July 29, 2021

Lomotif announces Patoranking, Laycon and Raybekah for its ‘You’ve Been Scouted’ talent search for the Nigerian Market

~ All the rounds will be based on users’ vote which will be judged basis Vocal technique and quality of performance ~

~ The competition, spanning eight weeks, commences on July 26 and will see the winner get an exclusive record label contract and producing commitment ~

~ Lomotif has partnered with Grammy® Award-winning producer Teddy Riley to launch “You’ve Been Scouted” ~

IBADAN, Nigeria, July 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Lomotif announces Patoranking, Laycon and Raybekah as its Nigerian scout for its upcoming nine-week global talent scouting competition ‘You’ve Been Scouted’ that started in July 26. Consistently presenting budding global talent with equal opportunities to be discovered, Lomotif once again gives them a chance to express themselves in the most real and authentic way. The contest will see the singing sensation, groom and guide the participants with the global winner receiving an exclusive record deal valued at $250,000, including a song produced with Grammy® Award winning producer, singer and lyricist Teddy Riley who has worked with iconic artists such as Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Pharrell, and BTS.

Fan favourites, Patoranking, Laycon and Raybekah having a key eye for talent, will help scout the crème-de-la-crème of performers from all around the country and boost their votes by promoting them to her followers. With the participants required to be as versatile in their singing during different rounds of the competition, Patoranking, Laycon and Raybekah will help them with all the tips to garner as many likes/votes and enter the final stages of the competition.

Speaking about being named as the Nigerian scout, Patoranking said, “It is a matter of immense prestige and pride to be part of a talent hunt that puts some of the most promising Nigerian artists on the global stage. We’ve been a nation that has had music in its roots with our rhythm sense making waves all around the world. The time is now for Nigerians to prove their mettle with the eyes of the world eagerly watching them. I too, am feeling as excited and nervous as these participants, and look forward to providing tips and tricks to all people so that they rock it in their auditions.”

Laycon added, “My fans know how my life changed overnight after winning a competition recently. I’m glad to be a part of a talent hunt that will now see Nigerian youngsters and artists get to experience what I did and get a step closer to global stardom. I’m sure every singer out there has their eyes on the prize for they know that their journey into the world of music can be one that the world will remember for a very long time. Add to that I’m eager to share some exclusive content about the competition and ensure that no one misses out on the singing spectacle that we have in store.”

Raybekah said, “I’ve seen artists make inroads in the local music market and have been thoroughly impressed with the kind of tunes being produced. It’s now time for them to aim higher and dream for more through this talent hunt. I believe in my people and know that they and their music can make a mark on the global stage. Along with promoting the competition every single day, I’ll be sharing my support to my favourite contestants and help them reach out to a wider audience that’s glued to their screens cheering on for them.”

With the simple and fast editing of videos now made possible for artists on Lomotif, the platform is all set to present one of the most exciting and innovative contests in recent times. Additionally, ‘You’ve Been Scouted’ also allows those who aren’t participating to nominate and elect upcoming artists by tagging them in the comments section of their video with the hashtag #youvebeenscouted.

About Lomotif
Lomotif is the leading video-sharing social networking platform that is democratizing video creation. Since the company was co-founded by video enthusiast Paul Yang in 2014, Lomotif has been granted three technology patents uniquely focused on empowering creators to share and watch short videos with ease through remix and collaboration. Paul’s bold vision is to build the world’s largest video vocabulary to accelerate the world’s transition to video-first expression. Lomotif, available in the Apple and Google stores, is a breakthrough downloadable app for hip hop, rap, and urban culture across the United States and Latin America. Lomotif is one of five partners selected by Snapchat for a bi-directional integration for posting stories between the two platforms.

July 29, 2021

Margaret Crotty to lead JSI and World Education family of global agencies

BOSTON, July 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The JSI Board of Directors has announced the appointment of Margaret Crotty as its next president and CEO. She will succeed Joel Lamstein, who has served as president and CEO since he founded John Snow, Inc., with Bert Hirschhorn in 1978.

Margaret, who has a record of leadership and innovation in both the nonprofit and private sectors in the areas of education and public health, will lead for-profit John Snow, Inc., the nonprofit JSI Research & Training Institute, and affiliate nonprofit World Education, Inc.

Margaret will join JSI and World Education in January 2022 from her position as CEO of the Partnership with Children, a New York City-based provider of community health services and community school management.

“In Margaret we found someone with knowledge of both the international and domestic U.S. social development and health domains and a vision that will help take JSI and World Education into the future, while nurturing the culture that JSI is renowned for,” commented Joel.

Previously, Margaret led Save the Children’s initiative to reduce global child and maternal mortality. She also spent seven years at EF Education and worked for McKinsey & Co. in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Margaret graduated from Princeton University with a BA in History and African-American Studies, and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Masters in Public Health from Columbia University. She serves on several health and education boards, including those of Northwell Health, the Open Medical Institute, the City University Graduate School of Public Health, SeaChange Capital Partners, the United Hospital Fund, and ACCESS Health International. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Young Presidents Organization, serves on several government task forces and higher education advisory boards, and chairs the Emerging Leaders Program for young leaders in the social sector.

Read the full announcement.

John Snow, Inc., and nonprofit affiliate, JSI Research & Training Institute, are global public health consulting organizations dedicated to greater health equity and improving the health of individuals and communities, and to providing an environment where people of passion can pursue this cause.

Contact:
Mary-Kathryn Aranda
mary-kathryn_aranda@jsi.com

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1583410/JSI_Logo_Logo.jpg

July 29, 2021

France Calls British Travel Rules ‘Discriminatory,’ Not Science-Based

France’s European Affairs Minister on Thursday called Britain’s decision to lift quarantine requirements for all fully vaccinated travelers arriving from Europe except France “discriminatory and incomprehensible” and said he hopes it is reviewed as soon as possible.

Clement Beaune made the comments during an interview on French television a day after Britain announced it was dropping the quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated visitors from the European Union and the United States but that it would review rules for travelers from France only at the end of next week.

The British government has said it is keeping quarantine rules for travelers from France because of the presence of the beta variant there. But Beaune told French broadcaster LCI the beta strain accounted for fewer than 5% of COVID-19 cases in France, and mostly occurred in overseas territories from where relatively few people traveled to Britain.

“We are saying to the British that, on the scientific and health levels, there are no explanations for this decision,” he said.

In a Wednesday interview, British Transportation Minister Grant Shapps said the government will not be able to review the decision until the end of next week because they need to see the data.

Beaune said he will continue pressuring Britain to review the requirement, but said, for now, he is not planning to impose similar measures on British travelers to France.

Source: Voice of America

July 29, 2021

Biden: Unvaccinated Federal Workers to Face Testing, Masking

WHITE HOUSE – With the delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the country, U.S. President Joe Biden has announced civilian federal government employees must be vaccinated or submit to regular testing and wear masks.

“Every federal government employee will be asked to attest to their vaccination status,” the president said Thursday in a speech from the White House East Room. “Anyone who does not attest or is not vaccinated will be required to mask, no matter where they work, test one or two times a week to see if they’ve acquired COVID, socially distance, and generally will not be allowed to travel for work.”

The federal government employs more than 4 million Americans, including over 2 million in the federal civilian workforce, a White House statement said.

The same standards will apply to federal contractors, Biden added.

“If you want to do business with the federal government, get your people vaccinated,” he said.

Labor unions representing federal workers are reacting cautiously.

“We expect that the particulars of any changes to working conditions, including those related to COVID-19 vaccines and associated protocols, be properly negotiated with our bargaining units prior to implementation,” said Everett Kelley, the head of the American Federation of Government Employees, which is the largest union of federal workers, representing a workforce of 700,000.

“Forcing people to undertake a medical procedure is not the American way and is a clear civil rights violation no matter how proponents may seek to justify it,” said Larry Cosme, president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA), which represents 30,000 people across 65 agencies.

“We would, therefore, encourage the administration to work collaboratively with FLEOA and other federal employee groups to incentivize all federal employees to be vaccinated, rather than penalize those who do not,” Cosme said.

The decision to get vaccinated is one federal employees will be able to make, “because largely unvaccinated people continue to spread the virus and until we have more people who are vaccinated and are curbing the spread there needs to be proper protocols to keep Americans safe,” the White House deputy press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, told reporters prior to the president’s remarks.

“And as a large employer, the largest in this country, who cares about the individuals who keep the government running, we have an obligation to be good stewards of the workforce and ensure their health and their safety.”

Biden also said he is asking the Department of Defense to explore how and when to add mandatory inoculations for the coronavirus to the list of vaccines required for service personnel.

“Our men and women in uniform who protect this country from grave threats should be protected as much as possible from getting COVID-19,” the president said. “I think this is particularly important because our troops serve in places throughout the world, many where vaccination rates are low and disease is prevalent.”

The president also discussed whether people who are fully vaccinated will need booster shots.

“As of now, my medical advisers say the answer is no,” Biden said. “No American needs a booster now. But if science tells us there’s a need for boosters, that’s something we’ll do.”

Asked by a reporter about ordering states to compel vaccinations, the president replied the legality of that is not yet determined.

“It’s still a question whether the federal government can mandate the whole country,” he said.

Biden also announced the federal government will reimburse private employers who give paid time off to get vaccinated or take a family member to get shots. And he suggested more state and local governments offer $100 to those who get fully vaccinated.

Again, the president tried to depoliticize the issue of vaccination.

“The vaccine was developed and authorized under a Republican administration” of his predecessor Donald Trump, Biden said.

He also repeated that wearing masks “is not a political statement,” while acknowledging widespread frustration with the return to masking.

“I know it’s frustrating. I know it’s exhausting to think we’re still in this fight. I know we hoped this would be a simple, straightforward line without problems or new challenges. But that isn’t real life,” he said.

Noting that desperate foreign leaders are calling him “almost every day” to plead with him to send more vaccine doses to their countries, Biden said it is “an American blessing that we have vaccines for each and every American. … It’s just a shame to squander that blessing.”

Source: Voice of America