Wave of letter bombings
The week's news at a glance.
Brussels
European Union officials all over the Continent received letter bombs last week—a few of which went off, though nobody was hurt. A bomb concealed in a package addressed to the wife of Romano Prodi, the head of the E.U.’s executive body, exploded at Prodi’s home in Rome. Another letter bomb exploded at the Manchester office of a British member of the European Parliament, and a third at the Brussels office of a German member. Bombs were also mailed to the European police agency headquarters at The Hague and to the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, but they were defused before they exploded. Most of the letters were postmarked Bologna, and police suspect an Italian group known as the Informal Anarchist Federation, which recently vowed to attack “the apparatus of control that is repressive and leading the democratic show that is the new European order.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Does Reform have a Russia problem?
Talking Point Nigel Farage is ‘in bed with Putin’, claims Rachel Reeves, after party’s former leader in Wales pleaded guilty to taking bribes from the Kremlin
-
Five key questions about the Gaza peace deal
The Explainer Many ‘unresolved hurdles’ remain before Donald Trump’s 20-point plan can get the go-ahead
-
See the Northern Lights from these bucket list destinations
The Week Recommends The dazzling displays can be spotted across Iceland, Sweden and parts of Canada