Fiji to Dump Union Jack for New Flag

Almost 45 years after Fiji gained independence from Britain, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says it's time to lose symbols "anchored to our colonial past"—like the Union Jack that takes up a quarter of the country's flag. He says a national panel will choose a new flag, and Fijians of all ages are welcome to submit designs that will reflect the country's position as a "modern and truly independent nation state," reports the Wall Street Journal. The new flag will be unveiled at independence celebrations on Oct. 10, the BBC reports. New Zealand plans to hold a referendum this year on adopting a flag without the Union Jack in it, but no change is expected soon in other places with the same flag within a flag, including Australia—and Hawaii. (More Fiji stories.)