May 2023

Macron promises €2 billion in tax cuts for French middle class

As part of his continued attempt to move past his government’s contentious pensions reform, French President Emmanuel Macron has announced two billion euros of tax cuts for the middle class before the end of his term. In a televised interview Monday evening, Macron said he wants to “concentrate” two billion euros of tax cuts on people “who work hard, who want to raise their children well and who today, because the cost of living has increased… have trouble making ends...

Loneliness can impact longevity & quality of life, claims study

Vivek Murthy, the US surgeon general, recently warned that "being socially disconnected" has a similar effect on mortality as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. This statement was widely reported in the media, including in the Washington Post, the Times and the Daily Mail. But where does this "15 cigarettes a day" figure come from? Dr Murthy is referring to a study published in 2010 that explored social relationships and mortality rates. The researchers combined the data from 148...