The world of cryptofinance can be difficult to penetrate – and not without good reason. In the decade since bitcoin first became a tradable asset, complex and largely unregulated digital currency markets have boomed – fuelled latterly by a surge of activity from amateur home traders during the pandemic. But now, against a backdrop of more conventional global economic strife including the Ukraine war, rising inflation and higher borrowing costs, the digital finance sector is crashing.
Could a bursting crypto bubble trigger serious problems elsewhere in the financial markets or the world economy? Alex Hern and Dan Milmo go behind the crypto crash, and ask how concerned we should all be.
New testimony about Donald Trump’s alleged behaviour in the final moments before the January 6 Capitol riot shocked America last week, including many within the Republican party. David Smith and Martin Pengelly explore the likelihood of the former president facing indictment – and why the big winner from the committee hearings could be the Florida governor, Ron DeSantis.
In the UK, the resignations of the chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid have put prime minister Boris Johnson under intense pressure. The news came too late for this week’s edition, but we’ll have full coverage of the crisis next week – and in the meantime you can catch up with the latest events here.
Some of the most memorable photographs ever taken have depicted people standing bravely in the face of authority. As global rights to protest come under increasing pressure, we look at some of the pictures from the past century that have changed societies and the way we look at the world, along with the incredible stories of the people who featured in them.
The Regency era of British history officially lasted for only nine years – but its impact on film, television, literature and stage has been phenomenal. Charlotte Higgins asks why the period still dominates our modern-day cultural imaginations.
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