On Monday, temperature controls in refrigerators and freezers malfunctioned across dozens of supermarkets in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Ireland and France, ruining perishable goods. Retailers including Ahold Delhaize, Colruyt, ICA, Coop, Carrefour Belgium and Musgrave Group reported the incidents, with some stores noting temperatures reaching 50 °C. The attacks appear coordinated, with hackers reportedly switching evaporators to defrost mode, and police in France confirmed fires and food losses at hundreds of outlets. Companies are investigating and have withdrawn affected products while authorities examine the cyber breach.
Netherlands
3 stories since 28 October 2026, newest first
2 November 2026
29 October 2026
Christine Lagarde announced her resignation on Thursday and will step down as European Central Bank president on 7 Feb 2027, nine months before her term ends. The decision comes as euro‑zone inflation runs at almost twice the ECB’s 2 % target and bond yields, especially in France, are rising sharply. Lagarde told officials she wants the freedom to comment on political issues beyond monetary policy. The European Council has launched a selection process, with candidates such as Klaas Knot and Pablo Hernández de Cos mentioned as front‑runners.
28 October 2026
Archaeologist Renzo Duin has spent more than two decades documenting dense archaeological landscapes hidden under Suriname's forest canopy. Speaking to Mongabay, Duin described pottery fragments and a ditch-enclosed site he found in what his team perceived as pristine rainforest, during a 2004 expedition into the mountainous tri-border area shared by Brazil, Suriname and Guyana. Experts cited by Mongabay say the country pledged to permanently protect 90% of its forests, yet they warn that neglecting Indigenous stewardship history leaves the ecosystem exposed to ongoing illegal deforestation. Illegal gold mining, Mongabay reports, pollutes Suriname's rivers with mercury and cyanide.