Public safety incident

Bomb threats continued to target schools in several European countries today. In France, four educational institutions were evacuated, while in Italy more than 1,800 alerts were reported. Many schools, however, remained open, believing the threats to be hoaxes. Similar alerts were also reported in the United Kingdom and Ireland, but classes continued uninterrupted, IPN reports.According to Euronews, two high schools in the French towns of Marseille and Morez, a middle school, and the University Institute of Technology in Laon were evacuated. Bomb disposal teams searched the buildings. The Ministry of Education confirmed the bomb threats but ruled out a widespread pattern.French President Emmanuel Macron said it was too early to determine whether foreign powers were behind the wave of bomb hoaxes across Europe, which have recently also targeted commercial aircraft.In Italy, the government has recommended evacuating public institutions only when there is concrete evidence of danger. The recommendation follows a wave of false alarms on Wednesday that led to the closure of dozens of schools across the country.In recent days, media outlets in Ireland and Bulgaria have received bomb threats. Dozens of commercial aircraft have also been targeted by similar threats while flying over Europe, and cyberattacks have disrupted refrigeration systems at supermarkets in France, Italy and Belgium.