New York: Twitter Inc. suspended the $8 subscription program it launched earlier this week to combat a growing problem of users impersonating major brands, a person familiar with the move said.
As per the media reports, existing subscribers will still have access to their account, said the person who asked not to be identified because the information is private.
The company has also reinstated “official” badges for high-profile accounts, with the gray badge reappearing below the profiles of businesses and major media outlets Friday based on an internal approved list, according to the person. The identification marker was rolled out earlier this week before being scrapped.
Twitter is struggling with impostor accounts since the company allowed paying subscribers to get verified blue check marks. One account claiming to be Nintendo Inc. posted an image of Super Mario holding up a middle finger, while another posing as pharma giant Eli Lilly & Co. tweeted that insulin was now free — forcing the company to issue an apology. A purported Tesla Inc. account joked about the carmaker’s safety record.
“To combat impersonation, we’ve added an ‘Official’ label to some accounts,” Twitter Support tweeted on Friday.
Elon Musk tweeted the same day that all accounts engaged in parody must include “parody” in their name.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India asked the Centre to provide details of those medical students of Ukraine who availed its academic mobility programme under which they could complete their courses in Universities or Colleges of other countries.
The Centre said it cannot accommodate the medical students studying in Universities of Ukraine, who have returned to the country due to war there, in Indian Medical Institutes or Universities as it “would disrupt the entire medical education system” here.
A bench of justices Aniruddha Bose and Vikram Nath on Friday asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, to file an affidavit specifying the details of the number of medical students who have been accommodated in third countries and how the scheme was progressing.
The top court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by undergraduate medical students of first to fourth-year batches in their respective foreign medical colleges/universities. These students are primarily seeking transfer to medical colleges in India in their respective semesters.

SHIMLA: From Shimla to the icy heights of Spiti, people across Himachal Pradesh voted on Saturday to elect a new state government. It is a crucial test for the BJP hoping to beat precedent and return to power as well as for the Congress looking for electoral revival.

Voting began at 8 am on a slow note but picked up as the day progressed and the sun warmed the winter chill. By 1 pm, 37.19 per cent of the electorate had voted, the Election Commission said.

Polling will continue till 5 pm in all 68 assembly constituencies.

The highest polling of 41.89 per cent till 1 pm was recorded in Sirmour district, followed by 41.17 per cent in Mandi, Chief Minister Jairam Thakur’s home district. The high altitude district of Lahaul and Spiti recorded 21.95 per cent.

As voting got under way, people could be seen basking in the sun as they waited for their turn, and some, in the higher reaches of the mountains, trudging through snow to reach polling stations

Dubai [UAE], Nov 12: BCCI Secretary Jay Shah will add another feather to his cap as he is slated to head the influential Finance and Commercial Affairs committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The international cricket governing body’s Finance & Commercial Affairs committee decides budget allocations for ICC events and looks after the distribution of money to member countries from the overall revenue pool.
More than a week prior to this weekend’s ICC Board meetings in Melbourne, the BCCI team, led by Jay Shah and IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, arrived in Australia. As the BCCI representative (BCCI president from 2019 to October) on the ICC Board, Shah took the seat of former India captain Sourav Ganguly.
Dhumal will be a member of the chief executives’ committee. More significantly, Shah will also be a member of the F&CA and is prepared to succeed Ross McCollum, the former chair of Cricket Ireland, who will be retiring soon, as chair of the committee at its next meeting in March 2023 as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
The ICC board unanimously re-elected Greg Barclay as the Independent Chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC) for a second two-year term as announced by the International cricket governing body on Saturday.
Barclay was unopposed following the withdrawal of Tavengwa Mukuhlani from the process, and the Board reaffirmed its full support of him to continue as Chair for a further two years.
Former Indian cricketer Roger Binny was elected as the 36th President of the Indian cricket body, BCCI, replacing Sourav Ganguly earlier in October after the 91st Annual General Meeting of the BCCI.
Notably, Binny was the only candidate to have filed a nomination for the top post and ended Sourav Ganguly’s stint as BCCI President after three long years.
Jay Shah continued to serve as the BCCI Secretary. Ashish Shelar was appointed as BCCI Treasurer. Rajeev Shukla was declared as the vice president, whereas Devajit Saikia was chosen as the joint secretary. Arun Dhumal was appointed as the IPL Chairman. (Agencies)

SRINAGAR, Nov 12: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday accused the BJP of subverting the Election Commission to an extent that it was no more an independent body.
She alleged that the Election Commission has become “an extension” of the BJP. “It will do whatever the BJP tells it to do.”
“Election commission has been subverted to an extent that it is no more the independent body of which the country was proud. Our election commissioners were invited by other countries to seek expert advice on conducting elections,” Mufti told reporters in Khiram area of Anantnag district.
She said the Election Commission has failed to act against the BJP even though the ruling party has violated the laws.
“In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP leadership campaigned for polls on religious basis. Muslims are being threatened openly but election commission remains a silent spectator,” the PDP leader said.
The former chief minister said election in Jammu and Kashmir will be held only when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gives a go ahead for it.
“How can I say when elections will be held in Jammu and Kashmir? That will be decided by the Election Commission and the commission will announce elections when the BJP says so,” she said.
On the issue of governance, Mufti said the present government was bent upon reversing everything.
“Look at our Kashmiri Pandits who are camping in Jammu for several months now. They are demanding that they be relocated to Jammu till the situation improves in Kashmir. But the government is sometimes stopping their salaries and sometimes stopping their ration,” she said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president claimed that the BJP was only exploiting the pain of Kashmiri Pandits to garner votes in elections.
“They are not bothered about anyone, be it Kashmiri Pandits or anyone else. They only want to win elections,” she added. (Agencies)

NEW DELHI, Nov 12: The Modi Government is adopting a zero tolerance policy towards the terrorism and will convey to the international community India’s determination in its fight against the menace.
The Union Home Ministry said the Government of India is organising the 3rd Ministerial ‘No Money for Terror’ (NMFT) conference on November 18 and 19 in New Delhi where representatives of 75 countries and international bodies will participate in the deliberations over two days.
Hosting of the NMFT conference shows the importance being given by the Modi Government to the issue of international terrorism as well as its zero tolerance policy against the menace and having discussions on this issue in the international community, a home ministry statement said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be participating in the conference and will convey India’s determination in its fight against terrorism as well as its support systems for achieving success against it.
The conference aims to progress the discussions on combating terrorist financing held by the international community in the previous two Conferences in Paris (2018) and Melbourne (2019), the statement said.
It also intends to include discussions on technical, legal, regulatory and cooperation aspects of all facets of terrorism financing.
It attempts to also set the pace for other high level official and political deliberations, focused on countering terrorist financing.
Globally, countries have been affected by terrorism and militancy for several years. The pattern of violence differs in most theatres, but is largely engendered by a tumultuous geo-political environment, coupled with prolonged armed sectarian conflicts, the statement said.
Such conflicts often lead to poor governance, political instability, economic deprivation and large ungoverned spaces. The involvement of a compliant state often exacerbates terrorism, especially its financing.
India has suffered several forms of terrorism and its financing over more than three decades, hence it understands the pain and trauma of similarly impacted nations, the statement said.
In order to display solidarity with peace-loving nations and to help create a bridge for sustained cooperation on countering terrorist financing, India was host to two global events in October – the annual General Assembly of the Interpol in Delhi and a special session of the UN Counter Terrorism Committee in Mumbai and Delhi. The forthcoming NMFT conference will further India’s efforts to build understanding and cooperation amongst nations, it said.
Discussions at the 3rd ‘No Money For Terror’ conference will be focussed on global trends in terrorism and terrorist financing, use of formal and informal channels of funds for terrorism, emerging technologies and terrorist financing and requisite international co-operation to address related challenges, the statement said. (Agencies)

As polling for the Assembly elections begins in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday to elect a new government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to the voters in Himachal Pradesh to participate in the election process in the state. In a tweet, the Prime Minister also greeted the young voters who will be voting for the first time today.

“Today is the polling day for all the assembly seats in Himachal Pradesh. I request all the voters of Devbhoomi to participate with full enthusiasm in this festival of democracy and create a new record of voting,” tweeted PM Modi in Hindi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also urged the voters of Himachal Pradesh to elect a “strong government” by voting in large numbers.

“Only a strong and corruption-free government can fulfill the aspirations of the people of Devbhoomi by keeping Himachal Pradesh at the forefront of development. I appeal to all the voters of Himachal, especially mothers, sisters and youth, to vote in maximum numbers and elect a strong government for the golden tomorrow of the state,” Shah said in a tweet in Hindi.