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, TUE., OCT. 13, 2026No. 9 · Morning, 6:00 a.m. CEST6 a.m. CEST
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Economy · CybersecurityPress ✓ 8 outlets · cause not yet confirmed

Albert Heijn partly shut down after cyber incident: web shop closed, distribution centers idle, empty shelves loom

Since Sunday the country’s largest supermarket chain has been dealing with a ‘cybersecurity incident’. On Monday several distribution centers stood idle and price screens in the stores did not work. Whether it is an attack has not yet been confirmed.

Albert Heijn has been struggling since Sunday with a disruption that the company itself calls a ‘cybersecurity incident’ (AD, NOS, NU.nl, Parool). On Monday the scale became clear. The parent company Ahold Delhaize switched off parts of its computer network ‘preventively’, writes the NRC. As a result the web shops of Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall could not be used, and groceries ordered online were not delivered (De Telegraaf). Work has come to a halt at several distribution centers, the large warehouses from which the stores are supplied. Director Margaret Versteden-Van Duijn told the NOS that empty shelves may appear, especially for fresh products.

Customers noticed it in the stores right away. The screens above the shelves did not work and price tags were taped over, so customers could not always see the price (NU.nl). Discounts that no longer applied were still on the tags (De Telegraaf). According to the same paper, the savings campaigns have also stopped. Thousands of regular customers switched to Jumbo and Picnic, writes the AD; retail experts call it the biggest digital incident in the chain’s history. Jumbo told the NOS that it is already scaling up because more people are ordering online. Ahold Delhaize’s shares fell according to market reports (one source, not confirmed by a second).

Much is unknown. The company does not say whether hackers have been in its systems. The NRC writes that taking countless systems offline suggests Albert Heijn does not know where the suspected hacker is; that is the paper’s assessment, not an established fact. We have not seen a ransom demand or a group claiming responsibility. There is also no report that customer data have been stolen. Reports differ on the number of distribution centers that are closed, so we give no number. The company has not said when the web shop and the supply chain will run normally again. Anyone shopping today can therefore still expect gaps on the shelves, especially for vegetables, fruit and other fresh goods.

Read the full story and DailyDrop’s take
By the numbers
3web shops offline: Albert Heijn, Etos and Gall & Gall (De Telegraaf)
1day the disruption began: Sunday, October 11 (AD)
?number of closed distribution centers: sources differ
World · DefensePress ✓ 7 outlets · quotes according to NOS, NU.nl and NRC

Top NATO military officer: any attack will be ‘blocked and broken’

The American general Alexus Grynkewich, NATO’s highest-ranking military officer, gave a rare public speech on Monday about the alliance’s ‘theory of victory’ (NOS, NU.nl, NRC, de Volkskrant, AD). According to him, an attack on a member state must be stopped, weakened and broken (NOS). NU.nl and the NRC quote him as saying that in the event of an attack NATO will destroy ‘everything and everyone’; De Telegraaf headlined that NATO is ‘ready to fight, tonight if need be’. He did not name Russia (NRC). According to de Volkskrant he also wanted to reassure Europe: escalation will not break the alliance.

The timing stands out. The AD calls his tone very different from that of President Trump. The NRC points out that Trump is, right now, fattening Russia’s war chest and putting pressure on Ukraine. The NOS reports that doubts about the role of the U.S. have not been removed. We have not seen a reaction from Trump or the White House.

Read on
Word of the day
DeterrenceDefense

The idea behind deterrence: an adversary does not attack because he expects to pay a heavy price for it. The general’s speech was meant to send that signal, but whether Moscow reads it that way, we do not know.

Economy · SciencePress ✓ 8 outlets · announcement by the Swedish Academy

Nobel Prize in Economics goes to Americans Robert Hall and Michael Woodford

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Monday that the American economists Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford receive the Nobel Prize in Economics (NOS, NU.nl, De Telegraaf, NRC, Reuters, AP). They are honored for their research on how governments and central banks can absorb economic shocks, for example an energy crisis (NOS, NU.nl). Their models take into account the role of households and businesses in economic stability. According to De Telegraaf the jury spoke of a ‘blind spot’ in existing theory that they have resolved.

The NRC writes that their work gave government policy to stabilize the economy a firmer foundation and put the ideas of the economist Keynes back on the map. What the research delivers in concrete terms for a Dutch person, the reports do not say. It is theory on which policymakers base their decisions, such as supporting the economy in a crisis.

Read on
Sport · CyclingPress ✓ 4 outlets · allegation not proven

British top sprinter Richardson, Lavreysen’s big rival, dropped from squad just before World Championships

The British sprinter Matthew Richardson will not take part in the track cycling World Championships in Shanghai, where he would have been Harrie Lavreysen’s biggest competitor this week (NOS, NU.nl, AD, De Telegraaf). He was already in China, but the British cycling federation dropped him from the squad. The federation gives no explanation for his absence. The Times reports, writes the AD, that he was removed from the team because of an investigation into alleged discriminatory behavior. NU.nl and De Telegraaf speak of alleged racism.

This is an allegation, not an established fact. What Richardson is supposed to have done exactly, who filed the complaint and whether he can respond, we have not seen. For Lavreysen an important opponent does drop out. Whether that makes the World Championships easier for him, the reports do not dare to say.

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World · UkrainePress ✓ 6 outlets · statements from Zelensky

Zelensky: Russia keeps attacking energy targets despite Trump’s ‘energy truce’. Oil prices rise

President Zelensky said on Monday that Russia has already violated the ‘energy truce’ announced by President Trump with new attacks on energy installations (PBS, The Hill, New York Post, NBC). On Sunday Trump had said on Truth Social that both countries would no longer attack each other’s energy supplies. Moscow says little about it, writes the BBC. According to NBC, energy prices rose after the truce failed to sway Russia and Ukraine. On Bloomberg TV an American senator called the truce and the diesel deal with Russia ‘extremely desperate’ (one source).

The effects on the stock market were limited. The American S&P 500 closed 0.06 percent lower on Monday at 7,807.24 points and the Nasdaq 0.44 percent lower at 27,245.90 (Yahoo Finance, Reuters). According to De Telegraaf the Dow Jones gained, while the Nasdaq was under pressure from higher oil prices and weak chip companies. The AEX closed 0.4 percent higher at 1,135.49 points, partly thanks to Adyen; De Telegraaf writes that the index raised its record. The oil price matters to Dutch motorists, but the reports give no figures for the pump.

Read on
In brief
  • Dead in major house fire in Doesburg, building threatens to collapse; surrounding homes evacuatedNOS · De Telegraaf
  • Poland accuses Russia of fire at Starlink station, two Turks detained in GermanyReuters · de Volkskrant · De Telegraaf
  • Unions FNV and CNV demand swift clarity on the future of Shell MoerdijkDe Telegraaf · FD
  • Poelifinario awards for Ruud Smulders, Lisa Ostermann, Yentl and De Boer, and David LinszenNRC · NOS
  • De Ligt back in Manchester United squad after almost eleven months for match against AtléticoNOS · NU.nl · AD
  • Meta presents AI models Muse Wonder, meant to rival OpenAI and AnthropicReuters · Bloomberg TV
  • Marnix van Rij, designer of the box 3 plan, fears chaos and wants an extra levy above 5 millionDe Telegraaf (one source)
  • Sanne Wevers (35) takes part in a World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam for the eleventh timeDe Telegraaf (one source)
Seven minutes every morning, one front page

Unverified — what we could not confirm

“Albert Heijn is the victim of a hacker attack.” The company speaks of a ‘cybersecurity incident’ and does not say whether there was a break-in. The hacker is an assessment by the NRC and De Telegraaf (‘presumably’).
“The 13-week scan will disappear from 2027.” The AD writes 2027; NOS and NRC give January 1, 2028. We go with 2028, but are waiting for the minister’s letter.
“Richardson is guilty of racism.” There is only an investigation into alleged discriminatory behavior. The British federation gives no explanation and there is no ruling.
Glossary · dotted words — economics, law, security and science terms explained in the context of the story. The list grows every day.
INSIDEAlbert Heijn partly shut down after cyber incident: web shop closed, distribution centers idle, empty shelves loomEconomy · CybersecurityTop NATO military officer: any attack will be ‘blocked and broken’World · DefenseNobel Prize in Economics goes to Americans Robert Hall and Michael WoodfordEconomy · ScienceBritish top sprinter Richardson, Lavreysen’s big rival, dropped from squad just before World ChampionshipsSport · CyclingZelensky: Russia keeps attacking energy targets despite Trump’s ‘energy truce’. Oil prices riseWorld · Ukraine