a compromise. The deal comes as Chinese competition has put German carmakers under particular pressure. Brussels had been pushing Beijing to sell fewer hybrid cars in Europe, and the agreement is being reported by German media as a significant step in trade tensions between the two sides.

South Australia is planning a crackdown that could see landlords jailed if tenants on their properties sell illicit tobacco. Under the proposed laws, property owners would be held more accountable for illegal tobacco sales occurring in businesses they lease, and existing fines and prison sentences for illicit tobacco offences would be significantly increased.

Police and Tobacco Licensing Victoria have raided and shut down four stores in regional Victoria suspected of selling illicit tobacco, the first closures under the state's new enforcement powers. The move marks the beginning of a tougher crackdown on the illegal tobacco trade, which has been linked to organised crime and a string of fires at tobacco shops across Melbourne and country Victoria.

A Star Tribune opinion piece argues that raising tobacco prices in St. Paul would backfire, simply driving smokers to buy cigarettes in neighboring cities or across the border in Wisconsin. The piece questions the effectiveness of locally imposed tobacco taxes, warning that border shopping undermines both revenue and any public health benefits the city hopes to gain.

Manitoba has introduced new fees for the renewal of safety fitness certificates required by motor carriers operating in the province. The change affects trucking and bus companies, which must hold the certificates to operate commercially. Industry publication Truck News reported the update, which carriers will need to factor into their operating and licensing costs.

Manitoba will introduce new rules next year governing e-scooters and other personal electric vehicles, including minimum age requirements and speed limits for riders using public roads. The province is moving to formalize how these increasingly popular devices can be used alongside regular traffic, with details on the exact age thresholds and speed caps drawing attention as implementation approaches.

Los Angeles has made it a crime for cannabis and tobacco retailers to sell nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas. The measure targets shops that have widely sold small canisters of the gas, which is increasingly misused recreationally and linked to health risks. The move reflects growing local efforts to restrict access to products sold alongside marijuana and tobacco.

Manitoba is taking a fresh look at safety rules for cannabis retail stores, according to a weekly cannabis industry roundup covering October 5-11, 2026. The review comes as provincial regulators continue weighing how storefronts handle security, staff protection and compliance. Industry observers say retail safety standards could be adjusted, with retailers watching closely for changes that would affect day-to-day store operations across the province.