World Cup vs. welcome-at-home politics: The 2026 men’s World Cup kicks off 11 June across Canada, Mexico and the US, with 48 teams and the biggest match schedule in the US—yet foreign visitors may think twice as immigration enforcement and tougher attitudes toward outsiders loom over travel plans. Morocco’s strategic pitch: A Stimson report casts Morocco as a fast-rising bridge between Europe and Africa, driven by industry, critical minerals, renewables and deeper diplomacy—while keeping the Western Sahara question in the background of its regional rise. Franco-Algerian judicial thaw: France’s justice minister, Gérald Darmanin, is set to visit Algiers to restart sensitive judicial cooperation, including the case of detained journalist Christophe Gleizes, as both sides still clash over Western Sahara and other security and consular issues. Western Sahara safety hit: A landmine blast near Assa-Zag has killed a family member and a four-year-old girl, renewing fears about unexploded devices on remote routes. Education upgrades: Morocco has started a nationwide audit of boarding facilities, beginning with Rabat-Salé-Kénitra and set to expand across regional academies. Drug-trafficking spotlight: The week’s biggest cross-border story keeps circling the “Arconian” cocaine haul, with Spanish action linked to the vessel’s route off Western Sahara.