Beshara: Reflecting on results

From A-level grades to lessons from the Olympics - and all the good stories in between

With the Olympics over, A-level exam results collected and the summer break drawing to a close, you’d be forgiven for thinking we are in what journalists tend to call the “silly season”.

But as breaths are bated over Gaza ceasefire talks and warnings resound over another mpox outbreak, this is far from the case.

Beyond the headlines, though, we’ve had a week of reflecting on recent events and what lessons were learnt. This is especially true for Reem Abulleil, who delved into the effect of the Paris Games on the Arab world, which celebrated its highest number of gold medallists.

And, of course, we’re looking ahead to what comes next.

Whether you’re looking forward to the Paralympic Games, a new school term or anticipating the start of a new career or life direction after A-levels, I’m here in your inbox with a real mix of goodness that’s happened this week.

Below you’ll find stories demonstrating the power of organ donation awareness – the big numbers and on individual lives – some news on groundbreaking carbon capture research, fascinating finds on Mars and a super celestial show. Enjoy!

Best wishes always,

Nicola

Do you have beshara to share? Email [email protected]

Hayat (Life)

Nurpati Mangindre Tasim was only hours from death when she received a life-saving transplant thanks to efforts to source an organ donor in the Gulf region.

Ms Tasim, a UAE resident from Indonesia, had acute liver failure that became so severe it started to affect her brain. Her medical team said there was not a moment to lose.

The hospital issued an alert to the UAE Organ Transplant Committee for an urgent liver transplant. With no donors available in the country, the committee extended the search across the wider region, finding a liver in Kuwait.

We learnt of her remarkable recovery on World Organ Donation Day. There have been hundreds of success stories each year in the UAE since the government passed a law in 2016 allowing for organ transplants from living donors and the dead. It’s also thanks to a major campaign effort launched in 2022, which has led to more than 26,000 people signing up as potential donors.

Quite fittingly, the awareness campaign is called Hayat, which means life in Arabic. For Ms Tasim, this is especially apt as doctors say she can now “look forward to leading a completely normal and healthy life, thanks to the graciousness of the donor’s family who donated the organ and saved her life in time”.

Read more of her story here and learn the latest on the UAE organ donor drive here.

QUOTED

‘Alliances and friendships have been built from people who just over a week ago were considered to be our enemies. Now they're our friends and our protectors’

– Adam Kelwick, imam at the UK's oldest mosque, reflected on the aftermath of riots that rocked cities and towns across the country

Wonder material

You’re looking at a teaspoon of “wonder material” that could revolutionise the fight against climate change. This is graphene, a carbon material extracted from graphite, and it could provide a major breakthrough in efforts to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Scientists from Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, along with teams from the University of Manchester in the UK and other institutes, have just published major research on a new technique that changes the substance from being a conductor of electricity to an insulator.

The findings open up new uses that could have “big implications”, lead author of the study Dr Marcelo Lozada-Hidalgo said.

You can read more about how it could work and about the collaboration between Khalifa University and the University of Manchester in Daniel Bardsley’s report here.

SNAPSHOT

Did you catch the peak of the Perseids meteor shower this week? The dazzling celestial fireballs were clearly visible in many countries.

I’ll admit I was very jealous of the Dubai Astronomy Group who got to witness the starry show nestled on bean bags on Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah.

And in Sharjah, a group of stargazers enjoyed a night-time feast before the cosmic display.

Read Sarwat Nasir’s report to learn more. And don’t miss the Blue supermoon next week.

See more of these captivating photos of the week here

IMPACT ON INSTAGRAM

HIGHLIGHTS

Is there life on Mars? Water reservoirs found under planet's crust could hold key

Emirati astronauts complete advanced training in cell culture for space research

How Louvre Abu Dhabi is expanding its educational impact on youth of the UAE