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sábado, 12 de setembro de 2026
Why the Houthis’ Lightning Advance Threatens Global Shipping
Why
the Houthis’ Lightning Advance Threatens Global Shipping
By Sergio Peçanha, Lazaro Gamio and Weiyi Cai
Updated
Sept. 11, 2026, 3:20 p.m. ET
In a
surge of attacks this week, the Houthi militia struck across Yemen’s border
into Saudi Arabia; captured a strategic port on the Red Sea; and seized an
island at the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The swift advance tightens the Iran-backed
group’s grip on a crucial choke point of global oil and cargo shipping.
Sources:
Kpler (ship position data); Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise
Institute (Houthi stronghold); Global Energy Monitor (pipeline routes). Note:
Traffic through strait shown on map is between July 18 and July 24.
The Bab
al-Mandab Strait is just 12.5 miles wide at some points, making it a narrow
passage for cargo ships heading from Asia and the Middle East to the Suez
Canal.
Shipping
lanes through the strait run less than three miles from Perim Island, well
within range of the Houthis’ missiles and drones.
Sources:
International Maritime Organization (shipping lanes); U.S. Department of State
(international borders); OpenStreetMap (coastline data).
After
Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia used pipelines to
move oil to the Red Sea and increased its reliance on the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The Saudi
government said on Friday that a strategic pipeline that carried oil across the
kingdom to its Red Sea ports was “subjected to several attacks” on Thursday,
and that the pipeline had been shut down “as a precautionary measure.” The
government did not specify the source of the attacks, which it said had
resulted in some injuries.
Satellite
images obtained on Friday by The New York Times showed a plume of black smoke
more than 60 miles long rising from an area close to the pipeline.
Sources:
Copernicus (satellite image from Sept. 10, 2026); Global Energy Monitor
(pipeline route).
Saudi
Arabia still has alternatives: It could send oil and fuels north to the
Mediterranean via a pipeline in Egypt or the Suez Canal.
Sources:
Global Energy Monitor (pipelines); Critical Threats Project at the American
Enterprise Institute (Houthi-controlled areas)
The
Houthis’ recent territorial gains could further disrupt global shipping and
complicate the war that began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran
this year.
Sweden’s extremely close election could see far right enter government
Sweden’s
extremely close election could see far right enter government
Sweden’s
general election on Sunday, September 13, 2026, represents a historical pivot
point, with the anti-immigration, far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) poised
to potentially enter the cabinet for the first time. Current conservative Prime
Minister Ulf Kristersson, leader of the Moderate Party, has broke with
traditional political taboos by formally pledging to offer ministerial posts to
the SD in exchange for securing a second term under a unified majority
government. This election has effectively transformed into a high-stakes
referendum on the legitimate boundaries of the populist right in a country
historically celebrated for its liberal governance.
The
Current Polling Landscape
The election
remains a razor-thin contest between two highly polarized, four-party
alliances. Mainstream media reports highlight the following data regarding the
race:
- Ekot Swedish News Service: In a poll commissioned by the
national broadcaster and released on Friday, September 11, 2026,
the center-left opposition bloc retains a slim lead with 50.8% of
the vote share, compared to the right-wing alliance at 47.6%—a gap
of 3.2 percentage points.
- Indikator Opinion / CBS News: Tracking data spanning September
2–10, 2026, corroborates this dynamic, placing the center-left
coalition in front at 50.8% versus the right-wing bloc's 47.6%.
- Individual Party Strengths: Within the specific numbers
published by the BBC via Ekot on September 12, 2026, the center-left
Social Democrats maintain their status as the largest single party at 28.6%.
The Sweden Democrats lead the right-wing bloc in popularity, polling
firmly behind them at 18.3% to 19%.
For
comprehensive tracking and live updates as the numbers solidify, you can review
the latest polling details compiled on the BBC News coverage or read the
political analysis on Reuters.
Key
Electoral Issues
The fierce campaign has centered heavily on localized and
structural societal anxieties: Immigration and National Identity: After
years of tightening asylum and immigration laws under the informal influence of
the SD, a victory for the right would formalize strict hardline nativist
immigration policies directly from within the cabinet.
- Gang Crime and Security: Rising concerns regarding
organized gang violence have been leveraged heavily by Kristersson’s
alliance, which is campaigning on tougher policing frameworks.
- Welfare Spending vs. Financial
Relief: The
center-left Social Democrats, led by former Prime Minister Magdalena
Andersson, have anchored their strategy on strengthening the welfare state
and aiding families struggling with utility bills and inflation, while
arguing that a right-wing government would degrade Sweden's social
framework.
Broader
European Impact
The timing
of Sweden's election adds substantial fuel to shifting European geopolitics.
The vote follows hot on the heels of the far-right Alternative for Germany
(AfD) achieving historic numbers in German state elections. Observers reporting
via The Guardian note that either a left-wing victory will
signal a temporary firewall against nationalist movements, or a right-wing win
will further normalize the incorporation of fringe right parties into Western
European coalition governments
Sweden’s extremely close election could see far right enter government
Latest
poll shows 0.3-point gap between left and right blocs, with country’s
reputation as global champion of human rights said to be at stake
Miranda
Bryant Nordic correspondent
Sat 12
Sep 2026 06.00 BST
Sweden
goes to the polls on Sunday in an extremely close election that could see the
far right enter government for the first time if the country’s rightwing
parties can form a majority.
Opinion
polls show the centre-left opposition alliance ahead, with Magdalena Andersson of the Social Democrats the favourite to
become prime minister again after four years in opposition, but her bloc’s lead has narrowed considerably in
the final days of the campaign.
In 2022,
the current prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, the leader of the centre-right
Moderates, broke a longstanding taboo to make a deal with the far-right Sweden
Democrats (SD), so that his minority coalition could form a government.
That
agreement gave the SD outsized influence over government policy, especially on
crime and immigration, and Kristersson has now gone further, promising
ministerial posts for the SD if he is returned to power.
The
election comes days after Germany’s nativist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD)
seized first place in key state elections, and as Marine Le Pen leads the polls
for next year’s presidential vote in France.
Legal and
civil rights experts have warned that such a result could further undermine
Sweden’s long-held reputation as a global champion of human rights, which has
significantly deteriorated under the current government.
“What we
have seen in the past four years is huge changes when it comes to policies on
crime and immigration,” said John Stauffer, legal director at Civil Rights
Defenders.
“That is
also the concern moving forward into the next mandate period: that this
government will continue with a clear aim to further decrease the number of
people coming to Sweden, the number of people who can get protection, and also
that as many people as possible with migrant backgrounds leave Sweden – either
by force or voluntarily.”
SD’s
manifesto includes pledges to introduce “anti-Swedish sentiment in legislation
on incitement against ethnic groups”, revoke permanent resident permits and
further cut immigration.
One of
its slogans is a promise to “make Sweden Sweden again”.
Despite
recent changes – including the deportation of teenagers, lowering the age of
criminal responsibility and sending 14-year-olds to adult prisons – many voters
and politicians continued to see Sweden as a “champion of human rights and a
champion of the rules-based world order where human rights is an important
part”, Stauffer said.
“But it
is quite clear that the Sweden Democrats do not have that ambition. They don’t
see Sweden as an important player on these issues on human rights. So there
will be less focus on this and Sweden contributing to developing the judicial
framework around human rights.”
He added:
“It’s a fair guess that the negative trend will continue with SD in government,
the view from abroad of Sweden will continue to deteriorate, less and less will
be seen as a champion of human rights, but as any other country maybe. For some
time Sweden has been seen as the exception.”
In an
attempt to win back voters, Andersson’s Social Democrats have also moved to the
right on crime, immigration and integration, meaning that a win for the left
was unlikely to mean a reform of current hardline policies, said Stauffer.
“With a
Social Democrats-led government, many of the things we see as problematic are
not going to be rolled back. But maybe negative development will not continue
in the same way,” he said.
With
polls so tight and record early voting expected, the performance of smaller
parties could prove critical.
The
Liberals, who are tiny but part of the governing coalition and whose leader,
Simona Mohamsson, has controversially cosied up to the SD’s leader, Jimmie
Åkesson, in recent months, could be crucial for the right’s ability to form a
coalition. And, on the left, turnout for the Centre party could also prove
significant.
The small
leftwing party has made some headway in the polls, which it hopes could be sign
of a surge. In Stockholm municipality, in particular, it is gaining ground on
the Moderates and hopes to become the second biggest party.
The SD
had already won the immigration argument among mainstream Swedish political
parties, said Bo Petersson, a political science professor at Malmö University,
who argued that the election could become a test of whether the far-right party
had any further appeal to Swedish voters. “The mainstream parties have taken
the restrictive immigration politics and then there isn’t so much for SD to say
‘we are unique and stand for this’,” he said. “They have been a very clear part
of the establishment.”
Fredrik
Furtenbach, a senior political correspondent for Sveriges Radio, (Sweden’s
public broadcaster, said that if the rightwing parties won, the SD was likely
to get several ministerial posts which would be a “big breakthrough for them”.
If the
rightwing coalition loses, he expects there to be a post-election debate within
the centre-right parties about “whether they allowed the Sweden Democrats to
get too close”.
The
biggest issues among voters are healthcare, law and order, immigration and
Sweden’s economy.
After
heated television debates between leaders, the last of which was held on Friday
night, election results are expected on Sunday night, but it could take weeks
or even months of talks to form a government.
The
latest polls show an extremely tight race, with a Dagens Nyheter/Ipsos poll
showing on Friday just 0.3 percentage points between the left and right blocs,
which would leave Andersson’s left-leaning side with 175 seats and 174 for
Kristersson’s right-leaning side.
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