Headline
China, US To Ease Restrictions On Each Other’s Journalists
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2 years agoon
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EditorChina and the U.S. have agreed to ease restrictions on each other’s journalists amid a slight relaxation of tensions between the two sides.
The official China Daily newspaper on Wednesday said the agreement was reached ahead of Tuesday’s virtual summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden.
The agreement represents a degree of progress on an issue that has long aggravated relations, but details remain to be ironed out. COVID-19 travel restrictions and long-standing obstacles faced by foreign media within China are also factors standing in the way of a major breakthrough in media relations.
Under the agreement, the U.S. will issue one-year multiple-entry visas to Chinese journalists and will immediately initiate a process to address “duration of status” issues, China Daily said.
China will reciprocate by granting equal treatment to U.S. journalists once the U.S. policies take effect, and both sides will issue media visas for new applicants “based on relevant laws and regulations,” the report said.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian gave no information on a timeline for implementation, but called the agreement a “hard-won achievement that is in the interest of both sides and should be cherished.”
“We hope that the U.S. will keep its promise to put the relevant measures and policies in place as soon as possible and work with China to create favorable conditions for both (nations’) media to continue to work and live in each other’s countries,” Zhao said at a daily briefing.
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In a statement to The Associated Press late Tuesday, the State Department said China had committed to issuing visas for a group of U.S. reporters “provided they are eligible under all applicable laws and regulations.”
“We will also continue issuing visas to (Chinese) journalists who are otherwise eligible for the visa under U.S. law,” the statement said.
China also committed to increase the length for which U.S. journalist visas are valid from the current 90 days to one year.
“On a reciprocal basis, we are committing to increase validity of U.S. visas issued to PRC journalists to one year as well,” the State Department statement said, referring to the People’s Republic of China.
Not mentioned in either statement were press conditions in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory of Hong Kong, where both local and international media have come under increasing pressure.
The Economist said last week that Hong Kong refused a visa renewal for its correspondent Sue-Lin Wong. Authorities have not explained the rejection.
Limits on journalists have fueled tensions between the two countries for more than a year after the U.S. cut 20 visas issued to Chinese state media journalists and required those remaining to register as foreign agents, among other changes.
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China responded by expelling journalists working for U.S. outlets and severely restricting conditions for those continuing to work in the country.
The new agreement “was the result of more than a year of difficult negotiations over the treatment of media outlets in both countries,” China Daily said.
“It is hoped that more good news is ahead for the two countries’ media outlets through further China-U.S. cooperation,” the newspaper added.
The State Department said it has “remained in close consultation with the affected outlets, as well as other outlets facing personnel shortages due to PRC government policy decisions, and we are gratified their correspondents will be able to return to the PRC to continue their important work. We welcome this progress but see it simply as initial steps.”
The State Department also said it would continue to work toward expanded access and better conditions for U.S. and foreign media in China, where they face considerable obstacles ranging from questioning by police, harassment preventing them from doing their work, personal threats and lawsuits brought by people they interview.
“We will continue to advocate for media freedom as a reflection of our democratic values,” the State Department told the AP.
Asked about Wong’s case, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the issuing of visas is at the “autonomy and the discretion of any government.”
Lam added that the authorities do not comment on individual cases but will continue to facilitate the operation of overseas media based in Hong Kong “in a legitimate manner” according to the city’s mini-constitution, known as the Basic Law.
The city’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club said it was “deeply concerned” over the denial of Wong’s employment visa.
“We again call on the government to provide concrete assurances that applications for employment visas and visa extensions will be handled in a timely manner with clearly-stated requirements and procedures, and that the visa process for journalists will not be politicized or weaponized,” the club said in a statement last week.
Wong is the latest in a string of journalists in Hong Kong to be denied visas.
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In 2018, Hong Kong authorities refused to renew the work visa of Financial Times senior editor Victor Mallet after he chaired a lunchtime talk at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club with the leader of a now-banned pro-Hong Kong independence party. Authorities did not say why Mallet’s application was rejected.
In 2020, Hong Kong did not renew a work visa for Chris Buckley, a New York Times reporter who had been working in Hong Kong after being expelled from China, as well as for Irish journalist Aaron Mc Nicholas, who was then an incoming editor for the independent media outlet Hong Kong Free Press.
(AP)
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Headline
Kudos As Nigeria Gains Additional Territory ‘Five Times The Size Of Lagos’
Published
2 hours agoon
May 15, 2024By
EditorPresident Bola Tinubu has commended the High Powered Presidential Committee, HPPC, on Nigeria’s extended continental shelf project, a team of experts who worked hard over the years to advance the project.
The president gave the commendation when he received the report of the protect yesterday in Abuja.
According to Vanguard, the project aims to extend Nigeria’s maritime boundaries in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982.
The president expressed his appreciation in Abuja after listening to technical presentations by Professor Larry Awosika, a marine scientist and member of the committee, and Surveyor Aliyu Omar, Secretary of HPPC.
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The experts have been involved in the project since Nigeria’s initial submission to extend its continental shelf to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) in 2009.
They informed the President that the UN has approved Nigeria’s submission, granting sovereignty over additional square kilometres of maritime territory.
A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, quoted the President as saying: ‘’When the HPPC briefed former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022 on the status of the project, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, CLCS, was still considering Nigeria’s submission and having technical interactions with the HPPC.
‘’These interactions and consideration have now culminated in the approval for Nigeria to extend its continental shelf beyond 200M (200 nautical miles).
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‘’As it stands now, the area approved for Nigeria is about 16,300 square kilometres, which is about five times the size of Lagos State,” Surveyor Omar told the president.’’
He added that the official notification of the decision was conveyed to Nigeria by the UN Nations Commission on the limits of the Continental Shelf, CLCS, in August 2023, shortly after President Tinubu assumed office.
Omar outlined the available options for Nigeria following the approval: “The first option is to take the area gained and finalize the registration with the UN Secretary-General and close everything, meaning that we are satisfied with what we got. This will take at least one year.
“The second option is to take what we have right now, acquire more data, do a support write-up, and make a revised submission as recommended by CLCS for further consideration. This will take another four years. Either way (options), Nigeria will keep what has been approved.”
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In his presentation, Professor Awosika explained that the approval came after years of meticulous scientific research on geophysics, geology, geography, and diplomatic efforts, which solidified Nigeria’s legal rights over a vast expanse of seabed and subsoil beyond its traditional territorial waters.
Awosika highlighted the economic potential of the newly acquired territory, which includes hydrocarbons, gas, solid minerals, and a wide variety of sedentary species.
He, however, cautioned against total disclosure of sensitive data acquired during surveys, noting that this will jeopardize confidentiality as Nigeria is expected to monetize the information to recover project expenses.
Responding, the president thanked the experts for their diligence, emphasizing the significance of the achievement for Nigeria’s economic and strategic interests.
VANGUARD
Headline
Police Give Tips On How To Report Erring Officers
Published
2 hours agoon
May 15, 2024By
EditorThe Police have urged Nigerians to take the advantage of its Complaint Response Unit, at the Force Headquarters, to report misconduct of its officers and men.
The Head of the unit, CSP El-Musta Sani, made the appeal at a Summit organised in Abuja by the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) in collaboration with the Foundation for Youth Empowerment and Social Justice.
Sanni said that the unit was created in 2015 to handle complaints against police officers from members of the public.
He said, so far, from the first quarter of 2024, the unit had received 459 complaints from members of the public against officers and men, through its social media platforms.
He further explained that 265 of the cases had been resolved while 195 were still being handled by the police.
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According to him, “It takes the Unit 21 days to receive and conclude investigations on all complaints”.
He said it was worrisome that members of the public did not know about the platforms to channel their complaints.
“The major problem is that the institutions are there, but Nigerians do not know their functions.
“We receive complaints through WhatsApp, Twitter handles, phone calls, and walk-in petitions.
“And the Unit is directly responsible to the Office of the Inspector General of Police through the Public Relation Officer,” he said.
Sanni assured more sensitisation to enlighten the public to take advantage of the opportunity to lodge their complaint for proper handling.
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In his remarks, the Chief Commissioner of PCC, Mr Abimbola Ayo-Yusuf emphasised the need to strengthen institutions to combat administrative injustice and corruption.
He noted that, properly developed institution is key to good governance, adding that the summit aimed to improve service delivery and ensure that the right to complain and raise issues was available to everyone.
“The purpose of this Summit, which is to foster collaboration between the Public Complaints Commission and other organisations, is quite timely and key to the understanding of the mandate of the Commission.
“The PCC, known as the Nigerian version of the Ombudsman, was established to investigate complaints regarding administrative actions,” he said.
Ms. Sandra Benson, the Director Administration, Foundation for Youth Empowerment and Social Justice, said that the Foundation and PCC were working hard to ensure justice for those who had faced injustices over the years.
Banson emphasised the need for collective action to address the issues, stating that now was the time to match voices with action for good governance.
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She highlighted the importance of addressing citizens’ complaints about administrative actions and called for immediate responses, sensitisation of workers on grievance channels, and cooperation for swift justice.
“The Summit marks the beginning of important engagements with stakeholders and the PCC, aiming to restore trust in the system and liberate workers from bad leadership.”
Also speaking, Maurice Okoye, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jewel Social Empowerment Initiative, said that the critical need for consequence management in addressing issues in Nigeria was necessary.
Okoye cited the absence of consequence management as a major challenge, leading to lack of accountability among government agency heads.
He also mentioned the reluctance of many to seek justice due to a lack of confidence in the system.
He cited an example where one of his friends chose not to pursue justice after a robbery due to high costs and skepticism about the outcome.
Okoye called for a restoration of public confidence in the justice system and emphasised the need for accountability and responsibility among leaders.
NAN
Headline
Google To Offer AI-generated Answers In Search Results
Published
13 hours agoon
May 14, 2024By
EditorGoogle has announced it would introduce AI-generated answers to online queries made by users in the United States, in one of the biggest updates to its search engine in 25 years.
“I’m excited to announce that we will begin launching this fully revamped experience, ‘AI overviews,’ to everyone in the US this week,” Google chief executive Sundar Pichai said at an event in California on Tuesday, May 14.
Google’s search results will feature an AI summary at the top of the page before the more typical unfurling of links.
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The AI answers generated by Google’s Gemini technology will offer succinct summaries of what it found on the internet with links to the online sources that supplied the information.
“You can ask whatever’s on your mind or whatever you need to get done – from researching to planning to brainstorming – and Google will take care of the legwork,” said Google Search team boss Liz Reid.
The change comes as Google feels growing pressure from AI-powered search engines like Perplexity, and from the rumors that OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is building its own AI search tool.
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Searches through AI chats have also appeared on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, with users able to get information from the web without Google.
The change will soon spread to other countries, Pichai added, making it accessible to more than a billion people.
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