Category: North America

Regulatory Watch News

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  Update to UK Sanctions List: ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda Regime

  UK Government

  October 16, 2026

  Today, Friday 16 October, the UK Government has amended 2 individuals and 1 entity sanctioned under the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda Sanctions Regime. This reflects amendments made on 15 October by the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee pursuant to Resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015). Amended Individuals:

  Name	UN ID:	Unique ID:
  Mounir EL MOTOSSADEQ	QDi.082	AQD0254
  Noor Wali MEHSUD	QDi.427	AQD0362

    Amended Entity:

  Name:	UN ID:	Unique ID:
  TEHRIK-E TALIBAN PAKISTAN	QDe.132	AQD0079

   

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  HKMA announces “ART” Framework to promote responsible A.I. adoption

  HKMA

  October 16, 2026

  The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today the “ART” Framework to support the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence (A.I.) in the banking sector, fostering an A.I.-enabled banking ecosystem with Accountability, Resilience, and Trust. A.I. systems are becoming more autonomous, with greater access to data, tools and workflows.  With the aim of supporting banks in seizing the opportunities presented by A.I. while maintaining robust governance and operational resilience, key initiatives under the “ART” Framework include:

  • Issued the latest Supervisory Guidance for Responsible Adoption of Artificial Intelligence, drawing on insights from the second cohort of the Generative A.I. (GenA.I.) Sandbox¹;
  • An A.I. training data sharing platform in collaboration with Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited (Cyberport) and the University of Hong Kong, with data quality assurance as a core design principle; and
  • Further testing of agentic A.I. applications through the GenA.I. Sandbox++² and an upcoming discussion paper on a proposed supervisory framework for agentic A.I. governance, exploring intent-anchored accountability, a registry of material A.I. agents, and effective intervention mechanisms.

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  Global drug plot foiled in joint investigation between AFP and Chilean police

  Australia Federal Police

  October 16, 2026

    A joint investigation by the AFP and Chilean authorities has led to the arrest of four people for their alleged roles in a failed plot to import 23kg of cocaine into Australia. Inquiries by the Policia de Investigaciones de Chile (PDI) uncovered alleged plans by an organised crime network to import cocaine into Australia via a commercial aircraft. The PDI seized the cocaine, which has an estimated Australian street value of $17 million, and shared intelligence with AFP investigators.