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Lifeguards on the beach at the Boatyard Beach Club in Bridgetown, Barbados, ensure safety on the turquoise blue sea, on January 7, 2025.
What We’re Watching: Caribbean islands come together, “Gen Z” protests hit Morocco, Afghanistan cut off from the world
Four Caribbean countries go border-free
The Caribbean island nations of Barbados, Belize, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have launched an EU-style free movement deal, letting citizens live and work across borders without permits. The move aims to curb the Caribbean’s longstanding brain drain of skilled workers who leave for North America and Europe. Critics worry it may mean tougher job competition in some of the countries, but supporters say that if the rollout goes smoothly more Caribbean countries could join, a big step toward binding the region’s economies and cultures more tightly together.
Yet another “Gen Z” protest…
First it was Indonesia, then Nepal, then came Timor-Leste, then it was Peru, and then Madagascar. Now, “Gen Z” protesters are going after the government in Morocco. Hundreds took to the streets of the normally stable North African nation of 37-million people to call for better social services and an end to corruption. They also denounced the amount of money the government has spent on building new soccer stadiums – Morocco is set to co-host the World Cup in 2030. Although GenZ 212, the group that organized the protests, urged demonstrators to stay peaceful, some torched cars and buildings and clashed with police.
Afghanistan goes dark
Afghanistan is entering its third day of a nationwide communications blackout after the Taliban government reportedly slashed more than 99% of the country’s internet and phone services on Monday, halting air travel, business, banking, and much of daily life. Officials cited morality concerns, but rights groups say the move is aimed at isolating Afghans and tightening control. The blackout is particularly difficult for Afghan women: internet access had allowed them to maintain access to the outside world after the Taliban curtailed their freedoms and career opportunities following their 2021 takeover.
People followed by mourners carry the coffins of Azerbaijani brothers Huseyn and Ziyaddin Safarov, who died in Russian police custody, to a cemetery in Hacibedelli, Azerbaijan, on July 1, 2025, in this still image from video.
Hard Numbers: Russia and Azerbaijan tensions rise, Americans hit the road in record numbers, & More
2: Russia-Azerbaijan ties are fraying after the South Caucasus country said two Azeri brothers died last week after being tortured in Russian police custody. In retaliation, Azerbaijan has arrested half a dozen Russian state journalists working in the capital, Baku. The two former-Soviet countries generally get along but have had frictions over Azeri migrant labor in Russia, an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that was shot down over Russian airspace, and Moscow’s backing for Armenia in that country’s decades long conflict with Azerbaijan. The Kremlin said Azerbaijan was being “extremely emotional.”
87.1%: In the latest blow to free movement in Europe, Poland has introduced checks along its borders with Germany and Lithuania, partly a response to the surging number of people seeking first-time asylum in the country – the amount increased 87.1% from 2023 to 2024, more than any other country in Europe. The move is also a tit-for-tat measure, after Berlin introduced its own checks at the Polish-German frontier.
500: The war is going from bad to worse for Ukraine: After Russia launched over 500 drones and other missiles into its cities over the weekend, the United States halted a weapons shipment that was headed to Ukraine. The White House said it was putting its own interests first after lending military support to other countries.
14: With international demand for customer service centers soaring, is Africa ready to answer the call? Experts think so, predicting that the “Business-Process Outsourcing” industry will grow 14% annually on the continent in the coming years, nearly twice the global average. Anglophone African countries are particularly well positioned – the industry is growing nearly 20% per year in Kenya.
72.2 Million: A record 72.2 million Americans are set to travel domestically during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend, according to the AAA, a nationwide motorists’ group. More than 60 million of them will be taking trips by car, driven – as it were – by the lowest summer gas prices since 2021 (and some fight delays).