 Sri Lanka has been removed from the “Grey List” of the international terror financing watchdog FATF. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), whose five-day plenary concluded in Paris, France stated that Sri Lanka made significant progress in addressing the strategic AML/CFT deficiencies identified earlier. In October 2016, the FATF announced that Sri Lanka will be subjected to a review of the International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) of the terror financing watchdog to assess the progress of AML/CFT effectiveness in the country. |
| Source- The Hindu Business Line |
 Nasa astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir have made history by completing the first-ever all-female spacewalk. They spent 7 hours outside the International Space Station (ISS) replacing a failed power control unit. Ms Koch had already carried out four spacewalks but it was the first such mission for Ms Meir, who became the 15th woman to walk in space. |
| Source: The BBC |
 The United Nation General Assembly has elected 14 States to the 47 member body of UN Human Rights Council(UNHRC). The UNHRC is responsible for promoting and protecting all human rights around the globe. The Assembly elected Armenia, Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Libya, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Namibia, Netherlands, Poland, Republic of Korea, Sudan and Venezuela. All 14 members will serve three-year terms beginning on 1 January 2020. The newly-elected States are replacing the following outgoing members: China, Croatia, Cuba, Egypt, Hungary, Iceland, Iraq, Japan, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Tunisia and the United Kingdom. The 14 new members were elected according to the following pattern: 4 seats for the African States; 4 seats for the Asia-Pacific States; 2 seats for the Eastern European States; 2 seats for Latin American and Caribbean States; and 2 seats for Western European and other States. |
| Source: The United Nations |
 Italy approved a new tax on digital companies, including U.S. tech giants, as part of its 2020 draft budget on October 16. The levy, due to be introduced from next year, will oblige companies such as Facebook, Google and Amazon, to pay a 3% levy on internet transactions, according to a text of the draft budget. The Italian scheme is expected to yield about 600 million euros ($662 million) a year. |
| Source: The Hindu |
 UAE announced the establishment of the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence( MBZUAI) in Abu Dhabi. This is the first graduate-level, research-based AI university in the world. MBZUAI will enable graduate students, businesses and governments to advance the artificial intelligence field. MBZUAI will introduce a new model of academia and research to the field of AI, providing students and faculty access to some of the world’s most advanced AI systems to unleash its potential for economic and societal development. The University is named after Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, who has long advocated for the UAE’s development of human capital through knowledge and scientific thinking to take the nation into the future. |
| Source: The News on AIR |
 India handed over the second pair of Mi-24V helicopters to war-torn Afghanistan, boosting the capability of the Afghan Air forces. The helicopters were officially handed over by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kumar to Afghanistan’s acting Defence Minister Asadullah Khalid at a ceremony held in the military airport, Kabul. These helicopters are a replacement for the four attack helicopters previously gifted by India to Afghanistan in 2015 and 2016. The combat performance and offensive firepower that the helicopters provide will increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the Afghan Air Force (AAF) in ensuring that the ANDSF maintain an agile and robust Counter-Terrorism capability. |
| Source: The Economics Times |
 Kais Saied is elected as the new President of Tunisia after a landslide victory in recently concluded Presidential runoff. The Independent law professor Kais Saied won against his rival, Nabil Karoui. He won Tunisia’s presidential election with 73% of votes. The elections followed the death of President Beji Caid Essebsi in July 2019. |
| Source: The BBC |
 Typhoon Hagibis strikes Tokyo, capital of Japan after fierce rain and wind paralysed the capital. The cyclone Hagibis which caused floods, landslides and emergency disaster warnings, could be the strongest to hit Tokyo since 1958. Authorities issued evacuation advisories and orders for more than 6 million people across the country as the storm unleashed the heaviest rain and winds in years. Train operators has suspended bullet train services extensively. |
| Source: The Hindu |
 Antonio Costa has been re-elected as the Prime Minister of Portugal after winning the general elections. Antonio Costa, the Socialist leader and incumbent prime minister, got the most votes in Portugal’s general election, leaving it poised to continue leading the government for another four years. |
| Source: The Hindu |
 The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has named Mexican actress Yalitza Aparicio as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Indigenous Peoples. Yalitza Aparicio is committed to the fight against racism and for the rights of women and indigenous peoples. She was chosen to play in Alfonso Cuarón’s film Roma while studying to be a teacher. She is the first indigenous Mexican woman to be so recognized by the US Academy Awards. TIME magazine (USA) listed her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2019. |
| Source: The UNESCO |
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