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.''
Omarosa Manigault Newman, author of "Unhinged" and former White House staffer, said that President Trump won't be able to handle a blue wave in the midterms. Omarosa and Trump have been at odds since she was fired from the administration and wrote a book calling him unfit to lead
Victor Santos is what America is all about: Brazilian born, he came to the U.S. with his parents, graduated from Berkeley, worked at Google, and founded his own company to help "unbanked" people in the third world get access to basic banking infrastructure. But because of his status as a Dreamer, he could be deported.
The Oscar-winner and Yann Demange, director of the film, spoke to Cheddar at the Toronto Film Festival about the incredible true story behind the movie and what drew them to want to put it on the big screen.
The GM brand is concerned with the long-term effects of tariffs, said president Steve Carlisle. As Caddy launches a new crossover, the XT4, the Chinese market will play a pivotal role in whether the iconic American nameplate can take market share from BMW and Lexus.
Serena Williams's altercation with a chair umpire during the U.S. Open final was just the latest example of women being treated differently than their male counterparts in the sport. But whether things change by the Australian Open in January, said the Washington Post's Cindy Boren, is hard to say.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Imagine every day of retirement is like vacation, and start saving that way. That's the advice of Dan Ariely, professor at Duke University, who said millennials vastly underestimate how much they will need in their golden years.
MasterClass just raised $80 million in funding, which CEO David Rogier said he will use to get more high-profile instructors into its stable. The company already counts offerings from instructors like Judd Apatow, Gordon Ramsey, Steph Curry, among others.
Tesla shares dropped Friday after a slew of bad headlines. Elon Musk smoked a joint and drank whiskey in an interview with Joe Rogan, Tesla's chief accounting officer Dave Morton resigned after just a month on the job, and Tesla HR boss Gaby Toledano decided to not return to the company after taking a leave of absence last month. Plus, we're joined by Daymond John, entrepreneur and 'Shark Tank' star, to hear about his keys to building a successful career.
Guimar Vaca Sittic and Borja Moreno De Los Rios, co-founders and co-CEOs of blue-collar job platform Merlin, said they were frustrated that most job platforms seemed tailored to skilled labor positions. With Merlin, hourly workers can now search for positions in their fields.
