JULY 18, 2026 — On July 17, the Japanese parliament has passed a contentious new piece of legislation that criminalizes the public desecration of the country’s national flag, reports the Associated Press, marking a significant victory for the right-wing agenda of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Under the newly enacted law, individuals found guilty of publicly…
OCTOBER 25, 2025 — The Palais de Tokyo in Paris has taken down Cameron Rowland’s installation Replacement (2025), just days after its unveiling as part of “ECHO DELAY REVERB,” an exhibition featuring American artists shaped by French theory, says ARTnews. In Replacement, Rowland replaced the French flag atop the museum’s entrance with the newly adopted…
APRIL 17, 2025 — Police have detained the Chief Editor and Deputy Chief Sub-Editor of Sin Chew Daily following backlash over an inaccurate depiction of Malaysia’s national flag on its front page, the Malaysian National News Agency reports. The graphic, published April 15 to mark Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit, featured a version of…
FEBRUARY 18, 2025 — A French administrative court has ruled that the pro-independence Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) flag must be removed from driver’s licenses in New Caledonia, siding with the non-independence party Générations NC, according to Franceinfo. The Paris Administrative Court of Appeal upheld a prior ruling that declared the inclusion of…
FEBRUARY 12, 2025 — A court in Volgograd fined a local resident, Igor Yermilov, 1,000 rubles ($10.64 USD) for having a white-blue-white flag on his car’s license plate, reports Kavkazr. Authorities deemed the colors similar to the flag of the Freedom of Russia Legion, a group fighting for Ukraine that Russia classifies as a terrorist…
DECEMBER 30, 2024 — Starting January 1, 2025, license plates in Russia must include the national tricolor flag, following amendments to the state standard (GOST) introduced in November 2024, auto.ru reports. This regulation will apply only to plates issued after the effective date, leaving existing plates unaffected by the new rule. Izvestia reports that Igor…
DECEMBER 16, 2024 — Two young men in Bashkiria, Russia were compelled to apologize after unfurling the black-yellow-white flag of the Russian Empire, Telegraf UA reports, in an incident that has sparked controversy and political scrutiny in the region. The controversy began when a photo circulated online of the individuals holding the Russian Empire flag,…
DECEMBER 3, 2024 — The Danish Parliament has approved a new law prohibiting the display of most foreign flags on flagpoles taller than four meters, effective January 1, 2025, the Danish Broadcasting Corporation reports. Flags from neighboring countries such as Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Denmark’s territories, the Faroe Islands and Greenland, will remain…
NOVEMBER 28, 2024 — A woman was arrested in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, after taking a photograph with the former flag of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina during a gathering marking Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Statehood Day on November 25, the Sarajevo Times reported. The woman, part of a group assembled in Banja Luka’s Petar…
NOVEMBER 1, 2024 — In a case against activist and blogger Aftandil Zhorobekov, a Kyrgyz court issued a ruling that found him guilty of charges related to calling for public protests over a controversial flag proposal, 24.KG reports. Zhorobekov has been fined 70,000 soms (approximately 815 USD) after being convicted under Article 327 of the…