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Tetairoa McMillan, one of the best wide receivers in Arizona history, will skip his final year of eligibility and enter the 2025 NFL Draft, he announced on social media on Thursday. Projected as a top-10 draft pick, the 6-foot-5, 212-pound McMillan finished his illustrious career at Arizona with 3,423 receiving yards, breaking the mark set by Bobby Wade (3,351). In three seasons, the Hawaii native also posted the fourth-most catches (213) and third-most touchdowns (26) in school history. "Wildcat Nation, this journey has been everything I dreamed of and more," McMillan wrote on Instagram. "From the moment I committed to the University of Arizona, to every second spent wearing that Arizona jersey ... it's been an absolute honor. "The University of Arizona has provided me with the platform to grow and chase my dreams. ... Thank you from the bottom of my heart. To the best fans in the country, I appreciate you for all of the love and support you have given me these last 3 years. I will always be a Wildcat." In 2024, McMillan totaled 84 grabs (ninth in Division I) for 1,319 yards (third in Division I) and eight touchdowns for the 4-8 Wildcats. He also ranked third in Division I with 109.9 receiving yards per game. McMillan is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the most outstanding receiver in college football. --Field Level Media

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United, Apple rolling out new way to track lost luggage with AirTags

New Delhi, Dec 26 (PTI) He drew the roadmap of India's economic reform, unshackled it from the licence raj and pulled it back from the brink when even all its gold reserve was pledged. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh was the scholar and architect of the India of today who evolved into a stubbornly resolute politician. Unassuming, erudite, soft-spoken and a consensus builder, Manmohan Singh died on Thursday night at Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He was 92. The Congress leader, who steered the country for 10 years from 2004-2014 and helped set up the country's economic framework as finance minister before that, was a renowned name in the global financial and economic sectors. His government introduced pathbreaking initiatives like Right to Information (RTI), Right to Education (RTE) and MNREGA. The man who famously spoke of studying under the dim light of kerosene lamps in his village without electricity and went on to become a storied academic was the copybook reluctant politician, almost stumbling into the rough and tumble of mainstream politics. He was the proverbial dark horse when Sonia Gandhi stepped back from taking the prime minister's post, ignoring the clamour from her party, and chose him instead. And so Manmohan Singh the academic bureaucrat became the 14th prime minister of India in 2004. Theirs was a partnership that lasted 10 years, the equation between Sonia Gandhi and Singh often cited for its equanimity and an example of how a working relationship should really be. Notwithstanding the inevitable tensions. Singh also had to balance the interests of the United Progressive Alliance's coalition partners. N N Vohra, a former Jammu and Kashmir governor, said Singh always "stood firm as a rock in pursuing the ethical path even if he got into trouble with the political party he represented". In 2014, the UPA was voted out in a cloud of corruption scams, establishing BJP's unbroken rule since then. Hailed for putting India on the road to liberalisation and privatisation in the early 1990s, Singh was criticised for turning a blind eye to charges of corruption. The going often got tough. During his first tenure as prime minister, the coalition began to unravel when India signed a civil nuclear deal with the US. It almost cost his government with the Left parties pulling out of the UPA coalition. However, his government survived. On July 22, 2008, the UPA faced its first confidence vote in the Lok Sabha after the Communist Party of India (Marxist) led Left Front withdrew support over India approaching the IAEA for Indo-US nuclear deal. The UPA won the confidence vote with 275 votes to the opposition's 256, with a record thin 19-vote victory after 10 MPs abstained. During the fag end of his tenure as prime minister, when he was seen defending his government’s record and the Congress’ positions on controversial issues such as the 2G scam, Singh spoke up and declared he was not weak. "I honestly hope history would be kinder to me than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the opposition parties in Parliament," he had said famously in January 2004. More than two decades later, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge reacted to Singh's death with a poignant post on X: "Undoubtedly, history shall judge you kindly, Dr. Manmohan Singh ji!" The decade with Singh at the helm of affairs is widely believed to be an era unprecedented growth and prosperity. His journey to the acme of India’s governance and political power is unique in the annals of India’s politics. Singh, always seen in a powder blue turban, was appointed India's finance minister in 1991 in the Narasimha Rao government. His role in ushering in a comprehensive policy of economic reforms is now recognised worldwide. In January 1991, India struggled to finance its essential imports, especially of oil and fertilisers, and to repay official debt. In July 1991, the RBI pledged 46.91 tonnes of gold with the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan to raise $400 million. Manmohan Singh soon steered the economy well and was quick to repurchase it months later. Vohra, who at the time served successively as defence and home secretary said he had to be at then finance minister Singh's door daily, “literally begging for some financial relief for the department I was serving”. Born to Gurmukh Singh and Amrit Kaur on September 26, 1932, in village Gah in the Punjab province of undivided India (now Pakistan), Singh completed his matriculation examinations from the Punjab University in 1948. His academic career took him from Punjab to the University of Cambridge, UK, where he earned a First Class Honours degree in Economics in 1957. Singh followed this with a D.Phil in Economics from Nuffield College at Oxford University in 1962. He started his career by teaching in the faculty of Punjab University and the prestigious Delhi School of Economics. He also had a brief stint at the UNCTAD Secretariat and later became secretary general of the South Commission in Geneva between 1987 and 1990. In 1971, Singh joined the government of India as economic advisor in the Commerce ministry. This was soon followed by his appointment as chief economic advisor in the Ministry of Finance in 1972. Among the many governmental positions that he occupied were secretary in the Finance ministry, deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission, governor of the Reserve Bank of India, advisor of the prime minister, and chairperson of the University Grants Commission. His political career started as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1991, where he was leader of the opposition between 1998 and 2004. Interestingly, the two time prime minister had a 33-year parliamentary innings but only as a Rajya Sabha member. He never contested a Lok Sabha election. Singh was often accused by the BJP of running a government that was marred by corruption. The party called him "MaunMohan Singh" alleging that he did not speak out against corrupt leaders in his cabinet. Notwithstanding the many epithets, Singh always maintained his dignity. He is survived by his wife Gursharan Kaur and has three daughters. It is a measure of Singh's understated personality that the country knew little of his family who also went about their lives as low key as they could during his 10 years as prime minister. Singh was quiet but also firm. Sources close to him said Singh had almost made up his mind to quit as prime minister in September 2013 after Rahul Gandhi dubbed the Union Cabinet's decision to bring an ordinance to allow convicted politicians to contest elections "complete nonsense" and recommended it be torn. Singh was abroad at the time. Singh was highly critical of demonetisation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2016 and termed it "organised loot and legalised plunder". In reply to the no-confidence motion against his government in 2008, Singh said almost prophetically, "The greatness of democracy is that we are all birds of passage! We are here today, gone tomorrow! But in the brief time that the people of India entrust us with this responsibility, it is our duty to be honest and sincere in the discharge of these responsibilities." (This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)

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Star Alliance member United Airlines is seeking United States Department of Transportation (DOT) approval to launch a new route connecting Los Angeles and Beijing. United wants to continue its dominance on the Pacific Rim and hopes to launch this service by May 1st. Connecting Los Angeles to Beijing As reported by Onemileatatime , United has filed a request to launch a thrice-weekly service between Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Beijing Capital Airport (PEK), using its Boeing 787-9 aircraft for the 6,250-mile journey. This direct service would compete with Air China, which already operates a four-weekly service onboard its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. United's proposed schedule: From To Departure Time Arrival Time Frequency Aircraft Los Angeles International Beijing Capital 23:10 04:45 (2 days later) Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Boeing 787-9 Beijing Capital Los Angeles International 12:00 09:35 (same day) Monday, Thursday, and Saturday Boeing 787-9 Should the proposed service go ahead, it will complement United's current daily San Francisco to Beijing service, operated by the carriers Boeing 777-300ER and Air China's twice-weekly 777-300ER service between the two cities. United's utilization of its Boeing 787-9 would add 771 available seats in each direction per week. The carrier's aircraft is configured with 257 seats for each flight, including 48 for business class passengers, 21 in premium economy, and 188 in economy class. The carrier is the world's second-largest 787-9 operator. Want answers to more key questions in aviation? Check out the rest of our guides here . Subdued demand for travel between China and the United States Demand for international travel and trade between the United States and China is subdued compared to pre-pandemic. This has been a result of political tension between the two superpowers but also due to flight caps . Currently, the maximum number of flights operating each week is 50. US airlines are permitted to fly up to 50 weekly flights, of which United is below this limit. Pre-pandemic, there were around 300 weekly flights between the US and China; however, following ongoing challenges to rebuild demand and increase flight caps, there has been a slow recovery in flights. For travel to the Chinese capital, currently, several services operate directly to the United States; these include: Air China Beijing Capital to Los Angeles Beijing Capital to New York JFK Beijing Capital to San Francisco Beijing Capital to Washington Dulles Hainan Airlines Beijing Capital to Seattle Tacoma United Airlines Beijing Capital to San Francisco With many more jets on order, the United fleet includes nearly 500 Boeing 737s and close to 100 777s. Of the ' Big Three ' US airlines, United is currently the only carrier serving Beijing; however, both American and Delta Air Lines operate services to other Chinese airports (namely Shanghai). United also maintains services between LA, San Francisco, and the Special Administrative Region of China: Hong Kong. United Airlines has continued its international expansion on the US East and West Coast. Already from Los Angeles and San Francisco, the carrier offers more long-haul services than any other US carrier. Direct United service operates from LA across the Pacific to Hong Kong, Melbourne, Shanghai Pudong, Sydney, Tokyo Haneda, and Tokyo Narita. In contrast, its San Francisco hub offers routes to Auckland, Beijing, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Osaka Kansai, Papeete, Seoul Incheon, Shanghai Pudong, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo Haneda, Tokyo Narita, and seasonal services to Christchurch . For United, its continued investment in fleet upgrades and expansion at Los Angeles will continue to position itself as a leading carrier from the country's west, reaffirming itself as a leader in long-haul travel and an integral member of the Star Alliance . MileagePlus members are able to earn miles on eligible bookings when flying with selected non-Star Alliance member airlines.ONEOK Inc. stock rises Friday, still underperforms market

NEW YORK — Donald Trump’s attorneys have asked the judge who presided over his criminal hush money case to dismiss the indictment and vacate the jury’s guilty verdicts — arguing their client is a victim of the same “raw politics” President Joe Biden cited in pardoning his son, Hunter, according to filings made public Tuesday. “President Biden argued that ‘raw politics has infected this process and it led to a miscarriage of justice,'” Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Emil Bove wrote in the lengthy and politically charged filing, referring to Biden’s weekend statement announcing a 10-year pardon for his son. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.None

New research shows restaurant chains and food concepts are helping shopping malls regain their footing, driving consumers to the once-struggling spaces. The data from Yelp shows restaurants have become a driving force in this ever-changing retail landscape, helping to catapult visitor numbers above pre-pandemic levels at malls. Shoppers grab a bite to eat and then spend their money at various businesses before and after they dine out — creating a bounce-back effect for what has often been dubbed a "struggling industry." Days of packed shopping malls are beginning to return, but they look a bit different than what we were used to in the 1990s and early 2000s. RELATED STORY | Retailers say they're ready for potential Trump tariffs Take a drive past or step foot near Great Northern Mall in Ohio and you'll be greeted by one restaurant after the next. More are on the way, including a Texas Roadhouse in the near future. "Five times more traffic," Tony Ke, the owner of TJ Hibachi and Sushi said. Ke said through the ups and downs of the coronavirus pandemic, and many folks opting for online shopping over the years, things are finally turning around. He said business is booming with five times more traffic in the mall food court than in years past. "It's really getting better and better," Ke said. And he's not alone. Scripps News Cleveland followed through and spoke with Beverly Bolton, owner of Fortune's Cookies. The self-proclaimed community baker and Cleveland-area mom took a gamble, opening her first brick-and-mortar inside Great Northern a year ago. "It's been an adventure, but better than I expected," Bolton said. The local cookie shop has become so popular that she's been scouted to fill that nostalgic mall cookie void. "We've had some other malls approach us. Actually, use the space where Mrs. Fields used to be in," Bolton said. RELATED STORY | Big Lots continues some store closures as its bankruptcy proceeds Placer.AI reports shopping malls — whether it be open-air concepts or traditional malls like Great Northern — are on the rise again in 2024. The organization that tracks retail foot traffic reports the primary reason is restaurants and food concepts in malls. They are up 7% from 2019 to 2024. Yelp recently released a report of the top 25 mall brands, and 17 of the top 25 mall brands are restaurant chains: Cheesecake Factory at number 1 BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse at 4 Starbucks at 6 Olive Garden at 7 Panera at 10 Chili's at 21 Food concepts are a driving force as well. This includes Filipino, Vegan and specifically Bubble Teas —which are up 100% over the last five years, according to Yelp. Michael Goldberg, a professor in the Department of Design Innovation at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, said a generation that has virtually lived online plays a critical role in the process. "Many Americans, particularly younger Americans, are focused on experiences and nothing is better than sharing food with friends," Goldberg said. Young social media influencers are eating food on camera, providing reviews and driving people to dive in and try the food. The TikTok generation has given a major boost to once-struggling brands and revived them tenfold. Case in point: Chili's Triple Dipper. "The thought that Chili's is back and being driven by influencer videos on TikTok is quite fascinating and, you know, I mean, there is a nostalgia for brands," Goldberg said. Localized community programming and holiday events like pictures with Santa are a mainstay at malls like Great Northern. Lori Weidleman, who has been cranking out pretzels at Auntie Anne's since 1997, said change is constant. However, she added it's become apparent people will pay for a quality product that takes them back to a special moment in life. "Ohio's doing really good. We're strong and beating our goals and our targets. And it's multi-generational interest," Weidleman said. This story was originally published by Mike Holden at Scripps News Cleveland .UConn football coach Jim Mora doesn’t expect running back Durell Robinson to suit up for the Huskies’ appearance in the Fenway Bowl later this month. While the rest of his players who’ve entered the portal have remained active on the practice field in Storrs, expressing a desire to finish the season with the team, Robinson has picked up offers too good not to explore. But Mora hasn’t given up on the possibility of retaining a high-impact player like him – over 800 total yards in a deep room of backs, the type of talent that attracts SEC programs like Auburn and Arkansas , where he’s visited already. “If a guy enters the portal and he’s someone that we think is valuable, I’m not gonna stop recruiting him,” said Mora, who noted that he still communicates with Robinson daily. “This is like NFL free agency: If a guy becomes an NFL free agent (and) he goes out on the market, if he’s of value to your team you don’t just let him go, you fight for him. We’re fighting for those guys.” The transfer portal window opened on Monday and will remain open until Dec. 28, the day of UConn’s bowl game against North Carolina. The next time it will open up will be for 10 days in the spring, from April 16-25. UConn, so far, has had 10 players announce their intention to test their options. “Everyone kind of gets in the portal for a different reason. Just because you get in the portal these days doesn’t mean you want to leave. It might be to test your market value, it might be to see what else is out there. And it might be to leave, it might be that you maybe feel like there’s a place that’s better for you,” Mora said. “There’s all kinds of reasons, but the guys that have gone in have indicated to me that they want to play (in the bowl game). They want to finish this thing out. And they’ve also all indicated that they don’t necessarily want to leave.” The significance of the bowl game, a chance at what would be only the third nine-win season in UConn football history, has not been lost on the team. “I told those guys today, I said, ‘You guys can do something that’s pretty darn special. It’s won’t be the first time it’s been done, but it hasn’t been done in a long time (since 2007) and it hasn’t been done often, and you guys can look back with a lot of pride that you’ve hopefully changed the trajectory of this program for a long time to come,'” Mora said. The Huskies’ third-year head coach was thrilled with the bowl assignment – both the venue and the opponent. “I’ve been smiling since it was announced,” he said. It will be UConn’s fifth chance at a win over a power conference team this season. The Huskies lost three one-score games to ACC opponents Duke, Wake Forest and Syracuse, and expect to be competitive against North Carolina. The Tar Heels finished the season at 6-6, firing head coach Mack Brown before the year was over. They announced six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick as their next head coach this week, but interim HC Freddie Kitchens is expected to remain in his position for the bowl game. Mora and his staff haven’t begun the real “digging in” on preparation for UNC. That’s the plan for next week. This week is for managing the anxiety and uncertainty that comes with the transfer portal, working to retain players but also hosting some potential new ones. There have already been several portal recruits on campus, seven to nine so far, and there were four visiting Thursday, “a couple more” coming Friday. “In college football, it’s very discombobulated. I think it’s really strange to have free agency, the portal, before your last game. I think it’s created a ton of anxiety for players, a ton of uncertainty for players,” Mora said. “The way this thing’s set up nowadays, if you’ve got a kid and he’s been really successful here, and a big-time program that can offer him a lot of money and maybe a different opportunity comes along, then they have to listen. That’s the free market, but they also have to realize that there’s risks involved.” Once a player enters the portal, it is on Mora and the staff to work hard to replace them. “I think any time a guy enters the portal, you have to assume that he’s not gonna be here,” Mora said. “There’s that part of it that’s very tricky for these guys and they don’t always understand that so we try to explain that to them very clearly. And then there are guys that are going into the portal that I tell them, ‘Hey, listen. I will tell you that we’re going to try to replace you, but you’ll have right of first refusal. ... We’ll give you the option to come back before we fill your spot.’ “So I think we’re handling this whole thing the right way, I think it’s really difficult. I know for a fact that we’re handling it with the best interests of our players in mind, also understanding the responsibility we have to this university and this fanbase and our donors and supporters in this program. It’s pretty interesting. I’m actually enjoying it, but not enjoying it.” UConn hasn’t sent staff out on recruiting trips, the way things have gone in the past. All of their attention is focused on the portal, getting players on campus for visits and retaining as many off the current roster as they can. With the successful season, a second bowl appearance in three years under Mora, the whole process has been a bit easier than it was in recent years. “It’s been easier to get eyes, to get people to pick up the phone, to get people to respond when you DM them on Twitter or Instagram or you call them or text them,” Mora said. “It’s the same approach, but thankfully the reaction of those out there has been– they’re a little bit more quick to respond to us, which is a credit to the things that are going on here.” Injury updates: Star defensive lineman Dal’Mont Gourdine will not be available for the Huskies in the bowl game. Gourdine broke his foot in practice the Wednesday before the regular-season finale at UMass and had to have surgery. Linebacker Tui Faumuina-Brown (lower body) is expected to be available. “My hope for Dal is that he’s 100% for his pro day,” Mora said. “But Tui’s doing really well. Any injury is an injury, but it wasn’t a serious, debilitating injury, it was something that he’s working through right now. Other than that, I think we’re in pretty good shape.” In the portal: Robinson is the most significant name so far, but nine teammates have also announced their decision to enter the transfer portal on social media. The others include DB Malcolm Bell, WR Brock Montgomery, P Nathaniel Wallace-Dilling, RB Malik Thomas Jr., DB Jarvarius Sims, RB Daniel Shaban, DB Reggie Akles, RB Frank Daniley and WR/KR Bryan Domino.

India News | 921 Student Awarded Degrees at IGDTUW Seventh Convocation

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis insists the club's ambitions to finish in the top six of the Premier League are realistic, in an exclusive sit-down interview with Sky Sports from his Piraeus base. In only their third season back in the top flight - after that long-awaited promotion from the Championship - Nuno Espirito Santo has guided the Tricky Trees to sixth, with six wins from their first 14 games, and the 57-year-old is certain there is more to come in the future. It was one of a number of topics the Greek billionaire discussed with Sky Sports News senior reporter Rob Dorsett during his most revealing UK interview yet; 'Meeting Marinakis', which is available on demand. As he sat down with Dorsett in Piraeus, he spoke about his passion, learning about Forest during his time in England in the 1980s, his ongoing gripes with VAR, the January transfer window and more. Rob Dorsett: I don't think a lot of people know you, certainly in England. How would you describe yourself? Trending Evangelos Marinakis: "I have a passion for what I do and I have reached that stage very quickly. I have been lucky enough - or capable, or a combination - since I was very young to have business success. Because of this success, I could afford to do things that I enjoy most. "My business, shipping, is something that gives me a lot of pleasure to work. It's very international, it's a global business and you need to compete with very big companies, even state companies around the world where there is no politics as such. You need to be capable enough, you need to be strong enough in order to compete and you need to be smart and make quick decisions in order to be able to compete and be successful with very big companies in the industry." Also See: Meeting Marinakis: The King of Piraeus' life, work & love of football Watch Premier League highlights for free Stream the Premier League with NOW Download the Sky Sports app Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player RD: That strikes me as you loving a challenge, in business and in football... EM: "This is something that gives me satisfaction and what I enjoy most is the journey. When you have the success, when you have the victory, maybe you feel a bit tired, you feel a bit stressed and even though everybody is celebrating next to you and with you, you don't enjoy it as much. But the journey to reach the victory, this is what makes a lot of sense and I get a big satisfaction out of it." RD: You never seem to rest on your laurels and think you've achieved enough. It wasn't enough to get Nottingham Forest into the Premier League, that was just the start. It wasn't enough to get Olympiacos into European competition, that was just the start. Are you always hungry for more? EM: "You need to put in endless effort, but at the same time, during this journey, [you need] to have also enormous happiness in what you do. You can become passionate about it, you can have arguments in order to protect your team, your interests. The people of Piraeus are the people of Nottinghamshire. "With what I'm involved in in business, you have a lot of employees, the crews of the vessels, the people in the office and, in football, it's the players, it's the supporters, it's the technical staff around and what we do has to do with the people, 100 per cent. It's good to have good facilities, or to have very good vessels, modern vessels, in shipping. But if you have all this and you don't have a good captain, or a capable captain, or capable players, it means nothing. So I think the power is the people, it's not myself. "The power comes from the people, either the ones that you work together or your supporters. I think that the human skills make the difference. What you must do all the time is work hard. The people next to you need to see that so they can do the same. And you need to be there to inspire them to do it and to do it in a way that is competitive, a way that can bring victory. "You need to have a winning spirit all the time and you need to have this from the guy who cleans the facilities, up to the president, up to the owner, up to the coach, up to the captain of the team. All of them should be able to work together, to be together. The togetherness in whatever you do is extremely important. That's why, whenever I talk, I don't speak about myself; I use words that have to do with all of us. We do it." RD: You've just taken charge of the first Greek side ever to win a major European trophy... EM: "Two! It was the first time in history in UEFA that a team won both competitions [the U19 team won the UEFA Youth League]." RD: I know that you took the Europa Conference League trophy to your father's grave to share that with him. EM: "His grave is here in Piraeus, but also we sent it to Crete, where he came from and, of course, all over Greece. It was a special moment because it's important to show what I have done to the person who inspired me to do this. It's good not to forget your roots, for all of us. It was something that I had promised to myself, and it happened." RD: Let's talk about Forest, because they're on a real high as well. Nottingham Forest are being talked about at the top of the Premier League. How special is that? EM: "For me, that was the target from the beginning. When I first said it, people said it's crazy or it's b*******. But, for me, this is important, otherwise I wouldn't do it. If Forest weren't a big team, I wouldn't get involved. For me, it's the memories that I have. "It was when I was first visiting England and then I stayed in England. That was at the beginning of the 1980s and there were two teams at the time: Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. They wore the same colour as Olympiacos red. We're talking about thousands or millions of supporters. "You can see it with the teams that I'm involved with, these two teams in Greece and in England. Olympiacos is the biggest team, by far, in Greece. Half of the Greek population supports Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest is one of the very big teams in England, both in what we have achieved and also with the supporter base. For me, this is very important. "We have a multi-club ownership and a lot see it as business. I don't necessarily see it this way. It's very difficult to combine business with football, especially with big teams when you need to win trophies, you need to participate in Europe. "It doesn't necessarily mean that you can make money - the opposite in a lot of cases. We don't have an unlimited budget, we are not a state company or a company that can afford each year to lose money. We need to find the balance between what we spend and what we can achieve. Of course it's not easy; this needs a lot of hard work, but we try our very best to be able to be competitive at a cost that is affordable nowadays. RD: Is it realistic to think you could regularly compete with the big six? EM: "Yes, I think that is realistic. And it's up to us at the end of the day. I think it's very important to take responsibility. So I take responsibility in the bad times; in the good times we can share this responsibility. "It's something pleasant to share responsibilities during good times and victories, but in the difficult times you need to take responsibility, correct your mistakes and act accordingly so you can recover and fight back and come back and win." RD: It will be a huge coup if negotiations progress and Arsenal's departing sporting director Edu, somebody who is so well thought of in the game, comes to be part of your group. EM: "Edu was a very good player and also a very good sporting and technical director. I have a lot of respect for him. The results we saw over the years at Arsenal were very good and he has done an excellent job at Arsenal. "What I can say is that I would like to cooperate with him on a much bigger project, a global project. I'm optimistic that in case all this goes ahead, it will be another successful venture for both of us. "I'm very optimistic about it, but we need to see how this will be developed and will be finalised, if and when time allows." RD: That would be quite the statement about your ambition going forward. EM: "Yes. And I think that there are a lot of people that want to cooperate with us and work with us and that means that they respect us and they appreciate what we do. It gives us satisfaction that what we do is something that is appealing to very good people in the industry." RD: I wanted to ask you about the multi-club structure. You're already in Portugal, Greece and England - and I'm told Italy and Brazil are in your targets as well. Is that right? Possibly Vasco da Gama? EM: "There are discussions and what I can say is that whatever I want to get involved in needs to be something major. The tradition is very important and it always makes more sense to me to manage or to own. "But in big clubs where we're talking about millions of supporters, you don't consider it as ownership. I cannot use the word that I 'bought' Olympiacos or I 'bought' Nottingham Forest. This is something huge. It's for all the supporters, for millions of people, so I cannot see it as a business. "It's very important, in whatever I'm involved in, to be a team that has a big supporter base. Portugal is an exception. It's a smaller team. But what we need to do is for this team also to be upgraded and to be one of the [top] six or seven teams in Portugal. It's very important because, for us, the Brazilian market is very important. "We have some very good players that have played over the years in Olympiacos and also now in Nottingham Forest. But in Portugal, Brazilians, they play as Europeans. It's a gate, let's say, for Brazilian players into Europe. And for me this is very important for the years to come." RD: Your passion, I think, has got you into trouble with the football authorities in England. How do you feel about that? EM: "The passion is something that you cannot help. Either you have it or you don't have it. I think it's very important for the leader of a team, of a business, of an organisation, to try his very best to protect the interests of the team, of the company, of your family. "I consider Nottingham Forest as a family. So, when you see things that are not right, you can be loud about it. And believe me, so far, whenever we have been loud, we were absolutely right. We live in democratic countries, especially in Greece, where democracy was born. "So, to have an opinion and to be able to share this opinion with people is not something that I find that is bad or doesn't make sense. We have seen things that are unbelievable and you need to have the courage and the power to stand by what you say and to be able to prove that what you say is correct." RD: Do you mean refereeing decisions? EM: "Yes. The other thing is, nowadays, in football, we have VAR. So, why do we have VAR? In order to double-check decisions that take place instantly and from different angles. A lot of times, you can make a mistake. But when you have all the time you need to watch from different angles, in a comfortable chair, and you can spend one minute, two minutes, three minutes, four minutes, even five minutes to watch it and watch it again, then it's very difficult to accept a human mistake. "Unfortunately, we have seen big mistakes take place with VAR. Being a human being, you are obliged to make mistakes. It's natural to make mistakes. But when you see repeated mistakes from the same people, this is something that needs to be corrected, and needs to be corrected immediately. Authorities or organisations - the FA, it's the Premier League, it's UEFA, it's FIFA - they have a duty to all of us to rectify all this. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player "This duty of responsibility towards the clubs to make sure that there is justice. And when mistakes happen, to be able to rectify them is very important. Sometimes, when this doesn't happen, someone should be strong enough to be loud about it, in order to prevent similar occasions and also to prevent other teams - not only your team - facing similar situations. "This is something that I have no regrets [about] and it will continue to be the case. Sometimes it takes longer to prove that you are right and, until this is proven, you might face consequences that can harm your interest or your image, or your business, your club. "But we are strong enough and we can afford to wait and we can afford to take the blame. For one reason, that when we have little time to relax, I feel good with myself, that I have done it in the right way, which might take time to prove, but it doesn't matter. The answer is that this will not change and people like myself, or leaders like myself, are needed in today's society, today's football, today's business, to be able to take decisions or to try their very best to prove their points and the correct points. As simple as that. "No one is perfect. Every one of us is allowed to make mistakes, but we are also allowed to correct these mistakes. What is not allowed is this to be repeated. It's our duty and responsibility to correct it. RD: It strikes me that Nottingham Forest have a really big opportunity this season to maybe make a European place. Do you see it like that? EM: "I see it even higher and I think you need to believe in your dreams. Of course it's difficult. It might take you more time, it might take years, but you need to have the right mentality and always have targets that are difficult to be achieved. But you try your best. "You try to persuade your family, your team-mates, the guys that you work with that this is possible. Because nothing is impossible. You should never give up. You should be able to stand up. Try your best, correct your mistake, try again and again and again. And at the end of the day, you'll be rewarded with a victory. So it's a matter of time and it's a matter of patience and hard work and faith. RD: Do you feel you want to invest heavily in January to try and make that big push for Europe? EM: "We have the Financial Fair Play that restricts us from unlimited spending." 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