Markets mixed as traders assess crises in South Korea, France

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks rode their dominant defense to a big win over a division rival to vault into first place in the NFC West. No, it isn’t 2013. These are the 2024 Seahawks, who, after struggling mightily against the run earlier this season, held the visiting Arizona Cardinals to 49 rushing yards in . The defensive line kept Kyler Murray under consistent pressure thanks to a dominant performance from Leonard Williams, the secondary flew around to smack away passes, and safety Coby Bryant scored on a 69-yard pick-6. Sunday's defensive performance was reminiscent of the Seahawks of a decade ago and a promising sign that first-year coach Mike Macdonald’s system is starting to click. Macdonald, who coordinated Baltimore's NFL-best defense last year, was leading one of the worst rush defenses in the league earlier this season. But Seattle consistently stuffed the Cardinals, who came in as the fifth-best running team in the league at 149.4 yards per game. “Three games in a row now we played pretty decent on defense,” Macdonald said. “There is an expectation and standard here throughout the course of our Seahawks history that we’re trying to live up to and build on. So that’s the idea.” At 6-5, the Seahawks drew even with the Cardinals in the tightly bunched division. The teams play each other again in two weeks at Arizona. Last month's trade for linebacker Ernest Jones IV has clearly paid off. Seattle hasn't allowed a running back to rush for more than 79 yards since its Week 8 loss to Buffalo, which was Jones' first game in a Seahawks uniform. He has led the team in tackles in every game he's played and has helped resurrect the run defense. The Seahawks' run game continues to underperform. Seattle got 65 yards on the ground Sunday, with the Cardinals holding Kenneth Walker III to 41 yards on 16 attempts. Zach Charbonnet had 22 yards on six carries. Walker hasn’t topped 100 yards since Week 1. Offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb needs to think of something different to get the running backs involved. Williams single-handedly disrupted the Cardinals with 2 1/2 sacks, four quarterback hits, three tackles for loss and one pass defensed. “I thought he was dominant,” Macdonald said. “I knew he played great and then I looked at the stat line and he played out of his mind.” The Seahawks finished with five sacks, seven quarterback hits, five tackles for loss and six pass deflections against the Cardinals, shutting down a team that had averaged 29.3 points over its previous three games. Geno Smith finished with 254 yards passing and a touchdown, but he threw another momentum-stalling interception. Smith was picked off on a third-and-6 play on the Arizona 18-yard line at the start of the fourth quarter, ending an 11-play, 73-yard drive. Smith has an NFL-most 12 interceptions this season, more than in either of his previous two seasons as the Seahawks' full-time starter. “That was a huge drive for us. ... Obviously made a terrible mistake down there, something I got to clean up,” Smith said. “But it was a big drive. We wanted to put the game ahead at least two scores.” The offensive line has contributed to the problem. Guard Anthony Bradford left with an ankle injury, and the line struggled to protect Smith, who was sacked five times. Macdonald said Bradford is expected to miss next week's game. 77 — Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the team with six catches for 77 yards and a touchdown, marking the fourth consecutive game that Smith-Njigba has led the team in receptions. He topped 100 yards receiving in the previous two games. “He’s getting open,” Smith said. “He’s catching the ball. He’s doing a great job in the screen game. All-around great player. I just think the way that teams are playing us coverage-wise, I feel like it’s the ultimate sign of respect.” The Seahawks play at the struggling New York Jets on Sunday. AP NFL:

The internet is rife with fake reviews. Will AI make it worse?Shares of Nvidia have recently dipped, shedding over 2% on Monday and officially entering correction territory. This downward trend represents a notable change for the AI chip leader , which has soared 165% this year on the back of extensive enthusiasm for artificial intelligence technologies. Despite Nvidia’s impressive rise throughout the year, recent market conditions have caused the stock to lose its momentum. As of December, Nvidia’s shares are down by 5%, marking a 12% decrease from their closing peak of $148.88 achieved just last month. When stocks fall more than 10% from their all-time high, they are considered to be in correction territory—a benchmark that Nvidia now meets. Some experts speculate that Nvidia’s dip may result from profit-taking behavior on Wall Street after yet another stellar year for the company. The chipmaker, known for its graphics processing units that support large language models, continues to experience demand in datacenters, particularly since the introduction of ChatGPT in late 2022. Nevertheless, Nvidia faces challenges as it lags behind the broader market, which is advancing to new highs. Analysts from Roth MKM suggest that the price range of $125 to $130 could serve as a significant marker for the stock. In contrast, while Nvidia faces these hurdles, other companies in the chip-making sector are thriving. Broadcom, for instance, saw its stock soar approximately 8% during Monday’s trading session, demonstrating a stronger market performance than Nvidia. Is Nvidia’s Stock Decline a Setback or a Strategic Pause? Exploring the Current Market Landscape Nvidia, a leader in AI and chip technology, is witnessing a significant market correction, shedding over 2% recently and marking a 12% decline from its recent peak of $148.88. This shift has surprised investors, given the company’s 165% rise earlier this year, buoyed by enthusiasm for AI technologies. Market Analysis and Emerging Trends The fluctuating stock performance may partly result from profit-taking behaviors among investors following a successful growth phase. Nvidia remains strong in the AI sector, particularly with its graphics processing units that support datacenter capabilities and large language models, a market demand that surged post-ChatGPT’s introduction in 2022. However, the tech giant’s deceleration could signal an adjustment period as the broader market trends upward. Potential strategic price markers, such as the $125-$130 range suggested by analysts from Roth MKM, may hint at key levels to watch for Nvidia’s recovery or future dips. Comparisons in the Chip-Making Sector In contrast to Nvidia’s current struggles, other players in the semiconductor sector are witnessing growth. Broadcom, for instance, saw an 8% rise in its stock during the same trading session. This highlights a varied performance landscape among chip manufacturers, where some leverage diverse market conditions better than others. Strategic Insights and Future Predictions Looking forward, Nvidia faces a dual challenge: successfully navigating stock volatility while continuing to innovate in AI technologies. With an eye on sustainable growth, the company’s ability to adapt to shifting investor sentiments will be crucial. Maintaining its competitive edge in AI advancements, amid an evolving market, might position Nvidia well for future resurgence. Conclusion Nvidia’s recent stock market adjustment, though challenging, is part of the unpredictable nature of the tech industry. Investors should monitor key price levels and market shifts while observing Nvidia’s strategic responses to current challenges. Meanwhile, the performance of peer companies like Broadcom could offer valuable insights into sector trends. For further information about Nvidia and its ventures, visit the official Nvidia site.Braid: Trump's talk of 51st state called Canada is an age-old dream, and no joke

By TravelPulse (TNS) While 2024 was a year that brought about significant, continued post-pandemic recovery for the travel industry, it was also a period of time marked by instability in some locations around the world. From attacks on the rail lines during the Paris Olympics to the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, not to mention the war in Ukraine, the global travel realm in 2024 was fraught with challenges. It is against this backdrop that the international security and medical services provider Global Guardian recently released its 2025 Global Risk Map. Published annually, the map is meant to help travelers better understand the current global risk landscape. In order to develop its guidance, experts at Global Guardian assess a long list of country-specific security risk factors and indicators, including crime, health, natural disasters, infrastructure, political stability, civil unrest and terrorism. For 2025, Global Guardian’s assessment results underscore the reality that disruption globally and domestically continues to increase, and now more than ever travelers need to be prepared when exploring the world. As part of the latest assessment, Global Guardian highlighted a handful of specific global regions that are at particular risk of destabilization over the next year and beyond. Here’s a closer look at those regions, along with insights from Global Guardian CEO Dale Buckner, who recently spoke with TravelPulse at length about the risks travelers may face in 2025. Here are the regions at risk of destabilization in 2025: Israel’s existential battle against Iran is set to continue into 2025, says the Global Guardian report. “In July 2024, Israel assassinated Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) safehouse in Tehran, and Iran has pledged revenge,” the report explains. “This comes as Iran and its web of regional proxies took their war on Israel out of the shadows and into the open following October 7, 2023, with seven live fronts.” Global Guardian also predicts that Israel’s regional war will shift from Gaza to the West Bank and Lebanon in the year ahead, heightening tensions with Hezbollah, while Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean will persist. The report adds that as “we enter 2025, Israel may assess that its strategic window to prevent a nuclear Iran is rapidly closing and choose to act.” The ongoing civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is also of concern, according to Global Guardian’s risk analysis. The conflict “has created a dire humanitarian situation with ethnically motivated violence on the rise,” says the report. Some of the areas of concern in the Latin American region include Venezuela and Mexico, according to Global Guardian. The risk in Venezuela is tied to the country’s long-standing territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana, says the report. “Since 2019, the U.S. Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel from U.S. Embassy Caracas and suspended all operations,” explains Buckner. “Violent crimes, such as homicide, armed robbery, kidnapping, and carjacking, are common in Venezuela. Shortages of gasoline, electricity, water, medicine, and medical supplies continue throughout much of Venezuela. Simply put, Venezuela is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Western travelers and should be avoided.” In Mexico, meanwhile, the problems include drug cartel-related violence and theft, among other issues, says the report. Mexico recently inaugurated its first female president, Claudia Sheinbaum, and like her predecessors she will face challenges “reining in cartel violence, corruption, extortion, theft and kidnapping,” says the report. “As such, security continues to be a top concern in Mexico’ ” says the report, which categorizes Mexico as “high risk” when it comes to travel for 2025. Countries classified as high risk experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest — and have not effectively managed those risks. The Global Guardian report also suggests there may be heightened risks in Mexico now that Donald Trump has been reelected U.S. president. “Bilateral relations between the U.S. and Mexico could dramatically deteriorate. Trump has promised a mass deportation operation, which could sour relations between the U.S. and Mexico, increasing risks to businesses operating in Mexico,” the report adds. Asked to comment on Mexico’s high-risk designation, Buckner stressed that the situation in the country is extremely nuanced, adding that it’s a vast oversimplification to call the entire country high risk. “There are pockets of Mexico that are wildly safe and wonderful to visit and people shouldn’t hesitate to go,” Buckner told TravelPulse. “And there are also pockets that are unsafe and dangerous.” The good news, added Buckner, is that Mexico’s new president is focusing a great deal of effort and energy on addressing the problems surrounding drug cartels, which are the source of a great deal of the risk. Buckner was quick to add however, that as long as there’s demand for drugs, the drug cartel situation is likely to remain problematic. “The U.S. is driving the drug demand — we consume more drugs then the rest of the world,” explained Buckner. “It’s really overly simplified to paint Mexico as the bad guy, because if there wasn’t demand, we wouldn’t need the supply. But the demand is real and violence comes with that.” Representatives for Global Nexus, a government and public affairs consultancy that advises travel and tourism companies and interests in Southern Mexico, told TravelPulse that while drug-related violence has been known to occur, it involves members of the drug cartel targeting each other, they’re not targeting tourists. “There is an ongoing battle between small drug vendors who use the beach to sell product to tourists hanging out on the beach,” explained Ruben Olmos, Global Nexus president and CEO, in reference to the Quintana Roo region, which is popular with tourists. “There have been cases where gunfire has been exchanged between these groups. They are targeting themselves. They are fighting over ‘This is my beach’ and they initiate a shootout.” However, added Olmos, that the U.S. State Department’s risk categorization for Quintana Roo (which is separate from the Global Guardian risk assessment) has not changed. Located on the State Department’s Mexico page, the risk assessment for Quintana Roo remains in the “Exercise Increased Caution” category, which is below the top risk categories of “Do Not Travel” and “Reconsider Travel.” The Exercise Increased Caution designation means “Be aware of heightened risks to safety and security,” explains the State Department’s website. Olmos also pointed out that Mexico is the only country that has a map on the U.S. State Department website that covers every single state in the country, providing details for travelers about which states are safest. In June 2024, thousands of young people took to the streets in Kenya to protest a controversial tax bill. The protesters were met with heavy-handed policing, including the use of live fire and mass arrests, says the Global Guardian risk report. Despite the local security response, protests continued. The success and tenacity of the Kenyan movement has triggered similar protests or dissent in other countries including Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, and Nigeria, says Global Guardian. That is just a portion of the risk Global Guardian sees for Sub-Saharan Africa over the course of 2025. “With multiple conflicts escalating across the continent, aging leaders leaving behind unclear successions, and entrenched regimes with dissipating legitimacy, Sub-Saharan Africa now looks much like the North African and Arab world in the early 2010s,” says the report. “While the dynamic unfolding in Africa might not yet merit the label of “African Spring,” a significant change to the continent’s political status quo is coming.” Several countries received an extreme or high-risk designation on the new Global Guardian risk map for 2025, including more than a few that are popular with leisure travelers or tourists. Extreme risk countries are those that Global Guardian says are “actively engaged in conflict, while also experiencing severe criminal activity and civil unrest.These countries are insecure; state institutions are too weak to manage militant groups or large-scale disasters.” They include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Lebanon, Mali, Niger, Somalia, Ukraine, West Bank, Gaza and Yemen. The current list of high-risk countries, which are countries that experience regular conflict, criminal activity or civil unrest and have not effectively managed those risks, includes Bangladesh, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Iraq, Israel, Jamaica, Kenya, Libya, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, South Sudan, Uganda, Venezuela Officials from the Jamaica Tourist Board provided a statement to TravelPulse in response to Global Guardian’s designation of the country. “Last month, Global Guardian, a private security provider, released its 2025 Global Risk Map, which included Jamaica, amongst other destinations,” said the Tourist Board. “It is important to note that the crime rate against visitors is notably low at 0.01% and the majority of Jamaica’s tourism product remains unaffected.” The country’s tourism officials added that Jamaica has welcomed 3 million visitors this year and boasts a high repeat visitor rate of 42%. “The island is consistently ranked among the top destinations for international travel and visitors continue to come with confidence to enjoy all that Jamaica has to offer,” the statement adds. When it comes to Jamaica, Buckner offered similar comments to those of Mexico, noting that the situation is impacted by drug-related violence and the experience on the ground is nuanced and cannot be painted with a broad brush. “In the same vein as Mexico — Jamaica can be a wonderful place to visit,” says Buckner. “There are pockets of beauty and low crime and as long as you are careful, it’s a very low threat.” Buckner, a retired Army colonel, maintains that the world is indeed a more risky place heading into 2025. The challenges in the Middle East and Ukraine are at the forefront of the instability, but are hardly the only cause for concern. “Israel has now gone to Gaza and cleaned out Hamas, they’re now moving north into Lebanon, and we are convinced Israel will strike Iran,” Buckner said during an interview that took place prior to Israel’s strike on Iran. “If that occurs you are going to see violence across the Middle East.” “But there are over 100 conflicts across the globe,” continues Buckner. When you combine that reality with other challenges the world is currently grappling with, including the destabilizing influences of climate change, there are plenty of risks for travelers to bear in mind when planning a journey for the coming year. He wraps up by offering a few tips for travelers, a check-list of sorts, to work through when planning or considering travel to a specific country in 2025: — If you don’t know who to call or how you are going to negotiate if someone is kidnapped, you shouldn’t go there. — Consumers need to read the fine print on travel insurance because it does not cover war zones, terrorism or natural disasters, says Buckner. And travelers are often surprised and find out too late that these types of events are not covered. — If you get stuck or stranded, if you don’t know who you are going to call to get you out of that situation, know what organizations locally or internationally are available to help you. ©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.An alleged Chinese spy who became a close confidant of the Duke of York has been named as Yang Tengbo following a court ruling, as concerns grow over Beijing’s reach within British society. The 50-year-old businessman had been known as H6 until a judge lifted an anonymity order just ahead of an urgent question on the scandal from former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith. MPs had threatened to use parliamentary privilege to reveal Mr Yang’s identity following accusations that he had become close to Prince Andrew in an effort to gain influence, and that he had helped the United Front Work Department – an arm of the Chinese Communist Party. But Mr Yang – who has also been pictured with former prime ministers Theresa May and David Cameron – insisted he had “done nothing wrong or unlawful”. In a new statement, he said it was “entirely untrue” that he was involved in espionage and that he was a victim of a “political climate” of tension between Britain and China. Meanwhile, Prince Andrew indicated that he would stay away from this year’s traditional Christmas royal get-together at Sandringham in Norfolk. His ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, will also miss the gathering in what will be seen as a show of solidarity with her former husband. The pair are said to be preparing to spend the day together at Royal Lodge, the home they still share in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire. It is not yet known if the prince will attend King Charles’s traditional pre-Christmas lunch for the extended royal family at Buckingham Palace on Thursday. But Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who both have young families, had already planned to spend Christmas with their respective in-laws this year for the first time, sources said. However, with the spy’s identity revealed, MPs were more concerned with the extent of the influence held by the Chinese Communist Party within the UK through political donations, lobbying, business deals and universities. After raising his urgent question in the Commons, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, who has been banned from entering China, said Mr Yang was “not a lone wolf”. “He was one of some 40,000 members of the United [Front] Work Department, which the intelligence security committee report last year said, and I quote ... ‘had penetrated every sector of the UK economy, spying, stealing intellectual property, influencing and shaping our institutions’.” He added: “So will the government commit to putting China ... in the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS), and will they do it now? No more delay.” There was concern when security minister Dan Jarvis confirmed that FIRS, which had been expected to come into force in 2024, will not now be in place until next year. Conservative former home secretary Suella Braverman was among those to question why the scheme has yet to be implemented, and also pressed for China to be included in the “enhanced” tier. Mrs Braverman said she had made the decision to exclude Mr Yang from the UK because his presence “posed a threat to our national security”, adding: “That decision was based on the advice of MI5, and I’m very pleased that the High Court has upheld that decision.” She added: “Isn’t it regrettable that it has taken a high-profile case, public outcry, and opposition MPs dragging the minister to the chamber to finally get the government to commit to implementing the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, a scheme that we enacted and that was ready to go at the time of the general election?” Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative former security minister, said MI5 had made it “very, very clear” that FIRS is “not worth having” if China is not in the enhanced tier. Mr Jarvis replied: “Upon our arrival in government, we found that FIRS was not ready to be implemented – as has been claimed – and since coming into office, we have ensured that there are now more people than ever working on FIRS implementation. The case management team have been recruited and are now in place.” Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran raised concerns about the university sector, and expressed anger that Peking University’s bid for expansion in Oxfordshire had been accepted. After the shadow home secretary Chris Philp criticised Labour’s attitude to China, Mr Jarvis noted that Lord Cameron had taken China’s president, Xi Jinping, to the pub during an official visit in 2015. Labour’s Paul Waugh, the MP for Rochdale, reminded the House that former Tory prime minister Theresa May was once praised by Chinese state media for “sidestepping questions on human rights” on a visit to China on which he accompanied her in his former role as a journalist in the parliamentary lobby. Mr Jarvis suggested that the Tories needed to “show humility” on the issue. However, he came under pressure as he tried to walk a difficult line on diplomatic relations with China. Mr Philp warned: “Chinese infiltration of public organisations is of grave concern, but it’s not just public organisations such as government: it’s also businesses and universities that are being systemically infiltrated, and often intellectual property theft is at the heart of what the Chinese government are trying to achieve.” He added: “Last year, there were multiple attempts by Chinese companies to get hold of sensitive technology, and MI5 estimate that 20,000 individuals have been approached by Chinese agents who are trying to influence them or forge contacts in some way, and it’s likely that, at some point either in the past or in the future, every member of this House will be contacted or attempted to be contacted in one form or another.” But Mr Jarvis said that the government “will challenge where we must in order to keep our country safe, compete where we need to, and cooperate where we can, for example, on matters like climate change”, adding: “That is acting in the national interest.”

Stock market today: Wall Street slips to a rare back-to-back loss