<i>Welcome to The National's weekly newsletter Beshara, where we share the most positive stories of the week.</i> It's the time of year when my colleagues in the Gulf and I are living in totally different weather realities. Just as members of our London bureau arrive at the office pulling off coats and scarves against the harsh winter air, our friends in Abu Dhabi are enjoying the balmy weather of the cooler season, a break from temperatures that can reach the high 40s in summer. Whichever climate you are living in, nature can be spotted all around, and scientists are discovering new species all the time. On Thursday, London's Kew Gardens released a list of the 149 new plants and 23 fungi identified this year, including orchids, toadstools and a new member of the coffee family. But the discoveries are bittersweet. “The sheer privilege of describing a species as new to science is a thrill that not many will ever get to experience,” Dr Martin Cheek, senior research leader of Kew’s Africa team, told <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/topics/Author/simon-rushton/" target="_blank">Simon Rushton</a>. “The devastating reality is that more often than not, new species are being found on the brink of extinction and it’s a race against time to find and describe them all.” Knowing about new species will help scientists to save them though, so take a look at the top 10 newest discoveries<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uk/2024/12/19/kew-gardens-names-new-plants-and-fungi-species-discovered-in-2024/" target="_blank"> here</a>. The rest of this week's edition can safely be called an eclectic mix, so read on for a humanoid underwater robot, an all-female Saudi rock band and the most Christmassy house in Dubai. Have a wonderful weekend, Taylor The man who created a humanoid deep-sea exploration robot has been honoured with a Great Arab Minds award in engineering and technology, winning Dh1 million ($272,200). Oussama Khatib, from Aleppo, Syria, is renowned for his work in robotics, and his OceanOne robot was invented to monitor coral reefs and conduct scientific experiments at depths humans cannot reach. The user of the robot can ''see'' through its eyes and operate its hands, feeling the resistance of the water and exploring objects with touch. Prof Khatib, director of the University of Stanford's Robotics Lab, is now embarking on a project with his institution's human-centred Artificial Intelligence lab to find ways the two disciplines can benefit society and use technology responsibly. Find out more about Oussama and his groundbreaking work <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2024/12/17/pride-of-aleppo-syrian-professor-wins-great-arab-minds-award-for-innovative-deep-sea-exploration-robot/" target="_blank">here</a>. – Bassist <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/music-stage/2024/12/13/seera-rock-band-saudi-soundstorm/" target="_blank">Meesh</a> from Saudi all-female rock band Seera on singing in their local dialect I couldn't let this edition end without a mention of Christmas – believe me it has taken some restraint not to bombard you all with baubles, tinsel and wrapping paper since December 1. Someone who loves Christmas even more than me is Marie Gibb, who has decorated her home in Dubai for decades, with increasingly large and extravagant adornments. She starts the process at the beginning of November, and once the festive season is over, it takes about eight days to put away. See amazing photos of Marie's home <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/home-garden/2024/12/16/dubai-christmas-decor-home/" target="_blank">here</a>. Sticking with the theme of Christmas, I wonder if this is the sort of outfit Marie, featured above, would dress her dog in. This dachshund is in Hyde Park, London, taking part in a festive gathering of “sausage dogs”. They say Christmas is a time for family, after all. See more fun photos of the week in our gallery.
