Elon Musk says X to launch premium subscription models

Microblogging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is to launch two new subscription models, as billionaire owner Elon Musk seeks to tackle fake accounts and diversify revenue sources.

But the company did not disclose the subscription rates and timetable for the launch of the models.

“Two new tiers of X premium subscriptions launching soon. One is lower cost with all features, but no reduction in ads, and the other is more expensive, but has no ads,” Mr Musk wrote in a post on the platform on Friday.

X’s website and app are currently accessible to all users free of charge, with the option for some members to subscribe to the X Premium service at a cost of $8 a month.

The premium service provides users with benefits including prioritised post visibility and a verified blue check mark on their profiles.

Mr Musk said previously that introducing a fee for using the platform would deter people from creating fraudulent or automated accounts for disseminating misinformation, propaganda and scams.

The majority of social networks offer free access to users. In exchange, the platforms collect substantial amounts of user data, which they use for advertising purposes.

Mr Musk bought Twitter for about $44 billion in October 2022. He immediately announced several major changes to the platform and laid off thousands of staff.

It is not the first time he has floated the idea of putting the social network behind a paywall.

The Platformer technology website reported in November 2022 that he considered introducing paid subscriptions for using Twitter.

In September, Mr Musk said users may soon be required to pay a “small” fee for the platform. X is “moving to having a small, monthly payment for use of the X system", Mr Musk said during a live broadcast of a discussion with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mr Musk has been bringing in changes at X to boost revenue after the platform's advertising income dropped last year.

In April, the platform said it would take a 10 per cent cut on content subscriptions after the first year. Users are able to offer their followers subscriptions to content, including long-form text and hours-long video.

The Florida Project

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Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe

Four stars

England's Ashes squad

Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.

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1987

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Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie

Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)

Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.

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Other workplace saving schemes

The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
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Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.

Profile of Udrive

Date started: March 2016

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With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
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A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.

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Did you know?

Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.

Jetour T1 specs

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Packages which the US Secret Service said contained possible explosive devices were sent to:

Former first lady Hillary Clinton
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Philanthropist and businessman George Soros
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Former Attorney General Eric Holder (delivered to former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz)
California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (two devices)