Manchester City star and Algeria international Riyad Mahrez appealed to Elon Musk in a bid to recover his verified blue tick on Twitter after briefly losing the mark of credibility.
On Monday, Mahrez asked the billionaire, who plans to buy Twitter for $44 billion, to restore the blue tick to his account.
“Bro @elonmusk give me my blue tick back,” Mahrez said on Twitter. He has more than three million followers.
While Twitter has not commented on the matter, sources suggest Mahrez has failed to reverify the email address associated with his account after the platform updated its guidelines.
The footballer appeared to confirm that in a later tweet, promising to "verify my email".
The blue badge appeared again on Tuesday around 11:30 GMT. It is unclear if the footballer had resolved the email issue or if Mr Musk - who did not reply to Mahrez's request - had intervened.
Twitter's blue tick is a sought-after mark of credibility for officials and prominent users on the platform.
Mahrez has received support from users since losing his tick.
Some questioned whether he was the victim of a technical error, or if his account was hacked.
Others offered advice on how to have his account reverified.
“Keep in mind that Elon Musk isn't responsible for giving blue ticks. Go report the issue at Twitter Help Centre to get it fixed,” one user said.
Others made fun of the situation.
One Twitter user Photoshopped a blue tick onto Mahrez’s account, saying “with just one phone call to Elon Musk".
Twitter's terms of service say it can remove the verified status from an account at any time without notice.
Changes made to an account may result in the loss of a blue tick or, users may no longer qualify, such as when a government official leaves office.
In 2021, the company restarted the process for giving public figures the marker three years after it halted profile verifications amid controversy over the spread of fake news, hate speech and misinformation.
Blue ticks have been removed from accounts belonging to white supremacists and far-right activists. Other users have been barred from the platform altogether, such as former US president Donald Trump.
Last month, Mr Musk reached a deal to acquire Twitter for $44bn after criticising its policies regarding free speech.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
Price, base / as tested From Dh173,775 (base model)
Engine 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo, AWD
Power 249hp at 5,500rpm
Torque 365Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Gearbox Nine-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined 7.9L/100km
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
