Latest bomb hoax disruption hits Europe as alerts sent to schools in Italy, UK and Ireland

Detailed summary

Schools across Italy were evacuated overnight after around 6,300 of them received bomb warnings, the latest in a series of threats and cyber attacks around Europe against…

Schools across Italy were evacuated overnight after around 6,300 of them received bomb warnings, the latest in a series of threats and cyber attacks around Europe against supermarkets, blood banks, air traffic and broadcasters.

Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland said many of their schools received similar email threats from abroad, but it was classed as a hoax and did not disrupt classes.

In Italy, schools closed swiftly after the warnings, prompting many parents to drop what they were doing to pick up their children.

"My daughter Dafne started crying because the kids did not understand what was happening, and she was still shaken when I picked her up," said Nensi Bego, parent of a child at the Mazzini middle school in Rome.

"This is so annoying. It's obvious it's just a hoax that disrupts lessons and disrupts everyone's day."

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"All students have been taken to a safe area and remain under the supervision of teaching staff," one school in Rome informed parents through a messaging app.

A copy of the message seen by Reuters news agency also included a threat to target Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

She said the bomb alerts posed no danger and that police and other public bodies were monitoring the situation.

Opening of the article, excerpted from SBS News. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.