Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 5h

En parlant des divisions linguistiques les Français évoquent souvent la limite entre « chocolatine » et « pain au chocolat » . « Chocolatine » est plus fréquent que « pain au chocolat » dans le sud-ouest. Ici, dans l’Occitanie, c’est 50/50! #langsky

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 6h

Good. Tax the gambling industry until the pips squeak. Use the money to lift children out of poverty.

William Hill owner says it could shut shops if Reeves raises gambling taxes

Evoke considering the plans before expected tax increases in budget, with up to 1,500 jobs potentially affected

www.theguardian.com

Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 7h

I don’t write posts every day in my target languages but I try to do it regularly - especially if I’m in the country where the language is spoken. You’re absolutely right - writing to a specific, short word count is an excellent discipline.

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Reposted by Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 11h

The deportation order derives from the crime of which he has now been exonerated.

www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...

He was wrongfully imprisoned for 43 years. Moments after being released, ICE took him

Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam now faces deportation.

www.miamiherald.com

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Reposted by Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 13h

This is such a clever idea on taking kids to museums/galleries
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Nadia from London has an idea that sounds such fun you'll be booking a day out asap.
"I've always loved museums," she says,
"but they can be overwhelming for children. For decades now, I've done something called 'playing postcards'
We do
the museum backwards, visiting the gift shop first. Each child gets to choose three postcards. Then they take it in turns to find that particular artwork in the museum and give us a little information about the piece from the details on the postcard, or from any gallery plaque. At the end of this treasure-hunt-style activity, we vote for our favourite in the cafe."

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Reposted by Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦

Cornucopist @cornucopist.bsky.social · 16h

Morning! Hard to believe I haven’t painted it but it’s definitely real 🍁

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 17h

I agree with Simon Tisdall. Despair is undermining democracies worldwide. I’m on a jolly break in France but as I tune into the mood here, where there’s political chaos, it’s strikingly similar to the unease in Britain despite Labour’s big majority. Something Trumpy and bad, very bad, is brewing.

France is not alone in its political crisis – belief in a democratic world is vanishing | Simon Tisdall

The populist right offers a solution in the form of turning back the clock. Macron and his counterparts need to find a different answer fast, says Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdall

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦

Sara Partridge, Ph.D. @sarapartridge.bsky.social · 1d

There are reports that the *entire* office of special education at the US Dept of Education has been cut. These hardworking folks ensure kids with disabilities get equal access to a quality education.

America’s children deserve better than this.

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 1d

The article referred to here is great and clarifies a tricky bit of grammar for learners of Hindi-Urdu #langsky

Ayden Bridges @aydbridges.bsky.social · 1d

This article explains Ergative-Absolutive alignment in languages really well (as far as I can tell while not being a linguist, at least) thelanguagecloset.com/2025/03/22/n... #linguistics

Nominative-accusative? Ergative-absolutive? What do these mean?

In language introduction essays done on this website, you might see these kinds of terminology thrown about without further elaboration given to them. For example, in some languages of Australia, y…

thelanguagecloset.com

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 1d

One of my theories about the difference between Romance and Germanic is that the former uses subjunctive to express irreality whilst Germanic uses modals. Perhaps because Romance subjunctives demand exotic conjugation, they are often replaced in everyday speech by adverbial constructions?

Javier Basulto @javobas.bsky.social · 1d

#Spanish #langsky

The sentences below are 100% correct. The conjugated verbs “fueres”, “fuere” and “vieres” are examples of the Future #subjunctive tense. It has almost disappeared in modern Spanish, although it can still be found in very formal texts. Non-natives do not need to master it.

Two examples of Spanish Future Subjunctive, a verbal tense that is uncommon but used in very formal language.

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 1d

Oh, I’m in Montpellier today. Maybe I’ll bump into you!

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Reposted by Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦

Yair Wallach @yairwallach.bsky.social · 2d

This is still a genocide, it still has to be stopped

Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 2d

Hudu Abu Naja, 12- before and after starvation. Like thousands of children in Gaza, she suffered from severe malnutrition. In the last two months, organizations and doctors tried to evacuate her without success. This morning, Dr. Ahmed Al-Farra reported she has died reports
@nirhasson.bsky.social

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 2d

Le titre est ‘tongue in cheek’, mais ceci est une analyse érudite et complète de l'influence du français sur l'anglais. Tout le monde connaît les emprunts normands. Ce qui est moins connu, c'est l'influence du français sur la syntaxe de l'anglais. Fascinant. #langsky

Cover of ‘La langue anglaise n’existe pas’ by Bernard Cerquiligni

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 2d

La foule artistique s'est réunie pour un vernissage au CRAC Occitanie. (Expo de Yvonne Rainer, danseuse et cinéaste féministe américaine radicale.) Je me suis précipité pour profiter d'un apéritif gratuit et écouter en discret des conversations intellectuelles en français. #langsky

Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 2d

Je n'ai pas encore les moyens de prendre ma retraite, mais peu importe: j’aime mon travail et il finance mes petites escapades. De plus, je ne travaille qu'à temps partiel, ce qui me permet de partir au pied levé. Tant que je suis en pleine forme, je vais voyager autant que possible ! #langsky

Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 2d

I haven’t read that one but I really enjoyed ‘La Place’, her memoir about leaving the place and the social class she grew up in (very resonant for me). Also, the language isn’t at all literary; it’s great for tuning into the cadence of everyday French.

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 2d

Andy Beckett makes a good point about Britain’s political landscape: it’s not just the Tories who are the walking dead; an air of morbidity has settled on Labour (and maybe the Lib Dems, too) as the country and the world enter dark times that may mark the end of liberal democracy.

I saw desperation at the Tory conference – but all traditional parties may be in this position soon | Andy Beckett

The feeling of crisis in Manchester also afflicts Labour and the Lib Dems. It leaves voters facing a dangerously unstable political order, says Guardian columnist Andy Beckett

www.theguardian.com

Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 3d

A nice five-minute read on animal language #langsky

Dogs name toys while elephants name each other. Animal language is more complex than we imagine | Helen Pilcher

If we really want to grasp what animals are ‘saying’, we need to understand their communication on their terms, not ours, says science writer Helen Pilcher

www.theguardian.com

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 3d

Just arriving into my favourite bit of the South of France. It’s warm and sunny and due to remain so for a while. My plan to squeeze in a last few days of summer seems to have worked! Brought my swimming shorts. Tomorrow I’m going for a dip!

Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 3d

Trump, of course, is nauseating. But if - if - his plan works, I’ll be delighted. My sense, though, is that Israel will merely pause its genocide.

A Gaza ceasefire deal could be Trump’s biggest diplomatic achievement – but the devil is in the detail

The plan attempts to thread the needle between creating the conditions for a ceasefire and negotiating a lasting end to the war but hard questions remain

www.theguardian.com

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 3d

One of the many ways travelling on the TGV is better than major train routes in the UK is that no-one listens to their phone without headphones. The guard periodically makes an announcement about ‘écouteurs’ and it’s enforced socially. Vive la France 🇫🇷 !

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 3d

On the 07.44 Tourcoing to Montpellier TGV. It’s the no-frills OUIGO, the supposedly ugly sister of the premium INOUI… but it’s spotless, seats are great and for a small supplement there’s great WiFi. 5 hours, up to 300km/h. Cost in the SNCF flash sale? €28. The UK is simply incapable of such feats.

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Reposted by Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦

eileen chengyin chow @chowleen.bsky.social · 4d

I, however,
Have such meagre power,

Clutching at a
Moment,

While you control
An hour.

But your hour is
A stone.

My moment is
A flower.

-Langston Hughes, "Poet to Bigot"
#everynightapoem As ever.

I have done so little
For you.
And you have do little
For me.
That we have good reason
Never to agree.

I, however,
Have such meagre power,
Clutching at a
Moment,
While you control
An hour.
But your hour is
A stone.
My moment is
A flower.
-Langston Hughes, "Poet to Bigot"

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 4d

I’m in Tourcoing for a night before an early southbound TGV tomorrow morning. I have no problem interacting in French - it’s my strongest language; but strangely I miss the fun I have in my weaker languages struggling to express myself. Is that true for other language enthusiasts? #langsky

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Ratan Vaswani 🇺🇦 @ratanvaswani.bsky.social · 4d

When they were in government, the smirky denials and assurances of loyalty, the reports from the tearooms, the ‘letters going in’ and all the rest of it used to make for faintly amusing spectator sport. Now, *yawn*.

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