Latest news with #Ellis
The Citizen
a day ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Ellis says Banyana won't underestimate Senegal
'They came out of a very difficult group, and it shows the quality that they have," says Ellis. Banyana Banyana coach Dr Desiree Ellis says the African champions will not underestimate Senegal when the two teams meet in a CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarterfinal clash tonight. The clash takes place at the Honneur Stadium in Oujda, Morocco this evening at 9pm (SA time). ALSO READ: 'Very crucial' for Banyana to win against Senegal 'They came out of a very difficult group, and it shows the quality that they have. The games that they played – except for the DR Congo match – were very tight, with just one goal in it. They do have the quality, we played them last year in June, but they've improved so much and if you look at where they are right now, we really have to be on top of our game,' Ellis told SAFA media. 'It's going to be a game of those small margins – the final and knockout games are never easy, so we really have to make sure that we are in charge and everything that we do, we do as best as we can. But keeping a clean sheet will also be of utmost importance,' she added. Banyana are 'favourites' Senegal coach Mousse Cisse says Banyana are the favourites going to this clash. 'South Africa are the favourites, they are the better team, and we are the challengers. A win will be good for Senegal because it will be the first time we win this round, but we will need confidence, not give in to pressure and show Senegalese football in this competition. We are also happy to be playing against top teams on the continent like Morocco, Zambia and now South Africa,' said Cisse. 'We had a difficult path with a lot of obstacles, but our first objective was to qualify, and we managed to do that. Our matches against Morocco and Zambia made us look at things differently and we have corrected our mistakes. Anything is possible when we face South Africa, but we will do our best.' The winner of this match will face off with the victors in the other quarterfinal clash between Nigeria and Zambia in the semifinals.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Boss of homeless hotels firm to advise council on tourist tax
Mr Ellis is also manager of the Cameron Guest House Group, which runs a string of hotels and B&Bs used by the council for temporary accommodation amid a housing emergency. The company, owned by the Akbar Mir family, has received council contracts worth over £8m since 2022 and reported profits totalling £19m since 2016. Last year, it was among several temporary accommodation providers revealed as operating unlicensed houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). He insisted he is 'more than capable of contributing constructively and objectively, without favour or bias to the Forum' adding: 'Any inference otherwise says more about those that claim it.' However his appointment has sparked concerns over a potential conflict of interest. Susan Rae, a Scottish Greens councillor in [[Edinburgh]], told The Herald: 'There is a clear connection between Mr Ellis and an organisation that provides, at great expense to the council, homeless accommodation. That is an interesting connection for the transient visitor levy group and needs to be investigated.' She added: 'I think that the councillors will not be accepting of somebody with that link, they'll want further information on how that occurred. I think we have to understand why he was appointed.' Leith Links Community Council, which has previously expressed concern about the expansion and quality of homeless accommodation provided by the Cameron Guest House Group (CGHG) in the area, questioned whether the council had carried out adequate due diligence on all appointees. In a statement, they said: 'We were surprised to see Mr Neil Ellis on this advisory forum because this community council knows him best not as a tourism expert but as the agent of a leading provider of homeless accommodation across Edinburgh, and particularly in LLCC's area, notably including several properties which were operating without HMO licences until last December.' The community council said instead of 'improving communities' CGHG was 'profiting from poverty'. They said members of the Forum will have 'enormous access and influence over a multi-million pound scheme' and 'where the money goes'. The group also questioned the legitimacy of the Edinburgh Hotels Association 'that is neither a company or a charity, and there is no transparency as to the members of the group'. Read more: The Association's website describes it as the 'unified voice of the hotel industry within Edinburgh' representing the interests of over 50 'principle hotels' across the city 'which are independently or corporately owned and are managed locally or by national and international brands'. Mr Ellis represented CGHG at an emergency Edinburgh Council licensing committee meeting held late last year to address a scandal involving unlicensed HMOs. The Akbar Mir's company was among a group of temporary accommodation providers the council warned it would stop using unless their hotels, B&Bs, and guest houses had undergone the HMO regulatory process to ensure the safety, suitability, and proper management of shared housing. The meeting heard concerns about inadequate bedroom and kitchen space in two of their properties used as temporary accommodation, both of which were granted HMO licences to continue operating. Following this, the council recently extended Cameron Guest House Group's homeless accommodation contracts for another year. Edinburgh Council said as part of the recruitment process for the Visitor Levy Advisory Forum Mr Ellis submitted his CV 'which included details of his employment'. It said: 'Forum members have been asked to complete a Register of Interests form if they consider that they, a family member, or a personal contact, has a private, personal or financial interests or involvement in outside activities, which may relate to their work with the Forum and could result in a perceived or actual conflict of interest. Mr Ellis has completed this form and submitted it to the Council.' The council said the Forum has an advisory function, with final decision-making on the use of VL funds remains with councillors' and it was 'understood and accepted' that members 'are likely to have conflicts of interest relating to the levy, with a register of these enabling transparency'. It added: 'The Forum has met for an introductory session only. At each meeting, as a matter of course, Forum members are asked if they have any actual or perceived conflicts that have not already been declared with what is on the agenda. 'Mr Ellis has completed a register of interests form, which was sent to all members.' Mr Ellis told The Herald: 'I'm delighted to join the Edinburgh Visitor Levy Advisory Forum. 'Forum members are not appointed to represent the views of their employers or any group that they may be associated with, but as individuals with lived experience of Edinburgh. 'As Chair of the Edinburgh Hotels Association for six years and on the ETAG Full Group for several more, I feel I am more than capable of contributing constructively and objectively, without favour or bias to the Forum and as directed by our appointed Chair. Any inference otherwise says more about those that claim it. 'In terms of the Forum, there are more than adequate Terms of reference agreed, Officer support in place and discussions around any conflicts have been had. 'I'm sure the Levy funds paid by the visitors to our wonderful City will make a huge improvement to their experience and of those whom live, work and study here too.' In May councillors agreed to appoint Julie Ashworth as chair of the Forum. Ms Ashworth is a founder and CEO of BroadReach Leadership Consultancy, 'whose clients span retail, technology, travel, education and the arts,' the council said. She also serves as a Public Interest Board Trustee for the Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland, is chair of the board for the University of Aberdeen and has been a longstanding member of the Institute of Directors. An interview panel consisting of the council's chief executive Paul Lawrence, Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce CEO Liz McAreavey, Caroline Warburton from VisitScotland, and Ken Robertson, Secretary, Edinburgh Association of Community Councils, agreed "unanimously" that Ms Ashworth's experience 'would be a great asset for the Forum and her calm and firm, yet approachable, style would enable the running of a well-balanced Forum with fair representation of all views'. It was then left up to Ms Ashworth and council officers to finalise the Forum's membership. Other appointees include Lori Anderson, Director of Festivals Edinburgh, Terry Levinthal, Director of the Cockburn Association heritage watchdog, Douglas Tharby, Deputy Chair of the Edinburgh Association of Community Councils, and Alex Williamson, Chief Executive of Scottish Rugby. The full list can be found here. The announcement has prompted wider questions about the purpose of the Forum and its appointments. Simon Holledge, of New Town and Broughton Community Council, said: 'The worry is that we will end up with cumbersome, bureaucratic and opaque processes that seem crafted for manipulation behind the scenes by unelected officers and political groups. 'The apparent weakness of the forum [...] adds to the feeling that this will be yet another seldom-meeting, rubber-stamping, nominal body. More from our Edinburgh correspondent: 'In contrast to a lot of council mini-dramas, the Visitor Levy is actually important. A lot of money is involved. Local government is seriously underfunded and the tourist tax could make a difference. 'Instead of a transparent, fair process that wins the confidence both of residents and accommodation providers, we fear we may end up with a scheme discredited on both sides, neither of whom start off with much confidence in the council in the first place.' Leith Links Community Council also complained the appointed membership was 'largely business-based'. It said: 'We understand the need for representation from the tourism and hospitality sector, but since the aims of the Visitor Levy include 'funding public services, infrastructure and resident-visitor experience' and 'managing the impacts of tourism', we would wish, from a local community perspective, to see much wider representation from the community, including local community councils and action groups, interest groups [...] and service providers in e.g. education, transport, waste management- in short, members with a strong track record in delivering improvements for communities across [[Edinburgh]]. We also think that expertise in participatory budgeting would be valuable.' Edinburgh Council said: 'Governance around the visitor levy, including any future decisions, remains subject to established Council procedures and elected member oversight.'
Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
Banyana Banyana out to tame Senegal's Lionesses in crunch Wafcon quarterfinal clash
Reigning African champions Banyana Banyana are aiming to take a major step towards defending their title when they battle Senegal in the Women's Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals. The contest is scheduled for Saturday, 19 July at 9pm. The last time Banyana Banyana lost a match at the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) was when they were defeated 1-0 by Ghana during the bronze medal playoff of the 2016 edition. Since then, Desiree Ellis' team have been nearly impenetrable at the continental tournament. The South Africans also lost on penalties to Nigeria in the 2018 final, after the teams could not be separated during a nil-all draw. However, that match was technically recorded as a stalemate. To maintain their impressive Wafcon run, Banyana Banyana will need to navigate a tricky Senegalese side in their quarterfinal tussle. Stubborn Lionesses Despite qualifying for the last eight via the 'backdoor' as one of the two best third-placed teams, the Lionesses of Teranga will be another tough test for Ellis and her charges. They finished third in a group that was dominated by title hopefuls Zambia and Morocco, but the Senegalese were never embarrassed during the group phase. They went blow for blow with Zambia's Copper Queens, narrowly losing 3-2. They frustrated tournament hosts Morocco, with the latter nation needing a Yasmin Mrabet penalty to squeeze 1-0 past the stubborn Lionesses. It was against the Democratic Republic of Congo that Senegal's potential was on full display, as they fired on all cylinders to thrash the Congolese 4-0. They can definitely play, and Banyana Banyana will be wary heading into Saturday night's quarterfinal. 'They've shown in a very difficult group that they can fight it out with the best, and we have to be at our absolute best to get a result, because it's not going to be easy. No game has been easy at this Wafcon, it shows that teams on the continent are improving. Every Fifa international window there are countries playing,' said Ellis. 'This Wafcon is not just a one-sided tournament where you can predict an outcome. The games are so tight and it's one moment of magic or one moment of madness, then that's it. This shows how tight the games are, so we have to be on top of our game against Senegal. They showed [their quality] against Zambia and Morocco, where they had very tight games,' the Banyana Banyana coach added. Banyana are ready Senegal and Banyana Banyana are no strangers; the two teams tussled in June 2024, with South Africa registering a 3-1 aggregate victory during the double-header of international friendlies. A year later, the two nations meet under much more strenuous conditions, in a contest in which the winner will reach the Wafcon semifinals and the loser returns home. Victory for the Senegalese would mark their first passage beyond the Wafcon quarterfinals. Banyana Banyana, on the other hand, are aiming for a seventh overall Wafcon final. Taming the Lionesses would bring the 2022 African champions to within one victory of achieving this impressive feat. But their eyes are also on the overall prize. 'We've managed to watch a few clips, obviously they are in the tournament as well. But we've been doing a lot of video sessions to analyse them, so that we can have a gameplan… Then we just need to go out there, stick to the plan and do our best,' fullback Gabriela Salgado told Banyana Banyana's media department. 'We have our country expecting us to do well. But we also owe it to ourselves [to get another good result]; we've worked so hard to be where we are now. We want to defend the title, everyone is on the same page,' Salgado said. If it's not broken, don't fix it It has been a theme so far at this Wafcon for South Africa to fight it out with teams that are physically imposing. Defender Karabo Dhlamini believes there is no need for Banyana Banyana to alter their approach for the Senegalese. The team plans to continue playing its brand of South African soccer. This consists of keeping the ball on the ground and weaving quick passes that usually leave their opponents in a daze. 'Senegal is a good team. We know they have tall players, which is something we lack. But we have played against teams with taller players and dealt well with them, meaning we're ready to cope with that again against Senegal. At the end of the day, it will be 11 against 11 — same ball. To beat Senegal, we need to stick to our style of play,' Dhlamini was quoted as saying by SowetanLive. Dhlamini has been part of a stingy Banyana Banyana defence that has conceded just once in their three Wafcon outings to date — the 1-1 draw against Tanzania in their second group game. She, alongside the likes of Bambanani Mbane and right-back Fikile Magama, will be expected to thwart the Lionesses. Up front, the search for goals will rest primarily on the shoulders of Jermaine Seoposenwe, while Hildah Magaia and Linda Motlhalo are also capable of creating magic in attacking moments. Young striker Ronnel Donnelly scored her first senior goal during the 4-0 winner over Mali earlier this week, so she is another forward threat. DM
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
‘Dirty secret': Big bank's call on rate hold
One of Australia's big four banks has offered a surprising theory as to why the Reserve Bank shocked everybody by holding rates at its last board meeting. Westpac chief economist Luci Ellis says the RBA might have chosen to 'assert its independence' by bucking expectations and keeping the official cash rate at 3.85 per cent at its July board meeting. 'There was no real economic benefit to waiting five more weeks,' Ms Ellis wrote in her latest economic note. While homeowners were left frustrated after the RBA announced its decision to leave the cash rate unchanged despite a cut being widely tipped, Ms Ellis said it was low risk decision for the central bank from a broader economy point of view. 'The dirty little secret of monetary policy is that small differences in the level of interest rates or the timing of changes make essentially no difference for inflation outcomes,' Ms Ellis said. 'If holding the cash rate 100 basis points lower for a year only boosts inflation by 0.2 per cent or so – broadly the result from the RBA's main model – then 25bp higher for five weeks is not even a rounding error.' RBA governor Michele Bullock defended the decision to keep the rate on hold, saying the central bank was waiting for quarterly inflation data. Christian Gilles / NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia RBA governor Michele Bullock said after the decision was announced that the board wanted to see the June quarter's inflation numbers – to be released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics next Wednesday – before moving on rates. The RBA monetary policy board meets again in August, with the rate decision to be announced on Tuesday August 12. 'By then we will know what the June quarter CPI is and if it comes in as we think it will, a little bit at the margin, we're a little bit worried about, but if it comes in as we think it will, continue to decline, then that validates our easing path,' she said. But Ms Ellis took a swipe at Ms Bullock's argument. 'The third month of CPI data will also not add much new information to support a continuing hold,' she said. 'Recall that even with a partial monthly CPI indicator, once the second month of the quarter is in, you already have two-thirds of the ultimate quarterly read. 'This is true no matter how much of the index is measured monthly.' Former employee Luci Ellis says a cut would've been a rounding error. NewsWire, Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia Markets are now pricing an almost 100 per cent chance of a 25 basis point cut in August following Thursday's weaker than expected jobs figures. The unemployment rate rose to 4.3 per cent in June, beating market expectations of 4.1 per cent, according to the ABS. IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said the bond market was quick to react to Thursday's data, moving up expectations of a rate cut from 80 to nearly 100 per cent in August. 'Today's rise in the unemployment rate pushes it above the RBA's forecast of 4.2 per cent for June 2025 and meets the 4.3 per cent rate the RBA expected by year end,' he said. 'Combined with last month's fall in employment, there are clear signs of deceleration emerging in the labour market.' Australia's Cash Rate 2022 NED-9108-Monthly-Inflation-Indicator Betashare chief economist David Bassanese, who was of the few to predict the RBA would keep the cash rate on hold in July, said Thursday's unemployment data was a 'slam dunk' for an August rate cut. 'We'll need more consistent signs of weakness in both employment and hiring indicators before we can conclude the labour market is turning,' he wrote in an economic note. 'That said, today's result clearly adds to the case for a RBA rate cut at the August policy meeting provided next week's Q2 CPI report is not a shocker.'
IOL News
3 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Desiree Ellis not taking 'tough' Senegal lightly in Wafcon quarter-finals
AFTER opening her national-goal-account against Mali, Desiree Ellis expect Banyana Banyana striker Ronnel Donnelly to show hunger for more. | BackpagePix BANYANA Banyana's spirited performance against Mali in their final Group C match of the 2025 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) on Monday did more than send the defending champions to the quarter-finals but it also strengthened coach Desiree Ellis' confidence in her charges. Banyana will host free-scoring Senegal in Saturday's second quarter-final at Honneur Stadium in Oudja, where they played all their group matches. Even though Senegal finished third in Group A behind hosts Morocco and Banyana's southern African neighbours Zambia, Ellis feels the west Africans have done enough to show that they mean business. 'Senegal? They've shown in a very difficult group that they can toughen it up with the best. So things are once again not going to be easy (against them in the quarter-final),' said Ellis. 'I don't think any game has been easy at the Wafcon and that is evidence to the fact almost everyday in the continent you've got teams now playing. 'Malawi they are not even here (in Morocco) but they are busy preparing for the qualifiers elsewhere. 'We have to give it to the federations that have been giving the teams an opportunity,' Ellis added even though her side faced a long list of off field problems before even kicking a ball in Morocco.
