Ruling party OKs bill outlawing Japanese flag desecration

TOKYO - The ruling Liberal Democratic Party approved on Tuesday a proposed bill that would outlaw desecration of Japan's national flag, targeting passage in the Diet session through mid-July.

The lawmaker-drafted bill is one of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's top legislative priorities, but it faces criticism from parts of the opposition camp that see it as potentially infringing on the constitutional right to freedom of expression.