Strait and narrowing: the Houthis’ striking advance

<p>After years of stalemate, Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis are <a href="https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/09/13/the-houthis-shock-advance-in-yemen-gives-iran-new-leverage?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">taking territory</a>, including on a Red Sea strait. We ask what has changed, and how the shift fits into the wider regional conflict. As America’s midterm elections approach, we examine the <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/united-states/2026/09/10/donald-trumps-disintegrating-coalition?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fragmentation</a> of the coalition that put Donald Trump back in office. And we ask how much <a href="https://www.economist.com/culture/2026/09/08/how-much-does-nepotism-really-matter-in-hollywood?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&utm_term=sa.listeners" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nepotism matters</a> in Hollywood today.</p><br><p><em>Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—</em><a href="https://subscribenow.economist.com/podcasts-plus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>subscribe to The Economist</em></a><em>.</em></p><p><br></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>