TWENTY-TWENTY has a landmark ring to it. The start of a new decade prompts bigger-than-usual thoughts about the future. For the first time in 60 years the new decade coincides with a year of the rat, the start of the 12-year cycle in the ­Chinese zodiac. And, as the predictions in this volume describe, 2020 itself will not be short of drama. A dozen highlights give a sense of what lies ahead. 

1. It’s judgment time. That is doubly true for President Donald Trump: first in Congress with the Democrats’ drive to remove him from office (the Republican-controlled Senate will save him), then in a febrile election in November. It will be ugly; the artificial intelligence we consulted reckons Mr Trump will lose. Britain’s reckoning with Brexit will leave the country divided, damaged and diminished.

2. Economies wrestle with negativity. Banks, especially in Europe, will battle with negative interest rates. America will flirt with recession—but don’t be surprised if disaster fails to strike, and markets revive.