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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

Fallout from Biden's visit: West Bank sealed off; proximity talks appear stalled

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas greets U.S. vice president Joe Biden in Ramallah. (Photo: AFP)
As Joe Biden wraps up his Middle East tour, Palestinian officials say they're unwilling to move forward with proximity talks unless Israel cancels its new construction in East Jerusalem; and the Israeli Defense Forces have sealed off the West Bank for 48 hours, reportedly for security concerns. Several people were injured and arrested in fighting at the Al-Aqsa mosque this morning.

Peace Processing

Biden arrives in Israel amid serious Palestinian doubts

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife arrived in Israel on Monday.
As Joe Biden lands in Israel, the Israeli government -- obviously keen to demonstrate that it's serious about restarting peace talks -- announced Monday that it will violate its West Bank settlement freeze and build 112 new homes in Beitar Illit, a settlement west of Bethlehem.

Iraqi Elections

Polls close in Iraq; media reports suggest strong turnout, relative calm

An Iraqi man on a bicycle displays his ink-stained finger after voting in Baghdad on March 7, 2010. (Photo: AP)
A handful of insurgent attacks around the country killed two dozen people, but Iraqi security forces seemed generally confident; the vehicle ban in Baghdad, scheduled to last all day, was lifted before noon. Anecdotal reports suggest a strong turnout across the country.