China’s ruling communist party has issued a notice ordering police to be sent into all Chinese schools as vice principals for “security reasons.” Experts have criticized the move as an excuse for the regime to further tighten its control over Chinese society, which is arguably already a police state. Major Chinese news portal NetEase reported…

SAN FRANCISCO—Chipmaker Micron Technology Inc. on Thursday announced it was experimenting with a new pricing model for its chips called forward pricing agreements that would aim to stabilize the steep price fluctuations that plague the industry. “I’m super excited to announce that a top 10 customer has already signed up on this model with us,…

LONDON—A digital pound used by consumers could harm financial stability, raise the cost of credit and erode privacy, though a version for wholesale use in the financial sector demands greater appraisal, British lawmakers said on Thursday. Britain’s central bank and finance ministry said in November they would hold a consultation this year on whether to…

TOKYO–Japan’s Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki stressed on Friday the need for currency stability and said he was watching market moves “carefully,” in the wake of the yen’s recent declines against the dollar. Domestic media and some market participants have warned of the potential demerits of a weak yen, which pushes up import prices and households’…

LONDON—The advent of digital currencies in emerging markets could spark “cryptoization” of local economies, potentially undermining exchange and capital controls and upsetting financial stability, the International Monetary Fund said on Friday. Bitcoin and its kin have in the last year soared in price and popularity, with emerging and developing market economies such as Vietnam, India,…

Chinese authorities are ramping up security measures around the country, especially in the capital city of Beijing, ahead of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) centennial celebration on July 1. One Chinese citizen said China has been turned into a “prison.” The 100th anniversary of the founding of the CCP will be a grand occasion and Chinese…

Jordan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi said on Sunday that King Abdullah’s half-brother and former crown prince, Prince Hamza, liaised with foreign parties over a plot to destabilize the country and had been under investigation for some time. On Saturday, the military said it had issued a warning to the prince over actions targeting “security…

Commentary Planet Earth, for worse and occasionally better, is a world of neighborhood existence—many neighborhoods at peace, many (most?) neighborhoods uneasy and facing tenuous circumstances, too many neighborhoods experiencing outright anarchy and war. Blame the level of perception, of easy aggregation, for missing this truth. I’ll illustrate with an anecdote. Six years ago, an obstreperous…