Our daily trip around the world

🇮🇱 Israel intensified its airstrikes on Hamas within the Gaza Strip as it prepares for a ground invasion. Israeli tanks and military vehicles gathered near Gaza yesterday, as officials confirmed plans to launch a ground offensive in the coming days. The official death toll from Hamas’ surprise invasion on Saturday rose to more than 1,000 Israeli residents, including 14 US citizens. Gaza’s health ministry said Israel’s retaliatory attacks had killed at least 900 people as of yesterday evening. Despite Hamas’ previous threats to execute civilian hostages if Israeli airstrikes continued without warning, there’s currently no indication they have done so.

🇬🇧🐔 UK scientists are genetically engineering the world’s first avian flu-resistant chickens. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh identified three genes they believe are important for allowing the bird flu virus to reproduce in chickens, then used CRISPR gene-editing technology to make a few small changes to those genes. The scientists found 90% of the genetically-modified chickens showed no signs of infection when exposed to a standard dose of bird flu, and predicted future versions of their novel treatment would expand to 100% coverage within three years – however, further regulatory testing and approvals are necessary before gene-edited chickens can be considered for human consumption (estimated timeline: ~20 years).

🌍🍻 Climate change could be negatively affecting the quality and taste of European beer, per a new study. Beer is typically flavored with hops, a plant that’s sensitive to changes in light, heat, or water. According to a peer-reviewed study published yesterday in Nature Communications, the alpha acid content of hops – which give beer its distinct taste and smell – has fallen across every European region over the past five decades, with researchers attributing the dip to increasingly warmer climates.