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The Indiana Pacers reached an agreement to acquire center Thomas Bryant from the Miami Heat, ESPN reported Friday. Bryant becomes trade-eligible this Sunday, and the Heat will ship him to Indiana for a swap of future second-round draft picks, according to the report. Bryant, 27, is in his eighth season in the NBA and his second with the Heat. Bryant got into 10 games this season and averaged 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game, his lowest averages since his rookie year. In 277 career games (138 starts) with the Los Angeles Lakers (2017-18; 2022-23), Washington Wizards (2018-22), Denver Nuggets (2023) and Heat (2023-24), Bryant has averaged 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. The Pacers were seeking a new backup center after both Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman were lost to torn Achilles tendons. Bryant played collegiately at Indiana. --Field Level Media

Immigration will return to the Department of Justice’s control and may be headed up by a new ‘super junior’ minister, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are also in favour of recreating standalone departments of Transport and Energy in a ‘carve-up’ of multi-faceted ministries held by outgoing Green Party members. And as talks between the two main parties and the Regional Group of Independents resume this week , senior Fine Gael sources said deputy leader Helen McEntee will remain on as Minister of Justice ‘if she wants’. There is likely to be a backlash from Fianna Fáil if Ms McEntee does want to stay on the job. The party – which has 10 more seats than its Fine Gael rivals – has been strongly critical of Ms McEntee’s Justice ministry. In a pre-election interview in this newspaper, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said he wanted to run Justice, in coalition with Fine Gael, to ‘make our cities safe again’. In the election campaign, veteran Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea infuriated Fine Gael leadership when he publicly called Ms McEntee ‘the worst Justice Minister in the history of the State’. Despite this, senior Fine Gael figures this weekend insisted it is ‘Helen’s call’ on the portfolio. One party source told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘Helen is at the heart of the [Taoiseach Simon] Harris project. The start may have been uncertain but politically they are joined at the hip. ‘If Helen wants to stay in Justice, she stays in Justice. If she wants to move, then she gets the ministry of her choice, outside perhaps of Finance,’ they said. Another source close to the coalition formation talks said: ‘Justice could be a real sticking point. Some ministries such as Finance will be a straight swap between [outgoing Public Expenditure Minister] Paschal [Donohoe] and [outgoing Finance Minister] Jack [Chambers], but if Helen wants to stay in Justice there could be a real problem.’ Whoever does take the top job in Justice is likely to be joined by a ‘super junior’ minister with responsibility for immigration, according to sources. It is widely acknowledged within Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael that the crucial portfolio was ‘lost’ in Green leader Roderic O’Gorman’s multi-layered Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. A source told the MoS said: ‘Integration will return to Justice; it is lost in Roderic’s department.’ Another Government source added: ‘Departmental structures are too complicated in some cases. ‘We need to erase the quadruple-barrelled ministries and return to single-issue ministries like Health and Housing and Finance. Integration will be returned to Justice. It needs the clout of a fully-fledged minister and a Department like Justice instead of being stranded in the Children’s brief.’ Other sources noted Fianna Fáil has, ‘displayed a strong interest in a standalone Department of Energy’ as part of a more concerted push to make the country energy self-sufficient. They also said Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are in favour of a return to a single Department of Transport to drive key road projects that were stalled during outgoing Green Minister Eamon Ryan’s tenure. A Fianna Fáil source said: ‘There are a lot of roads needing to be built. We need to reverse the damage done by the Greens.’ The interdepartmental reshuffle is likely to see the dismantling of Mr Ryan’s department, which spanned Transport and the Environment, Climate and Communications portfolios. Party colleague Catherine Martin’s Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media could also be broken up, with some portfolios transferred to Ministers of State. One senior Cabinet source told the MoS: ‘The ministries held by Eamon Ryan, Roderic O’Gorman and Catherine Martin will be dismantled. They are too big.’ Meanwhile, both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are against giving a full seat at Cabinet to an Independent coalition ally. Referring to the pre-Christmas appointment of Verona Murphy to the €255,000 Ceann Comhairle role, a coalition source said: ‘When it comes to full ministries, we [Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael] are going to scoff the lot. The Regionals got their full ministry with the appointment of Verona.’ Another Coalition source said the two parties – who are just shy of an overall majority – will confine the ambitions of their Independent allies to ‘a couple of junior ministers’. They told the MoS: ‘Christmas came early to the Independents with Verona.’ There is an acknowledgement that the Independents will get the politically attractive Department of Rural and Community Affairs, but not a senior ministry. A source involved in the coalition talks said: ‘It is taken that [outgoing Minister] Heather’s [Humphreys] Rural and Community Affairs brief will go to the Independents as some form of super junior. That is their bread and butter. ‘They can have their pick of ministries, but they won’t be [senior] ministers.’The Nigeria Customs Service opened applications for Superintendent, Inspector, and Customs Assistant cadres posts This follows the NCS's recent announcement that it has been granted permission to employ 3,927 officers in 2025 Customs warned Nigerians to be on the lookout for con artists who might attempt to exploit the hiring process Don't miss out! Join Legit.ng's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now! Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market . Applications for a number of officer positions in the Nigeria Customs Service's (NCS) Superintendent, Inspector, and Customs Assistant cadres were opened on Friday, 27th December 2024. As part of its continuous efforts to improve trade facilitation and aid in the country's economic recovery, the NCS recently announced that it had obtained authority to hire 3,927 officers in 2025. The meeting came after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented the National Assembly with the 2025 budget, which sets an ambitious spending target of N48 trillion with a projected revenue of N35 trillion. Read also NECA reacts to Lagos Govt decision to seals 3 manufacturing companies PAY ATTENTION: Follow us on Instagram - get the most important news directly in your favourite app! At the agency's 61st quarterly board meeting, which took place on Wednesday, December 18, at the Customs House in Maitama, Abuja , the decision to hire more Customs officers was underlined. Nigerians were cautioned by Customs to be cautious of scammers who might try to take advantage of the recruitment process. “Our recruitment process is completely FREE and FAIR. We DO NOT charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. If anyone demands payment, they are scammers,” the NCS warned. Interested appli can ts can apply on the recruitment portal : Requirement for Superintendent Cadre University degree or HND (Higher National Diploma) NYSC discharge Certificate Requirement for Inspectorate Cadre National Diploma (ND) or Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) from any Approved Institution. Requirement for Customs Assistant Cadre O'Level (WAEC or NECO). Nigeria customs warns public of fraudsters Legit.ng reported that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has cautioned the public about scammers posing as the agency on social media. Read also FG announces plan for aviation schools in Ebonyi, Akure, other regions Abdullahi Maiwada, its national public relations officer, gave the warning in a statement titled, "Public awareness against fraudsters impersonating Nigeria Customs Service on social media platforms." It would be recalled that earlier this year, Legit.ng reported that the NCS had resumed the electronic auctioning of abandoned and seized cars and other goods that have overstayed in the ports. PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” block on the home page and enjoy! Source: Legit.ngDaddy Yankee, 48, is divorcing his wife after 29 years as he reveals what his 'constant guide' during split is

2024 has come and gone, and left us with more memes than we can count. But among them, some of them stick out in the pop culture landscape as true paragons of villainy and bad taste. From characters in movie franchises to, um, Elon Musk , they’ve made their mark on the social discourse this year, for better or worse. And is there any better way to ring out the year than by marking their various misdeeds? In no particular order, here are the biggest pop culture villains of 2024. Turns out, Austin Butler can do villain. And he can do villain very well, as his turn in the second instalment of blockbuster franchise Dune proves. In it, Butler plays Feyd-Rautha, the unhinged nephew of the evil Baron Harkonnen and rocker of an all-bald look. Also, the person Timothee Chalamet’s Paul would have married if he’d been born a woman. There is a weird kind of sexual chemistry there, but Butler plays it (as he plays the entire role) with a kind of psychopathic unpredictability. Anybody who licks their sword after killing somebody is somebody to stay far, far away from. The UK finally got its first Love is Blind season earlier this year. And because nothing brings the nation together faster or more cohesively than a villain, we got one of those too. Step forward, Sam Klein. The product manager first raised eyebrows in the pods, where he emotionally manipulated Nicole and Jasmine, boasting about “if you saw me, then I think you might be impressed”, or that the book of his life would be “one of the best books that someone could ever read.” Sam and Nicole eventually got engaged (much to the dismay of Nicole’s other prospective partner Benaiah), but things didn’t go to plan. “I think I love you,” he told her when they first met (never mind that half an hour before, he’d been making snide jabs about her weight). Nevertheless, within a few days Nicole had called off the engagement, after which Sam popped up at a couple’s party (where she was now with Benaiah) to spread the rumour that she had asked to sleep with him during the time they were ‘engaged’. Nicole denied it, everybody got upset, Sam was unrepentant. Problematic much? Hear me out - isn’t Moo Deng a low key villain? The pint-sized pygmy hippo shot to fame in 2024 thanks to the internet, her short legs and a penchant for being a bit sulky. We couldn’t get enough of her sulking, squealing, running around and generally being a bit of a nuisance to her long-suffering mother. Crowds lapped it up. There’s nothing more 2024 than being celebrated for bad behaviour: very brat. I can’t believe it needs to be said, but here we go. Musk took over Twitter in 2022, and since then he’s set about transforming it into his personal playground, or, as he puts it, his “social experiment on humanity.” Since then, it’s become a dark and dangerous place: posts sharing misinformation abound, staff levels have been slashed and moderation policies have been culled. In 2024, that went further: now, the block function has been changed, and blocked people can still view what you post. The algorithm also seems to think that what all users want to see most is far-right content from users like Tommy Robinson or MAGA supporters. With Trump in power, this is likely to get worse - and that’s before we get onto Musk’s dabbling in Trump’s new government. Sinister doesn’t cut it. Venture there at your own risk. Apparently, beefing is good for business. And that’s exactly what Kendrick Lamar and Drake did earlier this year, both of them leaning so hard into the villainy arc that their spat generated headlines worldwide. It all started when rapper J. Cole released a track calling himself, Lamar and Drake “the big three.” Lamar was extremely unimpressed - so much so that he released a verse claiming there was no “big three - it's just big me". Soon enough, Drake and Lamar were beefing hard. So hard, in fact, that Drake insulted his rival’s height and called him a record label puppet; Lamar claimed he was a “master manipulator” who was addicted to drink and drugs and had relationships with underage girls. Many, many diss tracks were released and in the end Lamar seemed to put an end to it all with his epic Not Like Us. Still. There are no winners here: only villains. Seriously, who keeps getting Nicole Kidman these roles? The star has been all over our screens in 2024, but for a series of TV shows/ films that just seem to keep missing the mark: A Family Affair, The Perfect Couple, Apple TV+’s uneven Expats. In them, Kidman plays the same archetype over and over: a mother, who has to deal with either a death or a terrible tragedy, which exposes some secrets the family would rather keep hidden. It’s tiring. Here’s hoping Babygirl will set things back on track again. Making the case for why buildings can be villains too. In May, Manchester’s much-hyped new venue finally opened, after several very embarrassing delays. Though Peter Kay was set to launch the venue with a gig in April, issues with the ventilation ducts and electrics meant it had to be pushed back. Oh, and the air conditioning fell off. The upshot: a test event it was due to hold with Rick Astley was scaled back, and several more gigs were cancelled, including A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie (on the night itself, as fans were lining up outside) and several Olivia Rodrigo gigs on the following weekend. Fans were furious. And though the arena has since opened fully, will it ever be able to wash off the stench of shame? For many things, but in a pop culture sense, for calling Democrats a “bunch of childless cat ladies with miserable lives.” Of course, this created an uproar, and Jennifer Aniston was quick to respond. “I truly can’t believe that this is coming from a potential VP of the United States,” she wrote. “All I can say is... Mr Vance, I pray that your daughter is fortunate enough to bear children of her own one day.” Vance later defended his comments, but it became something of a theme over the following months. When Taylor Swift came out for Kamala Harris, she referred to herself as a “childless cat lady”. Revenge of the cats? Whether it’s trespassing on crime scenes or digging into things that should be kept out of the public eye, internet sleuths have a lot to answer for this year. Take the case of Baby Reindeer. The Netflix show became a sleeper hit when it launched in April thanks to its creator Richard Gadd’s brutally honest retelling of his own run-in with a stalker. However, it grew into something much bigger when internet ‘detectives’ decided to try and track down the real-life ‘Martha’. Spoiler alert: despite Gadd’s pleas for the detectives to back down (and them trolling several people who turned out not to be the ones Gadd was basing his characters on), they succeeded. She was identified as Fiona Garvey, and now she’s suing Netflix for what she calls the “brutal lies” of the way she’s portrayed in the drama. Netflix have pushed back, saying they intended to “defend this story rigorously”. It’s a right mess, and to be honest, a cautionary tale for the damage that modern internet culture can cause.Locally, Leading Tech Solution Bridging Online and Offline Retail, Announces First Omni-Seller Marketplace In Partnership with Trek BicycleShort Interest in Western Acquisition Ventures Corp. (NASDAQ:WAVS) Decreases By 33.3%

Bank of America signs again with FIFA for US-hosted Club World Cup that still has no TV deals

California couple killed in violent Mexican town were visiting for holidaysAs the dust settles on a transformative year in B2B, 2024’s advancements hint at a future where B2B payments become more seamless, intelligent and integrated. Digital innovation rewrote the rules of enterprise-level commerce this year, as businesses embraced technology to streamline workflows, enhance security and adapt to evolving customer expectations. Among the key trends that reshaped B2B buyer and supplier dynamics this year were the rise of digital marketplaces , the embrace of automation and artificial intelligence across accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR) workflows, real-time payments, and the surging use of virtual cards . As these trends converge, the marketplace emphasis on digitization and the mitigation of paper-based payment methods, security and seamless user experiences is likely to intensify. Businesses will likely continue to prioritize B2B innovations that not only simplify operations but also enhance trust and collaboration between buyers and suppliers. Read also: Mid-Market Companies Rewrote Rules of Working Capital in 2024 The Future Is Now: Decoding 2024’s Top B2B Payments Trends Digital marketplaces are no longer the fringe players they once were. Platforms like Alibaba and Amazon Business have demonstrated the power of streamlining procurement and payment processes for enterprises. PYMNTS tracks the rise of digital B2B marketplaces across various industries , even including the U.S. government , noting that these platforms encompass a broad swath of B2B innovation , from embedded payments to AI-powered procurement and the broader digitization of traditionally manual B2B processes. These marketplaces streamline procurement processes, offering transparency, enhanced supplier discovery and robust analytics. The ability to integrate payment solutions directly into these ecosystems has further helped eliminate friction, facilitate faster transactions and improve cash flow visibility. Additionally, marketplaces can serve as a springboard for cross-border trade by addressing complexities such as compliance and currency conversion. What does this mean for B2B payments? First, the lines between procurement and payments are blurring. Enterprises demand seamless, end-to-end solutions that combine purchasing, financing and payment reconciliation in a single interface. Second, the rise of marketplaces is accelerating the need for interoperability between payment systems. See also: Into the Nitty-Gritty: How, Why and Where Automation Optimizes B2B Payments Automation and AI: Transforming AP/AR Workflows While the PYMNTS Intelligence report “ Getting Paid: Digital Payments for Improving Cash Flow and Customer Experience ” found that 75% of companies still use paper checks, the days when AP and AR teams were bogged down by manual processes and paper invoices are increasingly receding into the past. Automation and AI are revolutionizing these workflows, helping deliver efficiency and accuracy. Machine learning algorithms can analyze payment histories to forecast cash flow and identify potential bottlenecks , while AI-powered tools can work to scan, categorize and process invoices in seconds, reducing human error and speeding up payment cycles. These advancements not only streamline back-office operations but also free up resources for strategic initiatives. The PYMNTS Intelligence report “ Why Automating Both AR and AP Is Vital to Fiscal Fitness ” found that as companies seek to improve their financial health, automating AP and AR is becoming a key strategy. Automation, for its part, works to streamline accounting, strengthen security and improve B2B relationships through improved visibility and efficiency. Read also: Cutting the Checks: Boosting Commercial Payment Speed and Security With Virtual Cards Emerging B2B Payment Mechanisms: Efficiency Meets Security and Visibility One of the biggest stories of 2024 was the growth in the use of virtual cards for B2B payments. Unlike traditional payment methods, virtual cards offer a combination of efficiency, security and control. The rise of virtual cards is also helping to drive innovation in payment analytics. Businesses can use the granular data provided by virtual card transactions to optimize spend management and identify cost-saving opportunities. At the same time, real-time payments are increasingly reshaping the expectations of speed and transparency in B2B payments. As real-time payments become more widespread, companies will need to retool their treasury systems to handle the increased velocity of transactions. Integrating real-time payment capabilities into existing workflows will be a key challenge — and opportunity — for payment providers. Still, as we look to 2025, key industries remain tethered to legacy B2B payments. The PYMNTS Intelligence report “ The Great Paper Escape: Transforming Accounts Payable for the Digital Age ” found that the construction industry leads in paper-check use, with 76% of subcontractors paid this way. Real estate (21%) and retail (15%) also maintain reliance on paper checks for B2B payments . In other words, even as digital payment options multiply, sizable segments of the economy still have their B2B payments firmly anchored in the last century’s payment methods. The question is not whether they will modernize but whether they will remain competitive when they eventually must do so. For all PYMNTS B2B coverage, subscribe to the daily B2B Newsletter .

Matteo Colombo Stocks had a mostly steady week, with some volatility in the middle amid geopolitical tensions. The benchmark S&P 500 ( SP500 ) saw gains in four out of five sessions and ended the week 1.7% higher, marking a reversal from the retreat lastDemocrat Gov ‘Stirs Up S***’ With Pro-Trump Posts— Making MAGA Fans ‘Sorry’ About Election Vote