Suriname team digitises Jewish archives in Carribean
AMSTERDAM, May 11: The Neveh Shalom Synagogue in Paramaribo, Suriname, is undergoing a preservation project to digitize 100,000 historic documents, including birth records, land sales, and correspondence, to preserve the history of the thousands of Jews who have called the city home since the 1700s. The project, overseen by Dutch academic Rosa de Jong, aims to preserve the past of Jewish refugees who fled the horrors of World War II to the Caribbean, including Suriname. The archived documents show how Suriname was a hub of Jewish life for the Americas, with the British giving Jews political and religious autonomy when they first moved to Suriname in 1639. The Dutch took control of the colony, and when Jewish people were forced out of other places in the Americas, they often fled to Suriname. The archive at Neveh Shalom has a copy of every edition of Teroenga, published for the Jewish congregations in Suriname. Lilly Duijm, who was responsible for the archive’s folders of documents for over two decades, is key to De Jong’s preservation project. (AP)
Ex-Panama president gets asylum in Colombia
PANAMA CITY, May 11: Former Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli has left the Nicaraguan embassy in Panama after a 10-year prison sentence for money laundering. He has now been granted political asylum in Colombia, according to Panama’s foreign ministry. Martinelli, a businessman and supermarket magnate, was convicted of money laundering in July 2023 and was sanctioned by the US for corruption in January 2023. He governed Panama from 2009 to 2014, a period of rapid economic growth. In 2023, he won his party’s nomination to run for president again, but was convicted of money laundering. After the Supreme Court denied his appeal, he was ineligible to run. Martinelli supported his running mate, current President Jose Raul Mulino. Nicaragua granted him political asylum in February 2024, and Panama had refused to grant Nicaragua permission to move him to Nicaragua. (AP)
India donates 15 EVs to Nepal for mountain dialogue
Kathmandu, May 11: India has gifted 15 electric vehicles to Nepal to facilitate the organization of the ‘Sagarmatha Sambad’ (mountain dialogue) event. The Nepal government is hosting the event from May 16-18 in Kathmandu, focusing on the theme ‘Climate Change, Mountains and the Future of Humanity’. The vehicles will be used to move guests and officials, highlighting the impact of climate change on mountain regions. India’s Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, expressed his best wishes for the summit and reaffirmed India’s commitment to Nepal’s progress and development. The international summit is expected to draw around 300 participants, including climate experts, environmentalists, government officials, diplomats, media personnel, from Nepal and abroad. (PTI)