MILAN (AP) | November 11, 2026 | More than 300 schools across Italy were evacuated Wednesday after receiving bomb threats by email, while similar messages sent to schools in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland were declared non-credible, triggering investigations but no widespread disruption to classes.
Italian Education Minister Giuseppe Valditara said 312 schools had been evacuated after receiving threatening messages. Students were moved to safe areas under the supervision of teachers as police conducted security checks. Parents rushed to schools to collect their children, while several school communities reported anxiety and disruption to normal classes.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said there was no indication of a concrete danger to schools and that the messages appeared intended to generate alarm and concern. She convened a meeting with government officials as investigations continued, according to The Associated Press.
The threatening email also reportedly contained a threat against Meloni. It was signed using the name “Mikhail Andropov, leader of the Vilayat of Misoginistan,” the same purported identity used in threatening messages sent to media organizations in Ireland and Bulgaria the previous week, Reuters reported.
Authorities have not established who sent the messages or linked them to any particular organization or government.
In Northern Ireland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said more than 300 schools had reported receiving the same threatening email. Police classified the messages as a hoax after initial checks found no evidence of a credible threat.
Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally said the risk to the public was considered low, although investigations were continuing. Police urged schools and communities to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.
In Scotland, Police Scotland also treated the messages as hoaxes, saying there was no evidence of a credible threat and no requirement for schools to evacuate.
In the Republic of Ireland, Education Minister Hildegarde Naughton said police had assessed the messages as non-credible and advised schools that evacuation was unnecessary. An Garda Síochána received numerous calls from concerned educational institutions and continued coordinating responses.
The incidents come amid a wider series of suspicious threats and cyber-related disruptions affecting European institutions. According to AP, dozens of flights across Europe received bomb threats in the preceding week, resulting in flight diversions and operational disruptions. Broadcasters, supermarkets and other facilities have also faced cyberattacks and security incidents.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto described the latest threats as an apparent attempt to spread fear and anxiety, while cautioning that individual perpetrators could also be responsible.
Some European officials have raised suspicions that Russia could be involved in a broader campaign of disruption against countries supporting Ukraine. However, Russia has denied such allegations, and authorities have presented no publicly established evidence connecting the school threats to Moscow or any foreign government.
The incidents highlight the growing challenges European authorities face in responding to mass-distributed threats, particularly those sent electronically to multiple institutions across national borders. Although the latest alerts were treated as hoaxes, officials emphasized that every report must be assessed to protect students, teachers and school personnel.
Police investigations remain ongoing as authorities work to establish the origin of the messages and determine whether the incidents are connected.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
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