Latest news with #AtulShah
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Strip baby penguins of English names, demand Indian nationalists
Three baby penguins in a Mumbai zoo must be stripped of their English names and given local ones instead, India's ruling BJP party has demanded. Leaders of the Right-wing Hindu nationalist party, led by Narendra Modi, the prime minister, said three-month-old Noddy, Tom and Pingu were born in the state of Maharashtra and should therefore have Marathi names. 'These chicks were born here, on our soil. They should reflect the Marathi identity. So why can't the penguins have a Marathi name?' Atul Shah, a BJP spokesman, told The Telegraph. He said the party had suggested three alternative names to zoo authorities – Adu, Sanju and Teju – and added: 'It's a reasonable demand, and we are confident that they will accept it.' Nitin Bankar, a local BJP leader, said he had written to authorities at the Byculla zoo where the penguins are kept at least twice a week since they were named in April. This week, he led a protest outside the zoo, where demonstrators were seen holding penguin cutouts with red crosses over their disputed names. Mr Bankar warned that the protests could continue and said he would try to have the zoo shut down if the chicks were not given Marathi names within 10 days. Despite initial concerns that penguins would not survive India's heat, the birds have become a major attraction since the zoo acquired eight Humboldt penguins from South Korea in 2016. Zoo authorities have received praise for successfully breeding penguin chicks, which have so far been given English names such as Flipper, Daisy, Bubble, Mr Molt and Dory. The birds are monogamous and known for their lifelong pair bond with Mr Molt, the youngest male, and Flipper, the oldest female, becoming the zoo's most celebrated couple. The penguins are kept within a climate-controlled 1,800 sq ft enclosure fitted with surveillance cameras, rocky terrain, synthetic ponds, and ice features. Most other animals at the zoo have been given names of Indian origin. The penguin controversy comes as political parties gear up for the upcoming municipal elections in Mumbai, which have often been fought over cultural identity issues.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
P&O Ferries auditor quits after accounting fiasco
P&O Ferries' auditor has quit after nearly two decades following years of late financial filings and the controversial sacking of UK workers. KPMG, which has audited the ferry group since 2007, has resigned from its role auditing the company's accounts with immediate effect, according to a Companies House filings. The move raises further questions for the Dover-Calais operator, which is already months late in producing financial statements for 2023. The company only submitted accounts for 2022 last December. Sources indicated that KPMG took the decision unilaterally and that it was not part of the rotation policy that can see UK companies change auditors every few years. It is understood that the ferry operator has already appointed a replacement auditor to work on the accounts, though it has not named the firm concerned. A spokesman for P&O said: 'We thank KPMG for their services as our auditors. P&O Ferries is focused on filing our 2023 accounts as soon as possible.' Atul Shah, a professor of accounting and finance at City St. George's, University of London, said: 'The fact that KPMG will not now be signing off on the 2023 accounts raises a number of questions about the reasons for the resignation.' P&O, which is owned by Dubai-based ports and logistics giant DP World, faced a political backlash three years ago after sacking almost 800 seafarers via text message and replacing them with cheaper staff. Peter Hebblethwaite, P&O's chief executive, later admitted that he deliberately chose to ignore trade unions during the process, leading Labour to introduce legislation to protect jobs and wages in the maritime sector. Last year, DP World also threatened to halt £1bn of spending on London Gateway port, which it also owns, after Louise Haigh, the then transport secretary, called for a boycott of P&O's services. Sir Keir Starmer, who had planned to make the project a centrepiece of his investment summit, was forced to intervene, stating that Ms Haigh's stance was 'not the view of the Government'. KPMG was originally hired as P&O's auditor in 2007, the year after its parent was bought by DP World for close to £4bn. P&O's 2022 filings revealed that loans from DP World swelled to more than £400m since the seafarer sackings, with the company turning to its state-backed owner three times for support. The company nevertheless argued that the accounts confirmed that it would have faced certain collapse if the mass lay-offs had been delayed. While P&O has said that it is 'on the path to operational profitability,' the legal changes in the UK, together with others in France, may push up costs again by making it all but impossible for the company to rely on seafarers brought in from Asia. KPMG declined to comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sign in to access your portfolio
Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
P&O Ferries auditor quits after accounting fiasco
P&O Ferries' auditor has quit after nearly two decades following years of late financial filings and the controversial sacking of UK workers. KPMG, which has audited the ferry group since 2007, has resigned from its role auditing the company's accounts with immediate effect, according to a Companies House filings. The move raises further questions for the Dover-Calais operator, which is already months late in producing financial statements for 2023. The company only submitted accounts for 2022 last December. Sources indicated that KPMG took the decision unilaterally and that it was not part of the rotation policy that can see UK companies change auditors every few years. It is understood that the ferry operator has already appointed a replacement auditor to work on the accounts, though it has not named the firm concerned. A spokesman for P&O said: 'We thank KPMG for their services as our auditors. P&O Ferries is focused on filing our 2023 accounts as soon as possible.' Atul Shah, a professor of accounting and finance at City St. George's, University of London, said: 'The fact that KPMG will not now be signing off on the 2023 accounts raises a number of questions about the reasons for the resignation.' P&O, which is owned by Dubai-based ports and logistics giant DP World, faced a political backlash three years ago after sacking almost 800 seafarers via text message and replacing them with cheaper staff. Peter Hebblethwaite, P&O's chief executive, later admitted that he deliberately chose to ignore trade unions during the process, leading Labour to introduce legislation to protect jobs and wages in the maritime sector. Last year, DP World also threatened to halt £1bn of spending on London Gateway port, which it also owns, after Louise Haigh, the then transport secretary, called for a boycott of P&O's services. Sir Keir Starmer, who had planned to make the project a centrepiece of his investment summit, was forced to intervene, stating that Ms Haigh's stance was 'not the view of the Government'. KPMG was originally hired as P&O's auditor in 2007, the year after its parent was bought by DP World for close to £4bn. P&O's 2022 filings revealed that loans from DP World swelled to more than £400m since the seafarer sackings, with the company turning to its state-backed owner three times for support. The company nevertheless argued that the accounts confirmed that it would have faced certain collapse if the mass lay-offs had been delayed. While P&O has said that it is 'on the path to operational profitability,' the legal changes in the UK, together with others in France, may push up costs again by making it all but impossible for the company to rely on seafarers brought in from Asia.
Indian Express
24-04-2025
- Indian Express
BMC slaps notice on hotel adjoining Digambar Jain Temple citing ‘unauthorised construction'
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday issued notices to the private hotel adjoining the Digambar Jain Temple at Vile Parle, parts of which were demolished last week. The civic body's move came a day after BMC authorities carried out an inspection of the hotel premises. Civic officials said the notices were served under Section 53 (1) of the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act (MRTP), 1966, for unauthorised construction. Earlier, a notice under similar sections were issued to the temple trust, before the civic authorities carried out demolition of the building. According to the BMC's Act, the recipients of the notices are given a 30-day timeline for replying to the notice. 'The hotel dates back to 1977 and with time, some changes have been implemented in the structure. We have compared these changes with the approved plan, that is available with the BMC's Development Planning (DP) department, and sent them notices. We have given them a 30-day deadline to reply to us,' an official said. Meanwhile, on Thursday, the state minority commission also accepted submission from the BMC about the actions that they had taken up. 'Following the commission's directions, we have lodged a police complaint against civic officials. We maintain our stand that the temple was damaged in an illegal manner. In 2013, the BMC's internal law department had passed a resolution stating that the structure couldn't be demolished,' Atul Shah, trustee of the temple, told the Indian Express. On the morning of April 16, the BMC's K/East (KE) ward office razed portions of the Digambar Jain temple in Mumbai 's western suburbs, alleging that portions of the structure were illegal. The BMC action came a day after the city civil court rejected the temple trust's plea for extension of interim protection against demolition action. The trustees of the temple, along with the members of the Jain community, alleged that the civic body's move was influenced by the private hotel owner's plan of expanding their premises—an allegation that has been refuted by the hotel owners. When contacted by The Indian Express, the hotel management declined to comment. The incident resulted in massive furore among members of the Jain community, who hit the streets as a sign of protest. Politicians across party lines too came down heavily on the BMC, prompting the civic administration to issue a transfer order for Assistant Municipal Commissioner Navnath Ghadhe, who headed the KE office. Civic and court records accessed and evaluated by The Indian Express show that the first notice for demolishing the structure was issued to the temple trust owners in 2005, and in the past two decades, nine attempts were made to demolish the structure. The action taken on April 16 was the first time in 20 years that the BMC was able to initiate a full-fledged demolition drive at the site.
