Italian earthquake: national mourning

In central Italy, in the early morning of Wednesday 24 August 2016, at least 240 people were killed when a 6.2 earthquake hit the region around Accumoli, including the town of Amatrice and the village of Pescara del Tronto. At the time of writing rescue workers are still searching for survivors amidst the ruins of the houses. Obviously current efforts […]

Flag of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azure

French national mourning for Nice

In Nice, on the night of Thursday 14 July 2016, at least 84 people were killed by a lorry driver deliberately crashing into the crowds on the Promenade des Anglais, where they were gathered to celebrate Bastille Day and watch a fireworks display. Following these tragic events, the French government has announced national mourning for the […]

Staffordshire Flag vote: result

County Flags have become an important part of our regional and national identity. Most English counties have a recognised County Flag, but Staffordshire did not. The Flag Institute maintains the UK Flag Registry as a definitive record of county and community flags, and works with county organisations to come up with suitable designs. The county […]

New Zealand Flag referendum: victory for existing flag

New Zealanders have voted to keep their existing national flag. The second and final round of the country’s referendum shows 56.7% voted for no change, while 43.3% voted for the Kyle Lockwood-designed alternative (below). Over 2.1m votes were cast, a turnout of 67.3%. John Key, Prime Minister of New Zealand, had campaigned for a new […]