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England flag displays powerful symbol in immigration fight as Trump-style populism sweeps through UK
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England’s distinctive red-and-white St. George’s Cross and iconic union jack flags are making a comeback across the United Kingdom, with supporters calling the resurgence patriotic while critics in the media warn it shows extremism, echoing MAGA-like culture wars across the pond.
The dispute over the flag is the latest symbol of Britain’s political discourse, with Reform UK and Nigel Farage invoking U.S. President Donald Trump-style populism to rally Englishmen.
«Operation Raise the Colours» has called for people to put their flags up where they live and in their everyday lives to rally Britons. The online movement is encouraging people to continue putting up England St. George’s Cross and union jack flags.
LGBTQ CELEBRITIES DIVIDED ON STARS AND STRIPES IN NEW DOCUMENTARY ‘RECLAIM THE FLAG’
British MP Robert Jenrick climbed a post in Newark, U.K., to hang a union jack British flag. Both the country’s union jack and red-and-white St. George’s Cross flags have been making a comeback across the U.K. of late. (Robert Jenrick via X)
«Raise The Colours!,» wrote MP for Newark, U.K. and Shadow Lord Chancellor Robert Jenrick on X. «While Britain-hating councils take down our own flags, we raise them up. We must be one country, under the Union Flag.»
Tower Hamlets and Birmingham City Council recently decided to tear down English flags that had been hung up in the streets by patriotic supporters of the movement.
The government has not taken an official stance on «Operation Raise the Colours,» but Downing Street has commented on putting up flags.
«Patriotism will always be an important thing to him,» a spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said.
Asked if Sir Keir is supportive of people who put up English flags, the spokesperson said: «Absolutely, patriotism, putting up English flags. We put up English flags all around Downing Street every time the English football team – women’s and men’s – are out trying to win games for us.»
Some left-leaning outlets describe the campaign as zealousness, not patriotism. The Guardian cautioned the campaign «may offer cover for far-right agendas.»
THE LEFT IS CELEBRATING JULY 4 WITH PROTESTS WHILE THE RIGHT SEES A PATRIOTIC REVIVAL
With the country’s St. George’s Cross flags behind them, England women’s head football coach Sarina Wiegman, center, poses with her staff and England’s Football Association president Debbie Hewitt, second from left, after leaving a special reception, to celebrate their victory in the Women’s Euro 2025 final, at Downing Street in London, July 28. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
One woman who spoke on the condition of anonymity in BBC’s reporting described how the campaigners marked a crosswalk with red crosses to look like the St. George’s flag as «pointless» and said it came across as «very racist.»
A YouGov poll in June showed Reform UK party would be Britain’s largest political party if a general election were held. Farage has always been a longstanding ally of the president and in February hailed Trump’s victory as «an inspiration».
Historically overshadowed by the union jack until the 1990s, St. George’s Cross flags now dominate at sports events.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks during a press conference in Westminster, U.K. in June. In an act of patriotism, the country’s union jack and red-and-white St. George’s Cross flags have been making a comeback across the U.K. ( Thomas Krych/Anadolu via Getty Images)
YouGov polling also shows a majority favorable toward flying the St. George’s Cross, but a sizable minority view it negatively.
A higher majority shows support for the Union Jack, Scotland’s St. Andrew’s Cross and Wales’ The Red Dragon over the St. George’s Cross.
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The row over England’s flag is set to intensify ahead of local and national elections, with councils deciding whether to allow the banners.
Farage did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
world,united kingdom,uk politics,donald trump
INTERNACIONAL
Mamdani disputes antisemitism definition amid blowback from Jewish community about Day 1 executive orders
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Zohran Mamdani, the newly sworn-in mayor of New York City, suggested Friday that the widely adopted definition of antisemitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) does not actually protect Jewish New Yorkers. The mayor spoke amid backlash over Day 1 executive orders that have angered many Jewish and civil rights groups.
The self-described democratic socialist also dismissed allegations that the timing of his executive orders, which came just hours after he was sworn in, were illustrative of what critics have argued is his record of hostility toward Israel and the Jewish community.
The new mayor’s Day 1 directives included rescinding a ban on city agencies from boycotting or divesting from Israel and ending the city’s adoption of the IHRA definition on antisemitism ushered in by the former mayor, Eric Adams.
«When we speak about the IHRA definition that you asked about, you know, protecting Jewish New Yorkers is going to be a focus of my administration, and I also know that a number, as you said, of leading Jewish organizations, have immense concerns around this definition,» Mamdani said in response to questions about his executive orders Friday afternoon in Brooklyn.
SOCIALIST MAYOR MAMDANI INAUGURATED ALONGSIDE BERNIE SANDERS AND AOC ON NEW YEAR’S DAY
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani suggested Friday that the widely adopted definition of antisemitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance does not actually protect Jewish New Yorkers. (Reuters/Jeenah Moon and Jennifer Mitchell/Fox News Digital)
«What we will do is actually deliver on our commitment to protect Jewish New Yorkers in a manner that is able to actually fulfill that,» he added before moving on to another question.
When asked about the criticism regarding the speed of the executive orders aimed at rescinding protections against antisemitism in New York City, Mamdani did not directly answer the question.
«As the new mayor of a city, you have to sign a continuation of all prior executive orders or a revocation or an amendment of all of them. And, so, what we did was sign an executive order that continued every executive order that predated the moment when our former mayor was indicted, a moment when many New Yorkers lost even more faith in New York City politics and the ability of city government to actually prioritize the needs of the public,» Mamdani responded.
«And what we will now do is showcase that new era to protect each and every New Yorker and to deliver for those same New Yorkers in a manner that they have not seen under prior administrations.»
Newly sworn-in Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former New York City Mayor Eric Adams (Getty Images; AP Images)
Mamdani’s responses at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn came shortly after a slew of civil rights and pro-Jewish organizations doubled down on the criticism over Mamdani’s Day 1 directives affecting the Jewish community.
ZOHRAN MAMDANI WILL BE FIRST MAYOR TO BE SWORN IN ON QURAN DURING NEW YORK CITY INAUGURATION
«We are deeply troubled that, on his first day in office, Mayor Mamdani weakened protections to fight antisemitism,» the Anti-Defamation League’s (ADL) New York and New Jersey chapter said Friday.
The group, alongside a cohort of other New York-area Jewish groups, issued a joint statement against Mamdani’s executive orders.
«Revoking these executive orders removes key tools for addressing antisemitism, including BDS-driven efforts that seek to demonize, delegitimize and isolate the world’s only Jewish state,» the ADL added.
Zohran Mamdani has faced backlash from the Jewish community over his Day 1 executive orders affecting Jewish New Yorkers. (Andres Kudacki/Bastien Ohier/Hans Lucas via Getty Images)
In addition to Mamdani’s executive order rescinding «all executive orders issued on or after September 26, 2024,» which included the measures affecting the Jewish community, the new mayor also unveiled a second executive order on Day 1 establishing five new deputy mayor positions in his administration.
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Also Friday, Mamdani unveiled another new executive order shortly after he was sworn in to establish a new «Office of Mass Engagement,» which aims to prioritize and centralize the city government’s public comment and feedback mechanisms intended to help New Yorkers stay engaged with politics in the Big Apple.
zohran mamdani,new york city,executive policy,executive,anti semitism,new york,politics
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A customer at a McDonald’s in Brazil was seen launching into a flying kick toward an employee during a fight in the fast-food restaurant.
The incident happened at the chain’s Sao Paulo location during a confrontation between workers and customers, The Sun reported.
A couple was seen arguing with staff members on Dec. 13 when the dispute escalated.
MCDONALD’S WORKER SHOOTS CUSTOMER IN NECK DURING ‘MCMESS’ ALTERCATION, FLORIDA SHERIFF SAYS
An altercation occurred in a McDonald’s in Brazil, which ended in a customer launching a «flying kick» at an employee. (Mike Leidig/newsX)
As both sides scream at each other, a female customer is seen hurling a fallen burger at one of the employees, the outlet reported.
In response, an employee throws what appeared to be a burger box at a man in a white T-shirt who appears to be accompanying the woman.
The man leads a small girl away before he launched himself at employees near a counter with a flying kick. An employee then appears to throw a punch, prompting the man to walk away.
WATCH: FOOD ORDER MIX-UP TRIGGERS BRAWL AT BURGER JOINT, LEADING TO SEVEN ARRESTS
Footage captured an altercation in a McDonald’s in Brazil. (Mike Leidig/newsX)
Other employees attempted to step in as the woman demanded her money back. She is seen picking something up from the counter and throwing it before the footage ends.
The reason for the dispute was unclear, but local media outlets said it could have stemmed from a food order.
McDonald’s said it regretted the scenes of violence at its Sao Paulo branch, the Sun report states.
A McDonald’s employee in Brazil is seen getting ready to throw something toward a customer. (Mike Leidig/newsX)
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The fast-food giant said it was investigating the incident and taking appropriate measures.
fast food,brazil,food
Francia instauró una de las restricciones más estrictas de Europa sobre las sustancias perfluoroalquiladas y polifluoroalquiladas (PFAS), conocidas como “químicos eternos”, al prohibir desde el 1 de enero de 2026 la producción, importación y venta de cosméticos, ropa y otros productos que contienen estos compuestos, siempre que existen alternativas disponibles.
La medida, celebrada por organizaciones medioambientales y respaldada por más de 140.000 ciudadanos en una petición parlamentaria, respondió a la creciente alarma sobre los efectos nocivos de estas sustancias en la salud y el medio ambiente. Los PFAS agrupan más de 10.000 compuestos sintéticos que se usan desde la década de 1940 para fabricar artículos diversos como utensilios antiadherentes, prendas impermeables y productos de cuidado personal.
Estas sustancias se caracterizan por su extrema durabilidad; pueden tardar miles de años en degradarse y se detectaron prácticamente en todos los rincones del planeta, desde la cima del Everest hasta el interior de cetáceos en océanos remotos. Esta persistencia facilita su acumulación en suelos, aguas subterráneas, la cadena alimentaria y el agua potable.
La exposición crónica a los PFAS, incluso a bajas concentraciones, se vinculó con daños hepáticos, alteraciones del colesterol, disminución de la respuesta inmunitaria, menor peso al nacer y distintos tipos de cáncer.
Investigaciones recientes señalan que estas sustancias pueden ingresar al organismo no solo por ingestión o inhalación, sino también a través de la piel, lo que incrementó la preocupación por su uso en productos de uso cotidiano, según informó Euronews.
La ley francesa se aprobó en febrero de 2025 y representó un cambio radical para industrias clave como la cosmética y la textil. La industria cosmética francesa, que genera más de EUR 30.000 millones anuales según la asociación FEBEA, reformuló ingredientes y procesos para cumplir la nueva normativa. Las empresas textiles también enfrentaron el desafío de revisar cadenas de suministro y buscar materiales alternativos, debido al uso extendido de PFAS por sus propiedades de resistencia y fácil mantenimiento, de acuerdo con France 24.
La prohibición incluye cosméticos, cera para esquís y la mayoría de prendas de vestir, aunque mantiene excepciones para ciertos textiles industriales considerados esenciales o vinculados a la soberanía nacional.
Tras una fuerte presión del fabricante francés Tefal y otros actores, los utensilios de cocina antiadherentes quedaron exentos. Tefal aseguró que sus productos actuales no usan PFAS clasificados como carcinógenos ni PFOA desde 2012, aunque varios estudios advierten que los recubrimientos de PTFE pueden liberar micro y nanoplásticos durante la cocción.
Entre las obligaciones adicionales, la ley estableció controles periódicos del agua potable para detectar PFAS y contempló multas para los contaminadores. En Europa, se estima que 12,5 millones de personas residen en áreas con agua potable contaminada por estas sustancias.
El enfoque francés contrastó con el de otros países. En Estados Unidos, solo algunos estados, como California, aprobaron prohibiciones parciales sobre los PFAS en cosméticos a partir de 2025, y se prevé que más estados adopten medidas similares en 2026.
Dinamarca eliminó estos compuestos en ropa, calzado y productos impermeabilizantes desde julio de 2026, y los prohibió en envases alimentarios desde 2020. La Unión Europea estudia una normativa integral, pero aún no implementó una prohibición generalizada para productos de consumo .
A nivel mundial, el Convenio de Estocolmo sobre Contaminantes Orgánicos Persistentes limitó varios PFAS desde 2019, con más de 150 países adheridos, aunque China y Estados Unidos excluyeron algunas restricciones.
Entre las sustancias reguladas figuran el ácido perfluorooctanoico (PFOA), utilizado por DuPont para fabricar teflón desde los años cincuenta, y el ácido perfluorooctano sulfónico (PFOS), empleado por el grupo 3M y severamente restringido desde 2009.
A pesar de los avances legislativos, los PFAS continúan detectándose en numerosos ecosistemas y organismos, lo que subraya la urgencia de alternativas seguras y regulaciones más estrictas en la cadena de consumo.
“Esta prohibición en Francia es una gran noticia para quienes buscan reducir su exposición a estos compuestos nocivos”, señaló Sandra Bell, de CHEM Trust, aunque advirtió: “Es fundamental que la Unión Europea avance hacia una restricción aún más amplia que proteja a todos los ciudadanos”, según documentó Euronews.
La nueva regulación francesa redefinió los estándares en la industria cosmética y textil, planteó exigencias técnicas y económicas, y se convirtió en referencia para futuras políticas europeas orientadas a la protección de la salud pública y el entorno natural.
científicas,laboratorio,París,Torre Eiffel,cosméticos,PFAS,innovación,ciencia,contaminación,análisis químico,seguridad,productos libres de tóxicos
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