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Thank you for signing up for The Interpreter newsletter, which explains the world through original insight and commentary on the major news stories of the week. The Interpreter newsletter will arrive in your inbox twice a week. START READING TODAY U.S. Allies Drive Much of World's Democratic Decline, Data Shows Washington-aligned countries backslid at nearly double the rate of non-allies, data shows, complicating long-held assumptions about American influence. By Max Fisher In Border Crisis, Europe's Unsavory Migration Deals Come Home Europe has long paid other nations to keep refugees away from its borders. Now, Belarus wants something, too, and has brought migrants right to Europe's door to get it. By Max Fisher Why the Taliban's Repression of Women May Be More Tactical Than Ideological For Afghanistan's new rulers, keeping the clamps on women is a kind of marketing. But it may still cost them dearly. By Amanda Taub France, Striving for Global Power, Still Struggles to Get It Though often seen as vanity or pique, France's assertiveness abroad is calibrated to manage a quandary it has faced since World War II: how to act as an independent power while depending on allies. By Max Fisher Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the The Interpreter email from The New York Times. To stop receiving these emails, unsubscribe or manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The Times|Get the NYT app Change Your Email|Privacy Policy|Contact|Advertise|California Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018