Russia has started talking about the devastating winter ahead for Ukraine. Its armed forces are striking Ukrainian cities and infrastructure. But Vladimir Putin has been unable to defeat Ukraine on the battlefield. The fighting is unlikely to stop soon; by next summer it will have lasted longer than the first world war. In The World Ahead 2026 our deputy editor looks at
what Mr Putin’s merciless regime may do next.
And the price of gold has soared over the past year to record levels. Bullish investors will tell you that the gold rush is justified. But our article finds the most likely explanation is speculators pushing the price higher. Perhaps soon,
gold will lose its shine.
