Italy is heading into a fresh political and cultural debate over immigration, integration and religious symbols in schools after Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced plans to introduce new classroom rules. Meloni said her government will bring forward legislation to set a legal maximum on the number of foreign students in each class, while also banning burqas and niqabs in Italian schools. The proposal would additionally require parents of foreign students facing serious integration difficulties to learn Italian. The announcement has triggered a wider political argument over assimilation, religious freedom, national identity and the role of schools in integrating migrant families.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat delivered a message of unity and religious inclusion at a New York event, saying that a Hindu who believes Muslims should not be in Bharat cannot truly remain a Hindu. His remarks came amid protests outside Madison Square Garden over his appearance and the RSS’s ideology.