Predictions for 2018

Blogposts concerning prediction for 2017 and 2016 tend to illustrate that predicting the future is far from straightforward. Nonetheless my predictions for next year are:

British newspapers: Hopefully none will go under or even follow the Indy into online readership only. The Telegraph may be sold however  as the Barclay brothers could follow the partial lead set by Ruport Murdoch (The Times is still owned by Murdoch) and seek to  divest themselves of  the business of publishing.

ISIS: Their thuggery will continue especially hitting women and the vulnerable.

Roman Catholicism: The steps being taken by Pope Francis to liberalise the Church  will continue from Rome. However as an ongoing English employment dispute by a married CoE vicar who is separating from his wife, illustrates, the main if not only, reason for the Catholic Church not encouraging priests to be married is the cost of maintaining their families following the sadness of marriage break up.

Stock markets: After the records set in the LSE and other stock exchanges during 2017, I doubt that in the UK at least, 2018 will be another record year for shares. However Bitcoin companies may in 2018 prove to be more than the puff of hot air that many  in 2017 have described them to be. 

The EU: Will continue to fail to have a coherent, humane policy for responding to and dealing with migration across the Mediterranean Sea beyond paying Turkey huge sums to deal with most of the problem. There will be a Euro crisis and arguments will run and run as to the ability of individual nations to conduct their own affairs free from political interference by or through the EU's unrepresentative and non-elected president.

Transport: Consent will be given for the construction of Heathrow's 3rd runway;  sales of motor vehicles for private ownership will fall except for electric cars where sales will rise; following the successful completion of Crossrail 1, the go ahead for the construction of Crossrail 2 will be given.

President Trump will create  a crisis for the US$ through his over enthusiastic tax reforms. However he will not create a dsastrous crisis as regards North Korea.

China will retrench its economic growth.

Russia will hold a successful football World Cup and will begin to reform its athletes'  currently dreadful attitudes towards artificially improving performance by drug taking.

Brexit talks will be successful  contrary to the predictions of many in 2017.

Happy New Year to all who chance upon this blog.