CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela’s government “dramatically intensified” efforts to crush peaceful protest and ramped up its repressive machinery following the country’s presidential election in July, according to a report from a UN fact-finding mission published Tuesday.

Venezuelan authorities acted to dismantle and demobilize the opposition, inhibit the dissemination of independent information and critical opinions, and prevent peaceful protests in a “conscious and deliberate” manner, the report said.

“We are witnessing an intensification of the state’s repressive machinery in response to what it perceives as critical views, opposition or dissent,” said Marta Valinas, chair of the fact-finding mission.

Venezuela’s electoral authorities and top court said President Nicolas Maduro won the elections, without showing all the voting tallies, prompting supporters of opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez to accuse the ruling party of fraud.

The opposition said its own count shows a victory for Gonzalez, who earlier this month requested political asylum in Spain after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Some 25 people were killed amid protests following the election while 2,400 were arrested, according to official spokespeople.

The repressive response to the protests marked a new milestone in the deterioration of the rule of law, according to the fact-finding mission.

“The main public authorities abandoned all semblance of independence and openly deferred to the executive,” the report said.

The report noted that the “repression” of the demonstrations led to a climate of fear among Venezuela’s population and formed a policy to silence and discourage the opposition.

Maduro’s government has blamed the opposition for deaths in the protests and called protesters “extremists” and “fascists.”

According to the fact-finding mission, 24 out of the 25 deaths were caused by gunshot wounds, mostly to the neck.

Arrests under operation “knock knock” – so called to refer to authorities rapping on the doors of opponents or dissidents – affected ordinary citizens in poor neighborhoods, the report said.

Allegations of unobserved “forced disappearances” have increased since 2019, as have reports of cruel treatment and torture, it added.

The United Nations Human Rights Council established the fact-finding mission on Venezuela in 2019, which had its mandate extended until this September.

Sean “Diddy” Combs was recently arrested in New York City. Following a grand jury indictment, the rapper was apprehended by police at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan. While the charges against him are still unclear, Combs was previously under a sex trafficking investigation earlier this year. For more updates about Diddy’s charges, his arrest and the indictment, keep reading.

When Was Diddy Arrested?

Combs was arrested on Monday, September 16. According to NBC News, Diddy wasn’t expecting the arrest in that moment.

Why Was Sean Combs Arrested?

At the time of publication, the grand jury indictment which prompted Diddy’s arrest remains sealed. However, Damian Williams, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, noted that the district is expecting “to move to unseal the indictment in the morning and will have more to say at that time.” Therefore, the charges against Diddy will likely be revealed on Tuesday, September 17.

In response to his client’s arrest, Diddy’s attorney, Marc Agnifilo, released a statement to multiple outlets calling Combs’ arrest an “unjust prosecution” by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Additionally, Agnifilo claimed that Diddy was anticipating the indictment and “voluntarily” moved to New York to wait for it.

“Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is a music icon, self-made entrepreneur, loving family man, and proven philanthropist who has spent the last 30 years building an empire, adoring his children and working to uplift the Black community,” the statement read. “He is an imperfect person, but he is not a criminal. To his credit, Mr. Combs has been nothing but cooperative with this investigation, and he voluntarily relocated to New York last week in anticipation of these charges.”

The attorney concluded the statement by noting, “Please reserve your judgment until you have all the facts. These are the acts of an innocent man with nothing to hide, and he looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

Was Diddy Taken Into Custody in New York?

According to multiple outlets, Diddy was taken into custody by federal agents in New York at the time of his arrest.

Was Diddy Charged With a Crime?

Since the latest grand jury indictment is still sealed, the charges against the rapper are unknown. However, he was previously accused of sexual assault, battery and multiple other allegations by several people, including his ex Cassie Ventura. Though the two settled out of court, a video surfaced earlier this year containing surveillance footage of Diddy beating and dragging Ventura in 2016.

As a result, Diddy shared an Instagram video admitting that his behavior in the footage was “inexcusable.”

“It’s so difficult to reflect on the darkest times in your life, but sometimes you got to do that. I was f**ked up,” Combs confessed. “I mean, I hit rock bottom — but I make no excuses. My behavior on that video is inexcusable. I take full responsibility for my actions in that video. I’m disgusted. I was disgusted then when I did it. I’m disgusted now.”

In March, Homeland Security raided Combs’ Los Angeles and Miami properties. Per NBC News, a source claimed at the time that “three women and a man have been interviewed by federal officials in Manhattan in relation to allegations of sex trafficking, sexual assault and the solicitation and distribution of illegal narcotics and firearms.”

Shortly after the raids took place, Combs’ attorney Aaron Dyer called the investigation an “unprecedented ambush — paired with an advanced, coordinated media presence.”

“There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations,” Dyer added. “Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”

If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.

SAN MATEO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Upstart Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: UPST) today announced the pricing of $375,000,000 aggregate principal amount of Convertible Senior Notes due 2029 (the notes) in a private offering (the offering) to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act). The aggregate principal amount of the offering was increased from the previously announced offering size of $300.0 million. Upstart (NASDAQ:) also granted the initial purchasers of the notes an option to purchase, within a 13-day period beginning on, and including, the date the notes are first issued, up to an additional $56,250,000 aggregate principal amount of the notes. The sale of the notes to the initial purchasers is expected to settle on September 19, 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.

The notes will be senior, unsecured obligations of Upstart. The notes will bear interest at a rate of 2.00% per year. Interest will be payable semi-annually in arrears on April 1 and October 1 of each year, beginning on April 1, 2025. The notes will mature on October 1, 2029, unless earlier redeemed, repurchased, or converted. Upstart may not redeem the notes prior to October 6, 2027. Upstart may redeem for cash all or any portion of the notes, at its option, on or after October 6, 2027, if the last reported sale price of Upstart’s common stock has been at least 130% of the conversion price then in effect for at least 20 trading days (whether or not consecutive) during any 30 consecutive trading day period (including the last trading day of such period) ending on, and including, the trading day immediately preceding the date on which Upstart provides notice of redemption at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. No sinking fund is provided for the notes, which means that Upstart is not required to redeem or retire the notes periodically. Holders of the notes will have the right to require Upstart to repurchase for cash all or a portion of their notes upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture governing the notes) at a purchase price of 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the fundamental change repurchase date.

The notes will be convertible at an initial conversion rate of 21.9029 shares of Upstart’s common stock per $1,000 principal amount of notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $45.66 per share, which represents a conversion premium of approximately 30.0% to the last reported sale price of $35.12 per share of Upstart’s common stock on The Nasdaq Global Select Market on September 16, 2024).

Prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding July 1, 2029, the notes will be convertible at the option of the noteholders only upon the satisfaction of specified conditions and during certain periods. On or after July 1, 2029 until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day preceding the maturity date, the notes will be convertible at the option of the noteholders at any time regardless of these conditions. Conversions of the notes will be settled in cash, shares of Upstart’s common stock, or a combination thereof, at Upstart’s election.

Upstart estimates that the net proceeds from the offering will be approximately $365.9 million (or approximately $420.9 million if the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes in full), after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts and estimated offering expenses payable by Upstart. Upstart intends to use approximately $35.6 million of the net proceeds to pay the cost of the capped call transactions described below. Upstart also intends to use approximately $302.5 million of the net proceeds from the offering for the repurchase of approximately $334.2 million principal amount of its outstanding 0.25% Convertibles Senior Notes due 2026 (the 2026 Notes). Upstart intends to use the remainder of the net proceeds from the offering for general corporate purposes.

In connection with the pricing of the notes, Upstart entered into privately negotiated capped call transactions with certain of the initial purchasers or their respective affiliates and other financial institutions (the option counterparties). The capped call transactions cover, subject to anti-dilution adjustments, the number of shares of common stock underlying the notes sold in the offering. The capped call transactions are expected generally to offset the potential dilution to Upstart’s common stock upon any conversion of notes and/or reduce any cash payments Upstart is required to make in excess of the principal amount of converted notes, as the case may be, with such offset and/or reduction subject to a cap. The cap price of the capped call transactions is initially $70.24 per share, which represents a premium of 100% over the last reported sale price of Upstart’s common stock of $35.12 per share on September 16, 2024 and is subject to certain adjustments under the terms of the capped call transactions. If the initial purchasers exercise their option to purchase additional notes, Upstart expects to use a portion of the net proceeds from the sale of such additional notes to enter into additional capped call transactions with the option counterparties.

Upstart has been advised that, in connection with establishing their initial hedges of the capped call transactions, the option counterparties or their respective affiliates expect to purchase shares of Upstart’s common stock and/or enter into various derivative transactions with respect to Upstart’s common stock concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the notes. This activity could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of Upstart’s common stock or the notes at that time. In addition, Upstart expects that the option counterparties or their respective affiliates may modify their hedge positions by entering into or unwinding various derivatives with respect to Upstart’s common stock and/or purchasing or selling shares of Upstart’s common stock or other securities of Upstart in secondary market transactions following the pricing of the notes and prior to the maturity of the notes (and are likely to do so (x) during the observation period for conversions of notes on or following July 1, 2029, (y) following any conversion of notes prior to July 1, 2029 or in connection with any repurchase or redemption of the notes, to the extent Upstart unwinds a corresponding portion of the capped call transactions, and (z) if Upstart otherwise unwinds all or a portion of the capped call transactions). This activity could also cause or prevent an increase or a decrease in the market price of Upstart’s common stock or the notes, which could affect the ability of noteholders to convert the notes and, to the extent the activity occurs following a conversion or during any observation period related to a conversion of the notes, it could affect the number of shares and value of the consideration that noteholders will receive upon conversion of the notes.

Upstart also expects in connection with the repurchase of a portion of its 2026 Notes, those holders of the 2026 Notes that have agreed to sell their 2026 Notes to Upstart may enter into or unwind various derivatives with respect to Upstart’s common stock (including entering into or unwinding derivatives with one or more of the initial purchasers in this offering or their respective affiliates) and/or purchase shares of Upstart’s common stock concurrently with or shortly after the pricing of the notes. In particular, Upstart expects that many holders of the 2026 Notes employ a convertible arbitrage strategy with respect to the 2026 Notes and have a short position with respect to Upstart’s common stock that they would close out through purchases of Upstart’s common stock and/or the unwinding of various derivatives with respect to Upstart’s common stock, as the case may be, in connection with Upstart’s repurchase of the 2026 Notes. This activity could increase (or reduce the size of any decrease in) the market price of Upstart’s common stock, which may also affect the trading price of the notes at that time, and could result in a higher effective conversion price for the notes.

In connection with the issuance of its 2026 Notes, Upstart entered into capped call transactions (the existing capped call transactions) with certain financial institutions including certain of the initial purchasers or their affiliates (the existing capped call counterparties). In connection with Upstart’s repurchase of a portion of the 2026 Notes as described above, Upstart entered into privately negotiated agreements with the existing capped call counterparties concurrently with the pricing of the notes to terminate a portion of the existing capped call transactions corresponding to the aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Notes repurchased. In connection with the termination of the existing capped call transactions, Upstart expects the existing capped call counterparties or their respective affiliates to sell shares of Upstart’s common stock and/or unwind various derivatives with respect to Upstart’s common stock to unwind their hedge in connection with those transactions. Such activity could decrease, or reduce the size of any increase in, the market price of Upstart’s common stock at that time and could decrease, or reduce the size of any increase in, the market value of the notes at that time.

The notes were only offered to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act by means of a private offering memorandum. Neither the notes nor the shares of Upstart’s common stock potentially issuable upon conversion of the notes, if any, have been, or will be, registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction, and unless so registered, may not be offered or sold in the United States, except pursuant to an applicable exemption from such registration requirements.

This announcement is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation, or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale is unlawful.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240916345242/en/

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Source: Upstart Holdings, Inc.

˜Tis the season for early holiday savings with exciting deals on toys from popular brands like Barbie, Squishmallows, Play-Doh, and Disney; deals on beauty and fashion brands like Clinique, Too Faced, Florence by Mills, Cider, and Aéropostale; and savings on hosting essentials and home décor from premium brands like NEST New York, Lenox, and Lodge

Browse Amazon’s Holiday Shop featuring gift guides and deals from popular brands including Coach, KitchenAid, JBL, and LEGO

Simplify holiday gifting”customers can use Rufus to surface tailored gifting recommendations from across Amazon’s wide selection, helping them find the perfect present for every person on their list

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced Prime Big Deal Days returns October 8-9 to kick off the holiday season with big savings. Starting October 8 at 12:01 a.m. PDT, Prime members can get an exclusive head start on seasonal shopping with up to 40% off winter fashion must-haves like sweaters and puffers from Amazon Essentials; deals on Halloween costumes and accessories for the family starting at $5; and exciting savings on electronics from top brands like Beats, Samsung (KS:), and Fujifilm. Prime Big Deal Days is also a great time to stock up on everyday essentials including batteries, home storage, and pet care from Amazon Basics that offers quality products at exceptional prices. New deals will drop as often as every 5 minutes during select periods throughout the event, so members can shop early and often to discover new deals. Customers who are not yet Prime members can join now or start a free trial at amazon.com/primebigdealdays to unlock access to exclusive savings.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240916634578/en/

We’re gearing up for another exciting holiday shopping season, filled with unbeatable deals on beloved brands, seasonal products, and popular gifts available exclusively for Prime members, says Vice President of Prime Worldwide, Jamil Ghani. Exclusive savings events like Prime Big Deal Days combined with unlimited fast, free delivery of 300+ million products across more than 35 categories year-round put Prime in a class of its own and make membership a better value than ever before. Whether Prime members are hoping to cross items off their gift lists early, looking forward to hosting joyful gatherings, or scoring something special for themselves, Prime Big Deal Days is here for all their holiday needs and more.

Discover the Perfect Gift

Prime members can browse gift guides within the Holiday Shop and explore Amazon’s annual Toys We Love list, featuring the exclusive release of the Amazon Delivery Van Ride-On toy from Radio Flyer, now available for pre-order. The Holiday Shop offers low prices and gifts for everyone on your list, including trending items from top brands across more than 35 categories. Gifting is made easy with Rufus, Amazon’s generative AI-powered conversational shopping assistant”from finding deals to selecting the perfect gift to answering shopping questions, Rufus helps customers make more informed shopping decisions. For extra inspiration, start scrolling Inspire to watch personalized videos featuring deals on items based on your interests, or use Find on Amazon to quickly find items spotted online to secure the perfect gift.

Take Advantage of Early Deals

Shop select deals available now for savings across electronics, groceries, travel, and more. Early savings include:

• New and trending Amazon devices: Save up to 55% on select Amazon devices, including the Blink Outdoor 4 six-camera system, eero mesh wifi systems, 40 Fire TV 2-Series, and Luna gaming controllers, and get our lowest price ever for the Blink Outdoor 4 four-camera system. Additionally, earn up to 10% back on select Amazon device purchases, including Fire Max 11 tablet, Amazon Echo (4th Gen), and 65 Fire TV Omni QLED Series when you pay with your Prime card.
• Deals from small businesses: Shop early deals from small businesses at amazon.com/smallbusinessdeals, including up to 20% off of select products from Tally Tumbler, up to 30% off of select products from Made by Johnny and Bodhi Dog, and up to 48% off of select products from Keranique, and other Black-owned, women-owned, and military-family-owned brands and independent sellers. Today, more than 60% of Amazon’s sales are from independent sellers”most of which are small and medium sized businesses”providing a vast selection of amazing products, competitive prices, and great convenience for customers. Amazon’s incredible product selection that customers love”during Prime Big Deal Days and all-year-round”is only made possible by our partnership with independent sellers.
• Travel adventures: Enjoy 10% off experiences on Viator, up to 40% off on Carnival (NYSE:) cruises, and up to 30% off your Avis rental. Plus earn 10% back when you reserve your rental car on Amazon. (Exclusions apply, see Travel Deals page for details).
• Deals on Amazon Music Unlimited: Customers who haven’t tried Amazon Music Unlimited can listen free, for a limited time. Non-Prime members can get access to three months free, and Prime members can get four months free, with access to more than 100 million songs and top podcasts ad-free, on-demand, and in high-quality streaming audio. In addition, individual customers who subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited can upgrade to a Family Plan with no extra cost for two months. More info can be found at amazon.com/music/unlimited.
• Takeout with Grubhub+: Prime members enjoy a free Grubhub+ membership worth $120 a year, offering all the savings perks of Grubhub+, including $0 delivery fees on eligible orders, lower service fees, 5% credit back on pick-up orders, and exclusive offers. Starting today through October 9, Prime members can get $10 off one Grubhub order over $15 with the code PRIME10 when redeeming the Grubhub+ offer for the first time. The code can be manually entered by Prime members during checkout when shopping Grubhub on Amazon.com (NASDAQ:) or the Amazon Shopping app. Those Prime members who choose to use the Grubhub app can input the code manually at checkout as well. Terms and conditions apply.

Prep Now for Prime Big Deal Days

Learn more about how Prime members can prepare to shop the event, including:

• Sign up for Prime to get a wide range of benefits: Prime keeps getting better, with unlimited, free delivery at Amazon’s fastest speeds ever on a vast selection of products including tens of millions of products with Same-Day or One-Day Delivery, year-round low prices across more than 35 product categories, access to exclusive deal events, and an array of additional entertainment, grocery, healthcare, and food delivery benefits and discounts. Become a Prime member today to save big during Prime Big Deal Days and enjoy benefits year-round.
• Earn more with Prime Visa (NYSE:) and Prime Store Card: Prime members can get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval for Prime Visa (10/2/24-10/31/24) or Prime members can get a $80 Amazon Gift Card instantly upon approval for Prime Store Card (10/3/24-10/9/24). Plus, cardmembers with an eligible Prime membership earn 10% back or more on select deals on Prime Big Deal Days with Prime Card Bonus and 5% back year-round at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, and Whole Foods Market (in-store code required for Prime Store Card)”all with no annual credit card fees.
• Set up personal deal reminders from Alexa: Prime members can set up deal notifications through the Amazon Shopping app for items on their Wish List, in their Cart, or marked Save for Later, and Alexa will keep them up-to-date on the latest savings and upcoming deals.

Prime Big Deal Days Around the World

Prime Big Deal Days will kick off on October 8 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, the U.K., the U.S., and for the first time, Turkey. Prime members in Japan can shop on Prime Big Deal Days later in October.

Enjoy Fast, Free Delivery All Year Long with Prime

U.S. Prime members can enjoy more than 300 million items available with free Prime shipping and tens of millions of the most popular items available with free Same-Day or One-Day Delivery, which is currently available in more than 120 U.S. metro areas. Prime members can use Amazon Day to select a designated day of the week to conveniently receive their packages “ which is a great way to combine multiple orders into fewer deliveries. In 2024, Amazon Day has, on average, used 20% fewer boxes and resulted in lower carbon emissions compared to other Amazon delivery options. Customers will also have the added convenience of being able to choose how and where those items arrive”whether at home, work, or places you frequent with Amazon’s network of more than 25,000 package pick-up locations.

About Prime

Prime is savings, convenience, and entertainment in one single membership. More than 200 million paid Prime members around the world enjoy access to Amazon’s enormous selection, exceptional value, and fast delivery. In the U.S., we offer more than 300 million items with free Prime shipping, including tens of millions of the most popular products available with Same-Day or One-Day Delivery. Anyone can join Prime for $14.99 per month or $139 per year, or start a free 30-day trial if eligible at amazon.com/prime. Additionally, young adults ages 18-24 and college students can try Prime for Young Adults with a six-month trial at amazon.com/joinstudent, then just pay $7.49 per month, or $69 per year. Qualifying government assistance recipients can get Prime Access for $6.99 per month at amazon.com/getprimeaccess. For more information about Prime, including discounted memberships, visit aboutamazon.com/prime.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240916634578/en/

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