Guess Who Shows Up at the Oscars, and Other Predictions for the New Year

Last year in this space we made some zany predictions. For one, that the shoe-in presidential nominees, Presidents Biden and Trump, would not make it to November. We were also half-right by going out on a limb that coaches Brian Daboll and Robert Saleh would be fired by the New York Giants and Jets, respectively. We predicted Israel’s Lebanon incursion. Most of everything else was too preposterous to be called prescient. So on to next year:Aging Dictators:Following the demise of Ayatollah Khamenei, 85, Iran will erupt in a year-long civil war. Secularists will overthrow the supreme leader’s son, Mojtaba, who will attempt to inherit the top position. Meanwhile, Israel and America will use the mayhem to end the nuclear threat. President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority, 89, will also leave the scene. A bitter war among West Bank factions, which is already heating up, will follow and present a growing challenge to Israel’s security, overshadowing the war on remaining Gaza combatants. Slightly Younger Dictators:President Putin, 72, will succumb to President Trump’s tough conditions for ending the war in Ukraine. A Kremlin coup attempt will fail, but will weaken the strongman of Moscow, whose age will become visible, ending his days of shirtless horseback riding. President Xi, 71, will consolidate his power as he intensifies Communist China’s land grabs in the Pacific. By the end of the year, though, a major economic slowdown will weaken the party chairman. He will be gone before 2027, his hoped-for date for usurping Free China. Politics:President Trump will keep supporting Speaker Johnson even as attempts to unseat the House leader persist. Republican infighting will nevertheless slow the president’s swamp-draining. X’s Elon Musk will tire of Washington and concentrate his efforts on settling Mars. Trump will fire DOGE’s Vivek Ramaswamy. After the Senate rejects the candidacy of Tulsi Gabbard, Trump will name Nikki Haley as his intelligence chief. North America:Congress will enact the first immigration overhaul laws in decades. The Canadian Conservative party leader, Pierre Poilievre, will bring down Prime Minister Trudeau’s government and win a snap election. President Sheinbaum of Mexico will make a secret pact with President Trump, for the first time authorizing using GIs to combat the cartels on Mexican soil. Ms. Sheinbaum’s mishandling of the economy, though, will eventually resurrect the cartels. Mideast:Syria’s erstwhile al Qaeda stalwart, Ahmed a-Sahara, will call on Saudi Arabia to help him fend off jihadists demanding strict Sharia law. In a surprise move, President Trump will offer America’s financial support, as long as Damascus formalizes relations with Israel. Backing the move, Riyadh will also sign a peace with Jeruslaem. Israel:All 100 hostages will be freed early in the year. The internal security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, will resign from the government. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s ruling coalition will initially survive a Knesset no-confidence vote. Its collapse late in the year, though, will force an election in early 2026 that will end Mr. Netanayahu’s political career without the Nobel Prize in Peace that he deserves. United Nations:As a race intensifies to succeed Secretary-General Guterres in 2026, all eyes are on Latin America, whose “turn” it is. Candidates from mid- to small-size countries that are seen as peaceful — and, more importantly, are no threat to the top powers — are preferred. A woman will be favored, so the next leader of the aging institution will be Costa Rica’s former vice president, Rebecca Grynspan. The Movies:“A Complete Unknown” will sweep the Oscars. Bob Dylan himself, after predictions that he will skip the event, is seated, with Joan Baez, between Timothée Chalamet and Monica Barbaro.Sports:The Chiefs will win the Super Bowl. The Dodgers will repeat a World Series win. The Knicks will make the NBA finals for the first time in decades. The Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark will re-up as top WNBA star. A Saudi-bred 3-year-old will win the Kentucky Derby but fail to capture a Triple Crown. Television:Protesters will besiege Apple’s headquarters after its streamer, Apple+, announces a release date for the third season of Kan’s spy thriller “Tehran.”As always, if even one of these 2025 predictions does come true, please credit the author for his exceptional far-sightedness. Otherwise, please delete this piece from your browser’s viewing history.

Guess Who Shows Up at the Oscars, and Other Predictions for the New Year

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