Hundreds of schools across Europe receive bomb threat emails

Bomb-threat emails prompted precautionary evacuations at about 300 schools across Italy, with authorities expecting the number to rise; similar messages reached at least 470 schools in Scotland, more than 300 in Northern Ireland and schools in the Republic of Ireland. Police in the UK and Ireland, and Italian officials, assessed the warnings as hoaxes or not credible, and checks in Italy found no evidence of danger. Italy’s prime minister said the alerts appeared intended to create alarm, while officials investigate who sent them and whether they are linked to a broader campaign targeting European institutions and services. In Italy, pupils were moved to safe areas before the alarms were lifted, and the alerts frightened students and families.