Italy Moves to Prevent Unnecessary Evacuations Over Bomb Hoaxes

Italy’s government is planning new measures to handle security alerts, including mass threat emails, following widespread school evacuations across the country. Under the proposed approach, buildings would generally remain open unless authorities find concrete evidence of an actual threat.

On Wednesday, around 6,300 schools received bomb threat emails, triggering panic and forcing parents to rush to collect their children. Several schools were also shut down on Thursday after fresh warnings, although police in Rome said there was no evidence supporting the latest threats. Similar emails had targeted schools and other public services across Europe.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met opposition leaders to discuss ways to prevent further disruption. Opposition parties criticised the government for insufficient investment in cybersecurity and called for stronger digital defences. While some European officials suspect Russia could be behind the wider campaign, Italian authorities have said there is currently no evidence linking Moscow to the incidents.

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