<div style="text-align: justify; "><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Elon Musk has denied a New York Times report that he plans to lay off Twitter workers before the start of next month to avoid having to make payouts.</span><br></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Replying to a Twitter user asking about the report, he said: "This is false."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last week, Mr Musk completed his $44bn (£37.9bn) takeover of the social media platform after months of legal wrangling.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">The buyout saw the exit of the firm's top bosses - including its chief executive, chairman and finance chief.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At the weekend, The New York Times reported that Mr Musk had ordered major job cuts across Twitter's workforce.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The newspaper said the layoffs would take place before 1 November, when workers were due to receive grants of shares in the company as a major part of their pay deals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The takeover has prompted discussion among Twitter users over what the platform will look like under Mr Musk's ownership.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Some have voiced concerns that more lenient free speech policies would mean people banned for hate speech or disinformation may be allowed back to the platform.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last week Mr Musk said that he doesn't want the platform to become an echo chamber for hate and division. "Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hell-scape, where anything can be said with no consequences!" he tweeted.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However after denying the New York Times job cuts report, Mr Musk tweeted a screen shot of a New York Times headline about him posting a link to a "site known to publish false news".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The New York Times headline referred to a reply Mr Musk had posted, and then deleted, at the weekend to a tweet by former US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">His reply contained a link to a conspiracy theory about an assault on Paul Pelosi, husband of US House speaker Nancy Pelosi.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Separately, in response to a question about users getting verified, and gain a coveted so-called "blue check mark", on the platform, he said the process will be revised.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"Whole verification process is being revamped right now", Mr Musk said without giving further details.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It had been reported that the firm was planning to charge users to become verified.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Elon Musk Show</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">From South Africa to Silicon Valley - the enigmatic, compelling and controversial inside story of the world's richest man, as told by family, friends and enemies. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>