World Briefs

CHINA A UniCredit SpA employee allegedly siphoned off about 100 million yuan of clients’ money over three years by taking advantage of shared passwords and other internal security loopholes.

WHAT BREXIT? Chinese applications for British Tier 1 investor visas rose 19 percent to 144 in 2018 from a year earlier, according to data obtained from the Home Office. The number applying has almost doubled since 2016, when the U.K. voted to leave the European Union.

NEW ZEALAND’s Privacy Commissioner John Edwards (pictured) described Facebook as “morally bankrupt” and suggested his country follow neighboring Australia’s lead by making laws that could jail executives over streamed violence such as the Christchurch mosque shootings. 

AFGHANISTAN A top Afghan official says he supports U.S. efforts to pursue a cease-fire with the Taliban, who effectively control half of Afghanistan and refuse to negotiate with his government. Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah (pictured) shares power with President Ashraf Ghani in a U.S.-brokered unity government.

BRAZIL The administration of President Bolsonaro (pictured) is considering a dramatic change in the council that oversees the country’s environmental policy, replacing a broad-based panel of independent voices with a small group of political appointees, according to documents obtained by AP.

EU Euroskeptic populist parties, led by Italy’s hardline interior minister, Matteo Salvini (third), formed a new and expanded right-wing alliance that aims to become the strongest faction in the European Parliament and seeks to radically transform EU policies on migration, security, family and environment.

SUDAN Security forces attempted to break up an anti-government sit-in outside the military headquarters in Khartoum, setting off clashes in which a soldier was killed while trying to protect protesters, activists said. Thousands also rallied in front of the compound in Khartoum over the weekend.