An increasing number of Chinese-owned kissarias (stores) are springing up in Casablanca, Morocco’s economic centre. While some Moroccan merchants decry what they consider unfair price competition and poor merchandise quality, the government is working to impose controls.

Trouble getting an education or finding a job is a fact of life for young, disabled Moroccans. Government plans are already in place to end workplace discrimination and expand integrated classrooms.

Human Rights Watch and the Moroccan Human Rights Association have urged the Moroccan government to protect the rights to privacy and fair trial of its citizens regardless of their sexual orientation. The two organisations also requested that the Moroccan authorities repeal a law that prescribes prison terms for consensual homosexual acts. They have also launched a petition demanding that the government repeal article 489 of the penal code that criminalises homosexuality.

Morocco's trade unions announced a blanket rejection Monday (April 21st) of the government’s proposals in the third round of negotiations between the two sides. The Democratic Workers’ Confederation (CDT) complicated matters further by tendering its resignation from the second chamber of Parliament on April 19th, in protest at the social dialogue, describing the government’s proposals as "ridiculous".

The latest round of negotiations between trade unions and the Moroccan government failed to yield a comprehensive solution. The talks will continue in the coming weeks, in hopes the two sides will agree on increases in wages and benefits for Moroccan workers.

In the wake of what many are calling an "exorbitant" penalty for libel, a diverse group of Moroccan newspapers is coming out in support of Al Massae daily. The papers say the decision threatens independent journalists and free speech.

Moroccan officials announced last week that work is in progress on a draft bill outlawing domestic violence. The ministries of Social Development, Education and Islamic Affairs will also partner on a campaign aimed at fostering a culture of gender equality.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on Moroccan authorities to investigate an attack on Mohamed Daw Serraj, a journalist and general secretary of the Syndicat National de la Presse Marocaine (SNPM), who sustained head injuries after two men assaulted him with a metal bar.

A Moroccan who was jailed for creating a Facebook profile of a prince has been released from prison. Fouad Mourtada, a 26-year-old IT engineer, was freed on Tuesday after being pardoned by the king. Fouad Mourtada had been given a three-year prison term and fined 10,000 dirhams (US$1,320) in February for creating a profile of Morocco's Prince Moulay Rachid on Facebook. He was convicted after a trial in Casablanca.

When rumours of a "gay wedding" spread through the northern Moroccan town of Ksar el Kebir, the only evidence produced was a video on YouTube of a man dancing suggestively in women's clothes. Three months later, four people are in prison accused of homosexual acts, Islamists are decrying a decline in public morals and liberals are warning that the North African kingdom risks sleep-walking into extremism.

Despite pleas from Prime Minister Abbas El Fassi, three of Morocco's five national trade unions held a 24-hour strike on Wednesday (February 13th), paralysing the nation’s civil service. The FDT (Democratic Labour Federation), UNMT (National Union of Moroccan Labour) and USF (Civil Servants’ Union) proceeded with the strike after two meetings with El Fassi. Morocco’s two other trade unions opted out of the strike, saying that the government should be given more time to consider the union's demands for pay increases and legislative reforms.

Reforming the political process topped the agenda at a conference of Moroccan politicians this week. Party leaders acknowledged they have failed to properly address the needs of the younger generation and said changes are planned to get the public involved in politics.

Rape remains a taboo subject within Moroccan society, despite increased media coverage in recent years. Instead of receiving moral support and encouragement from their families, rape victims are often rejected. Parents see the rape of a daughter as a dishonour which must be concealed at all costs.

Unemployed Moroccan graduates are keeping up their protest in a bid to be given public-sector jobs. After gathering outside the Istiqlal party headquarters, they were allowed to speak to a government committee, but for now, the situation remains unresolved.

The Moroccan government plans a broad expansion of vocational education centres, job agencies and training partnerships with business professionals. The plan addresses the growing number of workers who do not fit the needs of the market and the problem of unemployment in the country.

In December 2007, the Moroccan court of justice sentenced six men to jail terms of between two and ten months for the crime of homosexuality. The men had been filmed participating in a mock wedding of two men in the northern town of Ksar el-Kebir. Moroccans saw the video on the internet: someone, and than many people, loaded what appeared to be low-quality mobile-phone videos of the ceremony onto You Tube.

A Moroccan court of appeals upheld the prison sentences of six convicted homosexuals, MAP reported on Wednesday (January 16th). One of the men in the highly-publicised sexual rights case received a 10-month prison term and a $130 fine. The five others received lighter sentences. The men were rumoured to have participated in a supposed gay wedding ceremony in Ksar El-Kebir in northern Morocco.

The Moroccan government has announced an ambitious programme to reform its health care system to provide better care in all regions of the country. Health Minister Yasmina Baddou said the ministry hopes to make more affordable treatment available to the country's least privileged.

The conflict between Western Sahara´s independence movement Polisario and Morocco has reached its most critical point since the ceasefire in 1991, writes Tom Varghese, right, former leader of the Rafto Foundation´s student group. Rising tensions, a deteriorating humanitarian situation and a diplomatic deadlock are nurturing a steadily growing fraction within Polisario, pressuring the current leadership to return to arms.

Transparency Maroc kicked off the New Year by opening the National Corruption Monitoring and Transparency Development Centre in Casablanca. Created in November 2007 with the financial support of the Embassy of the Netherlands, the centre has just begun work on tackling corruption, assisting victims of the problem and building integrity in both the government and the private sector.