Meta Platform announced that it is testing a monthly subscription service, called Meta Verified, which will let users verify their accounts using a government ID and get a blue badge, as it looks to help content creators grow and build communities.
The subscription bundle for Instagram and Facebook, to be launched later this week, also includes extra protection against impersonation and will be priced starting at $11.99 per month on the web or $14.99 a month on Apple's iOS system and Android.
Meta Verified will be rolled out in Australia and New Zealand this week, with gradual launches in other countries to follow.
Meta's foray into subscription services follows Twitter, which announced last month that Twitter Blue will be priced at $11 per month.
The social media giant's CEO Mark Zuckerberg has earlier said it was planning to launch several new products that would "empower creators to be way more productive and creative," while cautioning about the cost associated with supporting the technology for a large user base.
Other social media apps, like Snapchat and messaging app Telegram launched paid subscription services last year, as a new source of revenue.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday he would increase tariffs on cars and trucks from the European Union to 25 per cent next week, saying the bloc had not complied with its trade deal with Washington.
Meraas, a member of Dubai Holding Real Estate, has awarded AED 2.4 billion in main construction contracts for new phases of its flagship villa developments, The Acres and The Acres Estates, in Dubailand.
Bangladesh is set to sign a deal on Thursday to buy 14 aircraft from US planemaker Boeing, officials said, a move that marks a shift away from Europe's Airbus amid trade pressure from Washington.
The UAE Circular Economy Council held its first meeting of 2026 on Wednesday, with discussions centred on strengthening food security, expanding sustainable production, and increasing investment in circular economy sectors.
The UAE has welcomed a new resolution adopted by the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee during its 84th session.
At the United Nations Security Council, the UAE has called for the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, urging that Iran be held fully accountable for obstructing international navigation.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has praised the efforts of the first batch of Emirati government officials to secure scholarships to study at the world's top universities.