Weekly Shorts | February 5, 2021

Alleged US Capitol rioter needs Russian interpreter

One of the people accused of attacking the US Capitol on January 6th requires a Russian interpreter, reports Washington Post. According to BuzzFeed reporter Ema O’Connor, Oregon resident Yevgemya Malimon was arraigned for unlawful entry and curfew violation together with her adult daughter, who speaks English.

Google Lens translator available offline

Android users can now use visual search tool Google Lens to translate text offline. According to information site 9to5Google, however, users must first download the desired language pack.

Taliban kills NATO interpreter

The Taliban has killed Afghan interpreter Feda Mohammad, according to The Daily Mail. Mohammad’s brother Wali told the British newspaper that Mohammad had received multiple death threats due to his work interpreting for the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF). Daily Mail reports he was not “entitled to apply to the British authorities for sanctuary under any of the relocation schemes because he had not worked directly for them, but with them through a private company on behalf of Nato [North Atlantic Treaty Organization] forces.” Reporters David Williams and Larisa Brown write Mohammad is the second Afghan interpreter killed within the past week and the third so far in 2021.

JNCL hosts Canadian & American language advocacy days

February 4th, the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL) hosted Canadian Language Advocacy Day. The virtual event worked to establish an ongoing language policy forum for Canada and explored the role of language within the context of social justice, education and economic recovery. Panels included discussions on the Indigenous Languages Act, language gaps in pandemic communication and reimagining language services design.

The organization also hosted its annual US advocacy days February 3-5, including virtual meetings with members of Congress.

ALC holds unconference

The Association of Language Companies (ALC) held its ninth annual “unconference” on February 1st. The event has no set schedule or assigned speakers. Rather attendees self-group to participate in open roundtables. This year’s topics included human resources, operations, advocacy, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), client requests for proposal (RFPs), industry trends and technology.

PPP application help for translators

The American Translators Association (ATA) has published a blog outlining how American translators can apply for the US Small Business Administration’s Payment Protection Program. Part of the US federal government’s economic pandemic relief, ATA says the loans are available to freelancers, LLCs and S-Corps.