World Biz
Musk says $8 monthly fee for Twitter blue tick
Elon Musk has said Twitter is to charge $8 (£7) monthly to Twitter users who want a blue tick by their name indicating a verified account or page.
As part of changes after a $44bn (£38bn) takeover of the social media site, Elon Musk said it was “essential to defeat spam/scam”.
A blue tick mark next to a username – normally for high-profile figures – is currently free.
The move could make it difficult to identify reliable sources, say critics.
Elon Musk added that paid users would have priority in replies and searches, and half as many advertisements.
“Power to the people! Blue for $8/month,” the billionaire said on Twitter, criticizing the old method of blue tick verification as a “lords and peasants system”.
Twitter’s former method of verifying users for a blue tick included a short online application form and was reserved for those whose identities were targets for impersonation, such as celebrities, politicians and journalists.
The company introduced the system in 2009 after it faced a lawsuit accusing it of not doing enough to prevent imposter accounts.
Hence Musk is facing a hefty challenge as he works to overhaul Twitter’s business, which has not posted a profit in years.
He has said he wants to reduce Twitter’s reliance on advertising, even as some companies have grown concerned about advertising on the site under his leadership.
In the meantime, some other major brands have more quietly put a temporary halt to advertising on the platform as they wait to see how Musk’s changes play out, a media buyer for a leading advertising firm told the international news media.
On Monday, 31st October, one of the world’s biggest advertising companies, IPG, advised its clients to suspend Twitter adverts for a week, citing a need for more clarity on Twitter’s plans to ensure “trust and safety” on the platform. IPG is given billions of pounds per year, by some of the world’s biggest brands, to handle their marketing budgets.
The charge for blue tick privileges drew skepticism after original reports that said the charge could be $20 (£18) monthly.
Many on the platform echoed the statement of author Stephen King, who wrote in response to reports of changes that instead Twitter “should pay me”.
Elon Musk wrote to Stephen King saying, “We need to pay the bills somehow!”
South Asian Bourse or Stock Markets saw growth last week. Among them, the hike was in the stock markets of India and Pakistan.
A review of South Asian markets shows that India’s Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) index BSE Sensex has hiked 1,464 points during the week. At the end of the week, the index stood at 58,991 points. On the other hand, the Nifty-50 index of the country’s National Stock Exchange rose by 414 points last week. At the end of the week, the index stood at 17,359 points.
Pakistan Stock Exchange Index ‘KSE 100’ earned 58 points last week. After a week of gaining, the index settled at 40,000 points.
On the hand The Sri Lankan stock market hiked, the Colombo Stock Exchange index ‘ASPI’ lost 118 points in a week. After a week the index settled at 9,301 points.
Bhutan’s stock market index ‘BSI’ hiked by 68 point and the index stood at 1,195 points throughout the whole week. Nepal’s ‘NEPSE’ lost 7 points last week, as the index stands at 1,908 points.
At least 20 Umrah pilgrims were killed and 29 injured in a horrific bus crash southwest of Saudi Arabia, according to Gulf News reports.
The passenger bus crashed into a bridge on Monday, overturned, and caught fire, killing 20 and injuring 29.
According to Saudi media, the accident occurred around 4pm on the 14 km-long Aqabat Shaar road in the Asir province, as the bus was traveling from Khamis Mushayt to Abha.
The road, according to Saudi Press Agency, cuts through mountains, and has 11 tunnels and 32 bridges. When the bus was making its way down a bridge it underwent a brake failure, which caused it to crash into a barrier at the end of the bridge, overturn and catch fire. About 29 other people were also injured in the accident, according to reports.
The Saudi civil defense and Red Crescent Authority teams rushed to the site of the accident and cordoned off the area.
The deceased and the injured have reportedly been transferred to nearby hospitals.
Greeting Bangladesh, the United Nations on Sunday (26th March) said Bangladesh has many accomplishments — extraordinary economic development, a significant cultural legacy, leadership on a global stage for climate-vulnerable countries, and immense generosity in welcoming and hosting nearly a million Rohingya refugees.
“The hospitality of Bangladesh’s diverse people is just one of the many facets of a country that my colleagues and I have been fortunate to experience every day,” UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis said in a press statement on the occasion of the country’s Independence Day.
“On behalf of the United Nations, I warmly congratulate the people of Bangladesh on the 52nd anniversary of independence,” she said.
Over the last 52 years, Bangladesh has made impressive and remarkable achievements: evolving from a war-torn country to one of the leading economic powers in South Asia, standing at the threshold of upcoming graduation from least developed countries (LDCs) in 2026, and planned achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDG) by 2030, she said.
The UN fully supports Bangladesh’s commitments to economic and sustainable development and appreciates the strong and long-lasting relationship with Bangladesh and our shared values.
The constitution of the country, which was adopted even before Bangladesh had formally become a member of the United Nations in 1974, guarantees fundamental human rights. The right to freedom of speech, religion, movement and assembly, the right to speak one’s own language and other rights that are in line with the UN charter, said the UNRC.
“Wishing you all a Happy Independence Day!” — she concluded.
