Russia is not having a great start to 2016 with tumbling oil prices creating an economic crisis. Plus Putin being ‘probably’ held responsible for Livtinenko’s death and the US treasury now calling him corrupt.

The Russia 8 Nov 1917 2.12am chart, does look lacklustre through most of the year with tr Neptune square the 10^th house Jupiter and tr Saturn back for a final opposition to Jupiter in August. So panicky, uncertain, financial enthusiasm damped sharply.  Solar Arc Mars is also catching the tr Saturn square tr Neptune hard aspects which is also not progressive.

The Russia 8 December 1991 7.45pm chart (astrodienst) is, if anything, more stark with tr Pluto in a devastating, confused tr Pluto conjunct Neptune and Moon till early this December. Plus a road-block Solar Arc Pluto conjunct Sun, exact in four months but having a major effect now. Tr Saturn is also conjunct the Sagittarius Sun Mercury and square Jupiter across till late this year which again is a financial downer.

The Bank of Russia chart, 13 July 1990, has tr Uranus square the Sun Jupiter opposition Saturn this year from April onwards which looks upsetting and high-tension, with only a few glimmerings of relief. Tr Uranus is exactly opposition the Sun/Neptune midpoint now which is nervy and indecisive; followed within days by tr Pluto square the same midpoint which is chaotic, disappointing, prone to scandal. Then tr Pluto will conjunct the Saturn/Neptune midpoint from March onwards till late 2018 which is painful torment, very discouraging and not pro-active.

Footballer Wayne Rooney, who plays for Man United and captains the England team, and stars in celebrity gossip columns, has become a father for the third time with his wife Colleen.

Depressingly enough they are following in the Kardhashian footsteps with Kit now joining Klay and Kai – all boys. There’s no birth time for Kit but he was born 24 January in Liverpool, sometime during the day before 8pm.

He’s rather like first born Kai in aspects, in that he’s an Aquarius Sun opposition a Leo Moon square Mars in Scorpio. Kai, 2 Nov 2009 1.45pm, is a Sun Mercury in Scorpio opposition a Taurus Moon square Mars in Leo. So both will experience their parents as argumentative and very different personality types.

This one could be quite a go-er with a Fire Grand Trine of Saturn in Sagittarius trine Uranus in Aries trine a Leo Moon, focussed widely onto the Sun – so a powerful personality, entrepreneurial, bubbling over with self-esteem and inspiration. He has a confident Pluto trine Jupiter as well as that steamroller ultra-determined Mars in Scorpio.

It’s not going to be a peaceful family, that’s for sure since Pa has a Sun Pluto in Scorpio square Jupiter which will clash with No 3’s mighty Mars.

The middle son, Klay, is the odd one out being a Gemini Sun square Neptune. Though he’s got a controlling and private Moon opposition Uranus square Pluto.

The emotional storms in that family must be something to behold – from a distance.

Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire, former Mayor of New York, is considering whether to run as an independent for the US Presidential election. An independent candidate has never won but his reasoning appears to be if it turned out to be Bernie Sanders versus Trump or Cruz he might have a chance.

Born 14 Feb 1942 3.40pm Brighton, Massachusetts, he has an 8^th house New Moon in Aquarius square a 10^th house Mars Saturn Uranus in Taurus. With Mercury and Venus also in Aquarius with Venus opposition Pluto in Leo. So tremendously Fixed. He did run New York for three consecutive terms on a bi-partisan basis, so has more experience certainly than Trump.

He’s got a lift from tr Uranus conjunct his Sun/Jupiter midpoint late Feb through March, which is when he is expected to make his decision. But that then disappears and he’s got the tr Neptune square tr Saturn hitting his Jupiter at 11 degrees Gemini from mid April through till September which will dampen his enthusiasm.

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There are rumblings of trouble in the BBC Top Gear camp as it attempts a rebirth with Chris Evans at the steering wheel. Various executives have left and there must be considerable worry over what was a top money spinner when Jeremy Clarkson and co were running it.

Chris Evans, 1 April 1966, has an ominous tr Pluto square his Mars in Aries from late March, on and off for two years thereafter. That is frustratingly blocked, trapped, bad-tempered and not helpful. Even before then tr Uranus makes a final conjunction to Mars from the final few days of this month till late February which could see crockery flying. Uranus Mars is insecure, leads to outbursts and bad decisions.

The BBC, 14 Nov 1922 6pm London, is generally having a discouragingly stuck year with the leaked Jimmy Savile report out slating the BBC culture for allowing his abusive behaviour to continue unchecked. A crashed Top Gear would not add to their joys. Solar Arc Pluto is conjunct their Saturn now as well as tr Pluto square Saturn, both of which are bleak, stuck and can suggest financial hardship. That won’t shift till 2017 by which time the undermining Solar Arc Neptune will conjunct the BBC Scorpio Sun. 2018 looks more of a revival but it’ll be a tough time ahead.

This year there’s also a panicky and erratic tr Saturn square tr Neptune bouncing off the BBC 10^th house Uranus in Pisces – so nothing going to plan.

Chris Evans’ relationship with the BBC looks beleaguered with intense and highly emotional discussions ongoing at the moment and that influence returns on and off till late 2017

Jeremy Clarkson, 11 April 1960, who moved his team over to Amazon for a new petrolhead show, airing later this year, is through an exceptionally difficult time in the past two years as tr Neptune opposed his Pluto and was conjunct his Mars, resulting in him losing his cool and losing his BBC niche. He does have tr Uranus square his Saturn and conjunct his Sun so there will be lively and unpredictable moments up till late 2016.

Harold Evans was a shining light in UK journalism when he was editor of the Sunday Times in the 1970s, famously dragging the thalidomide scandal out into the open. He’s lived in the US for the past three decades, continuing to be influential in journalism and writing. He married Tina Brown in 1981, editor of Tatler, Vanity Fair and most recently the Daily Beast. Despite the 25 year age gap they have remained happily together as one of the more prominent power couples.

Born 28 July 1928, he’s a Sun Venus in Leo trine Saturn (Moon) in Sagittarius, square Jupiter in Taurus; with Mars in Taurus sextile Mercury Pluto in Cancer – so charming, with leadership ability, determination and courage, confidence and the ability to attract money.

Tina Brown, 21 Nov 1953 1.30pm Maidenhead, England, has an intense and very different kind of chart with a packed 8^th house of Neptune in Libra, Saturn, Venus, Mercury in Scorpio; and a Scorpio Sun in the 9^th. Her Sun is square Pluto and trine Uranus; her Moon is in Gemini as is her Jupiter. Very private, ultra-determined, driven.

Quite an odd combination. Her Saturn opposes his Jupiter so he’ll be up when she’s down. His Sun Venus fall in her 6^th so a partnership designed around work.

Their relationship chart has an affection composite Sun Venus Neptune conjunction trine an adventurous Jupiter Uranus, sextiling onto Mars Pluto – so huge amounts of energy and influence. But it could equally have become very problematic with a power-struggling Mars Pluto. That obviously was soaked up in both their high-profile and high-pressure careers.

The messy Syrian War may be at a tipping point over coming months according to Patrick Cockburn in the Independent (URL http://goo.gl/AkVhL3). At the moment it looks like stalemate with the Russians supporting Assad and the other major players not wanting to lose credibility but not wanting to get stuck in a decade long, expensive quagmire.

There’s nothing overly hopeful on any of the charts instantly. The Syria 1 January 1944 12am chart has semi-survived majorly difficult influences over the past three years. It gets a lift in 2017 from tr Uranus trine its Jupiter from May 2017 onward. But before then it still has Solar Arc Saturn square the Syria Mars Uranus, exact in eight months’ time and thereafter for several months, which will be devastating and probably violent.

Bashar Assad’s Presidency chart, 17 July 2000, is facing more insecurity with tr Uranus square Mars from April, and then progressing through tr Uranus square Sun/Mars, onto square Sun in 2017. So highly unstable.

Assad’s relationship with Putin is sagging through this year as high hopes are dashed with the Russians discovering it wasn’t the easy fix they had hoped for.

Assad’s personal chart is under continuing heavy pressure from tr Pluto trine Uranus Pluto Sun in 2016/17/18 – so a grinding run of forced changes.

According to reports, ‘Isis is now almost sealed off within its self-declared caliphate’. This fits with tr Uranus opposing its Venus, due one final hit this late Feb/March, which causes financial and other upsets; and tr Uranus then continues to oppose the Sun Mars through this year for more disruption and risk.  2017 will be even more challenging for them with tr Pluto square their Venus and in 2018/19 tr Pluto square their Sun. 2020/21 should see them finally wiped out with tr Pluto square Mars, if it hasn’t happened before.

None of this looks like a sunny, peaceful end to this year. A long drawn out agony for poor Syria and Iraq.