Sadat Daughter Fumes Over Hollywood Slight

(NEWSER) - President Obama skillfully made the case for women's rights in the Muslim world during his Cairo speech today with the help of the hijab, or head scarf, writes Tracy Clark-Flory in Salon. "I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal," he said, demonstrating tolerance and respect before reaching his main points: that women must have the right to education and the right to reject "traditional roles." More»

Hollywood star admits to history of 'sexual favors': lawsuit

(NEWSER) - John Travolta is one randy (and rather rude) massage client, according to a new Hollywood lawsuit. A masseur hired by Travolta claims the movie star took him to a Beverly Hills Hotel bungalow, stripped to nothing, appeared semi-erect, and touched the masseur's scrotum and penis during the massage, TMZ reports. When the masseur declined to fool around, Travolta cried, "Come on dude, I'll jerk you off!" Travolta then completed that very deed, but on himself. More»

Pope Shenouda III struck conservative tone during revolution

(NEWSER) - Egypt's Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda III has died of natural causes at age 88 after leading his community through four decades of quiet expansion, al-Jazeera reports. A religious leader of some 8 million people—about 10% of Egyptians—Shenouda was a fighter for Coptic rights in his early years but mellowed later on, striking a conciliatory tone even when sectarian violence increased . Finally, after a Coptic protest was brutally dispersed last October, Shenouda spoke out against the violence. More»

'Jane Doe' must re-file suit under real name or drop case

(NEWSER) - A bizarre celebrity lawsuit takes an amusing twist. The actress suing Amazon.com for $1 million because the Internet Movie Database, which Amazon owns, revealed her real age, must reveal something of her own: her name. The Hollywood Reporter explains that a US District Court judge yesterday ruled that "the injury she fears"—apparently, that she'll be blacklisted in Hollywood—"is not severe enough to justify permitting her to proceed anonymously." And so "Jane Doe" has 14 days to re-file under her true name or drop the case. She claims IMDb got her age via her credit card information when she subscribed to IMDbPro in 2008. Click for more on the case. More»

Egypt brokers deal to stop escalating violence

(AP) - Gaza militants agreed to a cease-fire with Israel to stop spiking violence, a Hamas official said today, after a deadly attack across the Egyptian border on Israeli vehicles set off a three-day round of rapidly escalating Israeli airstrikes and rocket barrages from Gaza. The sudden flareup also threatened Israel-Egypt relations, after three Egyptian police were killed as the cross-border clash developed Thursday. Egypt complained strongly as thousands demonstrated in Cairo, and Israel apologized. More»