News about a bridge, sports, interest rates, artificial intelligence and cards (Thursday, September 17)

Rijkswaterstaat (the Dutch Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management) has partially closed the western Suurhoff Bridge on the A15 toward Maasvlakte. During an inspection, cracks were found in a main girder, a beam that carries a great deal of weight. Two lanes are closed, and traffic is using the hard shoulder, adding 20 to 30 minutes to journey times.

Mathieu van der Poel won the first stage of the Tour de Luxembourg. The 157.5-kilometre stage took place around Luxembourg City. He attacked on the final climb and later won the sprint from a small group.

The United States Federal Reserve raised interest rates to between 3.75 and 4 percent. Chair Kevin Warsh said this was necessary to combat high inflation. It is the first increase in more than three years, and stock markets reacted negatively.

There is criticism of artificial intelligence companies that want to develop advanced artificial intelligence more slowly. Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei wants support from the United States government. David Sacks, an adviser to Trump, says companies should make safe products themselves.

Across the country, collectors queued for special Pokémon cards. The cards were produced to mark the 30th anniversary of the Japanese series. In Tilburg, nearly one hundred people waited, and a box containing nine packs costs approximately 90 euros.