By MIT Technology Review by Abdullahi Tsanni — Gene editing could help prevent chickens from catching and spreading bird flu, according to a proof-of-concept study.| Researchers used the gene-editing tool CRISPR to alter the DNA of 10 chickens to resist the bird flu virus and then exposed all of them to a low dose of it. Only one of the 10 chickens caught the virus, and that chicken did not pass it on to any others. “What this shows is that there’s a proof of concept that we can use to move toward making chickens resistant to the virus. But we’re not there yet,” Wendy Barclay, a virologist and professor at Imperial College London, who co-led the research, said on a press conference call. The study was published today in Nature Communications. Bird flu has killed millions of both wild and farmed birds across the world in recent years. It has increasingly affected mammals as well, raising fears among virologists that the virus could adapt to infect humans.

For the chicken study, the team made changes to a protein gene in the birds’ sperm and eggs. This protein, called ANP32A, helps flu viruses attack chickens’ systems. By rearranging the DNA letters of the ANP32A protein, the researchers were able to restrict the flu virus from infecting the chickens. “The genetic changes that we made were changes we knew will stop the growth of the virus in the chicken cells,” Alewo Idoko-Akoh, a research fellow at the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, who was part of the study, explained. To further test the resilience of the gene-edited birds, the researchers exposed them to a second, higher dose of the bird flu virus. Of the 10, five became infected. Still, the gene edit did provide some level of protection. The researchers also found that the intervention limited spread of the virus: only one of four non-gene-edited chickens placed in the same incubator got infected, and there was no transmission to gene-edited chickens. However, the research team found that in the gene-edited birds, the virus adapted to enlist the support of two related proteins—ANP32B and ANP32E—to replicate.

By Aoibhinn McBride — venturebeat.com — From rising inflation to mass layoffs in the tech industry to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, economic doom and gloom has dominated the headlines in 2023. The threat of recession has also been lingering in the air but new data by Goldman Sachs Group has found that the chance of recession has fallen from 20% to 15%. This is down to two major factors: inflation has cooled from the record-breaking 9.1% we witnessed in June 2022 and currently sits at 3.7%. Secondly, the labor market remains in good shape, despite the aforementioned layoffs. As a consequence, disposable income is on the up and is predicted to accelerate in 2024. So what does that mean in terms of finding a new job? Should you stay put and wait to see what unfolds in the new year or get ahead of the curve now and start looking for opportunities before the holiday season slowdown? Here’s how to work it out.

Career credit check

For starters, it’s a good idea to identify if you really need or want to move jobs and if moving jobs will put you in a better position financially. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data’s July 2023 Survey of Consumer Expectations, salaries have increased by nearly $10,000 on average compared to July 2022. The report identified that in July, the average salary for a full-time job was $69,475 compared to $60,764 a year before. And for those switching jobs, the lowest amount workers were prepared to move for was almost $6,000 higher than what was deemed acceptable a year previously — meaning job seekers are in a prime position to ask for, and get, more money.

Professional gains

Next, look at what a new job will grant you in terms of professional development. If a better job title seems out of reach in your current role or you feel like you’re stagnating and not learning new skills, switching jobs should be a priority. Similarly, if your current employer isn’t offering learning and development opportunities, on site or through a third-party provider, moving jobs to a company that prioritizes L&D and has incorporated it into its benefits package is something to consider. And if you do find yourself on the job hunt, the VentureBeat Job Board is the ideal place to start your search. It features thousands of tech jobs across the U.S. including the three below.

By Middleeast Monitor — Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt has urged Israeli Druze citizens and conscripts not to participate in hostilities in the occupied Palestinian territories, Anadolu news agency reported. In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, Jumblatt asked Druze Arabs not to take part in Israel’s attack on Gaza. “The march of history, no […]

Story by Sarah Fortinsky — the hill — Elon Musk on Sunday flagged a post from Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei that celebrated the attacks by Hamas on Israel and said Khamenei’s statement made clear that Iran’s goal is eradicating Israel. “Khamenei’s official position is clear that the eradication of Israel is the actual goal, […]

By Hannah Brockhaus — catholicnewsagencycom — Pope Francis and the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem have responded to the sudden outbreak of conflict in Israel and Palestine over the weekend. The pope said at the end of a public address on Sunday he is following the violence “with apprehension and sorrow,” and issued an appeal to “please stop weapons attacks!” The head of the Catholic Church in Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, called for a de-escalation of the situation in a statement Oct. 7. “The continuing bloodshed and declarations of war remind us once again of the urgent need to find a lasting and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in this land,” he said. A series of rocket attacks and incursions on Israel from Hamas militants had reportedly killed hundreds and wounded many between Saturday and Sunday morning.

The surprise attacks began early on the morning of Oct. 7, the start of the observance of the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah. Israel reacted to the attacks by fighting back in southern Israel and launching airstrikes in Gaza. Israeli military official Daniel Hagari told reporters Sunday morning that “hundreds of terrorists” had been killed during fighting in Gaza and southern Israel, the Associated Press reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday Israel is “at war.” In an appeal at the end of his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Francis said “terrorism and war do not bring any solution, but only death and suffering for many innocent people. War is a failure. Every war is a failure.” He said he is close to the families of the victims and called for prayers “that there will be peace in Israel and Palestine.”

by reuters — The Israeli military on Sunday said one of its drones struck a Hezbollah post in Har Dov area along the border with Lebanon, after Hezbollah claimed the artillery attack on Israeli-occupied Shebba farms. “We targeted with missiles the radar sites, Zibdin and Ruwaisat Al-Alam,” the militant group said in a statement. The […]

by Hayden Field – cnbc — – When Eric Wollberg and Wesley Berry met in March, Wollberg was chasing the idea of using lucid dreams to explore consciousness and Berry was working with the musician Grimes on translating neural signals into art. Both were fascinated by how brain-imaging tools could help paint a picture of someone’s thought patterns. The two, ages 29 and 27, respectively, co-founded Prophetic that same month. It’s a tech startup building what the company calls the “world’s first wearable device for stabilizing lucid dreams.” It’s a headband-like device that issues focused ultrasound signals. Lucid dreams occur when a person sleeping becomes aware they’re dreaming and may be able to control parts of the dream. The startup has raised a previously unreported $1.1 million funding round with participation from a16z’s Scout Fund, and led by BoxGroup, the VC fund known for being first to invest in fintech company Plaid. To prototype the noninvasive device, dubbed the “Halo,” Prophetic has partnered with Card79 — the same company that designed and built hardware for Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, Neuralink. Prophetic’s hardware bet comes at a time when a handful of artificial intelligence companies are investing in devices or wearables. Humane AI, a company founded in 2017 by former Apple employees, debuted its wearable — the AI Pin — on the runway last week at Paris Fashion Week. And famed iPhone designer Jony Ive and OpenAI’s Sam Altman are also reportedly discussing an AI hardware project.

Wollberg and Berry, Prophetic’s CEO and chief technology officer, respectively, plan to showcase a semi-working prototype either later this month or in early November. But the full test of the prototype, they say, will have to wait until the third or fourth quarter of 2024, after the conclusion of a yearlong study on brain imaging conducted in partnership with the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, part of Radboud University in the Netherlands. The co-founders have the type of lofty dreams typical of a modern-era tech startup, with Wollberg comparing the company to OpenAI. Its mission is to work “collectively towards understanding the nature of consciousness” and its LinkedIn page reads, “Prometheus stole fire from the gods, we will steal dreams from the prophets.” But a year out from a fully working prototype, with plans to ship devices starting in spring 2025, Prophetic is still a ways away from delivering on its promises.

enjoy Lebanon my advice – picture of Beirut Lebanon

by Arabnews.com — RIYADH: Dubai’s residential rental market has experienced an upswing in activity over the past two years, ending a negative growth cycle that persisted from mid-2015 until late 2021, according to real estate services firm CBRE. In its latest report, the company disclosed that in the year-to-date figures up to July 2023, there was a 43.5 percent increase in the total number of tenancy contracts, reaching 325,727, compared to the agreements recorded during the same period in 2019. The analysis examined about 703,000 residential rental transactions between January 2018 and July 2023, including apartments and villas. The report highlights a growing divergence between new and renewed rental rates as current market conditions compel tenants to remain in their residences. The data also presents a comprehensive analysis of recent trends in new and existing leases and offers insights into the future direction of Dubai’s housing market. According to the figures, average apartment rental costs have reached their highest levels since February 2017, as villa fees have also surged exponentially.

However, the market is undergoing significant fragmentation. The report highlights a 12.6 percent drop in the total number of new contracts registered, contrasted by a 29 percent growth in renewed lease signups. This suggests renters are becoming less inclined to relocate due to the additional costs associated with acquiring new leases, particularly in prime and core residential areas. Many tenants are also capitalizing on the protection provided by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency rental regulations. These directives aim to limit annual increases to a maximum of 20.0 percent, and achieving the highest permissible rate is rare in most cases.

By Najia Houssari — arabnews.com –-BEIRUT: Bassam Mawlawi, Lebanon’s caretaker interior minister, said on Wednesday that his country “will not allow the random Syrian presence.” He claimed that “a large percentage, exceeding 30 percent, of various and major crimes are committed by Syrians in Lebanon” and “cooperation” is required “to preserve our environment and our country’s identity.” His comments came against the backdrop of growing concern in Lebanon about the increasing numbers of Syrian refugees crossing the border. “Lebanon cannot carry on with the same leniency toward the Syrian presence,” Mawlawi said. “We must limit the number of Syrians present in each apartment and we will not allow more than one family to reside in it.” The aim “is not to regulate the Syrian presence but rather to limit it,” he added.

The number of Syrian refugees officially registered with the UNHCR, the UN’s refugee agency, had fallen to 805,326 by the end of March, but officials believes the true figure is double that. Lebanese authorities, who asked the UN agency to stop registering new refugees in 2015, estimate the total number of Syrians in the country now exceeds 2 million. They fear the presence of so many refugees will cause a shift in the demographic balance along sectarian lines. During meetings with governors and mayors, Mawlawi asked authorities not to sign any contracts for Syrians who do not possess proper, legal documentation, and called for Lebanese laws to be applied in full to Syrians just as they are to Lebanese citizens. “We will not accept the exploitation of our country and changing its demographics in exchange for money,” Mawlawi said. “Lebanon is not for sale and we are working as a permanent beehive to address the crisis and stand against the immense harm inflicted on Lebanon, the Lebanese people, and Lebanese demographics as a result of the chaos and unacceptable behavior due to the Syrian displacement.” Syrians are said to run about 4,000 businesses in central and western Bekaa. In the town of Bar Elias alone, about 1,700 out of a total of 2,000 are run by Syrians. In Taalabaya, there are 450, and in Qab Elias, 350. As part of the tightening of controls on refugees, the Ministry of Industry on Wednesday renewed a warning to factory owners that they must not hire Syrians who do not possess the required legal documents and permits, otherwise they could lose their licenses to operate.

By Fortune.com — Paolo Confino — The CEO of IBM, who has taken heat for suggesting many back-office tasks could be automated, maintains that the technology will create far more jobs that it will eliminate. During an appearance at Fortune’s CEO Initiative conference in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said it was a misconception that increases in productivity have to lead to job losses. “People mistake productivity with job displacement,” Krishna said onstage. He noted that, as IBM phased out a few hundred back-office HR roles over three to four years, as it added headcount in software engineering and sales roles. “The increase was like 8,000,” Krishna said. “The decrease was like 800.” Krishna specified that employees weren’t let go as a result of this transition—rather, certain roles were not backfilled when they opened up. But there’s no question that “repetitive white-collar jobs” will be affected by the technology, Krishna said, echoing a point he has raised in the past. “The first thing you can automate is a repetitive, white-collar job,” he said on Tuesday. But while AI could take over 10% to 20% of “lower level tasks,” he predicted it wouldn’t take a person’s job altogether, because no one’s job is composed entirely of these sorts of tasks, he says. He expects his programmers to get 30% more productive thanks to the technology. “I don’t intend to get rid of a single one,” he said. “I’ll get more.”

All of which is a boon for developed countries, where Krishna sees an ongoing labor shortage in the coming years. During his onstage interview at the CEO Initiative, Krishna drew a contrast between the scarce labor market in the developed world, which will be in dire need of supercharging productivity, and the developing world, which will have lots of ready and willing workers to fill open jobs. That’s similar to a point he made in a May interview with CNBC, saying successful implementation of AI was critical to maintaining the current quality of life the developing world enjoys. “Population is flat or, in the worst case, declining,” Krishna said at the time. “So you need to get productivity, otherwise, quality of life is going to fall. And AI is the only answer we got.”