Instagram imams are unlikely online hit

They shoot hoops with schoolgirls, pose with Christmas trees to wish seasons greetings to Christians and even make the tea. These are not images of Iranian clerics which the world is so used to seeing.

But an Instagram account that posts pictures of Islamic scholars in everyday situations has become a social media success in Iran and has more than 12,000 followers.

The page is called "Talabeh Today" - a Talabeh being a seminary student who pursues religious studies and who is supposed to adopt a simple devotional lifestyle.

It was started by an Iranian seminary student called Masoud Zareian, from the northeastern city of Mashhad, in an attempt to improve the image of conservative clergy and highlight their relevance to contemporary life.

The stereotype of an Iranian cleric is often that of a fiery speaker, addressing a crowd chanting slogans against "western imperialism". Liberal Iranians might also tend to think of them as a symbol of all that's wrong with life in the Islamic Republic.

The traditionally much-respected men in society rose to influence the life of ordinary Iranians in one way or the other, some argue for the worse, after the 1979 revolution which toppled the Shah. The admiration they enjoyed has gradually faded as some Iranians believe they have not practised what they preached.

Zareian, who as well as being a talabeh is also a documentary filmmaker, is a supporter of Iran's clerical establishment. And his decision to use Instagram to portray the nuances of contemporary clerical life is not as odd as it may at first seem. Instagram is very popular in Iran, not only among the urban youth but among conservative sections of society. Twitter and Facebook are officially banned.

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Adele has distance herself from Donald Trump

Pop star Adele has issued a statement to distance herself from Donald Trump, after he used her music at his rallies.

The Republican presidential candidate, whose slogan is "Make America great again", has recently been playing Adele's hit Rolling In The Deep as his "warm-up" music.

"Adele has not given permission for her music to be used for any political campaigning," her spokesman confirmed.

It is not the first time Trump has been criticised for appropriating pop songs.

Lawyers for Aerosmith star Steven Tyler sent Trump's campaign a cease-and-desist letter last year, after the politician played the band's hit single Dream On at numerous rallies around the US.

The letter said Trump's use of the song gave "a false impression" he endorsed Mr Trump's presidential bid.

Trump responded on Twitter, saying he had the legal right to use the song, but had found "a better one to take its place".

"Steven Tyler got more publicity on his song request than he's gotten in 10 years. Good for him!" he added.

Previously, the businessman had played Neil Young's Rockin' in the Free World - an angry response to presidency of George Bush Senior - while announcing his candidacy.

Young, a well-known liberal, demanded that Trump stop using the song and declared his support for Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders instead.

Trump then used REM's It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine), prompting singer Michael Stipe to issue a strongly-worded statement, saying: "Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign."

The politician was first observed to have played Adele's hit during a rally held in Lexington, South Carolina, last week. prompting BBC's North America Editor Jon Sopel to comment it was an "unlikely combo".

But Trump is believed to be a fan of the singer's work, even having watched her perform in New York.

Politicians using songs by musicians who do not support them has been a thorny issue for decades, since Bruce Springsteen castigated President Reagan for planning to use Born in the USA as a backdrop for his 1984 re-election campaign.

Technically, US copyright laws give politicians carte blanche to use recorded music at their rallies - as long as the venue has a public performance licence issued through a songwriters' association such as ASCAP or BMI (in the US) or PRS (in the UK).

However, there is some leeway for an artist to complain their image and reputation is being damaged by the repeated use of a song without their express permission.

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Oil prices slide as output cut hopes fade

Oil prices slumped Monday as traders took profits on receding prospects of an imminent cut to the global supply glut, according to The Guardian.

Prices hit three-week highs earlier Monday, building on last week’s strong gains driven by dollar weakness and after Russia said it could meet the OPEC producers’ group for talks on possible output cuts.

But they sharply reversed direction as analysts further doubted a looming reduction in the amount of oil being pumped out by leading producers.

Around 1700 GMT, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in March slumped to $31.84 a barrel, down $1.78 compared with Friday’s close.

Brent North Sea crude for April delivery shed $1.46 to $34.53.

Brent had earlier Monday struck a three-week high at $36.25 before profit-taking took hold.

“Crude oil has started the new week on the back foot, giving back a big chunk of the sharp gains made in the previous couple of weeks,” said Fawad Razaqzada, analyst at City Index.

“Profit-taking is one of the main reasons for the oil price drop today,” he added.

Analysts cautioned against putting too much hope on talks between non-OPEC crude producer Russia and the cartel on reducing output in a move that could support prices.

Crude futures have crashed by about three quarters since mid-2014 owing to global oversupply, weak demand growth and strong dollar.

But both contracts surged Thursday after Russian reports that Energy Minister Alexander Novak had said Moscow was ready to take part in talks with OPEC to establish possible “coordination”.

He said the discussions could be on making production cuts of up to five percent per country.

“Oil has stopped its bullish momentum and most of the reason comes from the relatively strong dollar on light of Japan’s surprising negative interest rate decision,” said Phillip Futures analyst Daniel Ang.

As oil is traded in dollars, a rise in the greenback makes crude more expensive for holders of weaker units, dampening demand.

Oil prices closed higher last week to end a turbulent January in which prices plunged to 12-year lows.

The dollar has meanwhile gained support after Japan’s central bank shocked markets Friday with a decision to adopt a below-zero interest rate policy to spur bank lending and drive up inflation.

Bank of Japan chief Haruhiko Kuroda cited recent financial market turmoil and a China slowdown for ushering in a -0.1 percent rate on new reserves, and said the bank may go even further into negative territory.

'OUR HEARTS ARE BROKEN'

A British helicopter pilot was fatally shot by elephant poachers while flying an anti-poaching mission in Tanzania, a member of Parliament and a conservation fund said Saturday.

Roger Gower was working with Tanzanian wildlife authorities when the poachers fired on his helicopter and fatally wounded him Friday, said Dan Friedkin, chairman of the Texas-based non-profit Friedkin Conservation Fund.

"We are profoundly saddened by the loss of our dear friend," he said.

Gower managed to land the chopper but died before he was able to be rescued, said Lazaro Nyalandu, the country's former tourism minister, who said he flew with Gower many times.

Gower was helping rangers find the killers of an elephant when the poachers fired at the helicopter with an AK-47, Nyalandu wrote on Twitter.

Photos of the crash site, provided by Tanzania National Parks, show the helicopter on its side in dense grass, its tail broken off. A bloody bullet hole can be seen in one of the seats.

"Those poachers who killed Capt Roger are coward, evil, and sad people. A fine hearted individual gone too soon, and our hearts are broken," Nyalandu wrote.

The shooting happened at the Maswa Game Reserve, which borders the Serengeti National Park in northern Tanzania, Nyalandu said. Elephant poaching is prevalent on the reserve, according to the Friedkin Conservation Fund.

It was not immediately clear whether Gower was working for the fund when he was killed.

"This tragic event again highlights the appalling risk and cost of protecting Tanzania's wildlife," Friedkin said.

The killers are still at large, Nyalandu said. Tourism Minister Jumanne Maghembe flew to Maswa with senior government officials to lead the search, he said.

"Capt Roger represented the very best in human spirit," Nyalandu wrote. "He loved people and the wildlife. He died serving both."

Nigerians attack Economist for calling Jonathan ‘ineffectual buffoon’

Nigerians have expressed outrage at the Economist for labeling the country’s past president, Goodluck Jonathan, as an ‘ineffectual buffoon.’

In an article titled “Crude Tactics: Cheap oil is causing a currency crisis in Nigeria. Banning imports is no solution”, published in The Economist last Thursday, the magazine, while analysing the economic policies of President Muhammadu Buhari, had written that “In the eight months since Mr. Buhari arrived at Aso Rock, the presidential digs, the homicidal jihadists of Boko Haram have been pushed back into the bush along Nigeria’s borders.

“The government has cracked down on corruption, which had flourished under the previous president, Goodluck Jonathan, an ineffectual buffoon who let politicians and their cronies fill their pockets with impunity.”

In angry reactions on social media, majority of Nigerians expressed their displeasure with the tag on a former president of Africa’s most populous nation.

One Ismail Aniemu on his Facebook page  wrote "every Nigerian should be worried about any derogatory description of our leaders by the western media".

“Describing Jonathan as an ‘Ineffectual Buffoon’ is not a good testimonial for us coming from an influential publication, The Economist. Nigerians should jointly seek ways of avoiding embarrassments of this sort in future. How did we get a GEJ to lead us in the first place?” he wrote.

Another Nigerian, Adedayo Adesoji, also expressed his reservations on his Facebook page.

He wrote, “Despite the fact that I have never for once fancied the kind of President Jonathan’s style of leadership, I take exception to the Economist’s position referring to the Nigerian immediate past President as an ineffectual buffoon! It is the height of disrespect to the personality of our former President! If truly the Economist condescended so low to spew out this insult, then the above globally respected news platform has lowered its professional standard and brought international journalism to a state of disrepute! I am awfully disappointed in the Economist if truly it authored such a publication!”

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