Wednesday 16 September: Fed decision, Dutch budget debate

World news (past 24 hours)

Houthi forces complete takeover of Yemen's Red Sea coast. Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized the port of Mokha and a string of islands, giving them full control of the coastline around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday that recent Houthi attacks on commercial ships likely amount to war crimes in at least three cases. About 150 civilians have been killed in the renewed fighting since the start of September. (NBC News, Human Rights Watch)

Search continues for 130 missing after Indonesian ferry disaster. The Virgo Transport 8 capsized in the Java Sea on Sunday with 243 people aboard. Six bodies have been recovered and 107 people rescued, but rough seas are hampering the search for the rest. It is the fourth major Indonesian ferry emergency since July. (NPR, NBC News)

The EPA scraps Biden-era climate rules for power plants. The US Environmental Protection Agency signed a repeal of carbon limits on coal and gas plants on Monday, arguing federal law does not allow it to regulate emissions for climate reasons. The agency says the move will save consumers an estimated 310 billion dollars; environmental groups say it removes a major tool against climate change. (Washington Post, Daily Signal)

NATO pledges more support for Ukraine after strikes near Poland. NATO chief Mark Rutte promised additional aid after Russian drones struck close to the Polish border. It is the latest in a string of pledges this year, as allies try to show Ukraine steady backing while a broader peace push continues. (Al Jazeera)

Oil prices jump on Saudi pipeline shutdown. Brent crude rose more than two percent to above 108 dollars a barrel after Saudi Arabia shut a major pipeline hit by Houthi strikes. Officials say repairs could take three to five weeks, and the pipeline normally carries seven million barrels a day, so the outage is already pushing up pump prices in the US and Europe. (CNBC, The National)

Wall Street falls as traders brace for the Fed. US stocks dropped on Tuesday, with the Dow down over 300 points, as Treasury yields hit their highest level since 2007 ahead of Wednesday's interest rate decision. Asian markets also closed mostly lower. (CNBC)

Dutch news (past 24 hours)

Three Dutch people killed in small plane crash in Germany. A Cessna that took off from Hilversum crashed near Erkelenz, just over the German border, killing all three people on board: two men aged 57 and 58, and a 23-year-old woman. German and Dutch investigators are looking into the cause. (NOS)

Associates of drug boss "Bolle Jos" arrested in Ghana. Three men suspected of working for fugitive Dutch drug lord Jos Leijdekkers, known as Bolle Jos, were arrested in Ghana. The arrests followed the discovery of nearly 4,000 kilos of cocaine hidden in plastic waste in a shipping container in the French port of Dunkirk. (NOS)

King presents budget on Prinsjesdag as coalition seeks support. King Willem-Alexander opened the parliamentary year on Tuesday, and the cabinet presented its 2027 budget. The Jetten coalition of D66, VVD and CDA holds only 66 of 150 seats, so it is offering to adjust its own plans to win backing from opposition parties. (Rijksoverheid)

Coalition still short of a majority as budget debate opens. A day before Prinsjesdag, it was still unclear whether the Jetten cabinet could find majorities for its plans. An internal deal on the 2027 budget reached on 1 September was not backed by any opposition party, leaving the outcome of this week's parliamentary debate uncertain. (OpinieZ)

Union FNV demands 5.5 percent pay rise plus 80 euro. The FNV trade union set its wage demand for the coming round of labour talks at 5.5 percent plus 80 euro a month, including automatic compensation for inflation. For the first time, the union also wants a say over how AI is used in the workplace. (NOS)

Gas prices at a three-year high, healthcare premiums set to rise. Dutch gas prices have reached their highest level in more than three years, pushed up by the Middle East supply disruption, with petrol now around 2.72 euro a litre. Separately, the government's budget plans show health insurance premiums rising by at least 10 euro a month from 2027, to an average of about 169 euro. (Rijksoverheid)

AI news (past 24 hours)

OpenAI, Anthropic and Google DeepMind coordinate on AI safety. OpenAI's global policy chief said Tuesday the three companies have spent several weeks working together on safety measures, as pressure grows over how fast AI is advancing. It follows a weekend essay from Anthropic's Dario Amodei calling for the industry to slow down, which OpenAI's Sam Altman and Elon Musk both publicly backed. (Bloomberg)

Meta launches "Meta One" AI subscription bundle. Meta rolled out its Meta One subscription service on Tuesday, adding enhanced AI features across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. The company says the service has already reached 15 million subscriptions and trials during its phased rollout. (1027 WBOW)

ChatGPT passes 1 billion weekly users. OpenAI said this week that ChatGPT has crossed 1 billion weekly users, a milestone that comes as the AI industry faces growing scrutiny over safety and the pace of new releases. (AI Weekly)

Some big firms restrict use of Anthropic's models. Following the safety debate sparked by Amodei's essay, companies including Nvidia, Palantir and Booz Allen have restricted use of Anthropic's models internally, even as Anthropic pushes ahead with plans to go public. (AI Weekly)

Also

Sports: Ajax beat newly-promoted Willem II 5-1 at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Tuesday evening, with Davy Klaassen opening the scoring just before half-time and Kasper Dolberg completing the rout late on. (HollandseVelden)

Nature fact: September is one of the busiest months for bird migration over the Netherlands. Buzzards and honey buzzards that breed in Scandinavia are now flying south to Africa, and it is not the cold that sends them off, it is the search for food.

Weather in Groningen: Cloudy but mostly dry today, with highs of 23 to 24 degrees this afternoon. There is a chance of a light shower or drizzle this evening, with a moderate wind. It clears up overnight, cooling to around 13 degrees.

On the agenda today

The US Federal Reserve announces its interest rate decision at 2pm Eastern time (8pm in the Netherlands), with a press conference from Chair Kevin Warsh to follow. The current rate stands at 3.5 to 3.75 percent, and markets are watching closely for any move. In The Hague, the Tweede Kamer opens the Algemene Politieke Beschouwingen at 10:15, the annual two-day debate where party leaders give their verdict on the government's budget plans.