Free Republic

The Welsh language could be set to thrive over the long-term, according to projections of whether endangered languages will flourish or fail. New Zealand’s native language on the other hand is projected to become extinct. More than half of the world’s estimated 7000 languages are expected to go extinct by 2100. But the Welsh language, spoken by about half a million people today, is expected to “thrive in the long term”, based on a model looking at how proficiency in languages changes over time. By contrast, te reo Maori, the language of the indigenous Maori in New Zealand, which nearly...

Wales' foremost artist, Sir Kyffin Williams, has launched an attack on the art on show at the National Eisteddfod. Royal Academician Sir Kyffin, who says his cancer treatment is going well, claims work on display at Faenol near Bangor, bears no relation to fine art. He said "solid Welsh people" at the cultural festival would be turned away by what they saw. But both the eisteddfod and its partner the Arts Council of Wales defended the festival's artworks. Sir Kyffin, who is 87, has been fighting both lung and prostate cancer and has only recently been able to resume drawing...