Poll debacle could cost MNS its status and symbol, say analysts
No Labels goes after opponents of third-party presidential bid in courtWe hear a lot about the British Royal family — maybe more than we to know — but has anyone stopped to appreciate across the continent? Many African royals come from diverse educational, political, and even ethnic backgrounds, and with so much to love in the motherland, it’s about time we show African royals some much-needed appreciation. From Morocco all the way to Lesotho, here’s a list of African royals who are doing the damn thing! 2 / 17 Her Royal Highness the Nnabagereka Sylvia Nagginda is the wife of the King of Buganda, King Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II, according to She is regarded as an humanitarian for her transformational leadership and her work in empowering the youth, advocating for disability rights and women’s rights. 3 / 17 King Amon N’Douffou V (Ivory Coast) King Amon N’Douffou V (Ivory Coast) King Amon N’Douffou V took over the throne in 2005, and his enthronement was met with national celebration, according to . In 2009, the king named civil rights leader Jesse Jackson a prince of the Kingdom of Sanwi. Jackson marked the second person to receive the title from King Amon. The first person was Michael Jackson. 4 / 17 LisaRaye McCoy (Ghana) LisaRaye McCoy (Ghana) Actress Lisa Raye McCoy was named the Queen Mother of Ghana by King Yahweh, at a ceremony in Los Angeles in 2019. She did have a crowning ceremony, but there has been criticism of the legitimacy of the title. Lisa Raye was also the First Lady of Turk and Caicos in 2006 when she married Michael Misick, the former Premier of the Turks and Caicos. 5 / 17 David Oyelowo (Nigeria) David Oyelowo (Nigeria) Actor is a prince in Nigeria. His grandfather was the King of Awe in the Oyo State. In an interview with , Oyelowo said that he does not flaunt this title because royal families are “a dime in a dozen,” in Nigeria. 6 / 17 The princess, who also goes by “Stephanie Benson,” was raised royal her whole life. At just 14 years old, Benson was sent to Britain to prepare for her role as Queen, but while working at De Beers, she fell in love with John Benson and the couple eventually wed, according to . The princess is still a Ghanaian royal, but she spends her time pursuing her career as a singer. 7 / 17 King Kwongo Dak Padiet (Sudan) King Kwongo Dak Padiet (Sudan) The 35th Reth — or King — of the Shilluk Kingdom in Sudan came to power in 1993. At the time of his coronation, Sudan was in the middle of a bloody civil war, which didn’t end until 2005. Most recently, King Kwongo has been criticized for banning non-traditional wedding practices in his kingdom, according to . According to him, these decrees are in efforts to preserve the traditions and culture of his people. 8 / 17 Queen ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso (Lesotho) Queen ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso (Lesotho) ‘Masenate Mohato Seeiso is the Queen of Lesotho and the wife of King Letsie III of Lesotho. According to Lesotho records, she was the first commoner in modern history to marry into the country’s royal family. Since becoming queen, ‘Masenate has used her power to advocate for projects related to HIV/AIDS in addition to donating to several charities. 9 / 17 King Misuzulu Zulu (South Africa) King Misuzulu Zulu (South Africa) After the death of his father, King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu, in 2021, Misuzulu Zulu came to power over the Zulu nation. He is one of 28 children, according to . After his father’s death, Misuzulu’s rise to power ruffled quite a few feathers in his own family, with many calling his coronation unlawful. 10 / 17 Princess Esther Kamatari (Burundi) Princess Esther Kamatari (Burundi) Esther Kamatari went from being Burundi’s exiled princess to France’s first Black model after fleeing from her home country. She decided to step away from her royal life and move to France after her father, Prince Ignace Kamatari, was assassinated when she was only 13, according to 11 / 17 (Benin) (Benin) Born Eheneden Erediauwa, the Benin royal values education and public service. Before taking the throne, Ewuare spent much time in Great Britain pursuing his education. He holds a degree in economics and a master’s degree from New Jersey’s Rutgers University, according to . 12 / 17 Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini (Eswatini) Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini (Eswatini) Her father, King Mswati III, is Africa’s last absolute monarchy. In his role, the king has unrestricted political power and can rule by decree, according to Eswatini law. His eldest daughter, Princess Sikhanyiso Dlamini, is the country’s former Minister of Information and Communication Technology. 13 / 17 (Morocco) (Morocco) The king first came to power in 1999, just hours after his father died of a heart attack, according to . King Mohammed VI is now regarded as one of the wealthiest royals in the world. According to , his net worth was around $2.1 billion as of 2019. 14 / 17 Princess Princess While most royals like to lavish in their wealth and status, Buganda Princess Joan Nassolo has created a career of her own by advocating and helping others. She has her own non-profit organization committed to environmental conservation, cultural heritage preservation, and youth empowerment. Nassolo holds a title belt for the East and Central Xtra Combat Muay Thai Women’s Championship, according to the She is also the creator and author of the Legend Of Buganda Comic Book Series. 15 / 17 Oba Fredrick Obateru Akinruntan is the current traditional ruler of Ugbo Kingson. He is the founder of Obat Oil, one of Nigeria’s largest and leading privately held oil companies, according to . Apparently, Akinruntan’s rise to power was set in stone from his childhood. “There were two separate prophecies that Iwas going to be an Oba [King],” he told The Capital. 16 / 17 The death of Angola’s Queen Nhacatolo Chilombo Tchissengo in 2023 devastated the country. In her place, Queen Nhakatolo Anabela Ngambo Kaumba took the throne and was coronated in 2024. Kaumba marks the newest addition to — meaning only women can sit on the throne with the title “nhakatolo.” 17 / 17
Panjab University (PU) organised two condolence meetings to pay homage to its distinguished alumnus and former PM Dr Manmohan Singh. The morning meeting, held at the Senate Hall, was attended by vice-chancellor (V-C) Renu Vig and registrar YP Verma along with other PU officials and faculty members. Vig expressed profound grief over Singh’s demise stating that his legacy as an academician, economist, and a leader will remain forever etched in the history of the university and the nation. She highlighted his academic excellence, including his bachelor’s degree in economics (1952) and master’s degree in the same domain (1954), both achieved with distinction, as well as his tenure as a senior lecturer, reader, and professor of economics at PU from 1957 to 1965. The V-C mentioned that as finance minister, Dr Singh was instrumental in securing a special grant of ₹ 70 crore for the varsity, a testament to his enduring commitment for his alma mater. Vig also reflected on the honours conferred upon Singh by PU, including the honorary doctor of literature in 1983 and the honorary doctor of Laws in 2009. She recalled his inaugural Prof SB Rangnekar Memorial Oration delivered in 2018, which underscored his lasting association with the university. In the afternoon, the department of economics and the Panjab University Alumni Association (PUAA) jointly organised a hybrid-mode condolence meeting, with the offline session held in the seminar room of the department. Faculty members, including HS Shergill, Pampa Mukherjee and others paid homage to Singh, reflecting on his contributions to academics, public service, and economic reforms. In both the meetings, students, scholars, and faculty members observed two minutes of silence to pay their respects and offer prayers for Dr Singh, who served as India’s 13th PM (2004–2014) and spearheaded transformative economic reforms as the finance minister (1991–1996). Chandigarh Congress pays floral tributes Chandigarh Local Congress unit paid floral tribute to Dr Manmohan Singh. The Congress urged the government to award Bharat Ratna to him for his remarkable services rendered as the governor of Reserve Bank of India, finance minister, and the PM. This recognition would be a fitting tribute to the leader who was the architect of liberal economic polices adopted in modern India, said local Congress president HS Lucky. While remembering Dr Singh as an economist par excellence, Lucky stated that Dr Singh introduced economic liberalisation which laid the foundation for the country’s emergence as a major economic power. Lucky further stated that Dr Singh’s tenure as PM was marked by significant achievements, including the nuclear agreement with the nuclear club countries, which enhanced India’s global standing. Dr Singh knew me since I opened my eyes: Tewari Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari expressed profound grief over the demise of former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, describing him as a source of inspiration for millions. “Very Sad to learn about the unfortunate demise of Dr Manmohan Singh. My association with him goes back to the time when my parents and Dr Singh were neighbours in PU. He knew me almost from the day I opened my eyes in this world,” he said. The MP also shared his regret over missing an opportunity to meet Dr Singh, saying, “I was supposed to call on him tomorrow (Saturday) in the morning. How strange are the ways of god.” His humility was his greatest strength: Pawan Bansal Four-time Chandigarh MP Pawan Bansal expressed deep condolences at the passing away of Dr Singh. “Deeply saddened to learn of the passing away of Dr Manmohan Singh ji. The nation shall forever remain indebted to him for turning around the country’s economy in the time of national crisis,” he wrote on X. Bansal recalled how the former PM used to converse very politely with everyone. He always took everyone in consensus and was a workaholic. He used to work and not show off and never speak loudly, he said adding that Dr Singh’s humility was his greatest strength.Each week, Quartz rounds up product launches, updates, and funding news from artificial intelligence-focused startups and companies. Here’s what’s going on this week in the ever-evolving AI industry. ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode and writing update ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode and writing update OpenAI announced this week that it’s starting to roll out Advanced Voice Mode on the web browser version of ChatGPT. Paid users of ChatGPT Plus, Team, Enterprise, and Edu will be able to start a real-time conversation on the ChatGPT website. The AI startup also announced that it updated its GPT-4o model’s creative writing ability to have “more natural, engaging, and tailored writing.” The updated model can also work better with uploaded files, OpenAI said. The Allen Institute for AI’s Tülu 3 model family The Allen Institute for AI’s Tülu 3 model family The Allen Institute for AI announced its Tülu 3 family of open, fine-tuned models this week. The fine-tuning, or post-training, process refines models to perform specific tasks. Through Tülu 3, developers and researchers can find open-source data sets, model training recipes, code, and evaluation frameworks. The models range from 8 billion to 70 billion parameters , or the variables a model learns from training data that guide its ability to make predictions, according to Ai2. Enveda’s $130 million Series C for AI-assisted medicine Enveda’s $130 million Series C for AI-assisted medicine Enveda, a biotech company that uses AI to turn natural compounds into new medicines, announced an oversubscribed $130 million Series C funding round this week. The round was led by Kinnevik and FPV, and brings Enveda’s total funding to $360 million. The funding will help the company with advancing its pipeline of ten development drug candidates. Enveda is building an AI-powered platform called a “sequencer” “that combines metabolomics data with machine learning and high-throughput biological experiments to answer two fundamental questions of any natural sample at scale: (1) What are the molecules?, and (2) What do they do?,” the company said. “Some of the world’s greatest pharmaceutical breakthroughs have been derived from just 0.1% of nature’s chemistry,” Viswa Colluru, chief executive of Enveda, said in a statement. “We developed our platform to rapidly expand access to nature’s chemistry to find therapeutics at roughly four times the speed–and it’s already delivering results in the form of a deep and differentiated pipeline. This funding will help us advance multiple candidates to exciting clinical catalysts in the next year, confirming our guiding vision that life’s chemistry is an excellent source for new medicines.” Pickle Robot’s $50 million Series B for production robots Pickle Robot’s $50 million Series B for production robots Pickle Robot, which develops robotic automation systems for unloading trucks, announced a $50 million Series B funding round this week. The company, which calls itself a pioneer of physical AI, also announced that six customers have ordered over 30 production robots in the third quarter for deployment in early 2025. Pickle Robot’s physical AI technology combines a vision system with generative AI foundation models trained on millions of real logistics and warehouse operations data. “Pickle Robot customers are experiencing the value of Physical AI applied to a common logistics process that challenges thousands of operations every day,” AJ Meyer, chief executive and founder of Pickle Robot, said in a statement. “The new funding and our strategic customer relationships enable Pickle to chart the future of supply chain robotics, rapidly expand our core product capabilities, and grow our business to deliver tremendous customer value now and in the future.” Lightning AI’s $55 million equity investment Lightning AI’s $55 million equity investment Lightning AI, the company behind the PyTorch Lightning deep learning framework, announced a $50 million equity investment this week that included Nvidia ( NVDA ) and J.P. Morgan ( JPM ) . PyTorch Lightning has received over 160 million downloads since Lightning AI launched a year ago. Lightning AI combines dozens of separate AI development tools on one, multi-cloud platform where developers can build, train, and deploy AI models, and host AI apps securely. “Building your own AI platform today is like building your own Slack — it’s complex, costly, and not core to your business,” William Falcon, founder and chief executive of Lightning AI, said in a statement. “The value for enterprises lies in their data, domain knowledge, and unique models — not in maintaining AI infrastructure. We have thousands of developers single-handedly training and deploying models at a scale that would have required teams of developers without Lightning.” Thoughtful AI’s agents for healthcare revenue cycle management Thoughtful AI’s agents for healthcare revenue cycle management Thoughtful AI launched its specialized AI agents for revenue cycle management in healthcare this week. The AI-powered revenue cycle transformation company’s new agents include CODY for coding and notes review, and CAM for claims processing. “Our team of AI Agents turn RCM from a bottleneck into a powerhouse, using AI and automation to tackle tedious, time-consuming tasks so that healthcare teams can optimize revenue and focus on what matters most – patients,” Alex Zekoff, co-founder and chief executive of Thoughtful AI, said in a statement. Reforged Labs’ video ad creation platform for gaming Reforged Labs’ video ad creation platform for gaming Reforged Labs, an AI-powered video creation service for mobile game studios, launched its AI-powered video ad service this week that it says can deliver tailored, cost-effective ads in less than 24 hours. The startup’s proprietary AI engine was trained with thousands of game ads, Reforged Labs said. “We want to help level the playing field for game studios with limited resources,” Robert Huynh, chief executive and co-founder of Reforged Labs, said in a statement. “With our full-service creative solution that’s tailored for game marketing, studios can benefit from proven ad templates and AI-driven production and editing, all without lengthy briefs or big budgets.”Carville: ‘It was a troubling election for Democrats’
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Luke Kromenhoek threw for 209 yards and tossed three touchdown passes as Florida State halted a six-game losing streak and routed Charleston Southern 41-7 on Saturday. Kromenhoek completed 13 of 20 passes in his first college start, including a 71-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Khi Douglas, as the Seminoles (2-9) won for the first time since Sept. 21. The true freshman also connected with Amaree Williams for a 4-yard TD and Hykeem Williams for a 10-yard TD. Florida State had the nation’s lowest scoring offense at 13.3 points. The Seminoles hadn’t scored more than 21 points or surpassed the 300-yard mark in 2024. But Florida State overwhelmed FCS Charleston Southern (1-11), accumulating 415 offensive yards. Kaleb Jackson completed 22 of 32 passes for 218 yards, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to Landon Sauers, and an interception for the Buccaneers. The takeaway Charleston Southern: While the Buccaneers found some success through the air, they couldn’t sustain drives and managed just 57 rushing yards on 29 carries. Florida State: The Seminoles picked up a season-best 176 rushing yards, scoring 17 points in the second quarter and 14 points in the third quarter to take control. Up next Charleston Southern’s season is over. Florida State plays host to Florida on Nov. 30. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football . Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25
Argentina's Racing wins its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1Red Star Belgrade and Sturm Graz end 4-game losing runs in Champions League Red Star Belgrade and Sturm Graz ended four-game losing runs in the Champions League to get their first points and wins. The 1991 European Cup winner Red Star rallied for a 5-1 rout of Stuttgart which had taken the lead in the fifth minute. Sturm Graz won 1-0 against Girona the Spanish newcomer to European competitions this season. The later games, included Liverpool taking the only perfect record in the competition into hosting Real Madrid. Red Star’s goal to level the game in the 12th was scored by on-loan forward Silas, playing against his parent club Stuttgart. Daniel Jones is signing with the Vikings after his release from the Giants, AP source says A person familiar with the decision says former New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones is signing with the Minnesota Vikings. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement hasn’t been finalized. Jones will join Minnesota’s practice squad less than a week after the Giants released the former No. 6 overall draft pick. Sam Darnold has helped the Vikings start 9-2. Jones joins Nick Mullens and Brett Rypien in Minnesota’s quarterback room. Rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy had season-ending knee surgery in August and a second procedure on his knee earlier this month. LIV Golf will hire sports and entertainment leader Scott O'Neil to replace Greg Norman, report says Scott O'Neil is set to become the next CEO of Saudi-funded LIV Golf. The Athletic is reporting the move for the former head of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils. O'Neil recently was CEO of Merlin Entertainments. The company that owns resorts like Legoland announced O'Neil was leaving for a new opportunity. O'Neil would replace Greg Norman at LIV Golf. Sports Business Journal reported last month that Norman would move to a different role that has not been announced. Norman has been CEO of the rival golf league since it launched in 2022. The PGA Tour and Saudi backers are still negotiating an investment deal. Two companies drop McGregor after civil jury ruled he must pay $250K to woman who says he raped her LONDON (AP) — Two companies have cut ties with Conor McGregor after a civil court jury in Ireland ruled last week that he must pay nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000) to a woman who accused the mixed martial arts fighter of raping her. Proximo Spirits, the owner of Irish whiskey brand Proper No. 12, will no longer feature McGregor’s name or image. Video game developer IO Interactive ended its collaboration with McGregor, who had played a character in a game. Nikita Hand said the Dec. 9, 2018, assault after a night of partying left her heavily bruised and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. McGregor said she fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. Staley counsels some South Carolina fans to keep calm after No. 4 Gamecocks 1st loss in two seasons COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Dawn Staley is not in panic mode, even if some of famous “Fams” are following her team's first loss in two seasons. The Gamecocks had won 85 of their previous 86 games, including a program record 43 in a row before falling to UCLA 77-62 this past Sunday. South Carolina slipped from No. 1 to No. 4 in the rankings while the Bruins took over the top spot. Still, it caught Staley by surprise that some supporters were worried about the November loss. Staley said the defending national champions are still finding their way. Thanksgiving Weekend Sports Guide: Your roadmap to NFL matchups, with other games, times and odds The long sports-filled Thanksgiving weekend is a time when many Americans enjoy gathering with friends and family for good food, good company and hopefully not too much political conversation. Also on the menu — all the NFL and college sports you can handle. Here is a roadmap to one of the biggest sports weekends of the year, with a look at marquee games over the holiday and how to watch. Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley prepare for earliest matchup ever between 1,300-yard running backs Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry combined for 395 yards rushing on back-to-back nights at SoFi Stadium as the dynamic playmakers keep proving that investing in running backs can pay off in the right situation. Next, they will play on the same field at the same time when Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles take on Henry and the Baltimore Ravens in the first matchup ever between two 1,300-yard runners in Week 13 or earlier. Before this year, no player had rushed for at least 1,300 yards and 10 TDs in the first 12 weeks of the season since Shaun Alexander in 2005 as teams moved away from bell-cow backs and diminished the importance of the position. Raiders will start O'Connell at quarterback when they visit the Chiefs HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Aidan O’Connell will start at quarterback when the Las Vegas Raiders visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce says O’Connell had progressed well after breaking his right thumb on Oct. 20 in a game against the Los Angeles Rams. Gardner Minshew broke his left collarbone on Sunday in a game against the Denver Broncos and is out for the season. The Raiders could have gone with Desmond Ridder to replace Minshew. Luis Suarez signs to stay with Messi and Inter Miami for 2025 season FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Luis Suarez is going to play alongside Lionel Messi for at least one more year. Suarez and Inter Miami have agreed on a one-year contract extension for the coming season, the team announced Wednesday. The financial terms weren’t disclosed. Suarez made $1.5 million this year in his first Inter Miami season, one in which the Uruguayan striker scored 20 goals — tied with Messi for the team lead — in Major League Soccer regular season play and a team-best 25 goals across all competitions. SEC losses are big gains for SMU and Indiana in latest College Football Playoff rankings The Southeastern Conference’s losses were almost everyone else’s gain in the College Football Playoff rankings, with SMU nudging its way into the top 12 and Indiana staying in the mix at No. 10 despite a lopsided loss of its own. The latest 12-team bracket placed undefeated Oregon on top for the fourth straight week. It did not include Alabama or Mississippi of the SEC, both of which suffered their third losses of the season last week. That helped place SMU in the ninth spot, joining No. 6 Miami to give the Atlantic Coast Conference two teams in the 12-team bracket.
Meta faces April trial in FTC case seeking to unwind Instagram merger
Argentina's Racing wins its first Copa Sudamericana championship by beating Brazil's Cruzeiro 3-1
VenHub Global, Inc. is an emerging AI and robotics technology company that has developed a 24/7 fully-autonomous retail Smart Store, headquartered in Pasadena, CA, and has amassed a robust pre-order backlog of 1,000+ stores with potential revenue of more than $300 million 1 VenHub’s innovative solution offers low building and operating costs and advanced security features, empowering store owners to deliver a seamless customer experience VenHub’s proprietary robotic arms technology and cutting-edge vision system ensures precise product delivery, while its AI-driven platform is expected to optimize store operations VenHub intends to build strategic partnerships, diversify product offerings, and advance its technology for future growth The proposed business combination with Target Global Acquisition I Corp. values VenHub at a pro forma enterprise value of $715 million 1 and is targeted to close in Q2 2025 PASADENA, Calif., Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via IBN – VenHub, a disruptive AI and robotics company (“VenHub” or the “Company”), and Target Global Acquisition I Corp. (NASDAQ: TGAA) (“TGAA”), a NASDAQ-listed special purpose acquisition company, today announced they have entered into a definitive business combination agreement, dated as of December 2, 2024 (the “Business Combination Agreement”). The proposed business combination (the “Proposed Business Combination”) is expected to be completed (the “Closing”) in the second quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory and shareholder approvals. The combined company will operate as VenHub Global Holdings, Inc. following the Closing and is expected to list on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “VHUB”. As one of the leading providers of a 24/7 autonomous smart store, VenHub has introduced and developed a solution with the potential to transform how consumers interact with technology in retail environments. Powered by proprietary software and unique robotics arms technology, VenHub’s product offering can provide a seamless customer experience. Manufactured by a leader in the global robotics industry, the innovative robotic arms technology can differentiate VenHub from traditional retail solutions and well-positions the Company in the automated retail space. Additionally, VenHub’s cutting edge vision system adds precision and reliability to its product offering, and the efficiency and security of the Smart Stores are enabled by VenHub’s intellectual property portfolio. Founded in 2023, VenHub is addressing challenges facing traditional retail stores, including inefficient inventory management, limited hours, high labor costs, and security concerns. The Smart Stores are designed to utilize data-driven inventory management, a self-service delivery system, and advanced security protection, all of which reduce labor costs and collectively enhance sales and growth potential. Through these potential competitive advantages, VenHub has secured over 1,000 customer pre-orders across 48 states, with potential revenue of more than $300 million 1 in pre-order value. This pre-order book demonstrates market confidence in VenHub’s smart store technology. VenHub’s growth strategy focuses on geographic and store format expansion to meet the growing demand for autonomous retail solutions, as well as product diversification to enhance VenHub’s market presence and operational efficiency. The Company’s CapEx-light business model has the potential to create value for stakeholders, and its diversified business model with potential for recurring revenue can allow VenHub to achieve its expansion plan. Key Investment Highlights Disruptive AI & Robotics Technology – innovative product with potential to revolutionize consumer behavior. Sizeable Total Addressable Market – over $2 trillion 1 end-market across convenience stores, traditional retail, and gas stations, which is global in nature. Large Pre-order Book with Deliveries Beginning this Year – over $300M 2 in potential revenue from customer pre-orders with production beginning in Q4 2024 and targeted delivery of the first Smart Stores in Q1 2025. Attractive Financial Profile – unit level economics driven by immediate positive gross profit and EBITDA margins. Leadership Expertise – accomplished management team with strong automation, logistics, supply chain, robotics, and retail experience. Management Commentary Shahan Ohanessian, Chief Executive Officer of VenHub, commented : “This is day one for VenHub on a larger stage,” Shahan Ohanessian, CEO of VenHub, remarked. “We’re at the starting line of what I believe will be a remarkable journey, turning our vision into reality and expanding our reach on a global scale. We're not just joining the market; we're aiming to pioneer a new frontier in smart retail that enhances how businesses and consumers connect.” Mike Minnick, Chief Executive Officer of TGAA, added : “We are excited to partner with Shahan and the VenHub team. VenHub’s efficient, capital-light business model, combined with strong near-term projected positive cash flow generation, positions the Company for sustainable growth. This approach enables strategic expansion into multiple geographic markets while leveraging internally generated cash flow and maintaining disciplined resource allocation.” Proposed Business Combination Overview The Proposed Business Combination implies a pro forma enterprise value of $715 million, which assumes an estimated equity value of $650 million, $26 million in new cash to the balance sheet (assuming 100% redemptions by TGAA public shareholders), and $0.6 million in existing cash. The Proposed Business Combination is expected to provide net cash to VenHub of up to $14 million to support VenHub’s continued geographic expansion and product diversification. Cash proceeds raised will consist of TGAA’s approximately $20.4 million cash in trust, net of redemptions. The cash in the TGAA trust account is anticipated to support the Company’s growth capital needs, including VenHub’s production, marketing and sales efforts. It is intended that 100% of existing VenHub stockholders will roll over their equity and, assuming no redemptions and full rollover, own approximately 89% of the pro forma equity of the combined company in connection with the transaction. The Proposed Business Combination has been approved by the boards of directors of both VenHub and TGAA and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2025, subject to shareholder approvals and other customary closing conditions. For a summary of the material terms of the Proposed Business Combination, as well as a supplemental investor presentation, please see the Current Report on Form 8-K filed today by TGAA with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Additional information about the Proposed Business Combination will be described in TGAA’s proxy statement relating to the Proposed Business Combination, which it will file with the SEC. Advisors Cohen & Company Capital Markets, a division of J.V.B. Financial Group, LLC, is serving as the exclusive financial advisor, capital markets advisor and placement agent to VenHub. Smith Eilers PLLC is serving as legal counsel to VenHub. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is serving as legal counsel to TGAA. Travers Thorp Alberga is serving as legal counsel to TGAA with respect to Cayman Islands law. About VenHub VenHub Global, Inc., f/k/a Autonomous Solutions, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is reshaping the retail industry with its groundbreaking autonomous and robotic-operated Smart Stores. Leveraging advanced AI and smart inventory management systems, VenHub offers a seamless shopping experience that operates 24/7. This approach not only increases revenue but also significantly reduces operational costs compared to traditional retail setups. VenHub’s modular design allows for quick installation and easy customization to meet a wide range of consumer needs. The company operates across three main retail formats: fixed Smart Stores for permanent locations, mobile Smart Stores for flexibility and broader accessibility, and innovative solutions that upgrade existing retail spaces and shopping centers into advanced Smart Shopping environments. With its forward-thinking strategy, VenHub is poised to transform the retail landscape, providing an efficient and accessible shopping experience that anticipates the future of commerce. About Target Global Acquisition I Corp. TGAA Acquisition I Corp. is a blank check company incorporated as a Cayman Island exempted company and formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. TGAA’s units, Class A ordinary shares and warrants trade on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbols “TGAAU,” “TGAA,” and “TGAAW” respectively. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. TGAA’s and VenHub’s actual results may differ from their expectations, estimates and projections and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “budget,” “forecast,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “should,” “believes,” “predicts,” “potential,” “continue,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, TGAA’s and VenHub’s expectations with respect to future performance and anticipated financial impacts of the Proposed Business Combination, the satisfaction of the closing conditions to the Proposed Business Combination and the timing of the completion of the Proposed Business Combination. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside TGAA’s and VenHub’s control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement, (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against TGAA and VenHub following the announcement of the Business Combination Agreement and the transactions contemplated therein; (3) the inability to complete the Proposed Business Combination, including due to failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of TGAA or other conditions to closing in the Business Combination Agreement; (4) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the Business Combination Agreement or could otherwise cause the Proposed Business Combination to fail to close; (5) the amount of redemption requests made by TGAA’s shareholders; (6) the inability to obtain or maintain the listing of the post-business combination company’s common stock on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC following the Proposed Business Combination; (7) the risk that the Proposed Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Proposed Business Combination; (8) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably and retain its key employees; (9) costs related to the Proposed Business Combination; (10) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (11) the possibility that VenHub or the combined company may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; and (12) other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the proxy statement relating to the Proposed Business Combination, including those under “Risk Factors” and “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” which will be set forth in a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”) to be filed by TGAA and the Company and in TGAA’s other filings with the SEC. Some of these risks and uncertainties may be amplified by future events and there may be additional risks that we consider immaterial or which are unknown. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. TGAA cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. TGAA cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. TGAA does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based . Additional Information and Where to Find It This press release relates to a proposed transaction between the Company and TGAA. This document does not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange, any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act. TGAA and the Company intend to file a registration statement on Form S-4 that will include a proxy statement/prospectus of TGAA. The proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to all TGAA shareholders. TGAA also will file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. Before making any voting decision, investors and security holders of TGAA are urged to read the registration statement, the proxy statement/prospectus and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction as they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and all other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by TGAA through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, the documents filed by TGAA may be obtained free of charge from TGAA’s website at https://tgacquisition1.com/ or by written request to TGAA at: Target Global Acquisition I Corp., PO Box 10176, Governor’s Square 23, Lime Tree Bay Avenue, Grand Cayman KY1-1102, Cayman Islands. Participants in the Solicitation TGAA and the Company and their respective directors and officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from TGAA’s shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction. Information about TGAA’s directors and executive officers and their ownership of TGAA’s securities is set forth in TGAA’s filings with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of those persons and other persons who may be deemed participants in the proposed transaction may be obtained by reading the proxy statement/prospectus regarding the proposed transaction when it becomes available. You may obtain free copies of these documents as described in the preceding paragraph. No Offer or Solicitation This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation to purchase any security of TGAA, VenHub or any of their respective affiliates. No such offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act, or an exemption therefrom. The contents of this press release have not been reviewed by any regulatory authority in any jurisdiction. INVESTMENT IN ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SEC OR ANY OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITY NOR HAS ANY AUTHORITY PASSED UPON OR ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THE OFFERING OR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE. Investor Relations Contact IR@VenHub.com 888-585-4999 Wire Service Contact : IBN Los Angeles, California www.InvestorBrandNetwork.com 310.299.1717 Office Editor@InvestorBrandNetwork.com 1 Grand View Research, “GVR Report cover Convenience Stores Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Cigarettes & Tobacco, Foodservice, Packaged Beverages, Center Store, Low Alcoholic Beverages), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2022 – 2028”, May 2022 2 Based on management estimates. As of September 30, 2024.
The Cleveland Browns made a big move in the offseason to acquire wide receiver Jerry Jeudy from the Denver Broncos. Monday night, Jeudy will get his first chance to play against the team that drafted him in the first round a few years ago. Jeudy has a great chance to have a career-high in yardage this season and currently sits at 645 yards and two touchdowns. Ever since the Browns traded Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills, Jeudy has been able to take off. Recently, Jeudy made an interesting comment about how he is doing something now that he felt he always could. “I feel like I’ve been getting open my whole career,” Jeudy said . “Just sometimes you don’t get that much of an opportunity. Now I’m here and getting open and getting opportunities. So now it’s time to take advantage of them.” I love watching Jerry Jeudy after the catch with the #Browns . It's easy to see that he "wants it" more with Cleveland in almost every aspect of his play so far. #DawgPound #NFL pic.twitter.com/YbyFLV5Dll Jeudy has 3,053 receiving yards over four seasons with the Broncos after being a standout at Alabama. The best season as a pro for Jeudy came in 2022 when he caught 100 passes for 972 yards. Now, Jeudy has a legitimate chance to pass 1,000 yards this season. In the last four games, Jeudy has really come on with games of 142, 85, 79, and 73 yards receiving. With Jameis Winston throwing the ball, players like Jeudy and second-year wideout Cedric Tillman have really been able to flourish a bit. The Broncos thought Jeudy was expendable and not worth a second contract. Cleveland gave him that contract extension and it is starting to look like a good one. Don’t be surprised if Jeudy makes a play or two against the Broncos on Monday night. He will surely be looking too. It isn’t hard to think a player with the talent of Jeudy could have worked well with Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix. Now, the Browns have signed for the foreseeable future. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.