Water & Infrastructure: Morocco is pushing desalination harder as drought becomes “structural,” aiming for ocean-sourced drinking water and irrigation; a major $650m plant near Casablanca is set to expand supply, though costs and brine disposal plus fair access for farmers remain unresolved. Trade & Mobility: Spain-Morocco’s Operation Marhaba runs 10 June–15 September, expecting about 3.5m travellers and 900k vehicles, with ports, routes, digitisation and biometrics central to smoother crossings. Tech & Consumer Markets: Google is rolling out “Ask Gemini in Chrome” to Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa (and includes Western Sahara in its Africa locales list), widening AI search and browsing access across the region. Labour & Advocacy: UGTSARIO briefed the World Federation of Trade Unions in Geneva, calling for stronger solidarity and support for Sahrawi self-determination as the “last decolonization case” in Africa. Security & Leadership: The Polisario announced the death of Lahbib Mohamed Abdelaziz in combat, triggering three days of mourning and raising fresh questions about succession amid an ongoing low-intensity conflict. Business & Compliance Risk: Heidelberg Materials says it supplied cement and concrete for major infrastructure in occupied Western Sahara, including El Aaiún and Dakhla Atlantique, while reporting higher 2025 output—renewing scrutiny over corporate ties to Morocco’s consolidation.