LUSAKA, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The following are news highlights in Zambia's major media outlets on Friday.

-- The Zambian government has challenged journalists to improve their performance for them to remain relevant in the face of competition from new technology.

Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya said the media is being challenged by new technology hence the need for journalists to be multi-skilled and set standards for them to be relevant. (Times of Zambia)

-- Zambia's non-timber forest products such as mushrooms, thatching grass, honey and wild edible ants, among others, could fetch the country about 489 million U.S. dollars annually if well harnessed, a local think-tank has said.

The Indaba Agriculture Policy Research Institute (IAPRI) says the natural products found in the forests have great potential and could contributed about 2.3 percent to the gross domestic product if properly harnesses. (Zambia Daily Mail)

-- Zambia's human rights body has commended President Edgar Lungu for issuing a directive to prison authorities to treat inmates with dignity.

Human Rights Commission Spokesperson Mweelwa Muleya said the guidance by the Zambian leader to prisons authorities to respect the rights and dignity of inmates is extremely significant in improving the conditions of prisons in the country. (Daily Nation)

-- Zambia has procured 18 Maverick and Marauder Antiriot vehicles for the police as part of efforts to help improve crowd control.

Kakoma Kanganja, inspector-general of the Zambia Police, said some police officers have since been sent to South Africa to undergo training on how to handle the vehicles. (The Mast) Enditem

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