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GUWAHATI A record byelection victory for its candidate in the Sidli Assembly constituency has boosted the confidence of the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL) ahead of the elections to Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) in 2025. The win has also made the UPPL, one of two regional allies of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Assam, believe that its “peace-driven development model” has more takers to help it retain power in the BTC straddling 40 constituencies. Election results 2024: Maharashtra | Jharkhand | Bypolls The Sidli contest was a major challenge for UPPL candidate Nirmal Kumar Brahma. He not only had to retain the seat vacated by Joyanta Basumatary but win convincingly enough to give a message that the party was better than its rivals for the multi-ethnic Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) that the BTC governs. Mr. Basumatary vacated Sidli after winning the Kokrajhar Lok Sabha seat for the UPPL earlier this year. His victory ended a two-term drought for any registered political party in Kokrajhar. Mr. Brahma not only defeated Suddho Kumar Basumatary of the Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) but his margin of victory – 37,016 votes – was one of the highest for the 12 Assembly constituencies across BTC ever. Nine of these seats are with NDA (UPPL eight and BJP one) while the BPF, which ruled the BTC for 17 years until the UPPL assumed power in 2020, has three. UPPL president Pramod Boro, who is also the Chief Executive Member of the BTC, attributed the Sidli victory to the dividends the party reaped for ensuring “unprecedented” peace across the BTR. Mr. Boro was one of the architects of the BTR Accord the Centre signed with now-disbanded extremist groups and the All Bodo Students’ Union in January 2020. He said the pact ended decades of violence, first for the quest for statehood for the Bodo tribal people and then through the “reign of fear” under the BPF. “There was a time when people were afraid of setting foot on the BTR. Today, a peaceful atmosphere prevails in the region. People supported us after they were convinced that only the UPPL-BJP coalition can ensure permanent peace,” Mr. Boro told The Hindu after the party’s Sidli win. “The voters realised that supporting the UPPL and BJP will strengthen democracy and ensure development in all sectors riding on the peace model we have created,” he said. He admitted that the UPPL was initially not able to convince people that it had a workable model. “More and more people started believing in us and our policies and they found it was diametrically opposite to the BPF’s style of dominating and cheating them and indulging in corruption,” Mr. Boro said. He said the UPPL and BJP have been working in synchronicity toward achieving the common goal of developing the BTR through peace and respect for some 20 divergent communities, many of who weathered ethnic clashes in the past. “The Sidli result has fuelled our hopes of doing very well in the 2025 BTC elections. I feel the by-election result will help us win most of the 40 seats in the council,” he said. Mr. Boro also predicted a sweep for the BJP, UPPL, and AGP in the 2026 Assembly elections in Assam because of the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Published - November 23, 2024 09:46 pm IST Copy link Email Facebook Twitter Telegram LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Assam / Assembly Elections / state politicsOusted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russia media say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The reports came hours after a stunning rebel advance swept into Damascus to cheers and ended the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule. Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire, joyful after a stifling, nearly 14-year civil war. But the swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country still split among armed factions. One rebel commander said “we will not deal with people the way the Assad family did." The fall of Bashar Assad after 13 years of war in Syria brings to an end a decades-long dynasty BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has fled the country. Assad’s departure on Sunday brings to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto power in a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Assad’s exit stood in stark contrast to his first months as Syria’s unlikely president in 2000, when many hoped he would be a young reformer after three decades of his father’s iron grip. But faced with protests of his rule that erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to his father's brutal tactics to crush dissent. A long stalemate was quickly broken when opposition groups in northwest Syria launched a surprise offensive late last month. Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad? BEIRUT (AP) — Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader who led the stunning insurgency that toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image and that of his fighters. He renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicts himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test. The 42-year-old al-Golani is labeled a terrorist by the United States. He has not appeared publicly since Damascus fell early Sunday. But he and his insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, stand to be a major player in whatever comes next. Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” The hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's elusive killer yields new evidence, but few answers NEW YORK (AP) — Police don’t know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack, not a random one. On Sunday morning, police declined to comment on the contents of a backpack found in Central Park that they believe was carried by the killer. Thompson was shot and killed Wednesday outside of a hotel in Manhattan. Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possible WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is pushing Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump describes it as part of his active efforts as president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office. Trump also said he would be open to reducing military aid to Ukraine and pulling the United States out of NATO. Those are two threats that have alarmed Ukraine, NATO allies and many in the U.S. national security community. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says any deal would have to pave the way to a lasting peace. The Kremlin's spokesman says Moscow is open to talks with Ukraine. South Korean prosecutors detain ex-defense chief over martial law imposition SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors have detained a former defense minister who allegedly recommended last week’s brief but stunning martial law imposition to President Yoon Suk Yeol. Local media say that ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun voluntarily appeared on Sunday at a Seoul prosecutors’ office, where he had his mobile phone confiscated and was detained. A law enforcement official says Kim was later sent to a Seoul detention facility. Kim's detention came a day after Yoon avoided an opposition-led bid to impeach him, with most ruling party lawmakers boycotting a floor vote to prevent a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. Gaza health officials say latest Israeli airstrikes kill at least 14 including children DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials say Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza have killed at least 14 people including children, while the bombing of a hospital in northern Gaza has wounded a half-dozen patients. Israel’s military continues its latest offensive against Hamas militants in northern Gaza, whose remaining Palestinians have been almost completely cut off from the rest of the territory amid a growing humanitarian crisis. One airstrike flattened a residential building in the urban Bureij refugee camp Sunday afternoon. That's according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. Trump's return may be a boon for Netanyahu, but challenges abound in a changed Middle East TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is jubilant about President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House. Trump's first term policies skewed heavily in favor of Israel, and he has picked stalwart Israel supporters for key positions in his administration. But much has transpired since Trump left office in early 2021. The turmoil in the Middle East, the lofty ambitions of Netanyahu’s far-right governing coalition and Netanyahu’s own personal relationship with the president-elect could dampen that enthusiasm and complicate what on the surface looks like a seamless alliance. First 12-team College Football Playoff set, Oregon seeded No. 1 and SMU edges Alabama for last spot SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs (11-2), losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama (9-3) of the SEC but one fewer loss. The first-of-its-kind 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta.

How to Break Up Better

Players must be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female before going through male puberty to compete in LPGA tournaments or the eight USGA championships for females under new gender policies published Wednesday. The policies, which begin in 2025, follow more than a year of study involving medicine, science, sport physiology and gender policy law. The updated policies would rule out eligibility for Hailey Davidson, who missed qualifying for the U.S. Women's Open this year by one shot and came up short in LPGA Q-school. Davidson, who turned 32 on Tuesday, began hormone treatments when she was in her early 20s in 2015 and in 2021 underwent gender-affirming surgery, which was required under the LPGA's previous gender policy. She had won this year on a Florida mini-tour called NXXT Golf until the circuit announced in March that players had to be assigned female at birth. “Can't say I didn't see this coming,” Davidson wrote Wednesday on an Instagram story. “Banned from the Epson and the LPGA. All the silence and people wanting to stay ‘neutral’ thanks for absolutely nothing. This happened because of all your silence.” LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who is resigning in January, said the new gender policy "is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach." By making it to the second stage of Q-school, Davidson would have had very limited status on the Epson Tour, the pathway to the LPGA. The LPGA and USGA say their policies were geared toward being inclusive of gender identities and expression while striving for equity in competition. The LPGA said its working group of experts advised that the effects of male puberty allowed for competitive advantages in golf compared with players who had not gone through puberty. “Our policy is reflective of an extensive, science-based and inclusive approach,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who announced Monday that she is resigning in January. "The policy represents our continued commitment to ensuring that all feel welcome within our organization, while preserving the fairness and competitive equity of our elite competitions.” Mike Whan, the former LPGA commissioner and now CEO of the USGA, said it developed the updated policy independently and later discovered it was similar to those used by swimming, track and field, and other sports. United States Golf Association CEO Mike Whan said the new policy will prevent anyone from having "a competitive advantage based on their gender." “It starts with competitive fairness as the North star,” Whan said in a telephone interview. “We tried not to get into politics, or state by state or any of that stuff. We just simply said, ‘Where would somebody — at least medically today — where do we believe somebody would have a competitive advantage in the field?’ And we needed to draw a line. “We needed to be able to walk into any women's event and say with confidence that nobody here has a competitive advantage based on their gender. And this policy delivers that.” The “Competitive Fairness Gender Policy” for the USGA takes effect for the 2025 championship season that starts with the U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball on May 10-14. Qualifying began late this year, though there were no transgender players who took part. “Will that change in the years to come as medicine changes? Probably,” Whan said. “But I think today this stacks up.” The LPGA “Gender Policy for Competition Eligibility” would apply to the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour and qualifying for the tours. Players assigned male at birth must prove they have not experienced any part of puberty beyond the first stage or after age 12, whichever comes first, and then meet limitation standards for testosterone levels. The LPGA begins its 75th season on Jan. 30 with the Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, foreground right, dives toward the end zone to score past San Francisco 49ers defensive end Robert Beal Jr. (51) and linebacker Dee Winters during the second half of an NFL football game in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus) Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green goes up for a dunk during the second half of an Emirates NBA cup basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) South Carolina guard Maddy McDaniel (1) drives to the basket against UCLA forward Janiah Barker (0) and center Lauren Betts (51) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) LSU punter Peyton Todd (38) kneels in prayer before an NCAA college football game against Oklahoma in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. LSU won 37-17. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma misses a catch during the fourth day of the first Test cricket match between South Africa and Sri Lanka, at Kingsmead stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe) Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, left, is hit by Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, center, as Eagles wide receiver Parris Campbell (80) looks on during a touchdown run by Barkley in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough) Los Angeles Kings left wing Warren Foegele, left, trips San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, center, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Nov. 25, 2024, in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) Olympiacos' Francisco Ortega, right, challenges for the ball with FCSB's David Miculescu during the Europa League league phase soccer match between FCSB and Olympiacos at the National Arena stadium, in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru) Brazil's Botafogo soccer fans react during the Copa Libertadores title match against Atletico Mineiro in Argentina, during a watch party at Nilton Santos Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) Seattle Kraken fans react after a goal by center Matty Beniers against the San Jose Sharks was disallowed due to goaltender interference during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Seattle. The Sharks won 4-2. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) New York Islanders left wing Anders Lee (27), center, fight for the puck with Boston Bruins defensemen Parker Wotherspoon (29), left, and Brandon Carlo (25), right during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Jiyai Shin of Korea watches her shot on the 10th hole during the final round of the Australian Open golf championship at the Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake) Mathilde Gremaud of Switzerland competes in the women's Freeski Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin cools off during first period of an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) Brazil's Amanda Gutierres, second right, is congratulated by teammate Yasmin, right, after scoring her team's first goal during a soccer international between Brazil and Australia in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Pat Hoelscher) Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) tries to leap over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (2) during the first half of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga) Luiz Henrique of Brazil's Botafogo, right. is fouled by goalkeeper Everson of Brazil's Atletico Mineiro inside the penalty area during a Copa Libertadores final soccer match at Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) England's Alessia Russo, left, and United States' Naomi Girma challenge for the ball during the International friendly women soccer match between England and United States at Wembley stadium in London, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) Gold medalists Team Netherlands competes in the Team Sprint Women race of the ISU World Cup Speed Skating Beijing 2024 held at the National Speed Skating Oval in Beijing, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) reaches for an incomplete pass ahead of Arizona Cardinals linebacker Mack Wilson Sr. (2) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) Melanie Meillard, center, of Switzerland, competes during the second run in a women's World Cup slalom skiing race, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Mari Fukada of Japan falls as she competes in the women's Snowboard Big Air qualifying round during the FIS Snowboard & Freeski World Cup 2024 at the Shougang Park in Beijing, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) Lara Gut-Behrami, of Switzerland, competes during a women's World Cup giant slalom skiing race, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, in Killington, Vt. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Sent weekly directly to your inbox!

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President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as United States health secretary presents new challenges for how media will report on health matters. Kennedy is an anti-vaccine activist and believes in various conspiracies about the COVID-19 pandemic . His nomination landed with a thud among health experts and the mainstream media . This appointment, coupled with Trump’s frequent complaints about a liberal bias in the mainstream media that he claims exaggerate and distort the world around us, will make it difficult for media trying to maintain credibility when reporting health news . The pandemic provides a good place to draw some lessons. Despite claims of the demise of mainstream media , there are still many people who refer to traditional news sources, particularly in uncertain times when accurate information is at a premium. Based on a global study of the early stages of the pandemic , most people regardless of age ranked traditional media outlets (newspapers, television and radio) and the social media accounts belonging to these outlets as their primary sources of information during COVID-19. Media in the pandemic The pandemic resulted in an increase in demand for traditional media. In Canada, an April 2020 survey found that less than 10 per cent of respondents relied on social media as their main source of information; 51 per cent relied on local, national and international news outlets, and 30 per cent relied on daily briefings from public health agencies and political leaders. All major daily television news programs nearly doubled their year-to-date, average-minute audience. Media coverage was indispensable during the pandemic for three reasons: First, the media communicated important health and economic information to the public. Second, the media highlighted the struggles of vulnerable communities affected by the pandemic when non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that typically addressed such issues were struggling themselves. Almost half of charities and NGOs received no support from permanent donors during the pandemic . Finally, the media played an important role in supporting democratic accountability when government policymaking was frequent and spending was high but parliamentary and legislative checks were reduced . When comparing legislative sittings between 2018-19 and 2020-21, for example, provincial legislatures met anywhere from 5.5 per cent (Alberta) to 62.5 per cent (Nova Scotia) less often . Despite these important roles, there were important limitations to how the media reported the uncertainty of the pandemic. Lessons from COVID-19 Media is prone to exploiting cognitive biases. According to risk psychologists, people are typically more concerned about risks that are unknown and have high dread characteristics . A pandemic has many of these characteristics, which made it fertile ground for sustained and, at times, sensationalized coverage, focusing on conflict and emotion, excluding probability data, oversimplifying complex matters, and vilifying those who went against the grain. Here are some salient examples. Despite the frequent claims to “follow the science” that featured so prominently in the media, U.S. research showed that coverage of the pandemic by American publications with a national audience tended to be more negative than the coverage by scientific journals, international publications and regional media. In 2020, 87 per cent of COVID-19 coverage in U.S. media was deemed negative, emphasizing bad news and amplifying conflict and disagreement over government policies, regardless of whether different voices represented a small minority or a sizeable amount of the population. Psychologists refer to identifiable-victim effect , when people focus on individuals and consequences and omit probability data. COVID-19’s serious toll in long-term care (LTC) homes, and the poor conditions found in some of those homes, was widely covered in 2020. However, even among those with loved ones in long-term care, over 78 per cent commented that they were satisfied with the service of the LTC facility — a fact that was virtually unobtainable if one depended solely on popular media for information. During the third wave of the pandemic, the media ran stories about Canadian children becoming seriously ill even though youth made up only two per cent of hospitalizations . While it is true that stories about sick kids are newsworthy, they can also be sensationalist and exploitative . After more than a year of COVID-19 stories and high death counts, at times it was difficult to distinguish between lower-probability and higher-probability cases, which is a fundamental characteristic of any risk problem. The media also tended to vilify young people when they broke public health orders and gathering limits . Despite being at low risk of severe illness throughout the pandemic, young people paid a very heavy price for governments’ responses. One study found that younger adults had to implement more behavioural changes than older individuals to comply with COVID-19 restrictions . The political priorities of young people — housing, social justice, environment and affordability — received much less attention from the media during the pandemic. RFK Jr.’s nomination The role of the health secretary is partly an advisory role. RFK Jr. would influence as much as lead . Still, his appointment would be consequential. Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director at the American Public Health Association , said of Kennedy’s nomination: “ More people will get sick, and I’m really concerned more people will die .” Decentralized technology is changing the way we consume media. Despite Trump’s use of unconventional media strategies during the election campaign , it’s clear that the mainstream media play a disproportionately important role in how we consume information. Part of the challenge lies in how news sources maintain trustworthiness among their audiences. Trustworthiness depends on being transparent, knowledgeable and concerned . Mainstream media will now have to develop new standards for transparency, particularly on how it uses and communicates scientific data. Media need to ensure that emotive stories that animate coverage are informed by appropriate probability and consequence data. This will help ensure that the audience knows whether the cases in media are shown as exceptions to the norm, or pervasive. More transparent use of probability data will help ensure this.The Chicago Blackhawks blew a two-goal lead in the third period and lost to the host Philadelphia Flyers 2-0 in overtime Saturday. The loss wasted standout performances by goalie Petr Mrázek as well as fourth-liners Lukas Reichel, Pat Maroon and Craig Smith, who produced two goals and essentially dominated Flyers top threat Travis Konecny and his line. The Hawks’ penchant for throttling down in the third period did them in and cost them a chance to win in regulation. The Flyers seized the momentum in the third, knotting it 2-2 on goals by Sean Couturier and Noah Cates. Alex Vlasic committed a holding penalty in overtime, and rookie Matvei Michkov scored the winner at 1:06. The Flyers became one of just 11 teams to win after staging a third-period, multigoal comeback. The Hawks, who beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 3-1 on Thursday, lost for the fourth time in five games. “We got the lead and just costly turnovers,” Maroon said. “They played a good game, they stuck with their structure. ... “We’ve got to be better. (It’s) a 60-minute game, and unfortunately, we maybe played 20 of it.” Entering the game, the Reichel line had a 52% shots-for advantage in five-on-five and outscored opponents 3-1, according to naturalstattrick.com. On Saturday, they outshot opponents 8-5. On the opening goal, Maroon made a pass to Reichel, who flushed it with a sharp-angle shot for his first goal in 10 games at 11:29 of the first. In the second period, Maroon took a low-to-high feed from Smith and backhanded it past Aleksei Kolosov for his first goal as a Hawk. Reichel also assisted. But for the Hawks to even be in it, it took some stunning saves from Mrázek, who finished with 34 saves, particularly in the first period. Blackhawks goalie Petr Mrazek, left, blocks a shot by the Flyers’ Sean Couturier during the second period on Nov. 23, 2024, in Philadelphia. Mrazek made 34 saves in the 3-2 overtime loss. (Matt Slocum/AP) His 10 stops in the opening frame include his calm against a short-handed two-on-none rush between Konecny and Scott Laughton. Konecny tried to set up Laughton for a close-range tip-in, but Mrázek stretched to knock it away with his pad. In the third, Konecny back-passed to Morgan Frost for a Grade A point-blank chance, but Mrázek swallowed it up. During a frenetic Flyers attack, Mrázek preserved the tie with a diving stop on a wraparound by Rasmus Ristolainen. To put the Hawks goalie’s game in perspective, the Flyers held a 17-7 advantage in high-danger chances.

Lilly's 21 lead Brown over Canisius 83-76Nottingham 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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