Starting Feb. 1, tourists who want to get close to Rome's Trevi Fountain will have to pay a two-euro (S$3) fee, according to the city mayor, as authorities aim to increase revenue from Italy’s famous attractions. Mayor Roberto Gualtieri told reporters the new charge is expected to generate around 6.5 million euros annually.

“Two euros isn’t much … and it will help reduce chaotic tourist crowds,” Gualtieri said, emphasizing that Roman residents will still have free access to the fountain. Tourists will only be charged if they wish to step onto the stone ledges surrounding the fountain’s basin, while the adjacent square with a view of the monument remains open to all.

The Trevi Fountain, a site where visitors traditionally toss coins to ensure their return to Rome, has long drawn massive crowds, including world leaders. Completed in 1762, this late Baroque masterpiece depicts Oceanus, the god of water, symbolizing the changing moods of seas and rivers. So far this year, it has welcomed nine million visitors, suggesting many may now choose to admire it from a distance rather than pay for close access. Some tourists expressed support for the fee if it helps maintain the site. “If the money is used for upkeep, that’s fine,” said British visitor Yvonne Salustri.

Gualtieri added that five other lesser-known sites in Rome, currently free, will start charging five euros for entry in February, continuing the city’s trend of monetizing cultural landmarks. In 2023, a five-euro fee was introduced for Rome’s Pantheon, often causing crowds outside while visitors waited to enter. Similarly, Venice has a seasonal tourist entry fee, and Verona recently began charging to access the balcony linked to Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

A frantic search for the suspect in last weekend’s mass shooting at Brown University concluded Thursday when authorities discovered him dead inside a storage facility in New Hampshire. Officials later revealed that he was also suspected of killing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor. Claudio Neves Valente, 48, a former Brown student and Portuguese national, was found dead Thursday evening from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Col. Oscar Perez, Providence police chief.

Investigators believe Neves Valente fatally shot two students and injured nine others in a Brown University lecture hall last Saturday. Two days later, he allegedly killed MIT professor Nuno F. G. Loureiro at his home in Brookline, Massachusetts, roughly 80 kilometers from Providence. Perez stated that, as far as investigators know, Neves Valente acted alone. Brown University President Christina Paxson said Neves Valente had been enrolled as a graduate physics student from fall 2000 to spring 2001 but had no current affiliation with the university.

U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Leah B. Foley said Neves Valente and Loureiro had attended the same academic program in Portugal from 1995 to 2000. Loureiro graduated from the physics program at Instituto Superior Técnico in 2000. That same year, Neves Valente was dismissed from a position at the Lisbon university, according to an archived termination notice.

Neves Valente initially studied at Brown on a student visa and later obtained legal permanent residency in September 2017. His whereabouts between leaving Brown in 2001 and obtaining the visa in 2017 remain unclear, with his last known residence being Miami. Following the revelation of his identity, President Donald Trump suspended the green card lottery program that had enabled him to stay in the U.S.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said many questions remain regarding motive, including why Neves Valente targeted Brown University, the students, and that particular classroom. Police credited a tip from someone who had multiple encounters with Neves Valente as critical in locating him. The tip identified a Nissan sedan with Florida plates, which enabled Providence police to use over 70 street cameras operated by Flock Safety to track the vehicle. Neves Valente later placed a Maine license plate over the rental car’s plates to conceal his identity.

Video footage showed Neves Valente entering an apartment building near Loureiro’s home before later arriving at a Salem, New Hampshire storage facility, where he was found dead with a satchel and two firearms. Loureiro had joined MIT in 2016 and last year became head of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center, focusing on explaining phenomena such as solar flares. The FBI stated it found no link between the two shootings. Despite Brown University having around 1,200 cameras, the attack occurred in an older part of the engineering building with few cameras. Investigators believe the shooter entered and exited via a door facing a residential street, explaining why campus cameras did not capture him.

Experts note that in targeted mass attacks, suspects often commit suicide, are killed, or are arrested. Previous incidents, such as the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the 2023 Lewiston, Maine shooting, illustrate that capturing suspects can take days. Similarly, other high-profile cases show varied timelines for suspect apprehension or self-inflicted deaths.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from The Guardian.

David van Weel, the Foreign Minister of the Netherlands, arrived in India on Thursday for a visit aimed at strengthening and diversifying bilateral ties. During his stay, he will engage in meetings in Delhi and Mumbai. The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, shared the details on X, stating, “Welkom in India! FM David van Weel @ministerBZ of the Netherlands arrived in New Delhi today. His visit and engagements in Delhi and Mumbai will focus on further deepening and diversifying India-Netherlands bilateral ties.”

The high-level visit precedes the scheduled visit of Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof in February next year. In an interview with ANI, Marisa Gerards, the Dutch Ambassador to India, noted that the Prime Minister will lead a delegation for the AI Impact Summit in February 2026, including CEOs such as the head of Philips, other business leaders, and representatives from technical universities.

David van Weel’s trip follows the 13th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and the Netherlands earlier this December. The discussions reviewed the progress of bilateral relations and explored new areas of cooperation. Both countries focused on strengthening partnerships in sectors such as critical technologies, innovation, semiconductors, AI, science and technology, green hydrogen, shipping, defense, and security, alongside priority areas under the Water, Agriculture, and Health (WAH) agenda.

Acknowledging the Netherlands as a key economic partner for India in Europe, both sides highlighted consistent growth in trade and investment. They emphasized the importance of concluding the India-EU Free Trade Agreement by the end of this year, following guidance from Indian and EU leadership during the visit of the EU College of Commissioners in February.

India and the Netherlands maintain a robust bilateral relationship grounded in shared democratic values, with multifaceted cooperation. The countries also have a Strategic Partnership on Water, promoting collaboration and knowledge exchange in flood management, clean water technologies, and other related areas.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from X/@MEAIndia.

Following Australia’s deadliest mass shooting in 1996, the country implemented some of the strictest gun regulations globally, including mandatory licensing, background checks, and firearm registration. However, experts suggest that the gradual loosening of these laws, their failure to adapt to the digital age, and lapses in background checks may have made it easier for the two suspects in Sunday’s shooting at a Hanukkah event on Sydney’s Bondi Beach to obtain weapons.

The attack, which claimed 15 lives, has sparked renewed scrutiny over laws once regarded as a national achievement. Australia generally experiences far fewer gun deaths annually than the United States does in a single day, a statistic often attributed to these regulations. Australia’s gun laws operate as a patchwork system managed by eight state and territory police forces, coordinated by the federal government after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania that left 35 dead. Over the years, some states have relaxed oversight, allowing people to acquire firearms with less scrutiny, experts said.

Authorities reported that the older Bondi shooter, Sajid Akram, 50, who was killed by police, had obtained his gun licence in 2023 and legally owned six firearms that he and his son allegedly used in the attack. In 2008, New South Wales removed a mandatory 28-day waiting period for individuals seeking multiple guns—a rule still present in other states. Gun control advocate Rebecca Peters noted that such waiting periods were intended to ensure stricter checks for each additional firearm.

In response to the Bondi shooting, Australia’s federal government acknowledged gaps in current legislation and proposed measures such as limiting the number of guns a licence holder can own and ending lifetime licences. Peters emphasized that reinstating a cooling-off period would be more effective in reducing gun circulation than imposing ownership limits.

Currently, nearly one million Australians hold gun licences, owning over four million firearms—more than at the time the 1996 laws were enacted. Surveys indicate that around two-thirds of Australians support stronger gun laws, with only 6% favoring relaxed regulations. Experts also highlighted weaknesses in vetting processes. Even when background checks are conducted, they are often superficial. In New South Wales, at least 240,000 of 259,000 licences were issued through categories like recreational hunting or target shooting, which require minimal verification. Membership in some gun clubs can be largely nominal, with clubs operating from community centers without permanent addresses and minimal attendance monitoring.

Public health academic Simon Chapman pointed out that many licence holders rarely engage in the activities justifying their licences, pursuing guns for personal possession rather than sporting use. Gun Control Australia’s Roland Browne suggested that removing recreational hunting as a valid reason for obtaining a licence could cut licences by two-thirds.

The licensing system relies on self-reported declarations regarding criminal convictions or mental health history but does not automatically assess broader behavioral or social indicators, such as online activity or family input. Peters noted that dangerous behavior expressed on social media could be overlooked under current rules. The surviving suspect in the Bondi attack had known intelligence links to a group suspected of association with Islamic State, but this did not automatically trigger police notification. New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon explained that intelligence is not formally required under the Firearms Act when issuing licences.

The Bondi incident also highlighted that non-citizens can obtain Australian gun licences. Sajid Akram, an Indian national on a student visa, legally acquired his firearms, raising concerns about background checks for those without direct ties to local authorities. Tom Kenyon, CEO of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia, said that some gun clubs share ranges and therefore lack fixed addresses. He emphasized that no amount of training could have prevented the attack; the failure lay in the lack of information available to authorities, which hindered decisions that could have protected the community.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.

As funerals begin for the 15 people killed in the Bondi terror attack, one of the alleged gunmen, Naveed Akram, has regained consciousness in hospital and is being guarded by police. Meanwhile, further details have emerged about Naveed and his father. Police said that Naveed, 24, and his 50-year-old father, Sajid, travelled to the Philippines last month, though the purpose of the trip is still unknown. The prime minister also stated at a press conference that there is evidence suggesting the suspected attackers may have been influenced by Islamic State ideology.

Disclaimer: This podcast is taken from The Guardian.

Andrea Heng and Susan Ng discuss the impact of the US reviewing visa applicants’ social media histories, especially as tourist numbers are expected to rise for the football World Cup, with insights from Steven Okun, CEO of APAC Advisors.

Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.

After three days of discussions between Ukrainian and US officials in Miami, Florida, no clear progress was achieved by Saturday. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will now shift his focus to Europe, heading to London on Monday for direct talks with the leaders of Britain, France, and Germany. Andrea Heng and Genevieve Woo speak with Dr. Cedomir Nestorovic, Professor of Geopolitics at ESSEC Business School Asia Pacific, for the latest insights.

Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from CNA.

Pippa and Kiran talk about the prime minister’s Monday speech and consider whether it will distract from claims that the chancellor misled the public with her budget statements. Also: disorder at Your Party’s inaugural conference.

Disclaimer: This Podcast is taken from The Guardian.