Italy ministers agree to ban burqa and niqab in school and cap foreigners in class

The Italian government has approved a ban on the burqa and niqab in schools, along with a limit on the share of pupils who speak little Italian in any one class. A 30% cap will be imposed on children without Italian citizenship or poor knowledge of the Italian language in the first year of primary, middle and high school. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described the measures as "common-sense tools that do not divide but really help to integrate". Opposition parties accuse the government of pandering to the policies of the hard-right Futuro Nazionale party, ahead of a general election next year.