Business Point Today

Five Egyptian antiques have been seized from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of an international trafficking investigation involving the former head of the Louvre in Paris. The artefacts are worth more than $3 million, according to the Manhattan district attorney's office. A New York state judge ordered their confiscation on May 19, a court document shows. They include a group of painted linen fragments depicting a scene from the Book of Exodus, which date from between AD250 and AD450. A representative of the district attorney told AFP they are related to the investigation in Paris in which Jean-Luc Martinez, who ran the Louvre from 2013 to 2021, was charged last week with complicity in fraud and "concealing the origin of criminally obtained works by false endorsement". "The pieces were seized pursuant to the warrant," he said. Read More : https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2022/06/03/egyptian-antiques-worth-3m-seized-from-new-york-museum/

The US condemned Iran's seizing of two Greek-flagged oil tankers in the Arabian Gulf and demanded their release. State Department spokesman Ned Price called the move a “threat to maritime security”. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias agreed that “ Iran must immediately release the seized vessels, their cargoes and their crews”, Mr Price said. “Iran's continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights and freedoms are a threat to maritime security and the global economy,” he said. “The United States stands with Greece, our key Nato ally and partner in the face of this unjustified seizure.” Read More : https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/iran/2022/05/31/us-demands-release-of-tankers-and-crew-seized-by-iran/

After the Covid-19 pandemic caused lockdowns around the world in March 2020, hiring froze and so effectively did the livelihood of Egyptian jobs site Shaghalni. But the blue and grey-collar recruitment company, founded in 2016, came back stronger than ever in 2021. It now faces another crisis due to the economic fallout of the Russia-Ukraine war. With funding limited to $400,000 from just two investors — billionaire businessman Naguib Sawiris and Egyptian venture capital company 138 Pyramids — the start-up is focusing on profitability and sustainability for the bumpy road ahead. “We just need to be wiser with our spending,” says Shaghalni founder and chief executive Omar Khalifa. "But at the same time, I don’t think anything is going to be worse than Covid." Today Shaghalni, which means "hire me" in Arabic, has a database of more than 1.7 million jobseekers and more than 10,000 registered companies. The site charges employers a subscription fee to advertise their jo...

 The US is speaking with authorities in Iraq and the regional Iraqi Kurdistan government to help improve their missile defence capabilities after an attack by Iran. On Sunday, Iran launched up to 12 ballistic missiles aimed at a US consulate complex under construction in Erbil, in an attack described by Iraq's president as a "terror" act. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan condemned the assault on the capital of Iraq's northern Kurdish region. Mr Sullivan said no US citizens were harmed in the attack and no American installations were hit. He told TV network CBS the US would do whatever it takes to defend its people, interests and allies. A palace damaged in the missile attack on Erbil,  capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan region, on Sunday.  "We are in consultation with the Iraqi government  and the government in Iraqi Kurdistan, in part to  help them get the missile defence capabilities to be able to defend themselves in their cities," Mr Sullivan said....