# Language news, Sunday, 25 October 2026

Compiled by Richard Brooks's language news desk. Canonical: https://richard-brooks.com/language-news/2026-10-25/

## Nepal court orders Madhesh to legislate for Maithili, Bhojpuri and Bajjika

Policy. The full ruling turns a Language Commission recommendation from 2078 BS into a court order. Provincial language rights in Nepal now have a judge behind them, not just a policy line.

Source: Nagarik News, https://www.nagariknews.nagariknetwork.com/politics/high-court-says-make-maithili-bhojpuri-and-bajjika-the-official-languages-of-madhesh-51-37.html

## Share of children in Wales who can speak Welsh falls from 59% to 48%

Education. Annual Population Survey data shows the under-16 figure falling while the all-age rate holds at 27.4%. The survey method changed and answers are self-reported, but it lands just as the Welsh Language and Education Act is meant to lift the numbers.

Source: Welsh Government, https://www.gov.wales/welsh-language-data-annual-population-survey-july-2025-june-2026