Alexandria Storm: Unusual Weather for This Time of Year "Updated"

For the record, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority did warn of rain on the Western North Coast — but it did not mention that it would be a full-blown thunderstorm capable of paralyzing a city preparing for summer.

A thunderstorm did indeed strike Alexandria and Matrouh, but its impact on Alexandria was especially severe, with the city appearing to be overflooded once again.

According to many Alexandrians commenting online, this was an unprecedented storm — unlike anything they had seen in decades, not even during the winter.

Alexandrians tend to have their own informal calendar for storms, and it seems that tonight’s event doesn’t correspond to any known seasonal patterns.

Farewell Brother Francis II :What the Western Media Overlooked About the Late Latin Pope of Rome "Updated"

I honestly didn’t know what to write this Sham El-Nassim, as the genocide in Gaza continues to unfold.

I certainly never imagined that on Easter Monday, I’d spend nearly half the day glued to the screen, following global reactions to the death of Pope Francis II.

In case you’ve been completely offline, Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. The Vatican confirmed his death was due to a stroke, which led to a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the 1936-born was the first Latin American and Jesuit pope, serving since 2013.

According to most international media outlets, his papacy was marked by humility, a focus on social justice, and outreach to marginalised communities. He was also known for taking bold stands on climate change and economic inequality, reflecting his Jesuit roots.

That’s the version most Western media tells you.

However, they often overlook the truly exceptional qualities that made Pope Francis II a singular figure in modern Church history.

He was perhaps the first head of the Catholic Church to deeply and sincerely believe in interfaith coexistence—particularly with the Islamic and Arab worlds.

He recognized Palestinian Christians at a time when much of the West ignored them, refusing to acknowledge them as victims of Israel’s ethnic cleansing.

Pope Francis at the 'Nativity of Bethlehem 2024,' upon its inauguration in the Paul VI Hall
at St Peter's Square, in the Paul-VI hall at the Vatican on December 7, 2024. (AFP)

In what turned out to be his final sermon on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Though he did not read the homily himself—it was delivered by Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of liturgical ceremonies—the world understood: this was his last message, spoken in his final 24 hours.

And it mattered. It forced the media, even if only briefly, to turn its gaze back to the tragedy unfolding in Gaza.

Seen in Cairo : El Basilica of Heliopolis

On the occasion of Easter, here is a photo taken during Christmas of Our Lady of Heliopolis Co-Cathedral — also known as the Latin Cathedral of Our Lady of Heliopolis, the Basilica of the Holy Virgin, Basilique de Notre-Dame d'Héliopolis, or simply El Basilica in Cairo.

El-Basilica or Basilique de Notre-Dame d'Heliopolis 

This Roman Catholic church is located on Al-Ahram Square in Heliopolis. Designed in the Byzantine Revival style by French architect Alexandre Marcel, the cathedral was inspired by the Hagia Sophia and commissioned by Baron Empain through his Cairo Electric Railways & Heliopolis Oasis Company. It was completed in 1913.

When Valentina Tereshkova visited Egypt

A Little Break Post – Escaping the Depressing News from the Middle East and Beyond

In case you missed it, American pop star Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King, Lauren Sánchez (Jeff Bezos’ fiancée), and three other women travelled on Monday aboard a Blue Origin suborbital space tourism flight.

Blue Origin, owned and operated by Bezos, launched this all-female crew on a short journey beyond Earth's atmosphere. According to media reports, Sánchez personally selected the crew members for this flight.

This “trip” reached the Kármán line — the commonly accepted boundary between Earth’s atmosphere and outer space — which lies at an altitude of 100 kilometres (62 miles).

As expected, the 10-minute flight — filled with awkwardly staged moments, especially those featuring Katy Perry — quickly turned into a meme fest online.

Some U.S. mainstream media outlets and social media users even went so far as to claim it was the first all-female trip to space.

That’s not only factually incorrect — it's also a bit offensive.

So, to set the record straight: the first "all-female space mission" wasn't in 2024. It happened in 1963, and the entire crew was Valentina Tereshkova.

Valentina Tereshkova and the Pyramids generated by Chat-GPT as risograph print 

The real pioneer of an all-female spaceflight was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, who made history in June 1963.

Kodak Agfa presents: Cairo’s Ramadan Bazaar of Ahmed Maher Street or from Bab El-Khalk to Bab Zuweila Gate aka Taht el-Rab’a “Part.2”

It is like the last day of Ramadan, and I am really sorry to publish the second part of this post only now.

I should have posted earlier if it were not for the Ramadan procrastination, health issues, and work-life balance. It is not too late.

I am sorry that I am posting right now just as we are starting to re-watch the second season of the Gaza genocide again and watch live helplessly.

To be honest I am using this post as more of a runaway to escape the yet again footage and photos of killed children in hospitals.

I pray that when I finish this post a Ramadan miracle happens and ends this nightmare as soon as possible.

Now back to That el-Rab’a and that trip in that street from Bab El-Khalk to Bab Zuweila gate.

We stopped last time at the Ramadan Saint Patrons in Egypt: Bogy and Tamtam

Bogy and Tamtam, the saint patrons of Ramadan in Egypt 

Their facial expression may reflect many things in our time whether domestically or regionally or internationally.

Their statues on the street were like two ancient Egyptian statues guarding some ancient Egyptian King's tomb in some irony.

Despite the younger generations did not watch their shows in Ramadan as my generation had, many of them stopped and took photos with Ramadan’s most famous duo.

Snapping a photo with Bogy and Tamtam

Now you will know that you are near Bab Zuweila gate when you reach its famous walls or rather the walls of the Mosque of Sultan al-Muayyad.

Ramadan lanterns in the shadow of
Mosque of Sultan al-Muayyad Sheikh and Bab Zuweila

Bab Zuwayla or Bab Zuweila (Arabic: باب زويلة) is one of three remaining gates in the city walls of historic Cairo in Egypt. It was also known as Bawabat al-Mitwali or as Bab al-Mitwali or Bab al-Qus.

Gaza War : This is what Hossam Shabat said in his last messages to the world

The Israeli occupation army killed in Gaza on Monday two journalists, 29-year-old Mohamed Mansour and 23-year-old Hossam Shabat.

Late Mansour and Shabat

29-year-old Mansour was a correspondent for Palestine Today TV channel and Japan’s Asahi Shimbun Daily.

Mohamed Mansour was killed in an Israeli missile attack at his house early Monday.

The Israeli army killed Shabat shortly after he mourned his colleague Mansour. Shabat was an Al-Jazeera Mubshar reporter in North Gaza.

Once again Mahmoud Darwish’s “In Gaza, a martyr mourns a martyr” manifests in front of our eyes.

It was not the first time. Shabat mourned his other colleagues who were killed in the past months in North Gaza.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2025: The Tale of Fatima, Halima and Karima “Prince Karwan” EP.23

Ramadan Karim

But first, it is our time for a little chit-chat.

Tonight, we are introduced to a new character, as you may have guessed from the title of our night, “Prince Karwan”

In Classical Arabic, Karwan or الكروان typically refers to a curlew, which is a type of wading bird known for its long, curved bill and distinctive, melancholic call.

A curlew or a Karwan

However, in Egyptian Arabic, especially in literature and songs, Karwan is often used more poetically to refer to a nightingale or a songbird—a bird with a beautiful voice.

Curlews live in Egypt, mostly as migratory birds. Thanks to its location along the East Africa–West Asia Flyway, Egypt serves as an important stopover and wintering site for many migratory species, including curlews. While they are not permanent residents, curlews are regular visitors during the autumn and spring migration seasons.

Thanks to its location along the East Africa–West Asia Flyway, Egypt serves as an important stopover and wintering site for many migratory species, including curlews. While they are not permanent residents, curlews are regular visitors during the autumn and spring migration seasons.

While not extremely common, nightingales can be found in Egypt’s gardens, groves, and along the Nile, particularly during migration seasons or in more temperate, vegetated areas.

Egypt is also home to a diverse array of songbirds, both native and migratory, thanks to its strategic location on major migratory routes and its varied habitats.

Now we will stop talking about birds and let’s continue our tale.

And without further delay, here is the 695th episode of our Arabian Nights Egyptian radio show—or the 23rd night in this year’s tale, The Tale of Fatima, Halima, and Karima.