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Pop Tarts

Diva is a female version of a hustla

Beyonce, last seen angering the Muslim Brotherhood with her "insolent sex party" in Upper Egypt, apparently accepted $2 million from Libyan leader Muammar al-Qadhafi to play a short New Year's Eve concert for his son, Hannibal.

The concert was performed on the Caribbean island of St. Barth. Qadhafi wasn't the only guest: Attendees reportedly included Beyonce's husband Jay-Z and other American and European entertainers.

But the party was hosted by Hannibal Qadhafi -- who last made headlines on Christmas Day, for reportedly assaulting his wife in a London hotel.

Hannibal's brother, Moatessem-Billah, hosted a similar party last year, headlined by Mariah Carey; she reportedly received $1 million for the gig.

Libya has a per-capita GDP of $14,200, or roughly 0.7 percent of what Qadhafi paid Beyonce for an hour's work. Other economic statistics are hard to find, but the official unemployment rate in Libya -- a country with a centrally-planned economy -- was 13 percent in 2005.

The Haifa Wehbe apology tour

First, Beyonce caused an uproar in Egypt with her insolent sex party.

Now Lebanese crooner Haifa Wehbe is in trouble for referring to black Nubians as "monkeys" in one of her most recent songs. A group of Nubian lawyers submitted a complaint to Egypt's public prosecutor and asked that the song be banned.

Wehbe has apologized profusely; she insists the offending lyric was written by an Egyptian songwriter, who said "Nubian monkey" was "an innocent term for a popular children's game." (Good rule of thumb: Comparisons between black people and monkeys are never a good idea, even if you're Haifa Wehbe or the New York Post.)

You've got to figure Nancy Ajram is on the phone with her agent cancelling her next Egyptian tour date. Misr's a rough place for a diva.

(Not) Crazy in Love

Brotherhood goes after Beyonce

The Muslim Brotherhood is outraged (عربي) about an upcoming Beyonce concert in Port Ghalib, a ritzy resort town along Egypt's Red Sea coast (h/t Marc Lynch).

Seems to me the outrage is misguided: It's pretty obvious that Beyonce's work is informed by Islamic values.

"Single Ladies," of course, celebrates traditional marriage -- an institution that's on the decline among many Egyptians. The Brotherhood should appreciate "Halo"; angels are one of the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam. "Beautiful Liar" offers something for the Shi'a community -- can you say taqiyya?

And "Bootylicious," from her Destiny's Child days, is obviously a cautionary tale about Ramadan weight gain.

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Peace Processing

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Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivering a statement in Jerusalem on July 1, 2010. (Photo: AFP)
US president Barack Obama will use a White House meeting with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to push for an extended West Bank settlement freeze. If Netanyahu doesn't offer one - and the domestic politics are quite difficult for him - it's hard to see any possibility of direct talks with the Palestinian Authority later this year.

The Afghan Surge

Obama's southern strategy

Gen. David Petraeus testifying on Capitol Hill. (Photo: Reuters)
The president's decision to nominate Gen. David Petraeus as the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan won't mean a major change in strategy. But there are mounting reasons for pessimism about current policy, particularly the relentless focus on southern Afghanistan. The deployment of tens of thousands of additional troops to Kandahar and Helmand serves few NATO objectives.

Freedom Flotilla Killings

Anticlimax: How much did the flotilla raid really change regional politics?

A demonstration in London against the Israeli attack on the Gaza-bound flotilla. (Photo: AFP)
It has accelerated Israel's isolation from several of its neighbors and allies; it has sharpened divisions within Turkish domestic politics; it has deepened perceptions that the Obama administration as too close to Israel. And it seems to have had a remarkably minor impact on Palestinian domestic politics.