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A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 21 March 2023

Their world was the oyster: Oldest pearl town found in UAE

By JON GAMBRELL to quickly drop down to the
Associated Press seabed while relying only
SINIYAH ISLAND, United on their held breath.
Arab Emirates (AP) — Ar- The town predates the rise
chaeologists said Monday of Islam across the Ara-
they have found the oldest bian Peninsula, making its
pearling town in the Persian residents likely Christians. Is-
Gulf on an island off one of lam’s Prophet Muhammad
the northern sheikhdoms of was born around 570 and
the United Arab Emirates. died in 632 after conquer-
Artifacts found in this town ing Mecca in present-day
on Siniyah Island in Umm al- Saudi Arabia.
Quwain, likely once home Umm al-Quwain’s Depart-
to thousands of people ment of Tourism and Ar-
and hundreds of homes, chaeology, UAE University,
date as far back as the re- the Italian Archaeological
gion’s pre-Islamic history in Mission in the emirate and
the late 6th century. While the Institute for the Study of
older pearling towns have the Ancient World at New
been mentioned in histori- York University all took part
cal texts, this represents the in the excavation. Umm
first time archaeologists say al-Quwain, the least-pop-
they have physically found Archaeologists and journalists walk past uncovered ruins on Siniyah Island in Umm al-Quwain, ulated emirate in the UAE,
one from this ancient era United Arab Emirates, Monday, March 20, 2023. plans to build a visitor’s
across the nations of the Associated Press center at the site.
Persian Gulf. the Khor al-Beida marsh- The town sits directly south The site also bears signs of Today, the area near the
“This is the oldest example lands in Umm al-Quwain, of that monastery on one year-round habitation, un- marshland is more known
of that kind of very spe- an emirate some 50 kilo- of the curling fingers of the like other pearling opera- for the low-cost liquor store
cifically Khaleeji pearling meters (30 miles) northeast island and stretches across tions run in seasonal spots in at the emirate’s Barracuda
town,” said Timothy Power, of Dubai along the coast some 12 hectares (143,500 the region. “The houses are Beach Resort.
an associate professor of of the Persian Gulf. The is- square yards). There, ar- crammed in there, cheek In recent months, authori-
archaeology at the United land, whose name means chaeologists found a va- by jowl,” he added. “The ties have demolished a
Arab Emirates University, “flashing lights” likely due to riety of homes made of key thing there is perma- hulking, Soviet-era cargo
using a word that means the effect of the white-hot beach rock and lime mor- nence. People are living plane linked to a Russian
“Gulf” in Arabic. “It’s the sun overhead, already has tar, ranging from cramped there all year around.” gunrunner known as the
spiritual ancestor of towns seen archaeologists dis- quarters to more sprawl- In the homes, archaeolo- “Merchant of Death” as it
like Dubai.” cover an ancient Christian ing homes with court- gists have discovered loose builds a bridge to Siniyah
The pearling town sits on monastery dating back as yards, suggesting a social pearls and diving weights, Island for a $675 million real
Siniyah Island, which shields many as 1,400 years. stratification, Power said. which the free divers used estate development. q

Dominican police arrest 19 in high-profile corruption case

By MARTÍN ADAMES AL- corruption case that ac- string of investigations that laundering assets and ille- former government officials
CÁNTARA cuses a well-known former officials have launched gally financing the previous and not looking into cor-
Associated Press presidential candidate and in the past two years as electoral campaign on an ruption allegations against
SANTO DOMINGO, Domini- three former officials of em- part of a crackdown on “unprecedented” scale af- Abinader’s current admin-
can Republic (AP) — Au- bezzling nearly $350 million rampant government cor- ter embezzling $347 million istratoin.
thorities in the Dominican and illegal campaign fi- ruption in the Caribbean of government funds. “It is clear that behind these
Republic have arrested nancing. country. The suspects were charged actions, there are markedly
19 people in a sweeping The arrests are the latest in a Among those detained after authorities launched political and re-election in-
Saturday night is Gonzalo 40 raids targeting their terests,” said Charlie Mari-
Castillo, a former public properties and businesses otti, the party’s secretary
works minister who won 37% in the capital of Santo Do- general.
of the vote when he ran as mingo and beyond. Police on Saturday also ar-
presidential candidate for Hundreds of Castillo sup- rested the former director
the Dominican Liberation porters gathered Monday of the State Sugar Council,
Party in the 2020 general outside the Justice Palace Luis Miguel Piccirilo; former
elections won by current to protest his arrest as they director of the National Ca-
President Luis Abinader. waved the party’s purple- dastre, Claudio Silva Peña;
Also arrested is a former and-yellow flag and tried and the former directors of
treasury minister, Donald to damage the building Casinos and Gambling, Os-
Guerrero; former comptrol- before police scattered car Chalas Guerrero and
ler general, Daniel Omar the crowd with tear gas. Julián Omar Fernández.
Caamaño; and former ad- Meanwhile, officials with Defense attorneys for the
ministrative minister to the the Dominican Liberation accused could not be im-
Presidential primary candidate Gonzalo Castillo, of with the presidency, José Ramón Party questioned the im- mediately reached for
Partido de la Liberacion Dominicana political party, arrives to Peralta. partiality of prosecutors comment. The suspects
vote during primary elections in Santo Domingo, Dominican Prosecutors said they are and accused them of only were expected to appear
Republic, Oct. 6, 2019. Associated Press accused of paying bribes, investigating and arresting in court Monday.q