Alice Through the Looking Glass

Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, widely known as Shawkan, mimes a photographer inside a soundproof glass dock during his trial in Cairo. Photo: AFP/Mohamed el-Shahed.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, also known as Shawkan, makes a gesture mimicking taking a picture from inside a soundproof glass dock, during his trial in the capital Cairo. Photo: AFP/Khaled Desouki.

Tooth and Nail

Alexandria, Egypt: A voter’s finger is marked with ink at a polling station during the second day of the presidential election. Photo: Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters.

From Midnight till Dawn

Two women look at sunrise while seated on a beach in Mersa Matruh, Egypt. Photo: Nariman El-Mofty/AP.

The Purple Rose of Cairo

A parrot at the Africano animals park on the Cairo–Alexandria desert road, Egypt. Photo: Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Mohamed Abdallah, leader of the independent street vendors’ union in Cairo, Egypt speaking with Giulio Regeni (pictured above) and asking him money, while he was filming him in the face. Here, the snapshots transmitted by the Egyptian investigators to their Italian colleagues, filmed by Abdallah himself, showing his last meeting with the Italian researcher. They discuss the British Antipode Foundation’s project, which issued a grant of up to £10,000 to fund a development project aimed at developing countries. “My wife has cancer”, the street vendor explains to Giulio, “I care only about money, no matter how much”. Regeni answers: “It’s not my money, I cannot give it you. I am a university researcher, I cannot use it for my private interest”. Snapshot by repubblica.it.

Winterreise

A toilet by the wall barrier near the Rafah crossing point into Egypt from Gaza. Photo: David Levene for The Guardian.

The Importance of Not Being Arcovazzi

Khaled Diab (‏@DiabolicalIdea)

• Khaled Diab, Giulio Regeni is the tip of Egypt’s police brutality iceberg, The Chronikler, May 12, 2016

“Students or anyone else conducting research in dangerous places should be better protected by their university – and their government”. [Read more]. Photo: AP.

Noopolitik

Tensions are high between Rome and Cairo after the death of Giulio Regeni, but a desire for Egypt’s cooperation over Libya means diplomacy is needed Italy’s attempts to put pressure on Egypt over the brutal killing of researcher Giulio Regeni are being hampered by a competing national security concern: getting Cairo’s cooperation on Libya. [Read more].

• Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Rome, Chris Stephen in Tunis, and Ruth Michaelson in Cairo, Realpolitik hinders hunt for killer of Italian researcher in Egypt, The Guardian, May 16, 2016

Egypt has insisted it was not involved in Giulio Regeni’s death. Photograph: الينارجية | The Januarians‎ (Facebook).

Lulu

A 3,300-year-old limestone bust of Queen Nefertiti. Photo: Robert Michael/AFP/Getty.

Neferneferuaten Nefertiti in hieroglyphs

Neferneferuaten Nefertiti
Nfr nfrw itn Nfr.t jy.tj
Beautiful are the Beauties of Aten, the Beautiful one has come

Deadly Censorship

• Neil Pyper, The murder of my friend Giulio Regeni in Egypt was an attack on academic freedom, The Guardian, February 6, 2016

Giulio Regeni’s murder is a direct challenge to the academic freedom that is a pillar of our higher education system. He is only one of many scholars who have been arbitrarily detained, and often abused, in Egypt. As a scholarly community and as a society, we have a duty to strike to protect them and their colleagues who study in dangerous places the world over. [Read more].

“Students or anyone else conducting research in dangerous places should be better protected by their university – and their government”. [Read more]. Photo: AP.

Foulard

Cairo, Egypt: A Palestinian girl wears Palestine’s national flag as a headscarf at a protest outside the Arab League headquarters. Photo: Cui Xinyu/新华社 (Xīnhuá News Agency)/Corbis.