By Danica Kirka
The British Museum said Wednesday that a member of its staff has been dismissed after items dating back as far as the 15th century B.C. were found to be missing, stolen or damaged.
The museum said it has also ordered an independent review of security and a ‘‘vigorous program to recover the missing items.″
The stolen artifacts include gold jewelry and gems of semi-precious stones and glass dating from the 15th century B.C. to the 19th century A.D. Most were small items kept in a storeroom and none had been on display recently, the museum said.
“Our priority is now threefold: first, to recover the stolen items; second, to find out what, if anything, could have been done to stop this; and third, to do whatever it takes, with investment in security and collection records, to make sure this doesn’t happen again,″ said George Osborne, the museum’s chair.
“This incident only reinforces the case for the reimagination of the museum we have embarked upon," Osborne said.
The museum said legal action would be taken against the dismissed staff member and that the matter was under investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police Service.
The 264-year-old British Museum is a major London tourist attraction, drawing visitors from around the world who come to see a vast collection of artifacts ranging from the Rosetta Stone that unlocked the language of ancient Egypt to scrolls bearing 12th century Chinese poetry and masks created by the indigenous people of Canada.
But the museum has also attracted controversy because it has resisted calls from communities around the world to return items of historical significance that were acquired during the era of the British Empire. The most famous of these disputes include marble carvings from the Parthenon in Greece and the Benin bronzes from west Africa.
Hartwig Fischer, the director of the British Museum, apologized and said the institution was determined to put things right.
“This is a highly unusual incident,'' said Fischer said. “I know I speak for all colleagues when I say that we take the safeguarding of all the items in our care extremely seriously.''
Shangela, a drag queen known for her performance on the cult hit "RuPaul's Drag Race," has a role in "A Star Is Born" opposite Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. She spoke to Cheddar about the culmination of a lifelong dream and starring in one of the most buzzed-about films of the year.
On Tuesday, Amazon announced that it will be raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour. The news comes after months of criticism and even proposed legislation spearheaded by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA). The "Stop BEZOS" Act introduced in the Senate in September would require corporations like Amazon to contribute to the cost of social services for its employees. Khanna was sponsoring a version in the House. He said he commends Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and believes this move will propel other corporations in the same direction.
Dave Clark, senior vice president of worldwide operations at Amazon, spoke to Cheddar from the floor of one of its fulfillment centers about the company's move to institute a $15 minimum wage and lobby the federal government to raise its wage, which has stood at $7.25 since 2009.
Scott Belsky, chief product officer at Adobe and author of the new book 'The Messy Middle,' discusses what made him write the book and the lessons learned from getting through the middle part of any bold venture. Belsky launched and sold ventures like Behance and U99. An excerpt from the book is below.
Scott Belsky, who sold his company to Adobe and is now its chief product officer, described how the maker of creative software transitioned into a cloud-based business model. The stock has outpaced the broader market over the last several years. Belsky also serves on Cheddar's board of directors.
Scott Belsky ー chief product officer at Adobe, Cheddar board member, and author of "The Messy Middle" ー broke down how start-ups should think about the difficult, confusing time before an idea becomes a viable business.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Canada and the U.S. inked a new trade deal late Sunday evening after months of contentious tariff talks between the two allies. Lauren Gardner, reporter for POLITICO Pro Canada, said the trade agreement will benefit dairy farmers and automakers in the U.S.
It has been just over a year since Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, and the island is back up and open for business, said Carla Campos, the executive director for Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
After the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando in 2016, Sarah Ullman felt called to action. The Los Angeles-based filmmaker is the founder of "One Vote at a Time," a Super PAC created to stop gun violence. She spends her days making free campaign ads for politicians who support gun control policies and are running in competitive districts.
