Tuesday 15 September: budget day and Hormuz drone downed

World news (past 24 hours)

Search goes on for missing after Indonesian ferry capsizes The ferry Virgo Transport 8 flipped over in rough weather in the Java Sea on its way from Surabaya to Banjarmasin. It was carrying 243 people and 89 vehicles. Six people have died, 107 have been rescued, and around 130 are still missing as the search continues. NPR, NBC News

Russian drone hits train near Ukraine-Poland border A Russian drone struck a train close to the border with Poland, shortly after senior visitors, including the former prime ministers of the UK and Sweden, had passed through the area. The strike adds to worries that the war keeps spilling closer to NATO territory. It comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war show little progress. NPR

Trump's remarks on a united Ireland spark backlash During a visit to Dublin, President Trump said he would "love to see" Ireland unified and that it should "happen now." Sinn Fein and Northern Irish nationalist parties welcomed the comments, while UK figures such as Nigel Farage and the DUP's Gavin Robinson pushed back hard. Trump broke with the long-standing US position of neutrality on the issue. ABC News, PBS News

Iran says it downed a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it shot down an advanced US drone over the strait, as the war between the US and Iran drags into its seventh month with no ceasefire in sight. A planned meeting in Oman between Gulf states and Iran on a shipping deal for the strait was postponed. Trump said over the weekend the US could keep up the pressure on Iran's oil trade. CNBC

Wall Street falls as AI worries and yields rise US stocks dropped on fears that the pace of AI spending cannot be sustained. The Nasdaq 100 fell 0.8 percent and the S&P 500 slipped 0.5 percent, while chip stocks were hit hard: Nvidia dropped 3.4 percent and Intel 5.6 percent. The 10-year Treasury yield briefly rose above 5 percent for the first time since 2023. Bloomberg

Oil rises above 100 dollars a barrel Both Brent crude and US crude are trading above 100 dollars a barrel as fighting around the Strait of Hormuz continues to threaten oil shipments. Iran and Gulf states have failed so far to agree on a safe shipping route through the strait. Traders are watching for any sign the conflict could disrupt supply further. CNBC

Dutch news (past 24 hours)

West Nile virus cases keep rising RIVM says the number of West Nile virus infections in the Netherlands has climbed to 18, with three deaths. The virus has also been found in dozens of horses and birds, and in mosquito samples, across six provinces. Health officials expect the risk to drop once autumn weather sets in. RD.nl

Three Dutch nationals killed in plane crash near German border A small Cessna 172 that took off from a flying school in Hilversum crashed just across the German border, near Roermond. All three people on board died: a 57-year-old man, a 58-year-old man, and a 23-year-old woman, all Dutch. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed their deaths. Drimble

King opens the parliamentary year on Prinsjesdag King Willem-Alexander read the Speech from the Throne as the new Jetten cabinet of D66, VVD and CDA held its first Prinsjesdag. It is the first time in years a progressive-liberal-Christian democratic minority government has presented its own tax plan. Finance Minister Heinen followed with the budget for 2027. Tweede Kamer

Defence pushes ahead with new call-up plans The Ministry of Defence is working out a "service model" that could eventually make some military call-ups compulsory if too few people volunteer. For now the plan stays voluntary, starting with a survey and invitation for young people aged 18 to 27. New legislation for the stricter steps would take about two years to arrange. NOS

Cleaners strike at Schiphol and train stations Cleaners walked off the job on Monday, the first of five strike days this week at Schiphol, NS stations, and several universities, organised by union FNV. They are rejecting a pay deal offering rises of 3.1 percent and 3 percent for 2027 and 2028, which they say is too little and too late. NS has arranged minimal cleaning where it says passenger safety could otherwise be at risk. Drimble

Budget shows shrinking purchasing power for 2027 Figures released with the new budget show average purchasing power falling by 0.1 percent next year. Lower incomes and pensioners gain slightly, but people in work see a small drop even with extra tax relief. The government expects a budget deficit of 2.1 percent of GDP in 2027. Salaris Vanmorgen

AI news (past 24 hours)

China hits back at Anthropic chief's warning Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay saying a Chinese lead in AI would be dangerous for the US and the world, and called for keeping limits on selling advanced AI chips to China. China's foreign ministry called this "fearmongering" that could disrupt global cooperation on AI. State media described the essay as an attempt to contain China's tech rise. Korea Times, KPBS

Microsoft calls for caution on powerful AI models Microsoft's AI researchers published a long set of guiding principles, stating that "people matter more than AI." The release lands alongside growing calls across the industry to slow down work on the most advanced AI systems, following concerns about safety risks. Bloomberg

Apple's iOS 27 brings AI deeper into the iPhone Apple's iOS 27 update, reported to ship on Monday, lets Siri use Google's Gemini and allows users to pick which outside AI model powers Apple's AI features. It marks Apple folding generative AI directly into its operating system rather than treating it as an add-on. PYMNTS

SoftBank borrows nearly 12 billion dollars for its OpenAI bet SoftBank Group has secured an 11.87 billion dollar loan from around 20 banks to help fund its investment in OpenAI. The facility adds to a stack of borrowing that already includes a 10 billion dollar loan against SoftBank's stake in the company. Tech Startups

Also

Sport: The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Denver Broncos 27-23 in the Monday Night Football opener. Patrick Mahomes threw for 304 yards and ran for a touchdown, and Kareem Hunt added 121 rushing yards and a score, for a Chiefs win over their AFC West rivals. Fox Sports, CBS Sports

Nature: Autumn bird migration is picking up speed across the Netherlands. Barn swallows and swifts are among the last to leave for Africa, while the first geese are already arriving from the north to spend the winter here. Vogelbescherming

Weather in Groningen: Expect a cloudy day with a high near 21 degrees. It should stay dry for most of the morning, but the chance of light rain and drizzle rises through the afternoon and evening, with steadier rain likely overnight as it cools to around 13 degrees.

On the agenda today

The US Federal Reserve starts a two-day meeting today. Its interest rate decision follows tomorrow, with markets split on whether rates will hold or rise after recent hot inflation data.