Sent as a newsletter September 25. Not on my list? Enter your email here.
👋 Hi friends,
Welcome to the latest edition of Newley’s Notes, a weekly newsletter containing my recent Wall Street Journal stories, must-read links on tech and life, and funny dog videos.
Image of the week, above: The mood here in Hong Kong following news that hotel quarantine, part of the city’s Covid control measures, is being phased out. Read on…
My WSJ latest:
🇮🇳 My latest, an exclusive out Thursday, Sept. 22: Proton CEO Is Shutting Down India VPN Servers to Protest Cybersecurity Rules.
The lede:
The Swiss company behind well-known virtual-private-network service Proton VPN is pulling its servers from India, the latest provider to do so in response to new government rules that companies and rights groups say threaten users’ privacy.
“It’s going to have a chilling effect,” Proton Chief Executive Andy Yen told me. “I find it really sad that the world’s largest democracy is taking this path.”
File under: New Delhi continues to get tough with foreign tech firms.
Here are 10 items worth your time this week:
1) 🇭🇰 The Hong Kong government said Friday it’s ending hotel quarantining for travelers, starting Monday. Pre-flight Covid PCR tests will no longer be required. For three days after arrival, however, those arriving in HK will have to avoid bars and restaurants. The mood here among those eager to hit the road: See photo above.
2) 🇮🇷 Iran is seeing its biggest anti-government protests in years. They kicked off when a 22-year-old woman died in the custody of morality police.
3) 💰 Headline of the week, in the FT, based on income distribution data: “Britain and the US are poor societies with some very rich people.”
4) 🪐 The new images of Neptune and its rings from the James Webb Space Telescope are breathtaking.
5) 🎨 Psychiatrists in Brussels can now prescribe museum visits for people suffering from anxiety, stress or depression.
6) 🙅♂️ Oh, dear: “NyQuil chicken” may be the next Tide Pod challenge.
7) 🌃 Is New York still the city that never sleeps?
8) 📱 Wait, gifs are uncool now?
9) 🧁 A real thing, apparently: Dairy Queen is giving away pillows that smell like cinnamon and pumpkin.
10) 📺 A Good Movie to Watch is a directory of “Highly rated yet little-known movies and shows.”
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🦴 Dog-related video of the week:
“Gracie the golden retriever enjoys her first snowfall”
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💡 Quote of the week:
“Speak little, do much." – Benjamin Franklin
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👊 Fist bump from Hong Kong,
Newley