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.''
Shares of Tesla dropped after hours Thursday after the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a [lawsuit] (https://www.scribd.com/document/389617044/SEC-vs-MUSK#from_embed) against CEO Elon Musk in federal court, alleging that the billionaire founder committed securities fraud when he tweeted about taking the company private with "funding secured" on Aug. 7. In the complaint, the SEC seeks to bar Musk from being an officer of a public company.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Facebook announced its newest VR headset that will ship next year. "Oculus Quest" offers users the same virtual experience, but now users are able to move more freely while wearing the headset. Andrew Bosworth, VP of VR/AR at Facebook, said this is the next step in better connecting people around the world.
In an exclusive interview with Cheddar as part of the debut of Cheddar Rides, MTA Managing Director Ronnie Hakim outlined the plan to keep the 225,000 people who commute between North Brooklyn and Manhattan via the L train moving.
CollegeHumor, the online comedy network, announced the launch of "DROPOUT," a subscription service for uncensored comedy. Richard Cusick, CEO of parent company CH Media, said the platform allows it to provide the kind of content it's known for without self-censoring to be accepted into other streaming or VOD platforms.
SurveyMonkey ($SVMK) has been willing to sacrifice some of its top-line revenue growth in the short-term if it means it can funnel more money into its core products, particularly its enterprise software. "That builds a moat around our business," said CEO Zander Lurie on the day of the company's IPO. Shares of SurveyMonkey rose more than 60 percent in their market debut.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Adolphus Busch V is coming off the launch of ABV Cannabis, a marijuana start-up that operates in Colorado and sells disposable vape pens filled with cannabis oil. Next, Busch says he is looking to bring pre-rolled joints to market. He plans to brand the company as a healthy alternative to the product that made his family unimaginably wealthy.
Nearly all of cyclists who die in accidents weren't wearing helmets. Park & Diamond wants to change that. The start-up, which won the Red Bull Launchpad, is building a bike helmet that looks and feels like a regular baseball cap. Co-founders David Hall and Jordan Klein said the helmet is collapsible and light and made of a composite material that makes it as safe as a normal helmet.
Hugh Jackman's forthcoming film "The Front Runner" follows former Sen. Gary Hart and his rise and fall in the 1988 presidential election. Cheddar spoke with Jackman about how he approached the role and why it was so important for him to meet Hart.
