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A Week of Rising International Risk

A Week of Rising International Risk
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The most consequential story in international politics right now is the sheer number of potentially consequential stories. Here are ten of them.


A Moscow Crackdown

Rally calling for opposition candidates to be registered for elections to Moscow City Duma in Moscow

A Moscow Crackdown: In Russia's capital, police have arrested nearly 3,000 people this summer during demonstrations that began as protests against the exclusion of opposition candidates in Moscow's upcoming municipal elections. But despite a demonstrated willingness by police to rough up demonstrators, another protest rally is planned for this weekend. In 40 other Russian cities, supporters of often-jailed opposition activist Alexei Navalny, who may have been poisonedearlier this summer, have announced "pickets in solidarity with Moscow."

The bottom line: None of these stories is fated to end in disaster for those exposed to them. But all of them look to be moving in the wrong direction.

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A man is seen holding up a placard against Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as he takes part in a protest in solidarity with ceuta people, coinciding with Ceuta city day, on Sept 2, 2026.

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