Tesla's founder and CEO, Elon Musk, has appointed Tesla China's head Tom Zhu to take charge of all operations in North America and Europe on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Zhu retains his current responsibilities while he takes charge as Tesla's most senior sales executive in the rest of Asia, Reuters news agency reported. His new duty to monitor deliveries in all markets and manage the production for the electric car manufacturer makes him the highest-profile executive at Tesla after Elon Musk.&nbsp;

Managers in China, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand will continue to report to Zhu. His promotion to a global role comes when Twitter acquisition&nbsp;preoccupy Musk, and Tesla is readying the launch of Cybertruck. Tesla's analysts and investors have encouraged decisions that enhance the senior executive bench and divert Musk's attention towards Tesla.

Also Read|&nbsp;<a href="www.wionews.com/business-economy/tesla-delivers-record-number-of-cars-in-q4-but-falls-short-of-wall-street-expectations-548892">Tesla delivers record number of cars in Q4 but falls short of Wall Street expectations</a>

Although born in China, Zhu has a New Zealand passport. He joined Tesla in 2014 after serving as a project manager at a company set by his MBA classmates at Duke University.

Zhu is known for his 'no-fuss' leadership style. He lives in an apartment 10 minutes away from the Shanghai Gigafactory. However, he has not made it clear whether or not he will move for the promotion.&nbsp;

During Shanghai's two-month COVID-19 lockdown, Zhu and his few other colleagues slept in the factory to keep things running, his colleagues said. Tesla's Shanghai plant's revival under him after the lockdown due to COVID-19 has been one of his most remarkable accomplishments.&nbsp;

Watch|&nbsp;World Business Watch: India proposes self-regulatory body for online gaming industry

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In December, Tesla celebrated the production landmark for its Model Y at its Austin, Texas, plant. They also tweeted a picture on their Twitter handles showing Zhu smiling alongside his workers on the floor.&nbsp;

In November, James Murdoch, Tesla's board member, mentioned that the company pinpointed a successor for Elon Musk without naming the person.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Tesla's founder and CEO, Elon Musk, has appointed Tesla China's head Tom Zhu to take charge of all operations in North America and Europe on Tuesday. Zhu retains his current responsibilities while he takes charge as Tesla's most senior sales executive in the rest of Asia, Reuters news agency reported.

Tesla's founder and CEO, Elon Musk, has appointed Tesla China's head Tom Zhu to take charge of all operations in North America and Europe on Tuesday. Zhu retains his current responsibilities while he takes charge as Tesla's most senior sales executive in the rest of Asia, Reuters news agency reported. His new duty to monitor deliveries in all markets and manage the production for the electric car manufacturer makes him the highest-profile executive at Tesla after Elon Musk. Managers in China, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand will continue to report to Zhu. His promotion to a global role comes when Twitter acquisition preoccupy Musk, and Tesla is readying the launch of Cybertruck. Tesla's analysts and investors have encouraged decisions that enhance the senior executive bench and divert Musk's attention towards Tesla. Also Read| Tesla delivers record number of cars in Q4 but falls short of Wall Street expectations Although born in China, Zhu has a New Zealand passport. He joined Tesla in 2014 after serving as a project manager at a company set by his MBA classmates at Duke University. Zhu is known for his 'no-fuss' leadership style. He lives in an apartment 10 minutes away from the Shanghai Gigafactory. However, he has not made it clear whether or not he will move for the promotion. During Shanghai's two-month COVID-19 lockdown, Zhu and his few other colleagues slept in the factory to keep things running, his colleagues said. Tesla's Shanghai plant's revival under him after the lockdown due to COVID-19 has been one of his most remarkable accomplishments. Watch| World Business Watch: India proposes self-regulatory body for online gaming industry In December, Tesla celebrated the production landmark for its Model Y at its Austin, Texas, plant. They also tweeted a picture on their Twitter handles showing Zhu smiling alongside his workers on the floor. In November, James Murdoch, Tesla's board member, mentioned that the company pinpointed a successor for Elon Musk without naming the person. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Tesla's China head elevated to global role, takes charge of sales operations in North America

Twitter is in the news again, and not for the right reasons. Bloomberg has reported that the social media giant, now owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has been sued for not paying rent for its office space in San Francisco.&nbsp;The landlord, Columbia Reit - 650 California LLC, has said that a notice had been sent to Twitter on December 16, issuing a warning that the company was in danger of defaulting on the lease. Twitter has rented office space on 30th floor in Hartford Building.&nbsp;

Columbia Reit has now told a San Francisco court that the tenant Twitter has failed to make the payment.

The New York Times reported on December 13 that Twitter has failed to pay rent for its headquarters and few other global offices for weeks. Twitter has recently attracted lawsuit for not making payment for two chartered flights.

Twitter has been in the news ever since its takeover by Elon Musk. First, it was the mass layoff in which nearly half of company's workforce, including the top management, was fired. The platform faced several outages since. Many perceive that Musk has struggled to manage Twitter.

Investors in Tesla and SpaceX, two other companies headed by Elon Musk, have voiced concerns that Musk's attention to Twitter has caused him to 'neglect' companies which made him the icon he is today.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Twitter is in the news again, and not for the right reasons. Bloomberg has reported that the social media giant, now owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has been sued for not paying rent for its office space in San Francisco.

Twitter is in the news again, and not for the right reasons. Bloomberg has reported that the social media giant, now owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has been sued for not paying rent for its office space in San Francisco. The landlord, Columbia Reit - 650 California LLC, has said that a notice had been sent to Twitter on December 16, issuing a warning that the company was in danger of defaulting on the lease. Twitter has rented office space on 30th floor in Hartford Building. Columbia Reit has now told a San Francisco court that the tenant Twitter has failed to make the payment. The New York Times reported on December 13 that Twitter has failed to pay rent for its headquarters and few other global offices for weeks. Twitter has recently attracted lawsuit for not making payment for two chartered flights. Twitter has been in the news ever since its takeover by Elon Musk. First, it was the mass layoff in which nearly half of company's workforce, including the top management, was fired. The platform faced several outages since. Many perceive that Musk has struggled to manage Twitter. Investors in Tesla and SpaceX, two other companies headed by Elon Musk, have voiced concerns that Musk's attention to Twitter has caused him to 'neglect' companies which made him the icon he is today. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Twitter sued for failure to pay rent of San Francisco office, may default on lease: Report

It was a year of many ups and downs for Elon Musk. Apart from being the Tesla Chief and the Twitter CEO, the man has been in the news throughout 2022 and now he's become the first person in history to lose 200 billion dollars.

US: Elon Musk loses $200 billion in a year, entered 2022 with $340 billion

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, became the first person in human history to lose $200 billion from his net worth, as per the Bloomberg Billionaire index. Amid the Covid crisis in China, the country's manufacturing activity saw a sharp decline for the third successive month, said China's National Bureau of Statistics. Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is facing a sexual assault lawsuit. Former US President Donald Trump wanted to trademark the phrase 'Rigged Election!' days after he lost the 2020 election, according to Jared Kushner's testimony to the House select committee that released a damning report earlier this month. The House Ways and Means Committee released redacted his last six years' tax returns on Friday.

<a href="www.wionews.com/business-economy/elon-musk-first-person-in-human-history-to-lose-200-billion-548224">Elon Musk first person in human history to lose $200 billion</a>

<a href="www.wionews.com/business-economy/elon-musk-first-person-in-human-history-to-lose-200-billion-548224"><img alt="Elon Musk" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="61a06556-e762-43b3-8b03-55231b5f5461" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/322221-untitled-design-99.jpg" /></a> 
 
After Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Musk was the second person with more than $200 billion of "personal fortune", a figure he achieved in January 2021.&nbsp;Elon Musk's wealth plummeted to $137 billion after Tesla shares declined in recent weeks. This includes a massive 11 per cent fall in Tesla shares on December 27.&nbsp;

Musk's fortune topped at $340 billion in November 2021. Following this, he was the world's richest person for consecutive months till more than a year. He was then overtaken this month by Bernard Arnault, the French business magnate and co-founder of luxury goods powerhouse LVMH. 
 
<a href="www.wionews.com/world/chinas-manufacturing-activity-plunges-steeply-in-december-amid-covid-crisis-548226">China's manufacturing activity plunges steeply in December amid Covid crisis</a>

<a href="www.wionews.com/world/chinas-manufacturing-activity-plunges-steeply-in-december-amid-covid-crisis-548226"><img alt="China's Covid crisis" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="03f6a17f-199e-4bd2-a28f-e82ce0e4fece" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/china.png" /></a> 
 
<a>The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) recorded in December 2022 was down to 47, compared to 48 recorded in the previous month. China marked the downfall for the third month in a row. China's sudden relaxation on its zero-Covid policy, followed by the rapid spread of COVID-19, has hurt the nation's overall production. The PMI is a fundamental measure in the world's second-biggest economy, and a recording below 50 indicates a downturn in factory activities. NBS obtains the PMI from a survey of large-scale and state-owned companies.&nbsp;</a>

<a href="www.wionews.com/world/after-election-defeat-donald-trump-wanted-to-trademark-the-phrase-rigged-election-house-panel-548218">After election defeat, Donald Trump wanted to trademark the phrase ‘Rigged Election!’: House panel</a>

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The committee released a transcript of Kushner's interview where White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino wrote an email to Trump's son-in-law and former adviser, forwarding the then president's request.&nbsp;

“Hey Jared! POTUS wants to trademark/own rights to below, I don’t know who to see – or ask…I don’t know who to take to,” read the email by Scavino with “Save America PAC!” and “Rigged Election!” written in bold.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="www.wionews.com/entertainment/aerosmith-lead-vocalist-steven-tyler-accused-of-sexual-assault-of-minor-548216">Aerosmith lead vocalist Steven Tyler accused of sexual assault of minor</a>

<img alt="Steven Tyler" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1193bf08-cb4b-4e94-be6c-f364319cec7e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/FlMZvBxXoAEX-6V.jpg" />

A woman who has previously said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/aerosmith-singer-steven-tyler-doing-amazing-well-after-leaving-rehab-493997">Steven Tyler&nbsp;</a>had an illicit sexual relationship with her when she was a teenager is now suing the Aerosmith frontman for sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.&nbsp;The lawsuit brought by Julia Misley was filed Tuesday under a 2019 California law that gave adult victims of childhood sexual assault a three-year window to file lawsuits for decades-old instances of assault. Saturday is the deadline to file such claims.

Watch|&nbsp;North Korea fires three ballistic missiles, Japan Coast Guard confirms firing of missiles

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&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, became the first person in human history to lose $200 billion from his net worth, as per the Bloomberg Billionaire index.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, became the first person in human history to lose $200 billion from his net worth, as per the Bloomberg Billionaire index. Amid the Covid crisis in China, the country's manufacturing activity saw a sharp decline for the third successive month, said China's National Bureau of Statistics. Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is facing a sexual assault lawsuit. Former US President Donald Trump wanted to trademark the phrase 'Rigged Election!' days after he lost the 2020 election, according to Jared Kushner's testimony to the House select committee that released a damning report earlier this month. The House Ways and Means Committee released redacted his last six years' tax returns on Friday. Elon Musk first person in human history to lose $200 billion After Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Musk was the second person with more than $200 billion of "personal fortune", a figure he achieved in January 2021. Elon Musk's wealth plummeted to $137 billion after Tesla shares declined in recent weeks. This includes a massive 11 per cent fall in Tesla shares on December 27. Musk's fortune topped at $340 billion in November 2021. Following this, he was the world's richest person for consecutive months till more than a year. He was then overtaken this month by Bernard Arnault, the French business magnate and co-founder of luxury goods powerhouse LVMH. China's manufacturing activity plunges steeply in December amid Covid crisis The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) recorded in December 2022 was down to 47, compared to 48 recorded in the previous month. China marked the downfall for the third month in a row. China's sudden relaxation on its zero-Covid policy, followed by the rapid spread of COVID-19, has hurt the nation's overall production. The PMI is a fundamental measure in the world's second-biggest economy, and a recording below 50 indicates a downturn in factory activities. NBS obtains the PMI from a survey of large-scale and state-owned companies. After election defeat, Donald Trump wanted to trademark the phrase ‘Rigged Election!’: House panel The committee released a transcript of Kushner's interview where White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino wrote an email to Trump's son-in-law and former adviser, forwarding the then president's request. “Hey Jared! POTUS wants to trademark/own rights to below, I don’t know who to see – or ask…I don’t know who to take to,” read the email by Scavino with “Save America PAC!” and “Rigged Election!” written in bold. Aerosmith lead vocalist Steven Tyler accused of sexual assault of minor A woman who has previously said Steven Tyler had an illicit sexual relationship with her when she was a teenager is now suing the Aerosmith frontman for sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit brought by Julia Misley was filed Tuesday under a 2019 California law that gave adult victims of childhood sexual assault a three-year window to file lawsuits for decades-old instances of assault. Saturday is the deadline to file such claims. Watch| North Korea fires three ballistic missiles, Japan Coast Guard confirms firing of missiles

Morning Brief: Elon Musk loses $200 billion, China's factory activity declines, and more

Elon Musk became the only person in human history to lose $200 billion from net worth, Bloomberg Billionaire Index showed. After Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Musk was the second person with more than $200 billion of "personal fortune", a figure he achieved in January 2021.&nbsp;

What exactly has led to decline in Musk's wealth?

Elon Musk's wealth plummeted to $137 billion after Tesla shares declined in recent weeks. This includes a massive 11 per cent fall in Tesla shares on December 27.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-elon-musk-buys-twitter-529238">Explained: The future of Twitter under Elon Musk</a>

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Tesla is now offering consumers in the United States a $7,500 discount for its two highest-volume models before year-end. It has also reportedly reduced production at its Shanghai plant.

Musk's fortune topped at $340 billion in November 2021. Following this, he was the world's richest person for more than a year at a stretch. He was then overtaken this month by Bernard Arnault, the French business magnate and co-founder of luxury goods powerhouse LVMH.&nbsp;

The Twitter effect

Musk acquired the social media platform for $44 billion in late October. To help cover his Twitter purchase, Musk sold his significant stake in Tesla and as a result&nbsp;the electric carmaker is no longer his biggest asset.

Musk's declining wealth and raised interest rates

Elon Musk has repeatedly taken to Twitter to take on the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates at the fastest pace in decades.&nbsp;

"Tesla is executing better than ever!" Musk wrote on Twitter on December 16. "We don’t control the Federal Reserve. That is the real problem here."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-is-neglecting-tesla-says-analyst-543528">Elon Musk is 'neglecting Tesla,' says analyst</a>&nbsp;

A report in Bloomberg cited a recent Elon Musk appearance in a podcast in which the billionaire business magnate is heard warning against the dangers of borrowed money during a volatile market phase.&nbsp;

"I would really advise people not to have margin debt in a volatile stock market and you know, from a cash standpoint, keep the powder dry," Musk is cited to have said in the All-In podcast released this month. "You can get some pretty extreme things happening in a down market."

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Elon Musk became the only person in human history to lose $200 billion from net worth, Bloomberg Billionaire Index showed. After Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Musk was the second person with more than $200 billion of "personal fortune", a figure he achieved in January 2021.

Elon Musk became the only person in human history to lose $200 billion from net worth, Bloomberg Billionaire Index showed. After Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Musk was the second person with more than $200 billion of "personal fortune", a figure he achieved in January 2021. What exactly has led to decline in Musk's wealth? Elon Musk's wealth plummeted to $137 billion after Tesla shares declined in recent weeks. This includes a massive 11 per cent fall in Tesla shares on December 27. WATCH | Explained: The future of Twitter under Elon Musk × Tesla is now offering consumers in the United States a $7,500 discount for its two highest-volume models before year-end. It has also reportedly reduced production at its Shanghai plant. Musk's fortune topped at $340 billion in November 2021. Following this, he was the world's richest person for more than a year at a stretch. He was then overtaken this month by Bernard Arnault, the French business magnate and co-founder of luxury goods powerhouse LVMH. The Twitter effect Musk acquired the social media platform for $44 billion in late October. To help cover his Twitter purchase, Musk sold his significant stake in Tesla and as a result the electric carmaker is no longer his biggest asset. Musk's declining wealth and raised interest rates Elon Musk has repeatedly taken to Twitter to take on the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates at the fastest pace in decades. "Tesla is executing better than ever!" Musk wrote on Twitter on December 16. "We don’t control the Federal Reserve. That is the real problem here." ALSO READ | Elon Musk is 'neglecting Tesla,' says analyst A report in Bloomberg cited a recent Elon Musk appearance in a podcast in which the billionaire business magnate is heard warning against the dangers of borrowed money during a volatile market phase. "I would really advise people not to have margin debt in a volatile stock market and you know, from a cash standpoint, keep the powder dry," Musk is cited to have said in the All-In podcast released this month. "You can get some pretty extreme things happening in a down market." WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Elon Musk becomes first person in history to lose $200 billion in net worth

In the age of social media, it doesn’t take much to make it to the headlines. Still, in 2022 there were some who made it to the top of the news. Watch the Newsmakers of 2022.

2022 Yearender: From Elon Musk to Mahsa Amini, these were Newsmakers of the year 2022

In this special edition of Tech It Out, we tell you about controversies and scandals that dominated the tech industry in 2022 and how India made great strides in key science and tech areas.

2022 in tech: Crypto collapse to Twitter-Musk saga | Tech It Out Rewind

Tesla stocks have fallen by 73% since November 2021. Investors of the electronic carmaker are now questioning Musk's focus, as he seems preoccupied with Twitter. Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: Tesla's worst year on the stock market

From boom to bust: How billionaires experienced wealth shrink in 2022

Twitter CEO Elon Musk claims that the U.S. government had paid the platform to censor information. What happens when a democracy starts behaving like a dictatorship? Listen in to Molly Gambhir.

Gravitas: Musk: U.S. government paid Twitter to censor information

Tesla's stock is losing value day after day. Its boss Tesla's Chief Executive Elon Musk addressed employees telling them that they should not be bothered by the stock market's craziness.

World Business Watch: Tesla's stock losing value with a fall of nearly 70% this year

Twitter's new owner Elon Musk reacted to former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's 'humble contribution' to the flurry of predictions related to all 'what can happen in 2023' that included a prediction on Musk's fate in&nbsp;the "presidential election in a number of states" in the US.

While Musk initially found the Russian leader's Twitter thread 'epic', after over four hours, Musk extended his argument by saying that the 2023 anticipations put forth by Medvedev were the 'most absurd predictions' he ever heard.&nbsp;

What did Dmitry Medvedev predict for 2023?

On Tuesday, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev predicted that oil prices "will rise to $150 a barrel and gas price will top $5,000 per 1,000 cubic meters", and that "the UK will rejoin the EU". Medvedev went on to predict territorial realignment in Europe to the crash of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.&nbsp;

WATCH | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/reports-elon-musk-speak-to-vladimir-putin-before-floating-peace-deal-on-russia-ukraine-war-524616">Reports: Elon Musk speak to Vladimir Putin before floating 'peace deal' on Russia-Ukraine war</a>

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"Poland and Hungary will occupy western regions of the formerly existing Ukraine," Medvedev predicted, adding that "The Fourth Reich will be created encompassing Germany and its satellites, i.e., Poland, the Baltic states, Czechia, Slovakia, the Kyiv Republic, and other outcasts." The Fourth Reich refers to a hypothetical Nazi Reich that is the successor to Adolf Hitler's Third Reich.&nbsp;

"War will break out between France and the Fourth Reich. Europe will be divided, Poland repartitioned in the process. Northern Ireland will separate from the UK and join the Republic of Ireland," Medvedev further predicted.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-faces-criticism-after-twitter-poll-on-how-the-russia-war-should-end-522197">Twitter war: Musk holds poll on how Russia-Ukraine conflict should end, Zelensky retorts</a>

Medvedev further predicted Elon Musk's presidential win in a number of states in the US, following "a civil war" that he said will break out in the United States.&nbsp;

"All the largest stock markets and financial activity will leave the US and Europe and move to Asia," Medvedev said.

"The Bretton Woods system of monetary management will collapse, leading to the IMF and World Bank crash. Euro and Dollar will stop circulating as the global reserve currencies. Digital fiat currencies will be actively used instead," he added.&nbsp;

"Season greetings to you all, Anglo-Saxon friends...," Medvedev ended the thread by hinting at the sarcastic note of his 2023 predictions.&nbsp;

Musk's reaction to Medvedev's predictions

Musk initially called Medvedev's 2023 predictions an 'Epic Thread'. Hours later, after over 7.8 million impressions on his 'Epic Thread' reaction, Musk extended his argument: "Those are definitely the most absurd predictions I’ve ever heard, while also showing astonishing lack of awareness of the progress of artificial intelligence and sustainable energy."

Elon Musk is in the crosshairs with Russia after his explicit support for&nbsp;the Ukrainian cause during the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The country has received about 22,000 Starlink antennas, that support its military and civilian communications since the war began in February.&nbsp;

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Twitter's new owner Elon Musk reacted to former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's 'humble contribution' to the flurry of predictions related to all 'what can happen in 2023' that included a prediction on Musk's fate in the "presidential election in a number of states" in the US.

Twitter's new owner Elon Musk reacted to former Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's 'humble contribution' to the flurry of predictions related to all 'what can happen in 2023' that included a prediction on Musk's fate in the "presidential election in a number of states" in the US. While Musk initially found the Russian leader's Twitter thread 'epic', after over four hours, Musk extended his argument by saying that the 2023 anticipations put forth by Medvedev were the 'most absurd predictions' he ever heard. What did Dmitry Medvedev predict for 2023? On Tuesday, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev predicted that oil prices "will rise to $150 a barrel and gas price will top $5,000 per 1,000 cubic meters", and that "the UK will rejoin the EU". Medvedev went on to predict territorial realignment in Europe to the crash of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. WATCH | Reports: Elon Musk speak to Vladimir Putin before floating 'peace deal' on Russia-Ukraine war × "Poland and Hungary will occupy western regions of the formerly existing Ukraine," Medvedev predicted, adding that "The Fourth Reich will be created encompassing Germany and its satellites, i.e., Poland, the Baltic states, Czechia, Slovakia, the Kyiv Republic, and other outcasts." The Fourth Reich refers to a hypothetical Nazi Reich that is the successor to Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. "War will break out between France and the Fourth Reich. Europe will be divided, Poland repartitioned in the process. Northern Ireland will separate from the UK and join the Republic of Ireland," Medvedev further predicted. ALSO READ | Twitter war: Musk holds poll on how Russia-Ukraine conflict should end, Zelensky retorts Medvedev further predicted Elon Musk's presidential win in a number of states in the US, following "a civil war" that he said will break out in the United States. "All the largest stock markets and financial activity will leave the US and Europe and move to Asia," Medvedev said. "The Bretton Woods system of monetary management will collapse, leading to the IMF and World Bank crash. Euro and Dollar will stop circulating as the global reserve currencies. Digital fiat currencies will be actively used instead," he added. "Season greetings to you all, Anglo-Saxon friends...," Medvedev ended the thread by hinting at the sarcastic note of his 2023 predictions. Musk's reaction to Medvedev's predictions Musk initially called Medvedev's 2023 predictions an 'Epic Thread'. Hours later, after over 7.8 million impressions on his 'Epic Thread' reaction, Musk extended his argument: "Those are definitely the most absurd predictions I’ve ever heard, while also showing astonishing lack of awareness of the progress of artificial intelligence and sustainable energy." Elon Musk is in the crosshairs with Russia after his explicit support for the Ukrainian cause during the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The country has received about 22,000 Starlink antennas, that support its military and civilian communications since the war began in February. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Elon Musk reacts to Russian leader's 2023 predictions

Twitter CEO and SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Monday that his company, Starlink is now close to having 100 active internet satellites in Iran. This number have been achieved within three months after Musk tweeted that he would be activating the Starlink-operated satellite internet service in Iran amid protests.&nbsp;Musk revealed this in a tweet on Monday, "approaching 100 starlinks&nbsp;active in Iran".&nbsp;

Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX which provides satellite internet access coverage to 45 countries. As of December 2022, Starlink has over 3,300 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), which communicate with designated ground transceivers.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/who-is-actor-gary-lucy-why-laura-anderson-joined-him-at-hospital-after-horror-car-crash-are-they-dating-546932">Who is actor Gary Lucy? Why did Laura Anderson join him in hospital after car crash, are they dating?</a>

Starlink satellite internet is easily available and can be ordered by checking the availability of the satellite service in your area on the official website of Starlink. The Starlink internet kit comes with a WiFi router, cables, base and of course the Starlink satellites.&nbsp;

Elon Musk had said in September that he would activate Starlink in Iran as part of a U.S.-backed effort "to advance internet freedom and the free flow of information" to Iranians. According to Musk, in the midst of nationwide protests, the satellite-based broadband service could assist Iranians in thwarting the government's restrictions on access to the internet and certain social media platforms.

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Approaching 100 Starlinks active in Iran
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1607435700877815808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In the midst of nationwide protests, the satellite-based broadband service could assist Iranians in thwarting the government's restrictions on access to the internet and certain social media platforms.

The tweet from Musk came in a reply to one of the videos by a Twitter account, Wall Street Silver in which Iranian women can be seen walking on the streets, some which there head covered, and some not.&nbsp;

The Islamic Republic has been engulfed in protests that erupted after the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody after being arrested by the morality police for wearing "unsuitable attire".

Watch |&nbsp;Elon Musk: SpaceX will keep funding Starlink internet service in Ukraine

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Earlier in October of this year, Elon Musk also said that his rocket comapny SpaceX will continue to fund its Starlink broadband service in Ukraine, citing the Need For Good Deeds. This comes a day after he said that the company could no longer afford to do so. He said in a tweet that, "The hell with it...even though Starlink is still losing money and other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we'll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free".&nbsp;

Starklink satellites are not only easy-to-install but also comes with 30-day trial service with no contracts, if the customer is not satisfied with the service, then customer canreturn the hardware for a full refund.&nbsp;

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Twitter CEO and SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Monday that his company, Starlink is now close to having 100 active internet satellites in Iran. This number have been achieved within three months after Musk tweeted that he would be activating the Starlink-operated satellite internet service in Iran amid protests.

Twitter CEO and SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk said on Monday that his company, Starlink is now close to having 100 active internet satellites in Iran. This number have been achieved within three months after Musk tweeted that he would be activating the Starlink-operated satellite internet service in Iran amid protests. Musk revealed this in a tweet on Monday, "approaching 100 starlinks active in Iran". Starlink is a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX which provides satellite internet access coverage to 45 countries. As of December 2022, Starlink has over 3,300 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), which communicate with designated ground transceivers. Also Read | Who is actor Gary Lucy? Why did Laura Anderson join him in hospital after car crash, are they dating? Starlink satellite internet is easily available and can be ordered by checking the availability of the satellite service in your area on the official website of Starlink. The Starlink internet kit comes with a WiFi router, cables, base and of course the Starlink satellites. Elon Musk had said in September that he would activate Starlink in Iran as part of a U.S.-backed effort "to advance internet freedom and the free flow of information" to Iranians. According to Musk, in the midst of nationwide protests, the satellite-based broadband service could assist Iranians in thwarting the government's restrictions on access to the internet and certain social media platforms. Approaching 100 Starlinks active in Iran — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 26, 2022 × In the midst of nationwide protests, the satellite-based broadband service could assist Iranians in thwarting the government's restrictions on access to the internet and certain social media platforms. The tweet from Musk came in a reply to one of the videos by a Twitter account, Wall Street Silver in which Iranian women can be seen walking on the streets, some which there head covered, and some not. The Islamic Republic has been engulfed in protests that erupted after the death in September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in police custody after being arrested by the morality police for wearing "unsuitable attire". Watch | Elon Musk: SpaceX will keep funding Starlink internet service in Ukraine × Earlier in October of this year, Elon Musk also said that his rocket comapny SpaceX will continue to fund its Starlink broadband service in Ukraine, citing the Need For Good Deeds. This comes a day after he said that the company could no longer afford to do so. He said in a tweet that, "The hell with it...even though Starlink is still losing money and other companies are getting billions of taxpayer $, we'll just keep funding Ukraine govt for free". Starklink satellites are not only easy-to-install but also comes with 30-day trial service with no contracts, if the customer is not satisfied with the service, then customer canreturn the hardware for a full refund. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Iran now has around 100 active Starlinks, claims Elon Musk

The latest and the ninth instalment of the 'Twitter Files' has uncovered a web of coordination between the tech giant and US government agencies.&nbsp;Releasing the latest instalment on Christmas eve, Substack writer Matt Taibbi claims that it goes beyond the FBI which was acting as the "doorman to a vast programme of social media surveillance and censorship, encompassing agencies across the federal government – from the State Department to the Pentagon to the CIA."&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;The Twitter files: How Twitter handled Hunter Biden story?

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Posting part of a screenshot of an email, Taibbi alleges that "Twitter had so much contact with so many agencies that executives lost track."

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6.Twitter had so much contact with so many agencies that executives lost track. Is today the DOD, and tomorrow the FBI? Is it the weekly call, or the monthly meeting? It was dizzying. <a href="https://t.co/C8d8jntnC0">pic.twitter.com/C8d8jntnC0</a>
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) <a href="https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1606701408967090177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In the long series of tweets, he further claims that one of Twitter's executives is ex-CIA.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/twitter-files-70-shows-fbi-pressured-to-discredit-hunter-biden-laptop-story-all-you-need-to-know-544882">Twitter files 7.0 show FBI pressured social media platforms to ‘discredit’ Hunter Biden laptop story</a>

"It was an open secret at Twitter that one of its executives was ex-CIA, which is why Chan referred to that executive’s 'former employer'". He also shared another screenshot as evidence in which, there is a clear mention of this.

"The first Twitter executive abandoned any pretense to stealth and emailed that the employee “used to work for the CIA, so that is Elvis’s question”.

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12.The first Twitter executive abandoned any pretense to stealth and emailed that the employee “used to work for the CIA, so that is Elvis’s question.” <a href="https://t.co/5kL8xNRZcO">pic.twitter.com/5kL8xNRZcO</a>
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) <a href="https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1606701420543381504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-acted-as-a-subsidiary-shared-master-canine-quality-relationship-with-fbi-543922">Twitter Files 6.0: Twitter acted as a 'subsidiary', shared “master-canine quality” relationship with FBI</a>

The US government was in contact "not just with Twitter but with virtually every major tech firm". This includes Facebook, Microsoft, Verison, Reddit, Pinterest and "many others".

As per the revelations, around the 2020 elections, the government had "overwhelmed" Twitter with lists of hundreds of "problem accounts" that were to be taken down for misleading information.

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23. Email after email came from the San Francisco office heading into the election, often adorned with an Excel attachment: <a href="https://t.co/2xCKHPcBRE">pic.twitter.com/2xCKHPcBRE</a>
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) <a href="https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1606701446325735429?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Apparently, most of these accounts were domestic, Taibbi remarks that "It seemed to strike no one as strange that a “Foreign Influence” task force was forwarding thousands of mostly domestic reports, along with the DHS, about the fringiest material".&nbsp; 
 
One of the most common forums was a regular meeting of the multi-agency Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF), attended by spates of executives, FBI personnel, and – nearly always – one or two attendees marked “OGA”, mentions Matt on his twitter handle.

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30. It seemed to strike no one as strange that a “Foreign Influence” task force was forwarding thousands of mostly domestic reports, along with the DHS, about the fringiest material: <a href="https://t.co/YlOQQeUbkw">pic.twitter.com/YlOQQeUbkw</a>
— Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) <a href="https://twitter.com/mtaibbi/status/1606701461718863873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The previous instalments of the so-called Twitter files too have made similar surprising revelations including that tweets by former US President Donald Trump in the run-up to January 6 Capital riots did not violate the company's policies.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The latest and the ninth instalment of the 'Twitter Files' has uncovered a web of coordination between the tech giant and US government agencies. Releasing the latest instalment on Christmas eve, Substack writer Matt Taibbi claims that it goes beyond the FBI which was acting as the "doorman to a vast programme of social media surveillance and censorship, encompassing agencies across the federal government – from the State Department to the Pentagon to the CIA.

The latest and the ninth instalment of the 'Twitter Files' has uncovered a web of coordination between the tech giant and US government agencies. Releasing the latest instalment on Christmas eve, Substack writer Matt Taibbi claims that it goes beyond the FBI which was acting as the "doorman to a vast programme of social media surveillance and censorship, encompassing agencies across the federal government – from the State Department to the Pentagon to the CIA." Watch | The Twitter files: How Twitter handled Hunter Biden story? Posting part of a screenshot of an email, Taibbi alleges that "Twitter had so much contact with so many agencies that executives lost track." 6.Twitter had so much contact with so many agencies that executives lost track. Is today the DOD, and tomorrow the FBI? Is it the weekly call, or the monthly meeting? It was dizzying. pic.twitter.com/C8d8jntnC0 — Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 24, 2022 × In the long series of tweets, he further claims that one of Twitter's executives is ex-CIA. Also read | Twitter files 7.0 show FBI pressured social media platforms to ‘discredit’ Hunter Biden laptop story "It was an open secret at Twitter that one of its executives was ex-CIA, which is why Chan referred to that executive’s 'former employer'". He also shared another screenshot as evidence in which, there is a clear mention of this. "The first Twitter executive abandoned any pretense to stealth and emailed that the employee “used to work for the CIA, so that is Elvis’s question”. 12.The first Twitter executive abandoned any pretense to stealth and emailed that the employee “used to work for the CIA, so that is Elvis’s question.” pic.twitter.com/5kL8xNRZcO — Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 24, 2022 × Also read | Twitter Files 6.0: Twitter acted as a 'subsidiary', shared “master-canine quality” relationship with FBI The US government was in contact "not just with Twitter but with virtually every major tech firm". This includes Facebook, Microsoft, Verison, Reddit, Pinterest and "many others". As per the revelations, around the 2020 elections, the government had "overwhelmed" Twitter with lists of hundreds of "problem accounts" that were to be taken down for misleading information. 23. Email after email came from the San Francisco office heading into the election, often adorned with an Excel attachment: pic.twitter.com/2xCKHPcBRE — Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 24, 2022 × Apparently, most of these accounts were domestic, Taibbi remarks that "It seemed to strike no one as strange that a “Foreign Influence” task force was forwarding thousands of mostly domestic reports, along with the DHS, about the fringiest material". One of the most common forums was a regular meeting of the multi-agency Foreign Influence Task Force (FITF), attended by spates of executives, FBI personnel, and – nearly always – one or two attendees marked “OGA”, mentions Matt on his twitter handle. 30. It seemed to strike no one as strange that a “Foreign Influence” task force was forwarding thousands of mostly domestic reports, along with the DHS, about the fringiest material: pic.twitter.com/YlOQQeUbkw — Matt Taibbi (@mtaibbi) December 24, 2022 × The previous instalments of the so-called Twitter files too have made similar surprising revelations including that tweets by former US President Donald Trump in the run-up to January 6 Capital riots did not violate the company's policies. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Twitter Files 9.0 reveals a web of ‘social media surveillance, censorship’ by not just FBI, other agencies too

Amid a surge in Covid-19 infections in China, US billionaire Elon Musk's automotive company Tesla has reportedly suspended production at its Shanghai plant. The US automaker cancelled the morning shift on Saturday without mentioning a reason.

China: Tesla halts production at Shanghai plant; year-end closure comes as Covid cases rise

Elon Musk ordered Twitter to remove an anti-suicide feature on the microblogging social media platform. The feature, that showed prompts related to suicide-prevention and anti-self harm hotlines in at least 30 countries worldwide, was no more available starting Thursday evening, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

What was Twitter's anti-suicide feature?

The feature, known as #ThereIsHelp, showed at the top of specific searches contacts for support organisations in many countries related to mental health, HIV, vaccines, child sexual exploitation, Covid19, gender-based violence, natural disasters and freedom of expression.

What does its elimination mean?

Its elimination could add to concerns about the well-being of vulnerable users on Twitter. Civil Rights advocates in the past few months have reported an increase in tweets with racial slurs and other hateful content, despite Musk's contrary claims.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/floodgates-open-for-hate-speech-against-black-transgender-persons-after-elon-musks-twitter-takeover-539604">Floodgates opened for hate speech against black, transgender people&nbsp;after Elon Musk's Twitter takeover</a>

The removal of the feature has created ripples of concerns among civil rights and mental health advocates in parts of the world. Washington-based Aids United, which was promoted in #ThereIsHelp, and iLaw, a Thai group featured over freedom of expression support, both told Reuters on Friday that the disappearance of the feature was a surprise to them.

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-elon-musk-buys-twitter-529238">Explained: The future of Twitter under Elon Musk</a>

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Twitter had launched now-removed prompts about five years ago, according to company tweets. In one of its blog posts about the feature from its pre-Elon Musk days, Twitter had said it had responsibility to ensure users could "access and receive support on our service when they need it most".&nbsp;

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Elon Musk ordered Twitter to remove an anti-suicide feature on the microblogging social media platform. The feature, that showed prompts related to suicide-prevention and anti-self harm hotlines in at least 30 countries worldwide, was no more available starting Thursday evening, Reuters reported.

Elon Musk ordered Twitter to remove an anti-suicide feature on the microblogging social media platform. The feature, that showed prompts related to suicide-prevention and anti-self harm hotlines in at least 30 countries worldwide, was no more available starting Thursday evening, Reuters reported. What was Twitter's anti-suicide feature? The feature, known as #ThereIsHelp, showed at the top of specific searches contacts for support organisations in many countries related to mental health, HIV, vaccines, child sexual exploitation, Covid19, gender-based violence, natural disasters and freedom of expression. What does its elimination mean? Its elimination could add to concerns about the well-being of vulnerable users on Twitter. Civil Rights advocates in the past few months have reported an increase in tweets with racial slurs and other hateful content, despite Musk's contrary claims. ALSO READ | Floodgates opened for hate speech against black, transgender people after Elon Musk's Twitter takeover The removal of the feature has created ripples of concerns among civil rights and mental health advocates in parts of the world. Washington-based Aids United, which was promoted in #ThereIsHelp, and iLaw, a Thai group featured over freedom of expression support, both told Reuters on Friday that the disappearance of the feature was a surprise to them. WATCH | Explained: The future of Twitter under Elon Musk × Twitter had launched now-removed prompts about five years ago, according to company tweets. In one of its blog posts about the feature from its pre-Elon Musk days, Twitter had said it had responsibility to ensure users could "access and receive support on our service when they need it most". WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Elon Musk ordered Twitter to remove suicide-prevention prompts

Elon Musk is currently on the lookout for a new Twitter CEO that can take his place and he has found an unlikely prospect. YouTube's most famous creator Jimmy Donaldson, more colloquially known as Mr Beast took to Twitter on Thursday to shoot his shot.

Elon Musk is currently on the lookout for a new Twitter CEO that can take his place and he has found an unlikely prospect. YouTube's most famous creator Jimmy Donaldson, more colloquially known as Mr Beast took to Twitter on Thursday to shoot his shot. Mr Beast, the most subscribed YouTuber (122 subscribers) in the world asked Musk if he could be the CEO of Twitter. Can I be the new Twitter CEO? — MrBeast (@MrBeast) December 22, 2022 × Barely an hour after Mr Beast shared his proposal, the Tesla and SpaceX boss replied in the affirmative saying, "It’s not out of the question". Mr Beast is known for his extraordinary videos where he often gives away a fortune to the participants. He has previously launched his own line of virtual-restaurant called MrBeast Burger. Musk and his CEO conundrum Notably, Musk on Monday shook everyone after he posted a poll asking whether he should continue as the Twitter head or not. "Should I step down as head of Twitter? I will abide by the results of this poll," tweeted Musk with 'Yes' and 'No' as the two options. However, after the majority of the voters clicked on 'No', Musk was caught in a fix. After dillydallying and saying only Twitter Blue users will be allowed to vote next time, the eccentric billionaire informed he was searching for a new CEO. "I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software and servers teams," tweeted Musk on Wednesday. I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 21, 2022 × Read more: Elon Musk starts a new Twitter poll asking users if he should step down as the CEO Ever since taking over the microblogging platform, Musk has personally overseen the firing of over half the workforce of the company, bringing the headcount to under 2,000 from nearly 7,500. Musk officially bought Twitter for $44 billion in October this year after months of back-and-forth with the Twitter board. Immediately after taking charge, Musk imposed himself on the company and managed to get rid of the dead weight. Half the workforce of Twitter has been slashed which has brought the total headcount to just under 2,000. Read more: Twitter's global policy VP quits, days after settling with the company: Report However, Musk's experiment with Twitter is hurting his other endeavours with Tesla share taking a historic beating. Experts believe that Musk trying to find a new CEO is an attempt to soothe the jangling nerves of Tesla investors who are increasingly becoming restive. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

World's most-subscribed YouTuber Mr Beast offers to be Twitter CEO. Elon Musk responds

CEO Elon Musk has said that&nbsp;he won’t sell any further shares in Tesla for 18 months or more, in an attempt to pacify shareholders of the EV company who have watched the stock fall&nbsp;nearly half of its value since Musk’s takeover&nbsp;of Twitter.

“I’m not selling any stock for 18 to 24 months,” Musk said during an audio-only Twitter Spaces group conversation on Thursday. Musk then said he wouldn’t sell Tesla shares for two years, but backtracked and said he would pause sales for at least one year.

Musk&nbsp;dumped&nbsp;$2.58 billion&nbsp;worth of Tesla stock last week and has sold nearly $23 billion worth of his car company’s shares since April, when he started gaining ground in Twitter.&nbsp;Over the past two months, Musk has spearheaded a dizzying array of changes that have upset advertisers and alienated users. He laid off half of his staff, took moderators out of contract, and dissolved the Trust and Safety Advisors Council. He stopped enforcing his COVID-19 misinformation rule and filed criminal charges against Dr. Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert in the United States.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-most-subscribed-youtuber-mr-beast-offers-to-be-twitter-ceo-elon-musk-responds-545829">World's most-subscribed YouTuber Mr Beast offers to be Twitter CEO. Elon Musk responds</a>

Tesla investors are fed up with the 24/7 Twitter clamor. The eccentric CEO is distracted from his main source of wealth, the electric car company, they say. 
Tesla's market cap surpassed $1.1 trillion on April 1st. This was the last trading day before Musk announced that he would buy his Twitter stake. Since then, the company has lost almost two-thirds of its value as rival automakers squeezed Tesla's dominant share of electric car sales.

Tesla shares fell more than&nbsp;one per cent on Friday, to $123.74. They were more than $360 each on April 1 and hit an all-time high of more than $414 in November of 2020.

This week,&nbsp;Tesla amplified the discounts it’s offering&nbsp;through year’s end on its two top-selling models, an indication that demand is slowing for its EVs.

(With inputs from agencies)

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CEO Elon Musk has said that he won’t sell any further shares in Tesla for 18 months or more, in an attempt to pacify shareholders of the EV company who have watched the stock fall nearly half of its value since Musk’s takeover of Twitter.

CEO Elon Musk has said that he won’t sell any further shares in Tesla for 18 months or more, in an attempt to pacify shareholders of the EV company who have watched the stock fall nearly half of its value since Musk’s takeover of Twitter. “I’m not selling any stock for 18 to 24 months,” Musk said during an audio-only Twitter Spaces group conversation on Thursday. Musk then said he wouldn’t sell Tesla shares for two years, but backtracked and said he would pause sales for at least one year. Musk dumped $2.58 billion worth of Tesla stock last week and has sold nearly $23 billion worth of his car company’s shares since April, when he started gaining ground in Twitter. Over the past two months, Musk has spearheaded a dizzying array of changes that have upset advertisers and alienated users. He laid off half of his staff, took moderators out of contract, and dissolved the Trust and Safety Advisors Council. He stopped enforcing his COVID-19 misinformation rule and filed criminal charges against Dr. Anthony Fauci, an infectious disease expert in the United States. Also read | World's most-subscribed YouTuber Mr Beast offers to be Twitter CEO. Elon Musk responds Tesla investors are fed up with the 24/7 Twitter clamor. The eccentric CEO is distracted from his main source of wealth, the electric car company, they say. Tesla's market cap surpassed $1.1 trillion on April 1st. This was the last trading day before Musk announced that he would buy his Twitter stake. Since then, the company has lost almost two-thirds of its value as rival automakers squeezed Tesla's dominant share of electric car sales. Tesla shares fell more than one per cent on Friday, to $123.74. They were more than $360 each on April 1 and hit an all-time high of more than $414 in November of 2020. This week, Tesla amplified the discounts it’s offering through year’s end on its two top-selling models, an indication that demand is slowing for its EVs. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Elon Musk reassures investors, tells them he will pause on Tesla stock sales for 18 to 24 months

A seat on a rocket that would fly from Earth to the Moon's orbit, an opportunity to reach the furthest that earthly humans ever have and to return to the planet that we call home. All for Free! Would you sign up? If all goes well, Dev Joshi, a 22-year-old from India will be accomplishing all of the above well before he turns 24.&nbsp;

Indian Astronaut Rakesh Sharma has been the only Indian citizen to travel to space. He accomplished the feat&nbsp;way&nbsp;back in 1984, as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme.

Dev aspires to be the second Indian to match Sharma's feat&nbsp;as India's own national astronaut mission 'Gaganyaan' is expected to kick off, only by the end of 2024 or later.

WION spoke to Dev Joshi to understand his thoughts on the immense calculated risk he has chosen to take and what he hopes to gain from this out-of-the-world experience.

An established actor in the Indian television space, Dev Joshi was in the midst of a shoot when he came across the 'dearMoon Project'.

Announced in 2018 and entirely funded by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, the project would take eight individuals along with Maezawa on a week-long trip to the moon on board a SpaceX Starship and Superheavy rocket. The initiative is aimed at promoting art and global peace.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-to-carry-out-two-test-missions-two-uncrewed-missions-before-gaganyaan-astronaut-flight-545422">Read more:&nbsp;ISRO to carry out two test missions, two uncrewed missions before ‘Gaganyaan’ astronaut flight&nbsp;</a>

"It was my interest about space that motivated me to try and apply, sometime in 2021 when the applications were invited...Then on, there were assignments, Zoom meetings and finally an in-person meeting with Yusaku Maezawa in 2021 (at a location that I'm not permitted to disclose)," Joshi recalls.&nbsp;

The youngster says he cherished his&nbsp;interactions with the 47-year-old Japanese billionaire as both shared their aspirations and outlook.

"He didn't have the airs of a big billionaire, we enjoyed a game of table tennis and listened to music together."

Several rigorous and expensive medical tests and interviews later, Dev knew that he had made it to the "dear Moon CREW". However, it was only in December 2022 that the formal announcement was made.

Dev sees it as a huge opportunity for his generation and his home country India, as this is a first-of-its-kind project and the most ambitious space tourism venture.

His co-passengers on this mission are artists from across domains, hailing from South Korea, USA, UK, Japan, Czech Republic, and Ireland.

"Even today only astronauts and scientists are going to space and beyond...I believe that a team of diverse artists heading to Lunar orbit will give rise to artistic perspectives about the experience and will inspire the next generation... We are even having a discussion on what we can carry to space - musical instruments, cameras,costumes etc.," Joshi says.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/indian-start-up-partners-with-isro-to-develop-satellite-based-qkd-secure-communication-544849">Read more: Indian start-up partners with ISRO to develop satellite-based QKD secure communication</a>

While there is cheer and excitement about this journey, there are immense risks involved because it's an all-new rocket and spacecraft and the crew onboard is a team without a scientific background.

Following the first orbital test of the new rocket, sometime in 2023, the crew is expected to undergo rigorous training to undertake the journey.

Dev's businessman father Dushyant and homemaker mother Devangna are equally excited about what lies ahead for their son. Dev held discussions and sought his parents' mentorship at every stage of the process.&nbsp; 
"Not much fear...of course it is risky...we are excited...the feeling cannot be expressed in words..." the parents say.

Usually, those in their early 20s would be bidding goodbye to their parents, while heading abroad for higher studies. In this case, it's a trip to the lunar orbit, the greatest adventure and risk in human history.

While the actual flight is scheduled to happen in 2023, a lot of questions remain unanswered - the mission readiness and safety record of the SpaceX Starship and Superheavy rocket, whether an uncrewed flight would first be carried out to lunar orbit, whether the crew is adequately prepared for such a daunting task.

It&nbsp;must be remembered, despite their experience of the Apollo lunar landing missions in the 60s and 70s, even NASA is taking a safe approach by performing unmanned flights to the moon, before the actual manned mission as part of the ongoing Artemis programme.

"I trust Elon Musk and SpaceX," says Dev, confident about the historic journey.&nbsp;

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A seat on a rocket that would fly from Earth to the Moon's orbit, an opportunity to reach the furthest that earthly humans ever have and to return to the planet that we call home.

A seat on a rocket that would fly from Earth to the Moon's orbit, an opportunity to reach the furthest that earthly humans ever have and to return to the planet that we call home. All for Free! Would you sign up? If all goes well, Dev Joshi, a 22-year-old from India will be accomplishing all of the above well before he turns 24. Indian Astronaut Rakesh Sharma has been the only Indian citizen to travel to space. He accomplished the feat way back in 1984, as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme. Dev aspires to be the second Indian to match Sharma's feat as India's own national astronaut mission 'Gaganyaan' is expected to kick off, only by the end of 2024 or later. WION spoke to Dev Joshi to understand his thoughts on the immense calculated risk he has chosen to take and what he hopes to gain from this out-of-the-world experience. An established actor in the Indian television space, Dev Joshi was in the midst of a shoot when he came across the 'dearMoon Project'. Announced in 2018 and entirely funded by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, the project would take eight individuals along with Maezawa on a week-long trip to the moon on board a SpaceX Starship and Superheavy rocket. The initiative is aimed at promoting art and global peace. Read more: ISRO to carry out two test missions, two uncrewed missions before ‘Gaganyaan’ astronaut flight "It was my interest about space that motivated me to try and apply, sometime in 2021 when the applications were invited...Then on, there were assignments, Zoom meetings and finally an in-person meeting with Yusaku Maezawa in 2021 (at a location that I'm not permitted to disclose)," Joshi recalls. The youngster says he cherished his interactions with the 47-year-old Japanese billionaire as both shared their aspirations and outlook. "He didn't have the airs of a big billionaire, we enjoyed a game of table tennis and listened to music together." Several rigorous and expensive medical tests and interviews later, Dev knew that he had made it to the "dear Moon CREW". However, it was only in December 2022 that the formal announcement was made. Dev sees it as a huge opportunity for his generation and his home country India, as this is a first-of-its-kind project and the most ambitious space tourism venture. His co-passengers on this mission are artists from across domains, hailing from South Korea, USA, UK, Japan, Czech Republic, and Ireland. "Even today only astronauts and scientists are going to space and beyond...I believe that a team of diverse artists heading to Lunar orbit will give rise to artistic perspectives about the experience and will inspire the next generation... We are even having a discussion on what we can carry to space - musical instruments, cameras,costumes etc.," Joshi says. Read more: Indian start-up partners with ISRO to develop satellite-based QKD secure communication While there is cheer and excitement about this journey, there are immense risks involved because it's an all-new rocket and spacecraft and the crew onboard is a team without a scientific background. Following the first orbital test of the new rocket, sometime in 2023, the crew is expected to undergo rigorous training to undertake the journey. Dev's businessman father Dushyant and homemaker mother Devangna are equally excited about what lies ahead for their son. Dev held discussions and sought his parents' mentorship at every stage of the process. "Not much fear...of course it is risky...we are excited...the feeling cannot be expressed in words..." the parents say. Usually, those in their early 20s would be bidding goodbye to their parents, while heading abroad for higher studies. In this case, it's a trip to the lunar orbit, the greatest adventure and risk in human history. While the actual flight is scheduled to happen in 2023, a lot of questions remain unanswered - the mission readiness and safety record of the SpaceX Starship and Superheavy rocket, whether an uncrewed flight would first be carried out to lunar orbit, whether the crew is adequately prepared for such a daunting task. It must be remembered, despite their experience of the Apollo lunar landing missions in the 60s and 70s, even NASA is taking a safe approach by performing unmanned flights to the moon, before the actual manned mission as part of the ongoing Artemis programme. "I trust Elon Musk and SpaceX," says Dev, confident about the historic journey. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Exclusive: 'Trust Elon Musk & SpaceX', says 22-year-old Dev Joshi on his week-long trip to Moon

Amid uncertainty regarding Elon Musk's position as Twitter's CEO, Sinead McSweeney, the company's global vice president for public policy, quit on Thursday, according to a report by Reuters.

Amid uncertainty regarding Elon Musk's position as Twitter's CEO, Sinead McSweeney, the company's global vice president for public policy, quit on Thursday, according to a report by Reuters. After McSweeney's departure, Nick Pickles, senior director for global public policy strategy, has stepped up to fill the role, added the publication. Notably, Sweeney was shut down from Twitter's IT system after failing to respond to Musk's infamous email seeking confirmation if employees were onboard his new 'Twitter 2.0'. Afterwards, she won a temporary injunction that stopped Twitter from officially firing her. She was also reinstated at the job. However, after Sweeney did not receive all the assurances she had sought, she settled with Twitter on Tuesday. Ever since taking over the microblogging platform, Musk has personally overseen the firing of over half the workforce of the company, bringing the headcount to under 2,000 from nearly 7,500. The Twitter boss claimed that his severe cost-cutting measures have helped the company avert a $3 billion shortfall. “That is why I spent the last five weeks cutting costs like crazy," said Musk in Twitter Spaces on Tuesday, before adding, "This company is like, basically, you are in a plane that is headed toward the ground at high speed with the engines on fire and the controls don’t work." WATCH | Explained: The future of Twitter under Elon Musk × Previously, Musk conducted a Twitter poll to access if he should continue as the Twitter CEO or not. When the poll went overwhelmingly against him, the eccentric billionaire announced he was on the lookout for a new CEO. "I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software and servers teams," Elon Musk tweeted on Wednesday. I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software & servers teams. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 21, 2022 × Read more: Elon Musk to resign as Twitter CEO once he finds 'someone foolish enough' Musk officially bought Twitter for $44 billion in October this year after months of dillydallying and court cases. However, his tenure has been as chaotic as they come with Twitter going through a host of changes. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Twitter's global policy VP quits, days after settling with the company: Report

As he plans to appoint new Twitter CEO, Elon Musk on Wednesday said that through his severe cost cuts, he was able to avert dire finances of the company.&nbsp;According to Bloomberg, the company was about to hit three billion dollars in negative cash flow.&nbsp;Talking to Twitter spaces, a feature on a microblogging platform he bought after his $44 billion&nbsp;deal, Musk said, "Not good since Twitter has $1 billion in cash. That's why I spent the past five weeks cutting costs like crazy."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/elon-musk-to-resign-as-twitter-ceo-once-he-finds-someone-foolish-enough-544949">Also read |&nbsp;Elon Musk to resign as Twitter CEO once he finds 'someone foolish enough'</a>

"If... you're looking at it from my standpoint... basically, you're in a plane that is headed towards the ground at high speed with the engines on fire and the controls don't work," he said.

Musk also said that his strategies are now&nbsp;paying off and that by massive cost cuts and building subscriber revenue, Twitter will be 'OK' next year and break even, AFP reported.

Soon after his takeover, Musk fired over 7,000 workers, sparking concerns amongst advertisers and netizens that the company is insufficient to carry out the content moderation policies.

The top three officials, including CEO and CFO, were also among the thousands of workers fired.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/probe-of-musks-neuralink-to-scrutinize-long-criticized-us-animal-welfare-regulator-545063">Also read |&nbsp;Probe of Musk's Neuralink to scrutinise long-criticized US animal welfare regulator</a>

Musk said that Twitter's $8 subscription also known as the "Twitter blue" plan would make a difference.&nbsp;

"Because otherwise, how do we pay the fruggin' server bill," he said, adding that Twitter's hardware costs approximately $1.5 billion annually.

This comes after Musk announced that he will resign as Twitter's CEO and that he is on a hunt to find a someone "foolish" enough to replace him. He said that he will limit his duties to running the software and server teams.

His resignation as CEO comes after a poll on his account where 57 per cent of netizens voted for him to step down.&nbsp;

(with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

As he plans to appoint new Twitter CEO, Elon Musk on Wednesday said that through his severe cost cuts, he was able to avert dire finances of the company. According to Bloomberg, the company was about to hit three billion dollars in negative cash flow.

As he plans to appoint new Twitter CEO, Elon Musk on Wednesday said that through his severe cost cuts, he was able to avert dire finances of the company. According to Bloomberg, the company was about to hit three billion dollars in negative cash flow. Talking to Twitter spaces, a feature on a microblogging platform he bought after his $44 billion deal, Musk said, "Not good since Twitter has $1 billion in cash. That's why I spent the past five weeks cutting costs like crazy." Also read | Elon Musk to resign as Twitter CEO once he finds 'someone foolish enough' "If... you're looking at it from my standpoint... basically, you're in a plane that is headed towards the ground at high speed with the engines on fire and the controls don't work," he said. Musk also said that his strategies are now paying off and that by massive cost cuts and building subscriber revenue, Twitter will be 'OK' next year and break even, AFP reported. Soon after his takeover, Musk fired over 7,000 workers, sparking concerns amongst advertisers and netizens that the company is insufficient to carry out the content moderation policies. The top three officials, including CEO and CFO, were also among the thousands of workers fired. Also read | Probe of Musk's Neuralink to scrutinise long-criticized US animal welfare regulator Musk said that Twitter's $8 subscription also known as the "Twitter blue" plan would make a difference. "Because otherwise, how do we pay the fruggin' server bill," he said, adding that Twitter's hardware costs approximately $1.5 billion annually. This comes after Musk announced that he will resign as Twitter's CEO and that he is on a hunt to find a someone "foolish" enough to replace him. He said that he will limit his duties to running the software and server teams. His resignation as CEO comes after a poll on his account where 57 per cent of netizens voted for him to step down. (with inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Elon Musk says 'crazy' cost cuts saved Twitter from $3 billion shortfall 

Since the Tesla CEO Elon Musk took over the microblogging platform, people have jumped ship. Twitter users have turned to other social media platforms and seemingly one of the most popular ones, Mastodon, has emerged as the winner.&nbsp;Mastodon has been dubbed as an open-source, decentralised, or federated social network which allows users to construct their own networks or 'instances', this&nbsp;effectively gives them access and ownership of their data.&nbsp;The ad-free social media platform has also recently&nbsp;garnered some 2.5 million users.&nbsp;

“Mastodon has recently exploded in popularity, jumping from approx. 300K monthly active users to 2.5&nbsp;million between the months of October and November, with more and more journalists, political figures, writers, actors and organisations moving over,” said the Mastodon founder Eugen Rochko&nbsp;on Tuesday. Notably, this amounts to more than 800 per cent of growth seen in recent months, the statement added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mastodon-how-does-the-alternative-to-twitter-work-477593">Mastodon: How does the alternative to Twitter work?</a>

The success has consequently triggered “a land-grab for space on it from groups including browser makers, cryptocurrency advocates and other social networks”, said a report by the Guardian.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, the browser maker of Firefox, Mozilla, said that it would start a Mastodon 'instance’, with the intention to contribute to the “healthy and sustainable growth of a federated social space that doesn’t just operate but thrives on its own terms, independent of profit- and control-motivated tech firms,” said Steve Teixeira, the chief product officer at Mozilla, as quoted by the Guardian.&nbsp;

Mozilla, which is also owned by a non-profit foundation, said that we are living through the consequences of two decades of&nbsp;“centralised, corporate-controlled social media, with a small oligopoly of large tech firms tightening their grip on the public square.” He added, “In private hands, our choice is limited, toxicity is rewarded, rage is called engagement, public trust is corroded, and basic human decency is often an afterthought.”&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-users-jump-to-mastodon-and-koo-what-are-these-social-media-platforms-531801">Twitter users jump ship to Mastodon and Koo. What are these social media platforms?</a> 
 
Meanwhile, Tumblr which was previously owned by Yahoo! and Verizon and was later sold to WordPress developers Automattic also witnessed a surge in the number of users and said that it will look into adding “interoperability and ActivityPub support as soon as possible.”&nbsp;

This is in reference to Mastodon, which also uses ActivityPub, enabling it to be compatible with a wide array of communities and allowing users to use photo sharing, podcasting and social networking all share content with each other.

This comes as the Twitterverse gets more and more chaotic, users have started posting links to other social media platforms in their posts which include outside platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Post and Truth Social, as well as third-party social media link aggregators such as linktr.ee and ink.bio.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-to-now-ban-users-from-posting-links-to-rival-platforms-544343">Twitter to now ban users from posting links to rival platforms</a>

This led Musk to briefly ban all links to other social media platforms and reportedly suspended user accounts who wrote their Mastodon usernames on Twitter. However, Musk in a recent interview admitted that the move was a bad idea.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Since the Tesla CEO Elon Musk took over the microblogging platform, people have jumped ship. Twitter users have turned to other social media platforms and seemingly one of the most popular ones, Mastodon, has emerged as the winner.

Since the Tesla CEO Elon Musk took over the microblogging platform, people have jumped ship. Twitter users have turned to other social media platforms and seemingly one of the most popular ones, Mastodon, has emerged as the winner. Mastodon has been dubbed as an open-source, decentralised, or federated social network which allows users to construct their own networks or 'instances', this effectively gives them access and ownership of their data. The ad-free social media platform has also recently garnered some 2.5 million users. “Mastodon has recently exploded in popularity, jumping from approx. 300K monthly active users to 2.5 million between the months of October and November, with more and more journalists, political figures, writers, actors and organisations moving over,” said the Mastodon founder Eugen Rochko on Tuesday. Notably, this amounts to more than 800 per cent of growth seen in recent months, the statement added. ALSO READ | Mastodon: How does the alternative to Twitter work? The success has consequently triggered “a land-grab for space on it from groups including browser makers, cryptocurrency advocates and other social networks”, said a report by the Guardian. Meanwhile, the browser maker of Firefox, Mozilla, said that it would start a Mastodon 'instance’, with the intention to contribute to the “healthy and sustainable growth of a federated social space that doesn’t just operate but thrives on its own terms, independent of profit- and control-motivated tech firms,” said Steve Teixeira, the chief product officer at Mozilla, as quoted by the Guardian. Mozilla, which is also owned by a non-profit foundation, said that we are living through the consequences of two decades of “centralised, corporate-controlled social media, with a small oligopoly of large tech firms tightening their grip on the public square.” He added, “In private hands, our choice is limited, toxicity is rewarded, rage is called engagement, public trust is corroded, and basic human decency is often an afterthought.” ALSO READ | Twitter users jump ship to Mastodon and Koo. What are these social media platforms? Meanwhile, Tumblr which was previously owned by Yahoo! and Verizon and was later sold to WordPress developers Automattic also witnessed a surge in the number of users and said that it will look into adding “interoperability and ActivityPub support as soon as possible.” This is in reference to Mastodon, which also uses ActivityPub, enabling it to be compatible with a wide array of communities and allowing users to use photo sharing, podcasting and social networking all share content with each other. This comes as the Twitterverse gets more and more chaotic, users have started posting links to other social media platforms in their posts which include outside platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Post and Truth Social, as well as third-party social media link aggregators such as linktr.ee and ink.bio. ALSO READ | Twitter to now ban users from posting links to rival platforms This led Musk to briefly ban all links to other social media platforms and reportedly suspended user accounts who wrote their Mastodon usernames on Twitter. However, Musk in a recent interview admitted that the move was a bad idea. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Firefox, Tumblr support Mastodon after Twitter briefly bans users from posting links to rival platforms

The eight-vehicle crash last month on San Francisco's Bay Bridge which involved a Tesla Model S car reportedly happened due to the malfunctioning of the vehicle's Full-Self Driving (FSD) mode.

As per a police report made public on Wednesday, the car's driver said that the 2021 model car was in Full-Self Driving (FSD) mode which had malfunctioned. However, the police were unable to determine if the software was in operation or if his statement was accurate.

Watch |&nbsp;World Business Watch | Tesla to freeze hiring, lay off employees in next quarter: Report

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However, the police in its report said that the vehicle had made an unsafe lane change and was slowing to a stop when another vehicle crashed into it from behind. This then led to a chain reaction of six more vehicles crashing and causing the pile-up.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tesla-to-implement-hiring-freeze-and-layoff-people-in-2023-report-545417">Tesla to implement a hiring freeze and layoff people in 2023: Report</a>

It also said that if the self-driving function did malfunction the driver should have taken manual control of the vehicle and prevented the crash.

The Thanksgiving Day crash had caused lengthy delays on San Francisco's Interstate-80 near Island and had also sent two juveniles to the hospital with minor injuries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/tesla-reports-two-new-crash-fatalities-in-model-3-cars-linked-to-advanced-driver-assistance-systems-534811">Tesla reports two more crash fatalities in Model 3 cars linked to advanced driver assistance system</a>

As per Tesla the so-called "Full Self Driving" function only provides driver advanced assistance features but the vehicles still require human supervision and "are not autonomous". This has even led Jennifer Homendy, the National Transportation Safety Board chair to question Tesla's marketing of the feature. In her opinion, the company must make sure to "do more" to ensure that the feature isn't misused.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The eight-vehicle crash last month on San Francisco's Bay Bridge which involved a Tesla Model S car reportedly happened due to the malfunctioning of the vehicle's Full-Self Driving (FSD) mode.

The eight-vehicle crash last month on San Francisco's Bay Bridge which involved a Tesla Model S car reportedly happened due to the malfunctioning of the vehicle's Full-Self Driving (FSD) mode. As per a police report made public on Wednesday, the car's driver said that the 2021 model car was in Full-Self Driving (FSD) mode which had malfunctioned. However, the police were unable to determine if the software was in operation or if his statement was accurate. Watch | World Business Watch | Tesla to freeze hiring, lay off employees in next quarter: Report However, the police in its report said that the vehicle had made an unsafe lane change and was slowing to a stop when another vehicle crashed into it from behind. This then led to a chain reaction of six more vehicles crashing and causing the pile-up. Also read | Tesla to implement a hiring freeze and layoff people in 2023: Report It also said that if the self-driving function did malfunction the driver should have taken manual control of the vehicle and prevented the crash. The Thanksgiving Day crash had caused lengthy delays on San Francisco's Interstate-80 near Island and had also sent two juveniles to the hospital with minor injuries. Also read | Tesla reports two more crash fatalities in Model 3 cars linked to advanced driver assistance system As per Tesla the so-called "Full Self Driving" function only provides driver advanced assistance features but the vehicles still require human supervision and "are not autonomous". This has even led Jennifer Homendy, the National Transportation Safety Board chair to question Tesla's marketing of the feature. In her opinion, the company must make sure to "do more" to ensure that the feature isn't misused. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Driver of Tesla car that caused eight-car pile-up in San Francisco blames 'Full-Self Driving' feature

Tesla is set to lay off more employees. As per reports, the electric car maker has notified its employees that it will be implementing a hiring freeze and that another wave of layoffs is also in the cards.&nbsp;Quoting an anonymous source familiar with the matter, Electrek reported that the layoffs will happen in the first quarter of next year.

Watch |&nbsp;World Business Watch | Tesla to freeze hiring, lay off employees in next quarter: Report

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Tesla has communicated to some employees that it will be stopping hiring.&nbsp;

However, with Tesla planning to expand in some manufacturing locations, it is not known how extensive the hiring freeze will be as no further details were made available.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musk-breaks-silence-after-damning-poll-called-for-his-resignation-as-twitter-ceo-544678">Elon Musk breaks silence after damning poll called for his resignation as Twitter CEO</a>

The current spate of layoffs comes after Tesla CEO Elon Musk implemented a 10 per cent staff cut in June. At the time, Musk reportedly gave different reasons to different people for the layoffs. He even chalked it up to a "very bad feeling" about the economy.

In the last year, since September and especially after Musk's acquisition of Twitter, Tesla stock has experienced a steady fall which might be contributing to the hiring freeze. This year, the company's shares have lost nearly 60 per cent of their value so far.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/tesla-reports-two-new-crash-fatalities-in-model-3-cars-linked-to-advanced-driver-assistance-systems-534811">Tesla reports two more crash fatalities in Model 3 cars linked to advanced driver assistance system</a>

On Wednesday, Tesla's shares tumbled to around $137 per share, it's lowest ever as Elon Musk blamed global macroeconomic conditions. Shares of Tesla as per Reuters rose 1 per cent to $139.25 in Thursday's trading before the bell.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Tesla is set to lay off more employees. As per reports, the electric car maker has notified its employees that it will be implementing a hiring freeze and that another wave of layoffs is also in the cards.

Tesla is set to lay off more employees. As per reports, the electric car maker has notified its employees that it will be implementing a hiring freeze and that another wave of layoffs is also in the cards. Quoting an anonymous source familiar with the matter, Electrek reported that the layoffs will happen in the first quarter of next year. Watch | World Business Watch | Tesla to freeze hiring, lay off employees in next quarter: Report Tesla has communicated to some employees that it will be stopping hiring. However, with Tesla planning to expand in some manufacturing locations, it is not known how extensive the hiring freeze will be as no further details were made available. Also read | Elon Musk breaks silence after damning poll called for his resignation as Twitter CEO The current spate of layoffs comes after Tesla CEO Elon Musk implemented a 10 per cent staff cut in June. At the time, Musk reportedly gave different reasons to different people for the layoffs. He even chalked it up to a "very bad feeling" about the economy. In the last year, since September and especially after Musk's acquisition of Twitter, Tesla stock has experienced a steady fall which might be contributing to the hiring freeze. This year, the company's shares have lost nearly 60 per cent of their value so far. Also read | Tesla reports two more crash fatalities in Model 3 cars linked to advanced driver assistance system On Wednesday, Tesla's shares tumbled to around $137 per share, it's lowest ever as Elon Musk blamed global macroeconomic conditions. Shares of Tesla as per Reuters rose 1 per cent to $139.25 in Thursday's trading before the bell. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Tesla plans to implement hiring freeze, lay off more employees in 2023: Report

Elon Musk said on Tuesday he will step down as chief executive of Twitter after finding a replacement. This is the first time Musk has mentioned stepping down as chief of the social media platform, after Twitter users voted decisively in a poll for him to step down.

WION Fineprint: Elon Musk is looking for new Twitter CEO as users vote for him to step down

Law enforcement officials investigating Elon Musk's Neuralink Corp over its animal trial programme are also scrutinising the US&nbsp;Department of Agriculture’s oversight of the company's operations, after the agency failed to act on violations at other research organizations, according to several people familiar with the matter.

Reuters reported on Dec. 5 that the USDA's watchdog, the Office of the Inspector General, is investigating Neuralink, a medical device company that is developing brain implants, over potential animal welfare violations. A federal prosecutor in the civil division at the US&nbsp;Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California requested the probe, people familiar with the matter said.

Reuters was unable to determine what potential violations are being investigated. The Dec. 5 report identified four experiments in recent years, involving 86 pigs and two monkeys, that were marred by human errors. The mistakes weakened the experiments’ research value and required the tests to be repeated, leading to more animals being killed.

Given that the USDA cleared Neuralink's facilities during eight visits in the last three years, federal investigators believe there is merit in reviewing the USDA's oversight of the company as it considers potential animal welfare violations, said the individuals who are familiar with the investigation.

These sources said the decision by federal investigators to scrutinise the USDA was bolstered by criticism from the USDA's Office of the Inspector General, which has for years described the agency as overstretched and ineffective.

In 2014, the watchdog noted in a report that the department’s enforcement office “had a backlog of over 2,000 cases, a volume so large that (animal inspectors) could not quickly address serious violations.”

A USDA spokesperson told Reuters the agency could not comment on anything related to Neuralink and referred all requests to the inspector general, whose office declined to comment. The agency did not respond to requests for comment on its record monitoring animal research experiments nationally.

The Justice Department and the US&nbsp;Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California declined to comment. Spokespersons for Neuralink and Musk did not respond to comment requests.

The USDA's handling of a recent high-profile case involving Envigo, a research and dog breeding facility, also factored into the federal investigators’ decision to look at the agency's oversight of Neuralink, the sources told Reuters.

In that case, law enforcement officials eventually intervened, filing charges against the firm this year that resulted in a civil consent decree that required Envigo to give up around 4,000 beagles to the Humane Society of the United States.

The parent company for Envigo said in a statement to Reuters that it did not need to pay any fines or admit wrongdoing in its agreement with the Justice Department.

GREAT LEEWAY

A Reuters review of government records and interviews with two current and former USDA employees, one lawmaker and more than a dozen animal welfare experts paint a picture of an overextended agency that struggles to regulate animal testing.

The USDA’s animal care unit employs just 122 inspectors countrywide. They are responsible for the oversight of 11,785 facilities, including labs, breeders and zoos, the Congressional Research Service, which conducts analyses for the US&nbsp;Congress, reported in July.

The USDA inspector general has published at least three reports since 2014 critical of the agency’s lax oversight, though its criticism dates back to the 1990s.

The lack of resources means the agency is often not able to hold researchers accountable when they fail to comply with the law, the inspector general found in its 2014 audit.

The USDA's lab inspectors operate separately from the agency's inspector general, which audits the USDA and investigates animal-welfare crimes to assist U.S. prosecutors.

The law gives animal researchers great leeway to conduct various tests, though companies can be sanctioned when they don’t conduct experiments in the manner that their committees approved, according to three experts on the regulations interviewed by Reuters.

Some advocates of the current system – many of whom work in medical research – argue it affords researchers the freedom they need to advance life-saving medical treatments.

Naomi Charalambakis, the associate director of science policy for the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, said animal research was already "highly regulated, highly scrutinised" and that no further regulation is needed.&nbsp;She said she did not believe that what Reuters reported occurred at Neuralink is representative of the vast majority of research labs.

The Animal Welfare Act, which governs animal experiments, omits mice and rats. This is despite them making up the vast majority of all animals used, including at Neuralink, according to more than a dozen current and former company employees.

The law dictates that research facilities form committees to review the use and care of animals in experiments. Only one committee member has to be unaffiliated with the research facility. In human trials, all panel members involved in the oversight must be independent to avoid undue corporate pressure and other conflicts of interest.

Neuralink’s animal care director Autumn Sorrells leads the company’s committee, which consists of more than half a dozen Neuralink employees and three outsiders, according to internal company documents reviewed by Reuters.

Sorrells did not respond to a request for comment. Neuralink says on its website that it champions animal welfare and tries to reduce animal testing where possible.

Two academic studies conducted in 2009 and 2012 found that animal research committees approved between 98% and 99% of experiments proposed by researchers.

The USDA was especially accommodating under former U.S. President Donald Trump, when the agency allowed researchers to avoid violations if they reported them first.

In 2019 Neuralink and its research partner at the time, the University of California Davis, self-reported an incident in which a Neuralink surgeon used a sealant on a monkey to close a void between two brain implants without the glue having been approved by the research committee, according to emails and public records obtained by advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

A spokesperson for the university declined to comment.

The USDA decided there was no violation because of the rule change introduced in 2018 under the Trump administration, Robert Gibbens, an agency official, told PCRM on Dec. 6 in an email seen by Reuters.

"The facility discovered the noncompliance using its own compliance monitoring program, and immediately took appropriate corrective action and established measures to prevent recurrence," Gibbens wrote in the email. "Therefore ... there were no citations on the inspection report."

The USDA last year changed its policy so that self-reporting a violation no longer avoids a citation.

Gibbens referred Reuters to a USDA spokesperson, who did not respond to a request for comment.

LIMITED CONSEQUENCES

Two animal researchers told Reuters that USDA sanctions for any infractions they committed would be minor compared to the resources and funding of their institutions.

The USDA’s maximum fine of $12,771 per day per animal is rarely doled out, and the usual fines, potentially in the couple-thousands of dollars, are viewed by violators as "a normal cost of business," the inspector general found in a report in 2014.

The inspector general audits the animal inspection program sporadically and the maximum penalties haven’t changed since then.

Moreover, the vast majority of violations result in warnings or no action at all, according to a 2017 analysis by Delcianna Winders, an animal law expert at the Vermont Law and Graduate School. Her research found that issuing mere warnings frequently failed to incentivize compliance with the law.

The analyses by Winders and the inspector general are the most recent Reuters found. This year, the agency has fined only two research facilities – for less than $6,000 each – and issued warnings to five labs, public filings show.

The USDA’s inspection service said in 2021 it opened only 118 cases following 7,670 site inspections, issued 58 official warnings, obtained eight administrative orders and suspended one facility’s license for five years.

Some animal-welfare advocates interviewed by Reuters point to such statistics in arguing that more enforcement is needed.

“There has been this culture of non-enforcement that permeates the agency,” said Ingrid Seggerman, senior director of federal affairs for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

The agency’s handling of Envigo is a case in point, these advocates say. Beginning in 2021, USDA inspectors uncovered multiple violations at Envigo's facilities during routine inspections, including maggot-infested dog food and more than 300 dead puppies, but took no action.

Reuters could not determine why the agency did not intervene to address what U.S. prosecutors later called violations of animal-welfare laws.

Envigo was made to sign the consent decree giving up the beagles only after the USDA inspector general and the Justice Department investigated and found evidence of inhumane treatment.

USDA inspectors cannot review every facility each year, despite their mandate to do so, because of their limited resources, and inspect about 65 percent of them instead, the Congressional Research Service reported this year.

Only about 0.008% of the agency’s most recent budget of $430 billion goes to enforcing the Animal Welfare Act, according to Eric Kleiman, a researcher at the Animal Welfare Institute, an advocacy group. The figures were confirmed by Reuters.

“This funding is a pittance, as you can see, compared to the wealth, size and power of, say, many research facilities, let alone Elon Musk,” Kleiman said.

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Law enforcement officials investigating Elon Musk's Neuralink Corp over its animal trial programme are also scrutinising the US Department of Agriculture’s oversight of the company's operations, after the agency failed to act on violations at other research organizations, according to several people familiar with the matter.

Law enforcement officials investigating Elon Musk's Neuralink Corp over its animal trial programme are also scrutinising the US Department of Agriculture’s oversight of the company's operations, after the agency failed to act on violations at other research organizations, according to several people familiar with the matter. Reuters reported on Dec. 5 that the USDA's watchdog, the Office of the Inspector General, is investigating Neuralink, a medical device company that is developing brain implants, over potential animal welfare violations. A federal prosecutor in the civil division at the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California requested the probe, people familiar with the matter said. Reuters was unable to determine what potential violations are being investigated. The Dec. 5 report identified four experiments in recent years, involving 86 pigs and two monkeys, that were marred by human errors. The mistakes weakened the experiments’ research value and required the tests to be repeated, leading to more animals being killed. Given that the USDA cleared Neuralink's facilities during eight visits in the last three years, federal investigators believe there is merit in reviewing the USDA's oversight of the company as it considers potential animal welfare violations, said the individuals who are familiar with the investigation. These sources said the decision by federal investigators to scrutinise the USDA was bolstered by criticism from the USDA's Office of the Inspector General, which has for years described the agency as overstretched and ineffective. In 2014, the watchdog noted in a report that the department’s enforcement office “had a backlog of over 2,000 cases, a volume so large that (animal inspectors) could not quickly address serious violations.” A USDA spokesperson told Reuters the agency could not comment on anything related to Neuralink and referred all requests to the inspector general, whose office declined to comment. The agency did not respond to requests for comment on its record monitoring animal research experiments nationally. The Justice Department and the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California declined to comment. Spokespersons for Neuralink and Musk did not respond to comment requests. The USDA's handling of a recent high-profile case involving Envigo, a research and dog breeding facility, also factored into the federal investigators’ decision to look at the agency's oversight of Neuralink, the sources told Reuters. In that case, law enforcement officials eventually intervened, filing charges against the firm this year that resulted in a civil consent decree that required Envigo to give up around 4,000 beagles to the Humane Society of the United States. The parent company for Envigo said in a statement to Reuters that it did not need to pay any fines or admit wrongdoing in its agreement with the Justice Department. GREAT LEEWAY A Reuters review of government records and interviews with two current and former USDA employees, one lawmaker and more than a dozen animal welfare experts paint a picture of an overextended agency that struggles to regulate animal testing. The USDA’s animal care unit employs just 122 inspectors countrywide. They are responsible for the oversight of 11,785 facilities, including labs, breeders and zoos, the Congressional Research Service, which conducts analyses for the US Congress, reported in July. The USDA inspector general has published at least three reports since 2014 critical of the agency’s lax oversight, though its criticism dates back to the 1990s. The lack of resources means the agency is often not able to hold researchers accountable when they fail to comply with the law, the inspector general found in its 2014 audit. The USDA's lab inspectors operate separately from the agency's inspector general, which audits the USDA and investigates animal-welfare crimes to assist U.S. prosecutors. The law gives animal researchers great leeway to conduct various tests, though companies can be sanctioned when they don’t conduct experiments in the manner that their committees approved, according to three experts on the regulations interviewed by Reuters. Some advocates of the current system – many of whom work in medical research – argue it affords researchers the freedom they need to advance life-saving medical treatments. Naomi Charalambakis, the associate director of science policy for the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, said animal research was already "highly regulated, highly scrutinised" and that no further regulation is needed. She said she did not believe that what Reuters reported occurred at Neuralink is representative of the vast majority of research labs. The Animal Welfare Act, which governs animal experiments, omits mice and rats. This is despite them making up the vast majority of all animals used, including at Neuralink, according to more than a dozen current and former company employees. The law dictates that research facilities form committees to review the use and care of animals in experiments. Only one committee member has to be unaffiliated with the research facility. In human trials, all panel members involved in the oversight must be independent to avoid undue corporate pressure and other conflicts of interest. Neuralink’s animal care director Autumn Sorrells leads the company’s committee, which consists of more than half a dozen Neuralink employees and three outsiders, according to internal company documents reviewed by Reuters. Sorrells did not respond to a request for comment. Neuralink says on its website that it champions animal welfare and tries to reduce animal testing where possible. Two academic studies conducted in 2009 and 2012 found that animal research committees approved between 98% and 99% of experiments proposed by researchers. The USDA was especially accommodating under former U.S. President Donald Trump, when the agency allowed researchers to avoid violations if they reported them first. In 2019 Neuralink and its research partner at the time, the University of California Davis, self-reported an incident in which a Neuralink surgeon used a sealant on a monkey to close a void between two brain implants without the glue having been approved by the research committee, according to emails and public records obtained by advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). A spokesperson for the university declined to comment. The USDA decided there was no violation because of the rule change introduced in 2018 under the Trump administration, Robert Gibbens, an agency official, told PCRM on Dec. 6 in an email seen by Reuters. "The facility discovered the noncompliance using its own compliance monitoring program, and immediately took appropriate corrective action and established measures to prevent recurrence," Gibbens wrote in the email. "Therefore ... there were no citations on the inspection report." The USDA last year changed its policy so that self-reporting a violation no longer avoids a citation. Gibbens referred Reuters to a USDA spokesperson, who did not respond to a request for comment. LIMITED CONSEQUENCES Two animal researchers told Reuters that USDA sanctions for any infractions they committed would be minor compared to the resources and funding of their institutions. The USDA’s maximum fine of $12,771 per day per animal is rarely doled out, and the usual fines, potentially in the couple-thousands of dollars, are viewed by violators as "a normal cost of business," the inspector general found in a report in 2014. The inspector general audits the animal inspection program sporadically and the maximum penalties haven’t changed since then. Moreover, the vast majority of violations result in warnings or no action at all, according to a 2017 analysis by Delcianna Winders, an animal law expert at the Vermont Law and Graduate School. Her research found that issuing mere warnings frequently failed to incentivize compliance with the law. The analyses by Winders and the inspector general are the most recent Reuters found. This year, the agency has fined only two research facilities – for less than $6,000 each – and issued warnings to five labs, public filings show. The USDA’s inspection service said in 2021 it opened only 118 cases following 7,670 site inspections, issued 58 official warnings, obtained eight administrative orders and suspended one facility’s license for five years. Some animal-welfare advocates interviewed by Reuters point to such statistics in arguing that more enforcement is needed. “There has been this culture of non-enforcement that permeates the agency,” said Ingrid Seggerman, senior director of federal affairs for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The agency’s handling of Envigo is a case in point, these advocates say. Beginning in 2021, USDA inspectors uncovered multiple violations at Envigo's facilities during routine inspections, including maggot-infested dog food and more than 300 dead puppies, but took no action. Reuters could not determine why the agency did not intervene to address what U.S. prosecutors later called violations of animal-welfare laws. Envigo was made to sign the consent decree giving up the beagles only after the USDA inspector general and the Justice Department investigated and found evidence of inhumane treatment. USDA inspectors cannot review every facility each year, despite their mandate to do so, because of their limited resources, and inspect about 65 percent of them instead, the Congressional Research Service reported this year. Only about 0.008% of the agency’s most recent budget of $430 billion goes to enforcing the Animal Welfare Act, according to Eric Kleiman, a researcher at the Animal Welfare Institute, an advocacy group. The figures were confirmed by Reuters. “This funding is a pittance, as you can see, compared to the wealth, size and power of, say, many research facilities, let alone Elon Musk,” Kleiman said. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Probe of Musk's Neuralink to scrutinise long-criticised US animal welfare regulator for oversight

In a poll put out by Elon Musk himself, Twitter users vote overwhelmingly asking him to step down as Twitter CEO. Musk promised to abide by the results of the poll. So, will the 'Chief Twit' now resign? Priyanka Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: 'Time to go', Twitter users tell Elon Musk

Hours after reports emerged claiming that Twitter's new owner Elon Musk is actively searching for a new CEO of Twitter, Musk&nbsp;announced that he would soon step down as Twitter CEO. The development comes a day&nbsp;after Elon Musk lost a Twitter poll in which he had asked his over 122 million Twitter followers if he should step down as the Chief Executive Officer of the social media platform.&nbsp;

Musk said he plans to run&nbsp;Twitter’s engineering as owner. Reports say that it is&nbsp;hard to tell what is&nbsp;left of other operations, such as legal and communication, some of which have been gutted.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/elon-musk-searching-for-new-twitter-ceo-say-reports-544937">Elon Musk searching for new Twitter CEO, say reports</a>

"I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software and&nbsp;servers teams," Elon Musk tweeted on Wednesday.

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Of over 17.5 million people who participated in Musk's Twitter poll, about 57.5 per cent asked him to step down.&nbsp;

Many Tweeples said that the poll may have been manipulated by bots, autonomous non-human programs on the internet posing as humans. Musk responded with a prompt one-word response: "interesting".&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-elon-musk-buys-twitter-529238">Explained: The future of Twitter under Elon Musk</a>

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Musk has been almost single-handedly running Twitter since he bought it in October for $44 billion. He said early on that he didn’t plan to stay permanently as CEO and he has surrounded himself with a few trusted people, some of whom have suggested they’d be ready to take on what Musk calls a thankless task. “No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor,” Musk tweeted earlier this week.&nbsp;

In November, Musk said, “I expect to reduce my time at Twitter and find somebody else to run Twitter over time.”

His takeover of the microblogging site has been riddled with controversies, starting from firing employees, to jacking up the price of Twitter’s Blue subscription plan.

The “Chief Twit” has repeatedly claimed that since he took over Twitter, the usage has reached an all-time high and that hate speech impressions have fallen.

Since taking over Twitter in&nbsp;October 2020, Elon Musk has helmed over the&nbsp;firings or departures of roughly 5,000 of Twitter’s 7,500 employees.

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Hours after reports emerged claiming that Twitter's new owner Elon Musk is actively searching for a new CEO of Twitter, Musk announced that he would soon step down as Twitter CEO.

Hours after reports emerged claiming that Twitter's new owner Elon Musk is actively searching for a new CEO of Twitter, Musk announced that he would soon step down as Twitter CEO. The development comes a day after Elon Musk lost a Twitter poll in which he had asked his over 122 million Twitter followers if he should step down as the Chief Executive Officer of the social media platform. Musk said he plans to run Twitter’s engineering as owner. Reports say that it is hard to tell what is left of other operations, such as legal and communication, some of which have been gutted. ALSO READ | Elon Musk searching for new Twitter CEO, say reports "I will resign as CEO as soon as I find someone foolish enough to take the job! After that, I will just run the software and servers teams," Elon Musk tweeted on Wednesday. Of over 17.5 million people who participated in Musk's Twitter poll, about 57.5 per cent asked him to step down. Many Tweeples said that the poll may have been manipulated by bots, autonomous non-human programs on the internet posing as humans. Musk responded with a prompt one-word response: "interesting". WATCH | Explained: The future of Twitter under Elon Musk × Musk has been almost single-handedly running Twitter since he bought it in October for $44 billion. He said early on that he didn’t plan to stay permanently as CEO and he has surrounded himself with a few trusted people, some of whom have suggested they’d be ready to take on what Musk calls a thankless task. “No one wants the job who can actually keep Twitter alive. There is no successor,” Musk tweeted earlier this week. In November, Musk said, “I expect to reduce my time at Twitter and find somebody else to run Twitter over time.” His takeover of the microblogging site has been riddled with controversies, starting from firing employees, to jacking up the price of Twitter’s Blue subscription plan. The “Chief Twit” has repeatedly claimed that since he took over Twitter, the usage has reached an all-time high and that hate speech impressions have fallen. Since taking over Twitter in October 2020, Elon Musk has helmed over the firings or departures of roughly 5,000 of Twitter’s 7,500 employees. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Elon Musk to resign as Twitter CEO once he finds 'someone foolish enough'

The seventh round of internal Twitter staff communication was published on the microblogging network on Monday. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) paid a stunning $3.4 million to Twitter between October 2019 and February 2021, according to the "Twitter Files 7.0," which also revealed how the FBI forced top Twitter executives to kill the "Hunter Biden narrative" under duress.

Twitter Chaos: Emails reveal FBI's involvement to suppress Hunter-Biden laptop story

The Twitter CEO Elon Musk has restricted the voting policy on the social media platform and has said that Twitter will only account votes of users who have a blue tick on their accounts.

US: Twitter to only account votes of users with blue ticks, change in voting policy

Elon Musk is actively searching for the new CEO of Twitter, CNBC reported quoting sources. It comes days after the tech billionaire conducted an opinion poll in the microblogging site asking whether he should step down or not.

A majority of 17 million respondents voted for Musk to leave the post.

CNBC further reported that the search for a new CEO began before the Twitter poll was made.

The fact that Twitter will get a new CEO was expected as Musk, after acquiring the company for $44 billion in October, has repeatedly stated that his position would temporary.

In November, Musk said, “I expect to reduce my time at Twitter and find somebody else to run Twitter over time.”

His takeover of the microblogging site has been riddled with controversies, starting from firing employees, to jacking up the price of Twitter’s Blue subscription plan.

The “Chief Twit” has also repeatedly claimed that ever since he took over Twitter, the usage has reached an all-time high and that hate speech impressions have fallen.

There were also reports that Tesla investors have been unhappy with the 51-year-old for spending more time on managing Twitter and neglecting his electric car company.

Moreover, Tesla shares have lost more than 60 per cent in value this year, with some saying his obsession with Twitter is destroying the brand.

Last week, Leo KoGuan, the third largest individual shareholder in Tesla, said that Musk should to step down as the boss of the electric car maker.

"Elon abandoned Tesla and Tesla has no working CEO. Tesla needs and deserves to have [a] working full time CEO," he tweeted.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Elon Musk is actively searching for the new CEO of Twitter, CNBC reported quoting sources. It comes days after the tech billionaire conducted an opinion poll in the microblogging site asking whether he should step down or not.

Elon Musk is actively searching for the new CEO of Twitter, CNBC reported quoting sources. It comes days after the tech billionaire conducted an opinion poll in the microblogging site asking whether he should step down or not. A majority of 17 million respondents voted for Musk to leave the post. CNBC further reported that the search for a new CEO began before the Twitter poll was made. The fact that Twitter will get a new CEO was expected as Musk, after acquiring the company for $44 billion in October, has repeatedly stated that his position would temporary. In November, Musk said, “I expect to reduce my time at Twitter and find somebody else to run Twitter over time.” His takeover of the microblogging site has been riddled with controversies, starting from firing employees, to jacking up the price of Twitter’s Blue subscription plan. The “Chief Twit” has also repeatedly claimed that ever since he took over Twitter, the usage has reached an all-time high and that hate speech impressions have fallen. There were also reports that Tesla investors have been unhappy with the 51-year-old for spending more time on managing Twitter and neglecting his electric car company. Moreover, Tesla shares have lost more than 60 per cent in value this year, with some saying his obsession with Twitter is destroying the brand. Last week, Leo KoGuan, the third largest individual shareholder in Tesla, said that Musk should to step down as the boss of the electric car maker. "Elon abandoned Tesla and Tesla has no working CEO. Tesla needs and deserves to have [a] working full time CEO," he tweeted. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Elon Musk searching for new Twitter CEO, say reports

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