Sasha, Steve and Lisa delve into a positive look towards 2024. Plus Catherine Wurth tells us about a competition for Social Entrepreneurs. And Patrizia Luchetta talks about an upcoming Art Endeavour. And Patrizia Luchetta talks about an upcoming Art Endeavour. As we step into the new year, Sasha Kehoe and Steve Miller chat about some positive news ahead for Luxembourg and more globally. As we step into the new year, Sasha Kehoe and Steve Miller chat about some positive news ahead for Luxembourg and more globally. 1. New Government and Promised Tax Cuts Luxembourg welcomes a new government bringing with it promises of major tax cuts. The economy is also set to recover somewhat in 2024. 2. Salary and Pension Increases The latest predictions indicate that salaries and pensions are set to increase by 2.5%, providing a boost to the standard of living for many residents. 3. Cross-Border Work Agreements with Germany Recent agreements between Germany and Luxembourg extend the flexibility for German workers. From January 1st, German workers can now work from home for 34 days a year, compared to the previous allowance of 19 days. 4. Tram Expansion to National Stadium Luxembourg's tram network is set to expand, reaching the National Stadium. Luxtram expects the completion of the southern section in 2024, with the final five stops along the Bonnevoie-Cloche d'Or stretch becoming operational throughout the year. 5. Sporting and Cultural Highlights Luxembourgers have a lot to look forward to in 2024, with potential participation in the final round of the European Football Championship in Germany and representation at the Olympic Games in Paris. And, after a 30-year hiatus, Luxembourg proudly makes its comeback to the Eurovision Song Contest, with the representative to be revealed on January 27. 6. Super Election Year 2024 will be a super election year: almost half of the world's population live in countries where elections will be held. A new president will be elected in around 30 countries and the composition of parliament in around 20 others. Luxembourg is braced for a super election year with social elections in May and a new European Parliament election in June. In the USA - will Trump be back? Russia - the opposition seems eliminated. India: Prime Minister Modi is the favourite European elections: a test for the right-wing populists Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg: AfD are currently ahead in the polls Will Mexico have its first female president? Iran will host its first election after mass protests, although many believe it won’t be democratic. A UK election is also set for October it seems. Will Labour win? To continue the positive theme, there are more women in national parliaments. Women occupy 27% of seats, double the number of 1990. 7. EU expansion? EU membership talks are set for Ukraine and Moldova. And the EU will be more accessible as better train links are opened up across the continent. 8. Positive Global Trends There are some uplifting global trends including: Lives are getting longer again (after a pandemic hiatus) with 73 the mean age now. World GDP per capita continues to rise: it’s now $17,500 (2022) compared to $10,000 in 1997. World inequality, although still acute, has lessened. 10% of people with the highest income have 55% of the total wealth. This is less than in 2000. 9. Medical Successes Malaria vaccines have arrived and already impacted positively infant mortality. Dementia cases have decreased by 30% in 15 years. New brain implants gave a voice to people who cannot speak through measuring the brain’s electrical signals and use AI to distinguish the patterns associated with each phoneme. Anti-obesity drugs made headlines with Ozempic and Wegovy which regulate satiety and achieve dramatic weight loss. They have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart failure and stroke. HIV drugs have prevented 21 mi