Oddly Enough this week features interesting news snippets on Germany’s strict surveillance laws, women war correspondents in Vietnam, Norway’s heavy drunken driving fan, translating Chinese martial art novels and Cambodia’s crackdown on democracy.
Privacy Matters – German Telecom Regulators Bans ‘Smart Watches’
Failing to comply with strict surveillance regulations, Germany’s Federal Network Agency has banned ‘smart watches’. These watches can be used by parents to watch on their children and are widely available in the market. The agency has urged parents to destroy them. Through an app, parents can listen to the child’s environment. The agency earlier also banned the distribution of a talking doll which could be hacked to reveal personal data as per an investigation conducted.
You can read this story here.
Women War Correspondents – Hidden Figures Of The Vietnam War
Kate Webb, Elizbeth Becker, Jurate Kazickas, Catherine Leroy, Sylvana Foa, Frances Fitzgerald, Gloria Emerson, Francoise DeMulder, Martha Gellhorn and Dickey Chapelle are the names of women who covered the atrocities of the Vietnam War. In this story, Becker recalls that newsrooms did not send women to cover the war out of enlightened decisions. Most of these women quit their jobs covering home, food and fashion, purchased a ticket and travelled straight to countries like Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. She also writes about a failed attempt by the American army General to ban women from the frontlines.
You can read this story here.
Money Spill – Norway’s Richest Woman Pays $30,400 Drunken Driving Fine
In Norway, fines for drunken driving are based on the defendant’s income. Katharina G Andresen is reportedly the country’s richest woman after her father gave her 42 per cent share of his investment company in 2007. The Oslo City Court ruled that given the 22-year-old’s income, the penalty could have been up to $4.9 million but it wasn’t increased. Forbes has declared her the world’s second-youngest billionaire with her estimated wealth of $1.23 billion.
You can read this story here.
Chinese Martial Arts Novels – Translating Kung Fu Moves For The World
Louis Cha, 93, is China’s most famous novelist digging deep into the country’s rich history. An independent British publisher has now taken it upon itself to translate the writer’s renown kung fu trilogy into English. The first volume of the Condor trilogy will release in February. It is being translated by Anna Holmwood. Her challenges included translating different martial art moves, focusing on the flow and philosophy behind them.
You can read this story here.
Dissolving Opposition – Apex Court Strangles Cambodia’s Democracy
A judge, who is the member of the ruling Cambodia People’s Party, barred 118 members from the opposition, Cambodia National Rescue Party, from politics for five years. In the capital, Phnom Penh, the military and police have surrounded the Supreme Court and sealed it off. Prime Minister Hun Sen was sure before that the decision would be in his party’s favour. In the recent months, the country has seen a severe media crackdown with licences being revoked. This is being seen as a move to lead towards dictatorship.
You can read this story here.
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