Women in Tehran increasingly ditching hijab

European diplomats have called a pause in talks on Iran's nuclear program "disappointing." EU envoy Enrique Mora has said only weeks remain to save the deal, as Iran ramps up uranium enrichment.

There's unrest in India after students wearing headscarves are banned from classrooms in the state of Karnataka. For one newspaper, it's a worrying preview of PM Narendra Modi's increasingly nationalist and anti-Muslim agenda, 20 years after he was accused of turning a blind eye to Muslim killings as head of the state of Gujarat. In other news, the famed Australian soap "Neighbours" faces the axe. Finally, we bring you a bit of relationship advice!

In southern India, a debate is raging over whether the government can ban students from wearing hijabs and burqas in the classroom. Last month the Karnataka state government issued such a ban, spurring legal action and angry protests across the state.

Muskan Khan, a college student in Karnataka state, told DW that she is not afraid of the Hindu right-wing activists who want to enforce a veil ban in educational institutes. The row has now spread across the country.

Back in June 2019, the provincial government in Quebec adopted a secularism law, known as Bill 21. The law bars some government employees in positions of authority, such as teachers, from wearing religious signs while on the job. In December 2021, the law was applied for the first time. A Muslim teacher who wears a hijab was removed from her job and reassigned to an administrative position. The decision has sparked controversy and polarised Canadians.

The Indian state of Karnataka has seen major tensions after the regional government approved of a decision by schools to ban the hijab. Amid those tensions, some old videos have been doing the rounds. Also, on Saint Valentine's Day, heart-shaped icons and landscapes are being shared... but not all of them are real.

Students returned to schools and colleges in the southern Indian state after protests over a hijab ban. A court is currently hearing petitions calling for the reversal of the ban.

The high court in Karnataka has upheld a ban on hijab-wearing in schools and colleges. The ruling could have major repercussions for the rest of the country, with India having a large Muslim minority.

A court decision banning headscarves worn by Muslim girls in schools has ignited a debate over whether a court can decide what constitutes religious practice. Judges ruled the scarves aren't an "essential" part of Islam.

Iranian women who rebel against mandatory wearing of hijabs say they are being discriminated against in the workplace.

Baghdad is hoping to revive talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia following the deadly confrontation in Yemen. Diplomatic ties between Tehran and Riyadh have been non-existent for years.

Officials deny that the Russian President's visit to Tehran is also about the delivery of combat drones. That is unlikely, says Kersten Knipp — and argues that the countries are united in their fight against democracy.