• Sarah Touahri of Magharebia.com reports that literacy education is up in Morocco.
• AllAfrica.com presents a harrowing tale of child labor in Morocco.
• There is significant controversy over Morocco’s proposed press law changes (Magharebia)
• Four tons of cannabis were burnt in Al Hoceima, according to Africaenligne.
• Reuters reports that Amnesty International is urging release of eight jailed activists.

• Inditex, a Spanish fashion retailer which owns popular company Zara, has given Moroccan textile manufacturers one year to comply with ethical standards, or lose their contracts.

• The Moroccan government is planning to sell 4% of its shares in Maroc Telecom. It will retain 30%. Vivendi International owns a 51% majority.

• The U.N. considers the Moroccan plan for Western Sahara autonomy a priority, saying that the proposal “abides by the international legality and promotes the right to self-determination.”  (Apparently there is a misquote in this article, but I have not been able to confirm)

• A group of Berber activists is creating Morocco’s first friendship association with Israel, which aims to allow Jewish Berbers to keep connected with Berber society and the Amazigh language.

• 82,000 year old shells, considered the world’s oldest adornments, were found in Taforalt, Morocco by a team of researchers.

• The parents of missing girl Madeleine McCann are embarking on a search throughout Morocco. They were tipped off a month ago to a possible sighting of their daughter in Marrakech.

• UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has invited Morocco and the Polisario for peace talks, along with Algeria and Mauritania.  The talks are scheduled for June 18-19.

• Maghreb Arabe Presse reported that over 500,000 crimes were registered in 2006. Apparently, there are 90 rural communes without a police station.

• Morocco signed a loan agreement with the World Bank for $500 million, which will go toward projects relating to water and energy. Morocco has suffered a drought for a few years which has affected the economy.

• The 20th cycling tour of Morocco was launched today. It continues until June 17th.

Today’s news indicates that things are looking up in Morocco. First, Reuters AlertNet announced, in a statement made by the UNHCR itself, that Morocco’s UN Refugee office has reopened after the peaceful breakup of a sit-in staged by refugees. Last weekend, several Congolese refugees stormed the office, causing them to shut down at the threat of violence. Since the closure of the office, there have been protestors outside, urging it to reopen. Many of Morocco’s refugees, most of whom are sub-Saharan Africans, have requested monthly financial assistance, which the UNHCR says it cannot provide.

Morocco’s main Islamist opposition group, Al Adl wa al Ihsane, which advocates for Shari’a law in the country, was barred from holding a news conference on Thursday in Rabat. The group, which has about 250,000 members, is also banned from holding meetings.

The Moroccan Council for Higher Education met on Wednesday to discuss the need for civic education in schools, according to Magharebia.com. King Mohammed VI, in his opening remarks, stressed that “promoting civic conduct is a pressing demand in today’s world.”

Finally, Amnesty International released its 2007 Report on Wednesday, which called attention to abuses in the Western Sahara. The report also highlighted the questioning of 3,000 Al Adl wa al Ihsane members, the deaths of migrants trying to cross to Sebta and Melilla last summer, and abuses in the ‘war on terror.’

• Driss Benzekri, a former political prisoner under the Hassan II regime and later, the head of Morocco’s Truth and Reconciliation commission, died on May 21 of stomach cancer at age 57.

• 26 people were arrested at a Morocco-Netherlands youth soccer match after Dutch Moroccan fans threw objects from the stands and rushed the field. There has been a 5-year ban placed on youth matches between the two countries.

• The UN has shut its refugee office in Rabat after sub-Saharan African migrants stormed the building to demand more aid. The UNHCR says there are 600 registered refugees in Morocco, plus nearly 10,000 illegal migrants (BBC News).

• The 11th Arab congress for disaster services opened on Wednesday in Morocco.

• Morocco lengthened prison terms for two activists in Laayoune, Western Sahara. Brahim Sabbar and Ahmed Sbai have already served one year and are being sentenced to another six months.

• Morocco and Saudi Arabia announced the launching of strategic ties which could facilitate major arms purchases in Morocco. Other agreements were made, including one in which Rabat would become a major ally of Riyadh.

• First, a great article today from Lebanese Lobby written by Marc Lynch of Abu Aardvark. The article, entitled “Arab pluralism requires a free, contentious media,” quotes the recent World Public Opinion survey”A recent public opinion survey of four relatively “moderate” Arab countries by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems found that very few citizens believe the media is independent or effective, or that journalists can do their work without fear of punishment.”

• Morocco and Latvia are to form bilateral cooperation. The People’s Daily Online reported that “aims at facilitating trade between economic operators and encouraging exchange of trade missions.”

• 133 migrants were caught in Laayoune, in attempts to sail to Spain, Reuters reports.

• Mideast Youth has picked up and propelled the cause of blogging for the Maghreb Union.

• Moroccan police in Casa attack Saharawi students who tried to enter Hassan II University (AP).