Gaza's Rafah border crossing, the main entry and exit point for the territory, reopened on Monday after being closed for most of the ongoing war, according to NPR. However, initial reports indicate that only a limited number of people have been allowed to cross.
In other news, thousands of people congregated on a Rio de Janeiro beach on February 2nd to celebrate Yemanjá, the Afro-Brazilian goddess of the sea, Euronews reported. Devotees offered prayers and gifts for well-being, demonstrating the continued importance of Afro-Brazilian spirituality in the nation's public rituals. The annual event highlights the syncretism between Yoruba beliefs and Catholicism that allowed enslaved Africans to maintain their traditions, according to Euronews.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the "ICE Out" movement is gaining traction as cities take action in response to concerns over immigration enforcement. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey addressed fellow city leaders at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, D.C., warning of increasing pressure on cities. "We are on the front line of a very important battle," Frey said, according to Time. "If we do not speak up, if we do not step out, it will be your city that is next." Time reported that mayors across the country are responding to fear and anxiety that their communities will be the Trump Administration's next target.
In the scientific community, Nature News highlighted the difficult situation faced by Iranian researchers. They face challenges such as low wages, high inflation, sociopolitical instability, resource mismanagement, oppression by the authorities, and long-standing international sanctions. According to Nature News, high prices hinder conference attendance, as do difficulties obtaining visas. Unstable Internet connections, frequent power outages, and lack of access to scholarly sources jeopardize collaborations.
Finally, concerning the world's oceans, oceanic whitetip sharks are rapidly disappearing due to the illegal trade of their fins for shark fin soup, Time reported. DNA testing on over 16,000 fins in Hong Kong, the world's largest shark fin market, revealed that the species appeared 70 times more often than what governments reported. Time stated that traders trafficked fins from over 36,000 illegally caught oceanic whitetip sharks in just three years. The species was once abundant and revered in Pacific-island lore as messengers of the deep.
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