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Are we still/already on January?

Good morning. A great sage once said: Obstacles aren't there to get in your way, but to give you the chance to prove how much you want what you're looking for. They're only there to get in the way of those who don't really want it.

Author

Micael Balioni
January 23, 2025

THE MUSTS

World

finally some peace

 Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal

Israel and Hamas have reached a ceasefire agreement following weeks of indirect negotiations mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt.

  • The three-stage deal is awaiting approval from Israel’s government today. It begins with a ceasefire and aims to establish a more enduring peace. However, the Israeli cabinet’s vote on the agreement has been delayed, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of violating parts of the deal—a claim that Hamas denies.

The agreement’s first phase, lasting six weeks, was set to commence last Sunday:

  • Hamas is expected to release 33 of the over 100 Israeli hostages (both living and presumed dead) currently held in Gaza. Priority will be given to Americans, women, children, and civilians over the age of 50. In exchange, Israel will release 1,100 Palestinian prisoners.

  • Civilians in Gaza will be permitted to move between the Northern and Southern regions of the enclave, allowing displaced residents to return home. Israel will also facilitate increased humanitarian aid into Gaza and pull its forces back to a 1-kilometer buffer zone in the Northern region.

Sixteen days into the ceasefire, both sides are expected to begin talks on the deal’s next stages, which aim to bring a permanent end to the war. The second phase focuses on releasing the remaining living hostages and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The third stage includes the exchange of bodies of deceased hostages and prisoners, along with initiating reconstruction efforts in Gaza.

For historical context… this diplomatic breakthrough follows months of efforts by the Biden Administration, with increased pressure from the incoming Trump team. President-elect Donald Trump warned Hamas of severe consequences if Israeli hostages were not released before his inauguration and reportedly pressed Israel to finalize a deal. Both presidents have claimed credit for the agreement.

What else in on

  • China: China’s economy grew 5.4% last quarter, higher than expectations and a sign that stimulus efforts are beginning to have an effect. (Read)

  • Norway: Norway is on its way to becoming the first country with literally all of its cars fully electric. Today, 90% of vehicles sold in Norway are electric! (Read)

  • UK: After almost a decade of debate, Glasgow has opened the doors of the Thistle, the UK's first safe drug consumption room. (Read)

  • Sweden: Sweden will be the first country to be officially recognized as “smoke-free”, with less than 5% of adult Swedes still smoking. (Read)

  • Mexico: A huge Mayan city has been discovered centuries after it disappeared in a jungle in Mexico in the southeastern state of Campeche. (Read)

  • USA: Many things happened in the land of the “free”. Trump has been convicted and is now president, tiktok has actually been banned and then restored plus the fires in Los Angeles that actually add up to more than $275 billion in damages. (Read)

 

Economy & Business

should we move to Tokyo?

Tokyo announces 4-day work week

Thursday is the new Friday in Tokyo. The Japanese capital has just announced that it will introduce the 4-day working week from April 2025 for its 160,000 or so civil servants.

The municipality will be the first major global city to adopt the model for real, making it the biggest step yet in this idea. For some time, the Japanese government has been trying to encourage this since 2021, without much success.

If you thought “that's not possible” as you read this, you should know that the Japanese have a very strong relationship with their jobs and colleagues. Working all day, working overtime and prioritizing the company are common attitudes among them, and an important unspoken rule in their culture.

But why does the government want the 4-day-week?

The big point is that, “overwork” is having a direct impact on the country's falling birth rate, causing people to have less time for relationships, marriage and having children.

  • The figures explain the concern: Japan has the oldest population in the world, with almost 1/3 elderly, and the number of deaths has already exceeded births for 15 years. To give you an idea, the fertility rate is 1.2 in the country.

Another example of a government measure - this one non-corporate - was to create a dating app to encourage its population to find suitors and, in the end, well... make love and form families.

Looking at the macro: The 4-day working week may not have caught on in Japan, but it's gaining more and more adherents in countries like the UK, Spain, Ireland and Iceland. It has also become an issue in the US Congress and the Ministry of Labor in Brazil.

Personal opinion: You know how much I believe in a better quality of life for workers. I've already said here that I think it's absurd that companies are returning to full-time office working and I really believe that in an ideal future, people would have more time to devote to their relationships, children and personal projects. I truly hope that this trend in Japan brings good results and is the start of something bigger.

What else in on

  • Nvidia CEO: “The world needs robots”. It was with this phrase that the founder and CEO of NVIDIA, Jensen Huang, opened a conversation about innovations in robotics and AI. Very interesting, a little scary. (Read)

  • Meta: After Microsoft and Amazon, it's Meta's turn to end its diversity, equity and inclusion program. Just another one of the amazing teams Meta has done recently. contains irony (Read)

  • Netflix: The screaming company passed 300 million subscribers in record quarter, reporting 19 million new subscribers in Q4—the biggest addition in company history. (Read)

  • Apple: On the other hand, going against the trend of all the companies that are announcing the end of their DEI programs, Apple has said that it will maintain its inclusive initiatives as normal. Important to note: Their inclusion program has existed for almost 40 years. (Read)

  • Tiktok: Around 12 hours after shutting itself down in the United States, TikTok is back for many users almost like it never left, attributing its return to a move by President-elect Donald Trump to save the app. Funny enough, it was him who suggested banning the app in 2020. (Read)

  • Less M&M, more M&A: Speaking of mergers and acquisitions... Owner of the Aeropostale and Forever 21 brands joins forces with retailer JCPenney to create a $9 billion revenue giant. (Read)

 

Technology & Science

does that mean internet is not actually on the air?

Meta's 10 billion dollar cable

 

 Imagine a huge submarine cable 40,000 km long that passes through all the continents and circles the planet in a W shape. This is the project that Meta is going to invest US$ 10 billion to build over 5 to 10 years.

  • What's behind it? The cables buried under the sea carry 99% of all data traffic on the world's internet. Basically, without them you wouldn't be able to log into any app or website.

Today, Meta depends on the quality of third-party submarine cables, usually from telecommunications consortia. With an exclusive cable, you have much greater control over traffic.

It's worth remembering that little devil Zuck's company accounts for 22% of the world's mobile network usage and 10% of all global internet traffic - requiring a huge infrastructure to get everyone connected.

The political side of the story: Another point that made Meta's executives embark on the project was that, recently, many of the cables have been attacked by terrorist groups or damaged by wars. Beyond the tech side, the cables have become a security issue, as they carry sensitive data for millions of people, companies and governments. No wonder the supercable will “bypass” conflict zones such as the Red Sea.

What else is on:

  • Project Stargate: President Donald Trump has announced a plan to advance the United States' artificial intelligence infrastructure, unveiling a venture called Stargate. Led by OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle, the project is expected to attract up to $500 billion in private investment over four years. (Read)

  • The city of the future has arrived. Toyota (yes, you read that right) has decided to build a smart city that will be ready this year, at the base of Mount Fiji, at a cost of US$10B. The idea is to integrate smart homes with AI, pet robots that help the elderly and personal drones, as well as streets that separate robotaxis, bicycles and people. (Read)

  • Technology with a fixed address. In 2025, we will set a new record for the number of data centers under construction. The reason behind the boom: AI + Cloud + Big Data. The need to process gigantic volumes of information and train complex complex algorithms has turned data centers into the invisible protagonists of digital. (Read)

  • It's over. Elon Musk and other experts claim that the real data available to train AI is practically exhausted, forcing the adoption of AI-generated data as an alternative to train AIs, of course with a lot of challenges and risks. (Read)

EDITOR’S RECOMMENDATIONS

TED Talks

we need other significant others

 Why Friendship Can Be Just as Meaningful as Romantic Love by Rhaina Cohen: I've previously shared my perspective on singleness here, which often leads to assumptions about missing meaningful connections or having a whole in our lifes. And that’s why this TED Talk caught my attention.

In this talk, Cohen presents powerful stories of platonic bonds that redefine conventional views of companionship. I was particularly struck by the historical context she offers, showing how friendships were once celebrated as deeply significant. This insight suggests that recognizing friends as "significant others" could enrich our lives, reminding us of a time (a long time during history) when romance wasn't the top priority.

Cohen’s brief yet impactful talk also challenges us to reconsider how societal norms and policies often undervalue friendships. She calls for a cultural shift to acknowledge the essential role these connections play in our lives. (Rating 8/10)

WHAT ABOUT ME?

Micael

By facing what it is not, the Little Soul discovers what it truly is

Hi there,

Today, I want to talk about failing. Those days when it feels like you’re dropping every ball you’re trying to juggle—gym, work, friendships, personal goals—everything.

This past week wasn’t easy for me. I felt off track in every area of my life. Gym? I didn’t finish a single session. Healthy eating? I lost two kilos, but not in a good way—my meals were more about convenience than care. Friendships, work, study? Let’s just say the pattern continued. It was the kind of week that makes you question everything. But here’s the silver lining: I will never, ever have to relive it again. And that’s the light I want to share with you today.

Do you remember when I talked about my time in Australia? I once wrote about how beautiful that chapter of my life felt because I knew it was temporary. Knowing it would end in a few months made me savor every moment. The same principle applies to the tough times in life, too—they’re temporary. 

  • I think we’ve all had those nights where we lie in bed, overwhelmed, and ask ourselves, When did life become so hard? Is it supposed to be this way? And honestly, I don’t have the answer. But what does bring me peace is knowing that every moment—good or bad—is just that: A moment. The amazing friendships that might fade with time, the unfair situations, the financial stress, the projects that push us to our limits—they all pass.

But I do believe we’re meant to feel discomfort. Growth comes from contrast. And that brings me to one of my favorite stories: The Little Soul and the Sun, a parable from Neale Donald Walsch’s Conversations with God.

In the story, a Little Soul wants to experience itself as Light, but it lives in the sun, a place where everything is already illuminated. In a world filled only with light, the Little Soul couldn’t experience itself as anything different—just like a fish submerged in water can’t feel wet. So God tells the Little Soul it must encounter darkness to truly understand its brilliance. By facing what it is not, the Little Soul discovers what it truly is.

I think that’s what life is about. These contrasts—light and dark, joy and pain, hope and doubt—help us find and understand our own light. And as difficult as some moments can be, they’re part of this beautiful process of growth.

Whatever you’re going through right now, I hope you remember that it’s temporary. I know I do. And I hope you also remember that it’s helping you discover your light.

With love,
Micael.

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