Free Republic

The Cornish language has been branded "extinct" by linguistic experts, sparking protests from speakers. Thirty linguists worked on Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger, compiled by United Nations group Unesco. They also said Manx Gaelic was extinct. Cornish is believed to have died out as a first language in 1777. But the Cornish Language Partnership says the number of speakers has risen in the past 20 years and there should be a section for revitalised languages. The Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger, published by Unesco, the cultural section of the United Nations, features about 2,500 dialects. There...

It is just a few days until Easter, the most important date in the Christian calendar. But for 700 Muslims who have gathered in a rural caravan park, this week has a different religious significance. And to some of their neighbours, the thrice-daily calls to prayer are proving a strain on a harmonious relationship. The Iranian Muslims have converged on the Trevelgue Holiday Park in Porth, Cornwall, to celebrate yesterday's Persian New Year. Every day at sunrise, noon and sunset they broadcast their prayers, known as Adhan, on a loudspeaker system. But some residents are complaining that the noise is...

Archaeologists Discover Roman Fort In Cornwall, England ScienceDaily (Feb. 5, 2008) — University of Exeter archaeologists have discovered a Roman fort in South East Cornwall. Dating back to the first century AD, this is only the third Roman fort ever to have been found in the county. The team believes its location, close to a silver mine, may be significant in shedding light on the history of the Romans in Cornwall. Situated next to St Andrew’s Church, Calstock, the site is on top of a hill in an area known to have been involved with silver mining in medieval times....

Heard the one about the Irish Catholic forced to quit for telling jokes ... about Irish Catholics!By LIZ HULL - More by this author » Last updated at 21:41pm on 12th September 2007As an Ulster-born Catholic, Denis Lusby is perhaps more qualified than most to poke fun at the Irish. But although most enjoy reading the jokes he prints in his parish magazine, some can't see the funny side. And after a council official complained they were racist, Mr Lusby, the magazine's editor, resigned. scroll down for more...  Denis Lusby says he is the victim of political correctness after...

A dispute over an "insulting" carnival procession entry has developed into a row over political correctness. Locals dressed as Muslims took part in the carnival in the Cornish market town of St Columb Major in protest over plans for a mosque. A group of students visiting the area thought the act was offensive to Muslims, and called in police. The group, calling themselves the Page Three Beauties from the Ramalamadingdong Times, carried placards with names including Miss Poppadomistan" and "Miss Reallyamanistan". A home-made banner read "Join the Kernow Mosk drekly and become a Musli" over a picture of a Cornish...

COULD THIS BE ST PETROC'S ANCIENT WELL? 11:00 - 14 July 2007 The discovery of an ancient well on a Cornish estate has led to speculation that it is the legendary well of St Petroc. The discovery was made by amateur archaeologist Jonathan Clemes while searching for a secret tunnel in the grounds of Prideaux Place, an Elizabethan manor house at Padstow. Mr Clemes regularly works with TV's Time Team and carries out a lot of excavations on the Prideaux estate. He said: "I knew I was on to something when I found a papal bulla in the field close...

· National Liberation Army threatens Stein and Oliver · Anti-English rant must be taken seriously, say police There were few outward signs of a terrorism alert in north Cornwall yesterday. Visitors milled around Padstow's busy harbour as usual while further down the coast at Newquay surfers lounged about on a warm, waveless day. But behind the scenes at Cornwall's two most famous eateries, Rick Stein's Seafood Restaurant in Padstow and Jamie Oliver's Fifteen in Newquay, security was being stepped up after Cornish extremists claimed they were planning to target two of the country's most famous chefs. A group calling itself...

Yesterday the Navy breathed a huge sigh of relief. Today the inquiry into the affair will begin, with recriminations likely and many questions to be asked of commanders. Foremost among those to be questioned will be Commodore Nick Lambert, the flotilla commander ultimately in charge of the 15 sailors who were allowed to venture out of sight of his flagship Cornwall with very little support while just two miles from Iran's disputed territorial waters. While Cornwall had too deep a draught to provide line of sight cover for the boarding party, there were many other ships that could have given...

The Iranian navy detained up to 15 British troops today in the Persian Gulf, a Pentagon official said. The British military confirmed there was an “incident” in the Shatt al-Arab waterway in southern Iraq after Iraqi fishermen said they had seen several British and American military personnel being seized by an Iranian ship. “There has been an incident somewhere in the north of the Persian Gulf,” British military spokesman Major David Gell said in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, but said he did not know whether British soldiers were involved. An unnamed fisherman told the Reuters news agency that...

Fifteen British sailors and Marines are being held by Iranian forces, says the Ministry of Defence. More follows...

Jewels for the crown By Caroline Davies Last Updated: 2:12am GMT 26/02/2007 The Duchess of Cornwall's jewellery collection has been significantly boosted by the generosity of the Saudi Royal Family, according to an official list of gifts given to her and the Prince of Wales on overseas tours to be made public today. Not only did they present her with the stunning ruby necklace she wore to dramatic effect on a recent visit to America, but she came away from Saudi with a further two necklaces – one of emeralds, the other of sapphires. The jewellery is described as parures...

LONDON (AP) - Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will get a coat of arms on Sunday to coincide with her 58th birthday. The blue, red, gold and green crest features a boar taken from the crest of her father, Maj. Bruce Shand and a lion copied from her husband Prince Charles' arms, Charles' office said. Queen Elizabeth II took a "keen interest" in its creation, Clarence House added. The duchess' coat of arms also has a crown - the Coronet of the Heir Apparent - copied from Charles' design. It was restricted to the heir's crest until King Charles II issued...

Two British pilots have confirmed they will make an attempt on the world manned balloon altitude record on Wednesday after they were thwarted by adverse cloud conditions on Tuesday. BALLOON RECORD ATTEMPT The next launch opportunity is 0700 BST on Wednesday The projected flight path will go out over the Atlantic Ocean The British Airways Concorde will be diverted to the south The team decided on Tuesday evening that they would launch their bid after meteorologists predicted favourable conditions for Wednesday. They plan to begin inflating the envelope ready for launch around 0700 BST (0600 GMT). Colin Prescot and Andy...

LONDON - Decades after it was thought to have been consigned to the scrap heap of history, the ancient Celtic language that is spoken fluently by only 100 people is making a remarkable comeback. Cornish has been granted official protection under the provisions of a European Union charter on "minority languages," paving the way for schoolchildren to be taught and speak it. Until recently, Cornish was thought by many to be an attractive curiosity ranking some way behind the region's beaches, smugglers' caves and cream teas. Dolly Pentreath, of Mousehole, Cornwall, the last Cornish monoglot, died in 1777 and at...