The new year is going to start with a Wednesday, then a Thursday, then a Friday, which some on social media joked means 2025 is kicking off with a 'WTF.' Many people pointed out that 2020 also started with a 'WTF' - an acronym for 'what the f**k' - and suggested this is a bad omen. Even though this is clearly a light-hearted joke, there are plenty of indications that 2025 may be a tumultuous year. Perhaps most alarming is the recent escalations in the Russia-Ukraine war. Another hotbed is in the Middle East, where dozens of armed conflicts threaten to plunge the world into a wider war. Economic uncertainty is brewing around the world thanks to President-elect Donald Trump's wide-ranging tariff plans. As artificial intelligence become more powerful by the day, experts increasingly believe it will upend the entire labor market and make many jobs completely obsolete.