The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here . CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Kobe Sanders scored 27 points, including five of six from the free throw line in the closing minutes, and Nevada pulled away late to beat Oklahoma State 90-78 for a fifth-place finish at the Charleston Classic on Sunday. Nevada’s lone loss in its first six games came in the tournament’s opening round when the Wolf Pack fell to Vanderbilt 73-71. The Cowboys never led in the contest and Nevada grabbed the lead for good on Justin McBride’s tip-in with under 13 minutes left to take a 14-12 lead. Tre Coleman hit two free throws and Chuck Bailey II hit a late jumper to put Nevada up 40-33 at intermission. Abou Ousmane’s tip-in at the 5:21 mark got the Cowboys within five, 75-70 but Brandon Love answered with a three-point play seconds later and the Wolf Pack pulled away. Tyler Rolison’s 3 with 1:38 left pushed the lead to 84-73. Sanders hit 7 of 10 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 from distance, and was 10 of 13 from the line with three assists and a steal to lead Nevada. Nick Davidson had 23 points on 9 of 16 shooting and Love was a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor and contributed 11 points. The Wolf Pack shot 33 of 56 from the field (58.9%), including 7 of 18 from beyond the arc. RELATED COVERAGE Tonje scores 33, No. 19 Wisconsin beats Pittsburgh 81-75 for Greenbrier Tip-Off title Kennesaw State beats No. 24 Rutgers 79-77 in program’s 1st home game against ranked team Mitchell leads No. 18 Cincinnati in rout of Georgia Tech 81-58 Marchelus Avery and Arturo Dean both came off the Oklahoma State bench to score 15 and 13 points, respectively. Robert Jennings II and Ousmane each scored 11 points. Both teams completed the November portion of their schedule. Nevada plays host to Washington State on Dec. 2. Oklahoma State plays at Tulsa on Dec. 4. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketballGREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — While other teams around the NFL are seeing their injury lists grow as the season winds down, the Green Bay Packers appear to be getting healthy at just the right time. Not only is quarterback Jordan Love looking like himself after dealing with early-season left knee and groin injuries, but the rest of the roster is getting better, too. “I think every team that can realize their potential needs to be as healthy as they can be. And injuries are a part of this business,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “It is what it is in terms of the next man up, but obviously, you want the guys that are your starters to be available — especially as you get closer to the end of the year.” Love certainly has been rolling of late, completing 67.1% of his passes for 904 yards with six touchdowns and one interception (118.8 passer rating) over the past four games, owing some of his hot streak to simply being healthy again. “The name of the game is trying to stay as healthy as possible, especially late into the season,” Love said. “There’s definitely injuries that stack up and guys being out. To have everybody relatively healthy and to be able to have our top guys out there would be huge for us." The Packers (9-4) head into their Sunday night matchup with the Seahawks (8-5) in Seattle with only one player having been unable to take part in Wednesday’s practice at all: safety Javon Bullard. LaFleur said Bullard is week-to-week with an ankle injury he suffered in the team’s Dec. 5 loss at Detroit . The Packers got full participation from Jaire Alexander, who has missed four of the team’s last five games with a knee injury suffered at Jacksonville on Oct. 27, and wide receiver Romeo Doubs, who has missed the last two games with a concussion he suffered against San Francisco on Nov. 24. Although Alexander had practiced on a limited basis in recent weeks, he has missed the last three games and pulled himself out of the team’s Nov. 17 win at Chicago because of his knee. Getting Alexander back to face Seahawks receivers DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba would give a major lift to the Packers’ pass defense, currently ranked 21st with 222.2 yards per game allowed. “When I was watching him, he looked like he was moving around well, and we’ll just see how it transpires throughout the course of the week,” LaFleur said. “Hopefully, he’ll be ready to roll.” LaFleur said Doubs and rookie safety Evan Williams, who left the Packers’ 34-31 loss to the Lions because of a concussion, are still in the concussion protocol. But Williams was able to practice on a limited basis. Meanwhile, tight end Luke Musgrave, who hasn’t played a snap since injuring his left ankle during a a Sept. 29 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, has been designated for return from injured reserve. Musgrave took part in practice for the first time since undergoing surgery in early October to repair a torn ligament in the ankle. He said he only did individual drill work Wednesday, making it unlikely he would be activated this week. “Just going to ease back into it, but I feel good,” Musgrave said. “Still getting the cutting back, but overall, it feels good.” AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Rovin Capital UT ADV reduced its position in shares of Alphabet Inc. ( NASDAQ:GOOGL – Free Report ) by 9.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,657 shares of the information services provider’s stock after selling 888 shares during the quarter. Rovin Capital UT ADV’s holdings in Alphabet were worth $1,436,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in GOOGL. New Hampshire Trust lifted its position in Alphabet by 2.7% during the second quarter. New Hampshire Trust now owns 43,714 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $7,963,000 after purchasing an additional 1,132 shares in the last quarter. Trinity Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Alphabet by 4.5% in the third quarter. Trinity Financial Advisors LLC now owns 4,423 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $771,000 after buying an additional 190 shares during the period. abrdn plc lifted its position in shares of Alphabet by 10.7% during the 3rd quarter. abrdn plc now owns 6,305,717 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $1,037,196,000 after buying an additional 611,233 shares in the last quarter. StoneCrest Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Alphabet by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. StoneCrest Wealth Management Inc. now owns 21,509 shares of the information services provider’s stock valued at $3,567,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the period. Finally, EWG Elevate Inc. increased its holdings in Alphabet by 9.7% in the 3rd quarter. EWG Elevate Inc. now owns 1,305 shares of the information services provider’s stock worth $216,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 40.03% of the company’s stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets GOOGL has been the topic of several analyst reports. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Alphabet from $220.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 30th. Phillip Securities upgraded shares of Alphabet to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 1st. Wedbush reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $205.00 price target on shares of Alphabet in a research note on Thursday, October 24th. BMO Capital Markets restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $217.00 price objective (up from $215.00) on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $210.00 target price on shares of Alphabet in a research report on Wednesday, October 30th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirty-one have issued a buy rating and five have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $205.90. Alphabet Trading Down 1.7 % GOOGL stock opened at $164.76 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $167.64 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $170.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.02 trillion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.95, a current ratio of 1.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Alphabet Inc. has a twelve month low of $127.90 and a twelve month high of $191.75. Alphabet ( NASDAQ:GOOGL – Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October 29th. The information services provider reported $2.12 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.83 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $88.27 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $72.85 billion. Alphabet had a net margin of 27.74% and a return on equity of 31.66%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.55 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Alphabet Inc. will post 7.99 earnings per share for the current year. Alphabet Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 16th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 9th will be issued a $0.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 9th. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.49%. Alphabet’s payout ratio is 10.61%. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CEO Sundar Pichai sold 22,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.68, for a total transaction of $3,570,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 2,137,385 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $339,160,251.80. The trade was a 1.04 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link . Also, CAO Amie Thuener O’toole sold 682 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $160.44, for a total transaction of $109,420.08. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 32,017 shares in the company, valued at $5,136,807.48. This represents a 2.09 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last three months, insiders sold 206,795 shares of company stock valued at $34,673,866. Insiders own 11.55% of the company’s stock. Alphabet Company Profile ( Free Report ) Alphabet Inc offers various products and platforms in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia-Pacific, Canada, and Latin America. It operates through Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets segments. The Google Services segment provides products and services, including ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Maps, Google Photos, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. Recommended Stories Five stocks we like better than Alphabet The 3 Best Fintech Stocks to Buy Now Tesla Investors Continue to Profit From the Trump Trade How to buy stock: A step-by-step guide for beginners MicroStrategy’s Stock Dip vs. Coinbase’s Potential Rally Following Congress Stock Trades Netflix Ventures Into Live Sports, Driving Stock Momentum Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GOOGL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Alphabet Inc. ( NASDAQ:GOOGL – Free Report ). Receive News & Ratings for Alphabet Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alphabet and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .BOULDER, Colo. — Travis Hunter is a throwback-type player — an elite receiver one moment, a lockdown cornerback the next — who rarely leaves the field and has a knack for making big plays all over it. The Colorado Buffaloes' two-way standout (see: unicorn) even celebrates at an elite level, unveiling imaginative dance moves following touchdowns and interceptions, some of which include the Heisman Trophy pose. It's one of the many awards he's in line to win. Hunter is the The Associated Press college football player of the year, receiving 26 of 43 votes Thursday from a panel of AP Top 25 voters. Boise State tailback Ashton Jeanty finished second with 16 votes and Arizona State running back Cameron Skattebo received one vote. "Couldn't do what I do without my team," Hunter said in an email on a trip to Las Vegas for an awards ceremony. "So I view being up for these awards as team awards." People are also reading... A player with his particular set of skills doesn't come around that often. He's a flashback to the days of Charles Woodson at Michigan or Champ Bailey at Georgia. Or even his coach, Deion Sanders, a two-way star in the NFL. The prospect of significant playing time on both sides of the ball is what led Hunter to join Sanders at Jackson State and why he followed Sanders to Boulder. "Coach Prime was the only coach who would consider allowing me to do what I'm doing," said Hunter, who's expected to be a top-five pick next spring in the NFL draft, possibly even the No. 1 overall selection. "He did it and knows what it takes — how much you have to be ready on both sides of the ball." Want to fuel Hunter? Simply tell him he can't. "I'm motivated when people tell me I can't do something," Hunter said. "That I can't dominate on both sides of the ball. I want to be an example for others that anything is possible. Keep pursuing your dreams." Hunter helped the 20th-ranked Buffaloes to a 9-3 record this season and a berth in the Alamo Bowl against No. 17 BYU (10-2) on Dec. 28. He played 688 defensive snaps and 672 more on offense — the lone Power Four conference player with 30-plus snaps on both sides of the ball, according to Colorado research. Hunter has already won a second straight Paul Hornung award as the game's most versatile player. He's up for the Walter Camp (player of the year), Maxwell (most outstanding player), the Biletnikoff (best receiver) and Bednarik (top defensive player) awards. And, of course, the Heisman, where he's the odds-on favorite to win over Jeanty this weekend. Hunter can join the late Rashaan Salaam as the only Colorado players to capture the Heisman. Salaam won it in 1994 after rushing for 2,055 yards. Hunter wasn't a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, which goes to the nation's top defensive back. That drew the wrath of Sanders, who earned the award with Florida State in 1988 and vowed to give his trophy to Hunter. Hunter's high school coach, Lenny Gregory, knew he had a special player the summer of Hunter's freshman year. Gregory, then the coach at Collins Hill in Georgia, had a conditioning test for his players — run six 200-yard dashes with a minute rest in between. Defensive backs had to complete each in under 32 seconds. Hunter never even got winded. He played safety/cornerback and receiver as a freshman and helped Collins Hill to a state title his senior season. "I remember just talking to colleges the spring of his ninth-grade year and telling coaches that this kid's going to be the No. 1 player in the country," recounted Gregory, who's now the coach at Gordon Central High in Calhoun, Georgia. "They'd look at him and laugh at me, 'What are you talking about? This scrawny kid? He's not big enough.' I was like, 'Just watch. Just watch.'" Hunter finished the regular season with 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns as a receiver. On defense, he had four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and forced one crucial fumble, which secured an OT win over Baylor. Overall, Hunter had 92 receptions and allowed 22. He hauled in 14 receiving TDs and allowed just one. He was responsible for 53 first downs and gave up just six. He was targeted 119 times by Shedeur Sanders & Co. but only 39 times by opposing QBs. Hunter's likely final game in Boulder, a rout of Oklahoma State, was a three-touchdown, one-interception performance. "I'm used to seeing him do all this spectacular stuff," Shedeur Sanders said. "I'm used to all this stuff — you all are just now seeing it on national stage." Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox!
NoneAsia’s gasoline margins continued to climb on Wednesday, as 300,000 barrels of the benchmark grade of octane exchanged hands at the closing window. The margins rose to $9.57 per barrel over Brent crude, from $9.02 on Tuesday. In naphtha, the margins were flat amid weaker regional demand. The margins dipped by $1.13 to $91.28 per metric ton over Brent crude. Light distillate stocks, including naphtha and gasoline, at the Fujairah commercial hub rose by 416,000 barrels to 6.949 million barrels in the week ending Dec. 2, S&P Global Commodity Insights data showed. U.S. gasoline inventories rose by 2.85 million barrels, and distillate stocks rose by 2.45 million barrels in the week ending Dec. 6, market sources said, citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday. Oil prices climbed 1% on Wednesday as market participants anticipated a rise in demand from top importer China following Beijing’s latest plans to boost economic growth. O/R Four gasoline deals and no naphtha trade. Source: Reuters (Reporting by Haridas; Editing by Eileen Soreng)
Another week, another touchdown for Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. I know, it's not the sexiest call in fantasy football, to suggest adding a Titans wide receiver not named Calvin Ridley (or, in the past, DeAndre Hopkins, or A.J. Brown, etc.). But the numbers speak for themselves. Westbrook-Ikhine has now scored six times in seven games. He's a clear big-play weapon who's shown himself to be a threat to score whenever the ball is in his hands. And hey, Titans' wideouts have a beauty of a remaining schedule. There are no byes in Week 13, but there is another bye-pocalypse in Week 14 — add NWI now in advance. And speaking of bye weeks ... A lot of players were dropped this week in order to fill roster holes left gaping by bye weeks. One of those players is MVS, who was off in Week 12. But let's not forget, MVS was looking like a monster in a Saints uniform, scoring 40.1 fantasy points in two games with his new team. And sure, Valdes-Scantling will likely never be a huge target earner on the Saints, but he's already proven to be a big-play threat in his new offense. He'll return from bye to a few plus matchups (vs. LAR, @NYG, vs. WAS), so he's worth a flier off the waiver wire. Another receiver cut from many fantasy lineups to fill roster gaps was rookie Keon Coleman, whose Bills were also on bye in Week 12. Coleman looked like he was starting to get that second-half rookie boost we often see in young wideouts before being ruled out of Week 11 with a wrist injury, and then the subsequent bye. That week off came at the perfect time, hopefully allowing the rookie time to heal his wrist. He'll hopefully return to the field in Week 13 for a showdown against the San Francisco 49ers, followed by some plus matchups with the Rams and Lions. Add him where available.Can a Muscle Car be electric?President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on the promise that his policies would reduce high borrowing costs and lighten the financial burden on American households. But what if, as many economists expect, interest rates remain elevated, well above their pre-pandemic lows? Trump could point a finger at the Federal Reserve, and in particular at its chair, Jerome Powell, whom Trump himself nominated to lead the Fed. During his first term, Trump repeatedly and publicly ridiculed the Powell Fed, complaining it kept interest rates too high. Trump’s attacks on the Fed raised widespread concern about political interference in the Fed’s policymaking. Powell, for his part, emphasized the importance of the Fed’s independence: “That gives us the ability to make decisions for the benefit of all Americans at all times, not for any particular political party or political outcome.” Political clashes might be inevitable in the next four years. Trump’s proposals to cut taxes and impose steep and widespread tariffs are a recipe for high inflation in an economy operating at close to full capacity. And if inflation were to reaccelerate, the Fed would need to keep interest rates high. Because Powell won’t necessarily cut rates as much as Trump will want. And even if Powell reduces the Fed’s benchmark rate, Trump’s own policies could keep other borrowing costs — such as mortgage rates — elevated. The sharply higher tariffs that Trump vowed to impose could worsen inflation. And if tax cuts on things like tips and overtime pay — another Trump promise — quickened economic growth, that, too, could fan inflationary pressures. The Fed would likely respond by slowing or stopping its rate cuts, thereby thwarting Trump’s promises of lower borrowing rates. The central bank might even raise rates if inflation worsens. “The risk of conflict between the Trump administration and the Fed is very high,” Olivier Blanchard, former top economist at the International Monetary Fund, said recently. If the Fed increases rates, “it will stand in the way of what the Trump administration wants.” Yes, but with the economy sturdier than expected, the Fed’s policymakers may cut rates only a few more times — fewer than anticipated just a month or two ago. And those rate cuts might not reduce borrowing costs for consumers and businesses very much. The Fed’s key short-term rate can influence rates for credit cards, small businesses and some other loans. But it has no direct control over longer-term interest rates. These include the yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which affects mortgage rates. The 10-year Treasury yield is shaped by investors’ expectations of future inflation, economic growth and interest rates as well as by supply and demand for Treasuries. An example occurred this year. The 10-year yield fell in late summer in anticipation of a Fed rate cut. Yet once the first rate cut occurred Sept. 18, longer-term rates didn’t fall. Instead, they began to rise again, partly in anticipation of faster economic growth. Trump also proposed a variety of tax cuts that could swell the deficit. Rates on Treasury securities might then have to be increased to attract enough investors to buy the new debt. “I honestly don’t think the Fed has a lot of control over the 10-year rate, which is probably the most important for mortgages,” said Kent Smetters, an economist and faculty director at the Penn Wharton Budget Model. “Deficits are going to play a much bigger role in that regard.” Occasional or rare criticism of the Fed chair isn’t necessarily a problem for the economy, so long as the central bank continues to set policy as it sees fit. But persistent attacks would tend to undermine the Fed’s political independence, which is critically important to keeping inflation in check. To fight inflation, a central bank often must take steps that can be highly unpopular, notably by raising interest rates to slow borrowing and spending. Political leaders typically want central banks to do the opposite: keep rates low to support the economy and the job market, especially before an election. Research has found that countries with independent central banks generally enjoy lower inflation. Even if Trump doesn’t technically force the Fed to do anything, his persistent criticism could still cause problems. If markets, economists and business leaders no longer think the Fed is operating independently and instead is being pushed around by the president, they’ll lose confidence in the Fed’s ability to control inflation. Once consumers and businesses anticipate higher inflation, they usually act in ways that fuel higher prices — accelerating their purchases, for example, before prices increase further, or raising their own prices if they expect their expenses to increase. “The markets need to feel confident that the Fed is responding to the data, not to political pressure,” said Scott Alvarez, a former general counsel at the Fed. He can try, but it would likely lead to a prolonged legal battle that could even end up at the Supreme Court. At a November news conference, Powell made clear that he believes the president doesn’t have legal authority to do so. Most experts think Powell would prevail in the courts. And from the Trump administration’s perspective, such a fight might not be worth it. Powell’s term ends in May 2026, when the White House could nominate a new chair. It is also likely the stock market would tumble if Trump attempted such a brazen move. Bond yields would probably increase, too, sending mortgage rates and other borrowing costs up. Financial markets might also react negatively if Trump is seen as appointing a loyalist as Fed chair to replace Powell in 2026. Yes, and in the most egregious cases, it led to stubbornly high inflation. Notably, President Richard Nixon pressured Fed Chair Arthur Burns to reduce interest rates in 1971, which the Fed did, as Nixon sought reelection the next year. Economists blame Burns’ failure to keep rates sufficiently high for contributing to the entrenched inflation of the 1970s and early 1980s. Thomas Drechsel, an economist at the University of Maryland, said that when presidents intrude on the Fed’s interest rate decisions, “it increases prices quite consistently and it increases expectations, and ... that worries me because that means inflation might become quite entrenched.” Since the mid-1980s, with the exception of Trump in his first term, presidents have scrupulously refrained from public criticism of the Fed. “It’s amazing, how little manipulation for partisan ends we have seen of that policymaking apparatus,” said Peter Conti- Brown, a professor of financial regulation at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “It really is a triumph of American governance.” Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Employment group Randstad is warning of an increasing knowledge inequality in dealing with artificial intelligence (AI). This threatens to worsen labor shortages if no action is taken. Although three-quarters of the companies now use AI in their work, according to research conducted by Randstad, only 35 percent of staff members received AI training in the last year. It was also noticeable that 71 percent of the employees who were trained in AI were men, and only 29 percent were women. There is not only a gender gap, but also a generation gap, according to Randstad, which based its findings on data from almost three million job profiles and the experiences of more than 12,000 employees worldwide. Only one in five from the baby boomer generation have been offered training in AI, according to the data, compared to almost half of gen-z generation employees. At the same time, the temporary employment group is seeing an explosive increase in demand for personnel with AI skills. Last year alone, it was said to have increased fivefold. “When it comes to AI, the demand is growing at an incredible pace, and this also goes for the AI inequality gap which it creates,” said Randstad CEO Sander van ’t Noordende. “Unless we recognize this and take active steps to address it, the pool of workers prepared for the future of work will be too small – causing even more shortages across sectors.” Randstad sees opportunities to bridge the AI skills gap and address the talent shortage. One of the group's recommendations to companies and organizations is to take a closer look at their training options. The company also advocates more partnerships between companies, educational institutions, and social organizations.Monty Rakusen Company Description ArcelorMittal ( NYSE: MT ) is a global steel producer with operations spanning 15 countries and four continents, involved in the entire steel value chain. North America is the largest contributor to EBITDA, accounting for 44%, and the company is increasing Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Long position through a purchase of the stock, or the purchase of call options or similar derivatives in MT over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.A Youtuber who has travelled to some of the most dangerous countries in the world is now planning to visit North Korea. Callum Mills, 32, enjoys places where there is a higher element of risk such as active war zones or political instability, including Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Ukraine. He has met drugs lords, the Taliban, stood on Saddam Hussein's Palace and had dinner with gang members in Brazil. The traveller saw a Banksy original wall mural in the West Bank in Palestine and visited compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and even met Pablo Escobar's brother Roberto Escobar while on a trip in Medellin, Colombia. Now, Callum is now planning his next trip - to North Korea. He says he became "addicted" with danger tourism after exploring the most obscure places in Egypt during Covid. Since then, the adrenaline junkie has been to countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Ukraine. However, Callum says it is not the danger that fascinates him as all his trips are about connecting with different cultures and meeting new people. He said: "It is hard for people to understand this - it does become an addiction you seek the adventure and that feeling of being on edge. Their representation is always negative - I wanted to go there and connect with people locally. "I like to roam about and see what happens. I would always buy a one day flight. I like to get to the more obscure places that are not touristy. I've been asked this many times - about how I get to see some of the things that I do. I always say, 'I just speak to people'. "There have been incredible people who I've spoken to, with some people teaching me a lot about things. Getting to visit all these countries, people and areas has delivered a better education than school ever did." Callum - also known as Callum Abroad on YouTube - was in his second year of nursing degree at the University of the West of Scotland when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. His classes were being cancelled and he could not attend university so he decided to check what flights were available from Scotland. He said: "The longer I spent at home the more restless I became. The only flight I could take was Cairo in Egypt - and I never looked back I just kept doing. "It wasn't because I had a keen interest in Cairo. I wanted to see something a bit different - not just the pyramids. I decided to go to "Garbage City" as the locals call it. It didn't go well with the locals - I was told I was going to be attacked. "I found it pretty interesting - they go round the city and collect all the garbage before taking it back to their community to be sorted." After the first trip at the age of 28 he never returned to university as the more he travelled the more people were interested in what he was doing. Next, he packed his bags and travelled to Syria as he "wanted to show people what the world is really like." However his travels ended up being featured all over the news when he shared a video of what it is like to enter the boarders in Syria. He said: "My social media went crazy. I was being wanted because I exposed what it was like to enter the borders - where you had to pay soldiers to enter the borders." But despite this Callum says he "loved" his time in the country as the locals were "fantastic". "People think it is a complete war zone. But once you get there people are really nice," he added. "The media and the west forget sometimes that people in these countries are just ordinary people." Pakistan was the next country on the list - which is now Callum's favourite destination and he has been there six times already. He explained how he understands why some people would feel "intimidated" in Pakistan. Callum continued: "Both of my arms are filled with tattoos - but people just look at you because they are curious. I go to a lot of weddings there - it is countless the number of weddings I go to." Callum shares most of his experiences in his YouTube channel. And after meeting with drugs gang in Barcelona and Bogota he took a flight to Medellin in Colombia and even met Roberto Escobar, brother of Pablo Escobar. He said: "I chatted with him while his wife translating what I was saying. We got a picture together. I don't tend to plan things in my travels - I just plan things as I go. That's the beauty of it." In June 2023 the Coatbridge native decided to travel on a 40-hour train from Romania to Moldova and then by a bus to get him in Ukraine. Bombs dropping in the Ukrainian cities of Kherson and Odesa is one such moment that sticks in Callum's mind. "I could hear the bombs dropping off behind me when I got to Kherson. There was a time I had to take a second because I felt very emotional," he said. "A lot of people said they are prepared to die in Odesa. They don't think the Russians will stop until they get Odesa - that was a common theme I was getting from people. I just wish the war would stop killing each other - the level of devastation is bad." He added: "The bomb sirens were going off doing the day and the night - when the siren goes off people don't panic. I think it has got to the point where it is numb to them." In Afghanistan, he says he was taken away for questioning by the Taliban and asked him to convert to Islam. "I took the land border from Pakistan - it is very strict and it is a bit hectic there is a lot of screaming and shouting," he said. "The Taliban came up for me and I remember I was a bit nervous and only of them spoke English and the other didn't. I was making small talk with them. In Afghanistan it was my first interaction with the Taliban. They were asking me where I was from, asking if I was in the military or my family. Asked if I was Muslim and then they shook my hand." In Bogota's Bronx in Colombia he met gang members who told their stories. This happened while he was beside a crocodile and they said they would get the reptile to bite the limbs off of other gang members if they caught them. The UK Foreign Office advises against everything but essential travel to North Korea, but Callum is "desperate" to go. The country ruled by the Kim family since 1948 has been widely condemned for abusing human rights violations. Callum said: "I am prepared for any backlash I get and I want to see it with my own eyes. Nobody in the west was allowed in for five years. I wanna see the capital. It's a chance to speak to a North Korean - it would be great if I could do it. "I understand that it will be a challenge and I can take that on board - I am aware of the hardships people in North Korea face. I know some people might think that it's wrong to travel to North Korea however as someone who's got a desire to travel and see the world, I would hope people can understand that. "It's like when a car has a bump on the motorway, people tend to slow down and look because they are curious." However, Callum admits he doubts this will be possible in North Korea due to the strict guided nature of the tours. He said: "I think when you go to these countries you have to follow the rules. Don't go and break the rules in these countries. As long as I conduct myself in a proper manner I am pretty confident. It'd be good to have the human perspective and see it with my own eyes." According to the government the level of tension on the Korean Peninsula remains high. Although daily life in the capital city, Pyongyang, may appear calm, the security situation can change quickly with no advance warning about possible actions by the authorities. This poses significant risks to British visitors and residents, as stated by the Foreign Office. Information about his travels are at the YouTube at Callum Abroad, as well as on Twitter through his @CallumAbroad account.
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