Saturday 3 October: Iran buildup and a royal colonial study

World news (past 24 hours)

Top stories

US sends more forces as Trump weighs new Iran strikes. The US is moving roughly 9,000 troops and a third aircraft carrier group, led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt, toward the Middle East. President Trump warned that Iran would be hit "very hard" if it is linked to the attack on a Flydubai flight to Israel. The ships carry about 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines. Some outlets put the total at up to 10,000 troops. (Fortune, US News/AP, NOS)

Ethiopia and Eritrea break diplomatic ties. The two neighbours cut relations as fighting grows in Tigray, Amhara and Afar. Each side accuses the other of backing armed rebels. Analysts warn the conflict could pull in Sudan and Egypt. Reports differ on who moved first: Al Jazeera says Eritrea cut ties after Ethiopia expelled its diplomats, while the Wall Street Journal says Ethiopia cut ties after drone strikes on its capital. (Al Jazeera, FDD Overnight Brief / WSJ, Reuters)

Student protests close 400 French schools. At least 400 of France's 3,700 high schools were shut on Friday. Students protest against full classes, teacher shortages and run-down buildings. The education minister says at least 170 students and 65 staff have been hurt, and police have made close to 2,000 arrests in one day. Student groups have called new protests for Tuesday. (Al Jazeera, NOS)

Politics

Israel's Supreme Court lets Arab parties run. The court overturned the election committee's ban on Ra'am and the Joint List, unanimously. It also reinstated Hadash MP Ofer Cassif by seven votes to two. The court said the bans did not meet the legal bar. Supporters of the ban say the parties back armed struggle; critics say the committee used double standards. The election is on 27 October. (Times of Israel, Al Jazeera)

Spain's parliament rejects housing decrees. Lawmakers voted down two decrees from the Sánchez government. They would have blocked evictions of vulnerable renters and extended rental contracts. Junts, the People's Party and Vox voted against; they say the rules would shrink supply and that more building is the answer. Spanish media say early elections are now being discussed. (Al Jazeera, NOS)

Economy

Weak US jobs report lifts stocks. US employers added only 29,000 jobs in September, against about 84,000 expected. Unemployment rose to 4.2 percent. Markets now expect the Fed is less likely to raise rates, and the S&P 500 rose 0.7 percent while the Nasdaq gained 1.2 percent. (Yahoo Finance, TheStreet)

G7 releases 100 million barrels of oil and diesel. G7 leaders agreed to release reserves over four months, with a large diesel release in the first 20 days. It follows US pressure and record diesel prices. Members also promised not to limit energy exports to each other during the release. (The National, Al Jazeera)

Dutch news (past 24 hours)

Top stories

Study: House of Orange earned about 576 million euro from colonialism. A large study led by historian Gert Oostindie found that all rulers up to Queen Wilhelmina supported colonialism. Most of the money came from the former Dutch East Indies. King Willem-Alexander called the findings deeply confronting. (NL Times, DutchNews, NOS)

Rotterdam closes venue over JoeyAK concert. Mayor Carola Schouten shut Villa Thalia for 24 hours, citing a specific threat linked to a concert by the convicted rapper. A judge had earlier suspended an area ban. (NL Times, NOS)

Aid worker with Ebola treated in Leiden. An aid worker infected with Ebola in Congo arrived at the Leiden hospital overnight. The outbreak in Congo is the fastest-growing on record. (NOS, NL Times)

Politics

Cabinet pushed to change Box 3 plan again. Just 48 hours after presenting it, Finance Minister Eelco Heinen had to rework his savings tax plan. The plan cut the tax-free amount from 60,000 to 30,000 euro, hitting about 850,000 small savers. Parliament wants the old interest exemption back; Heinen says finding the money is "enormously complicated". (NL Times, DutchNews, NOS)

EU irritated by minister over Bolle Jos. Justice Minister David van Weel said the EU stopped aid to Sierra Leone because it refuses to hand over drug suspect Jos Leijdekkers. The European Commission says the 18 million euro was paused for technical reasons. Van Weel stands by his claim. (NL Times, NOS)

Jetten rules out reparations. Prime Minister Rob Jetten said no to reparations after the royal study, pointing to the 200 million euro set aside in 2023. Activist Mitchell Esajas returned his royal honour, saying words are not enough. The slavery institute NiNsee welcomed the study. (NL Times, NOS)

Economy

Inflation rises to 3.4 percent. Prices rose 3.4 percent in September, up from 3.3 percent in August, says Statistics Netherlands. High fuel prices are the main cause. (NL Times, NOS)

Katwijk approves Eli Lilly plant. The council approved the building permit for a 3 billion dollar factory for diabetes and weight-loss drugs. It should bring about 500 jobs. Because the power grid is full, it will first run on gas turbines. (NL Times, NOS)

Vape tax on the way. The government is preparing an excise tax on vapes, starting in 2029, without waiting for the EU. The aim is to make vaping as expensive as smoking. The rate is not set yet. (NL Times, NOS)

AI news (past 24 hours)

OpenAI fires three safety researchers. OpenAI says the three broke its rules on handling sensitive information, reportedly by sharing it with an outside AI safety group. Some material was about OpenAI's infrastructure. It comes as AI safety concerns grow. (Fox Business, Just Security / WSJ)

Google's first space AI satellite is in orbit. Google confirmed contact with its Project Suncatcher prototype, built with Planet. It carries four Google TPU chips to test whether AI hardware can work in space. A two-satellite test is planned for 2027. (Tech Times, iPhone in Canada)

Trump expected to name Jay Clayton as AI tsar. Several outlets report the intelligence chief will oversee US AI policy. The White House called the reports "baseless speculation" until an announcement. (Al Jazeera, Axios)

Hans Anders pulls Meta smart glasses. The Dutch eyewear chain stopped selling Meta's camera glasses over privacy concerns. Parliament is pushing for a ban. (NL Times, NOS)

Also

Sport: Jong Oranje won 4-2 in Slovenia and keeps its hopes for the Under-21 Euros alive. Goals came from Oufkir, Zeefuik, Poku and Kees Smit. The deciding match is on Tuesday. (FC Update, VI)

Nature: October is peak bird migration over the Wadden Sea. Tens of thousands of birds stop on the islands on their way south, and Brent geese pass the Wadden islands in large numbers this month. (Texel.net, Wadden Sea World Heritage)

On this day: On 3 October 1990, East and West Germany were reunited after 45 years apart. Germany marks it today as the Day of German Unity. (History UK, Jurist)

Weather in Groningen: Dry all day. Cool morning around 11 to 12 degrees, rising to about 19 to 21 degrees in the afternoon. No rain expected. (Open-Meteo, wttr.in)

On the agenda today

• No trains to or from Amsterdam Central today due to platform works; reduced service Sunday and Monday. (NOS)
• Germany marks the Day of German Unity.
• Bosnia votes in general elections tomorrow, 4 October. (Al Jazeera)