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ROME, Italy — In a significant move to address chronic overcrowding and generate preservation funds, Rome’s iconic Trevi Fountain inaugurated a new ticketing system on Monday. The Baroque landmark now requires a €2 (approximately $1.68) fee for close-access viewing adjacent to the basin, creating a more manageable visitor experience while establishing a new revenue stream.

The initiative transforms the visitor dynamic at one of Italy’s most celebrated monuments, famed as the backdrop for Anita Ekberg’s immortal scene in Federico Fellini’s ‘La Dolce Vita.’ Previously, the public square faced such intense crowding that visitors struggled to properly appreciate the architectural masterpiece. Now, ticketed guests enjoy largely unobstructed views and photo opportunities within a regulated zone.

Tourist reactions have been predominantly supportive. Agata Harezlak, a 41-year-old visitor from Poland, exclaimed to AFP, ‘Tell me it’s not worth two euros! It’s worth thousands if not millions, it’s beautiful!’ British tourist Phillip Willis expressed satisfaction with obtaining quality photographs without competing with massive crowds, while also appreciating that his contribution would aid the fountain’s preservation for future generations.

According to Rome’s council member for tourism, Alessandro Onorato, the city anticipates approximately €6 million in annual revenue from the access fees. These funds will partially cover the costs of 25 stewards staffing the facility and will additionally support free museum access for Rome’s residents across the capital. A portion of earnings will continue the tradition of donating thousands of euros collected weekly from the fountain’s coin-tossing ritual to the Caritas charity.

The system isn’t without its critics. Some international visitors questioned the equity of charging Italians, while others argued the site should remain free for all. Nonetheless, city officials remain confident in the approach, with Onorato remarking that comparable global attractions would likely impose substantially higher fees.

The parish of Manchester, Jamaica, is confronting a severe outbreak of violence following a series of coordinated shootings that claimed four lives within a narrow twelve-hour window from Saturday evening into Sunday morning. Superintendent Carey Duncan, head of the Manchester police, has publicly identified two individuals sought for questioning in connection with the brutal attacks that terrorized the communities of New Hall, Old England, and Ellen Street, south of Mandeville.

The police are appealing to Orane Nelson, also known as ‘Prince’ from May Day, and CJ Wilson of Old England, to present themselves at the Mandeville Police Station to aid the ongoing investigation. This appeal comes as law enforcement pursues what Superintendent Duncan described as ‘strong leads’ and several theories regarding the motives behind the apparently connected killings.

The victims have been officially named as Dejaune Hamilton, Raheem ‘Richie Rich’ Ward (22), Adrian Reid, and David Brown (33). The timeline of violence began around 7:30 PM Saturday, with Hamilton being fatally shot at a football field adjacent to a car wash in New Hall. Hours later, Ward and Reid were killed in the vicinity of a bar in Old England. The spree culminated in a particularly harrowing incident around 1:40 AM Sunday, when David Brown was executed at his Ellen Street home.

According to a traumatized eyewitness, Brown’s murder was carried out by two assailants posing as police officers. They forcibly gained entry to his home and shot him in the head in the presence of his spouse and four of his five children. The witness recounted the horrific details, stating Brown was dragged from his bed and shot multiple times after pleading for his life. Described as a construction worker and a dedicated father, Brown’s sudden death has left his family devastated and deeply concerned for the psychological well-being of his children, one of whom is preparing for critical primary school exams.

This violent surge presents a stark contrast to broader national trends. While the Jamaica Constabulary Force reports a significant 55 percent reduction in murders across the country for January compared to the same period last year, Manchester Parish has recorded four homicides this year, after having none at this time in 2023.

A prominent Jamaican healthcare professional who migrated to the United States has issued a stark rebuttal to Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton’s appeal for overseas nurses to return home amid staffing shortages. Dr. Cheryl Morgan, who left Jamaica in 2009 after graduating from The University of the West Indies, articulated why financial incentives and improved infrastructure alone cannot reverse the brain drain.

Having built a distinguished career in the United States—earning doctoral credentials, authoring a memoir titled ‘Jamaican Born,’ and establishing herself as a businesswoman—Dr. Morgan emphasized systemic issues within Jamaica’s healthcare system. She cited chronically low wages, inadequate resources, and societal disregard for nursing professionals as primary reasons for the exodus.

Minister Tufton, during recent visits to US cities including Washington, DC, New York, and Miami, promoted repatriation by highlighting infrastructure upgrades, crime reduction efforts, and increased disposable income opportunities. He proposed incentives for relocation and mentioned a housing program for healthcare staff.

However, Dr. Morgan countered that these measures fail to address deeper institutional flaws. She described nurses in Jamaica struggling with poverty, inability to afford mortgages or vehicles, and public criticism when advocating for better pay. By contrast, international recruitment offered competitive salaries, professional advancement opportunities, and improved living conditions.

Citing specific deficiencies, Dr. Morgan noted outdated hospital facilities, insufficient medical equipment like IV pumps, reliance on families to supply medications, and inadequate ambulance services. She proposed alternative solutions, such as leveraging diaspora expertise for telemedicine initiatives, satellite clinics, and systemic reforms—without physical return.

With approximately 20 years of experience and licenses to practice in multiple US states, Dr. Morgan now operates a clinic focusing on type 2 diabetes care and runs a philanthropic foundation. She urged the government to focus on retaining new graduates and reforming the healthcare system rather than seeking repatriation of those who have established lives abroad.

In a powerful address marking Religious Liberty Day, Jamaican Seventh-day Adventist advocate Nigel Coke issued a stark warning against emerging legislative efforts in the United States that would legally enforce Sunday as a universal day of rest. Speaking at Andrews Memorial SDA Church in St. Andrew on January 24, 2026, Coke identified such proposals as a significant threat to fundamental religious freedoms.

The religious liberty director referenced specific initiatives by a Washington, DC-based advocacy group promoting statewide limitations on Sunday commercial activities. While acknowledging the表面上 virtuous intentions behind promoting family time and social cohesion, Coke emphasized that these measures fundamentally privilege one religious tradition’s day of worship over others.

“However well-meaning these proposals might appear,” Coke asserted in his sermon titled ‘It’s Buying Time,’ “they cross a critical boundary when they effectively favor one religious tradition’s practices. Seventh-day Adventists maintain that every individual—whether Baptist, Catholic, Muslim, or other—should possess the unequivocal right to worship on whatever day they choose.”

Drawing from Revelation 3:14–22, Coke contextualized the current debate within the Adventist movement’s 160-year history of opposing Sunday legislation. He noted that such restrictions, while often framed in secular terms like public health or national unity, create substantial practical challenges for faith communities that observe different Sabbath days, including Orthodox Jews and Seventh-day Adventists.

Coke elaborated that commerce limitations could restrict economic opportunities and indirectly pressure religious minorities to conform to Sunday observance. He invoked the biblical concept of “eyesalve”—spiritual discernment enabling believers to distinguish genuine religious freedom threats beneath appealing policy packaging.

“We urgently require this spiritual eyesalve today,” Coke told congregants, “particularly in an era characterized by misinformation. Laws framed under the guise of unity or safety may subtly erode conscience rights. This divine discernment helps us perceive when religious liberty, though theoretically protected, faces practical erosion.”

The religious liberty director encouraged believers to pursue the triple spiritual gifts described in Revelation 3:18: faith refined through adversity (gold), Christ’s righteousness (white raiment), and clarity of vision (eyesalve). He emphasized that only hearts transformed by grace could withstand mounting societal pressures.

Concluding with a call to action, Coke challenged attendees to utilize current freedoms to advocate for universal conscience rights while preparing for future challenges through prayer, scriptural study, and active community engagement.

Hurricane Melissa’s devastating impact on Jamaica has catalyzed a profound national reevaluation, transforming disaster recovery into a strategic opportunity for economic reinvention. Beyond physical destruction, the catastrophe has compelled the Caribbean nation to confront fundamental questions about building a more resilient, equitable, and prosperous future.

The establishment of a statutory recovery body represents a crucial governmental response, though its ultimate success will be measured beyond infrastructure repairs and fund mobilization. The central challenge lies in reimagining Jamaica’s cultural assets—from music and entertainment to creative industries—as core economic infrastructure rather than peripheral activities.

For decades, cultural expression has been largely confined to symbolic celebrations organized through entities like the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport (MCGES) and the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC). While valuable for morale and identity preservation, this approach has limited culture’s economic potential. The reconstruction effort now demands intentional activation of cultural resources as drivers of job creation, tourism retention, export growth, and national development strategy.

The hurricane simultaneously damaged multiple economic pillars: agriculture (particularly in St Elizabeth’s heartland), tourism (representing approximately 40% of GDP including indirect effects), public infrastructure, and the frequently overlooked creative sector. Overall, Melissa disrupted an estimated 18-25% of national income flows, necessitating both physical rebuilding and rapid economic reactivation.

Critical considerations emerge for Jamaica’s recovery blueprint. Tourism revenue retention requires urgent attention, as current models see 70-80% of visitor spending leaking from the local economy. Strategic redeployment of displaced tourism workers into culture-driven value chains could enhance local economic circulation. Similarly, formal recognition of remittances linked to creative exports—music, digital content, diaspora-supported businesses—could reshape export policy and financial frameworks.

The statutory recovery authority presents an unprecedented opportunity to integrate cultural considerations across government systems. Embedding cultural elements into infrastructure, tourism redevelopment, housing, and public space management could transform both morale and economic participation in affected parishes.

Workforce displacement necessitates innovative retraining initiatives. Institutions like Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA) collaborating with HEART-NSTA Trust could rapidly certify skills for transitioning workers into production management, festival operations, and cultural tourism.

Recovery also enables tourism diversification beyond traditional enclaves. Cultural programming—pop-up stages, rotating festivals, culinary tours, heritage walks—can distribute visitor traffic across less-damaged parishes while maintaining economic activity in rebuilding communities.

Effective execution requires genuine partnership with industry organizations including Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA), Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ), Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), and Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association (JMEA). Their technical expertise must be embedded from inception rather than consulted post-decision.

A culture-centered recovery framework would include: formal recognition of culture as economic infrastructure; establishing a National Culture and Entertainment Recovery Programme; redeploying displaced workers into creative industries; accelerating islandwide cultural tourism; using events to activate rebuilding communities; and acknowledging remittance portions as creative export income.

Hurricane Melissa damaged physical structures but preserved Jamaica’s greatest asset: its people and their creativity. By treating culture as strategy rather than symbolism, Jamaica can transform recovery into an inclusive, sustainable renaissance rooted in cultural identity. Reggae Month 2026 offers a strategic launch platform for this transformed approach—not merely rebuilding what was, but creating a more resilient, innovative, and globally competitive nation.