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LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman revealed that during the company’s early days, employees were expected to continue working from home after having dinner with their families, according to recently resurfaced comments that highlight his controversial stance on work-life balance for startup employees.
“When we started LinkedIn, we started with people who had families. So we said, sure, go home have dinner with your family. Then, after dinner with your family, open up your laptop and get back in the shared work experience and keep working,” Hoffman stated in a podcast appearance last year.
The tech entrepreneur’s approach to work schedules represents a glimpse into the demanding culture that helped build LinkedIn before its $26.2 billion acquisition by Microsoft in 2016.

LinkedIn co-founder says work-life balance is not for start-ups

Hoffman maintains that a relentless work ethic is non-negotiable for startup success. “If I ever hear a founder talking about, ‘this is how I have a balanced life’—they’re not committed to winning,” Hoffman told Stanford University‘s “How to Start a Startup” class in 2014.
Despite growing conversations about workplace wellness since the pandemic, Hoffman’s position remains unchanged. “Work-life balance is not the start-up game,” he said on the Diary of a CEO podcast.
The LinkedIn co-founder defends his perspective against critics, arguing that those who disagree fundamentally misunderstand startup realities. “The people that think that’s toxic don’t understand the start-up game, and they’re just wrong,” he said. “The game is intense. And by the way, if you don’t do that, eventually, you’re out of a job.”
Hoffman points to significant financial rewards for those who embrace the grind. According to him, approximately 100 early LinkedIn employees “don’t need to work anymore” following the company’s success.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy during their practice session ahead of IPL 2025 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. (PTI)

The last encounter between the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) was in the IPL 2024 final. Fast forward to IPL 2025, and both teams find themselves struggling at the bottom of the points table, with SRH sitting in eighth place and KKR at tenth. The only team either franchise has managed to defeat so far are the Rajasthan Royals, who occupy ninth.
For KKR, the defending champions, their batting lineup has been notably inconsistent. Last season, their opening partnership thrived, averaging 43.9 runs with a strike rate of 207. Conversely, this season, they are averaging just 15.3 runs and have a strike rate of only 100.
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Their middle-order, including retained players like Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, and Ramandeep Singh, is averaging 17.22 with a strike rate of 117.3.
Additionally, they have shown a susceptibility to short balls, with nine out of their 12 dismissals to fast bowlers this season coming from deliveries pitched between 8 and 10 meters or shorter.
On the other hand, SRH have struggled in the powerplay, both with bat and ball. While Abhishek Sharma has produced some solid shots, he has only managed to score 31 runs in three innings. In matches against the Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals, their batters continued to play aggressively even as wickets fell, resulting in below-par totals.
Their fast bowling, which was anticipated to improve, has not made a significant impact in the opening overs. With a powerplay economy rate of 11.4, they have the worst record among all teams this year; even star bowlers like Pat Cummins, Mohammed Shami, and Harshal Patel have an underwhelming economy rate of 11.7. Only the Rajasthan Royals’ bowlers have fared worse at 11.8.

Pitch report for KKR vs SRH

Amid all the noise around the surface and the pitches for home teams, it all stemmed from Eden Gardens. Despite Ajinkya Rahane’s comments and the controversy since, Eden Gardens pitch is expected to favour spinners so Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy could have an advantage. With minimal watering, it may slow down as the game progresses.

KKR vs SRH Dream11 Team Prediction

KKR predicted 11 vs SRH: Quinton de Kock (w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Spencer Johnson, Varun Chakaravarthy.
KKR Impact Sub: Vaibhav Arora/Manish Pandey.
SRH predicted 11 vs KKR: Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Aniket Verma, Abhinav Manohar, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami, Zeeshan Ansari.
SRH Impact Sub: Wiaan Mulder/Adam Zampa

KKR vs SRH squads, IPL match Today

Kolkata Knight Riders squad: Quinton de Kock(w), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy, Anrich Nortje, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia, Chetan Sakariya, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Mayank Markande, Rovman Powell, Moeen Ali.
Sunrisers Hyderabad Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubham Dubey, Nitish Rana, Riyan Parag(c), Dhruv Jurel(w), Shimron Hetmyer, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Tushar Deshpande, Sandeep Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Sanju Samson, Kunal Singh Rathore, Akash Madhwal, Kumar Kartikeya, Kwena Maphaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Ashok Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi.

KKR vs SRH Head-to-Head Record

Matches played: 28
Kolkata Knight Riders won: 19
Sunrisers Hyderabad: 9
KKR have dominated SRH historically in the IPL. KKR have won more than twice the number of games SRH have in their meets, tallying 19 victories in 28 meetings, including by eight wickets last year in IPL 2024 final.
KKR vs SRH head-to-head at Eden Gardens
Matches played: 19
KKR won: 7
SRH won: 3

KKR vs SRH IPL 2025, Bengaluru weather prediction

As per Accuweather, Kolkata can expect temperatures of 30 degrees Celsius at the start of KKR vs SRH and it will drop to 27 degrees Celsius by the end of the contest. The humidity is predicted to range from 60% to 79%. There is very small chance of rain.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today delivered a sharp rebuttal to Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, days after the latter described India’s Northeast as “landlocked” and positioned Bangladesh as the “guardian of ocean access” for the region.

Mr Jaishankar highlighted India’s strategic role in the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), putting the spotlight on the country’s 6,500-km coastline and its geographical linkages with five BIMSTEC members.

“We, after all, have the longest coastline in the Bay of Bengal, of almost 6,500 km. India shares borders not only with five BIMSTEC members, connects most of them, but also provides much of the interface between the Indian sub-continent and ASEAN. Our North-Eastern region in particular is emerging as a connectivity hub for the BIMSTEC, with a myriad network of roads, railways, waterways, grids and pipelines,” Mr Jaishankar said in a statement.  

Muhammad Yunus, during his recent four-day visit to China, remarked that India’s Northeast was “landlocked” and had “no way to reach out to the ocean,” presenting Bangladesh as the primary gateway for the region’s maritime access.

He also encouraged Beijing to expand its economic influence in Bangladesh, calling the country the “only guardian of the ocean” in the region. These comments, made amid Bangladesh’s signing of nine agreements with China and securing a $2.1 billion financial package, sparked a row, prompting leaders across party lines to condemn him.

“We are conscious that our cooperation and facilitation are an essential prerequisite for the smooth flow of goods, services and people in this larger geography. Keeping this geo-strategic factor in mind, we have devoted increasing energies and attention to the strengthening of BIMSTEC in the last decade. We also believe that cooperation is an integrated outlook, not one subject to cherry-picking,” Mr Jaishankar added. 

Mr Yunus’ remarks sparked outrage, particularly in the Northeast. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma condemned the statements as “offensive” and “strongly condemnable.”

“Such provocative statements by Muhammad Yunus must not be taken lightly, as they reflect deeper strategic considerations and longstanding agendas,” Mr Sarma posted on X.

He also warned that Mr Yunus’ comments revived discussions around the “Chicken’s Neck” corridor, a vulnerable stretch of land in West Bengal connecting the Northeast to the rest of India.

“Historically, internal elements within India have dangerously suggested severing this critical passageway. Therefore, it is imperative to develop more robust railway and road networks both underneath and around the Chicken’s Neck corridor,” Mr Sarma stated.

Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh accused Bangladesh’s interim government of treating India’s Northeast as a “strategic pawn” and warned Mr Yunus against making “reckless comments” about India’s sovereignty.

During his China visit, Mr Yunus signed agreements for economic collaboration, including Bangladesh’s Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP). He also met with President Xi Jinping, urging Beijing to play a “greater role” in Bangladesh’s stability.

India has historically relied on access to Bangladesh’s ports, particularly Chittagong, for trade and logistics. During former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, Dhaka granted India access to the Chittagong Port via Tripura’s Sabroom sub-division, just 75 km away from the port.
 

A group of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) members confronted a nationalised bank’s manager in Thane’s Ambernath town for not communicating in Marathi, flaring tensions in the area.

The incident unfolded on Wednesday when the MNS activists entered the bank in the town adjoining Mumbai and aggressively confronted the manager, accusing him of failing to use the official state language Marathi while interacting with customers.

A video capturing the confrontation quickly went viral on social media. The clip showed the activists banging the table, shoving a computer monitor and shouting at the manager, demanding that he converse in Marathi.

The bank manager, however, appeared unfazed and told the MNS workers that as part of an All India Service, he was permitted to use any permissible language in official communications.

“One cannot be expected to learn the local language instantly; it takes time,” he is heard saying in the video.

The local unit of the Raj Thackeray-led party confirmed its members were involved in the incident.

It remained unclear whether a police complaint was lodged in connection with the altercation.

In a related development, Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena activists continued their campaign to protect the Marathi language.

Led by MNS student wing general secretary Sandeep Pachange, a delegation met the Education Officer at the Zilla Parishad in Thane and submitted a memorandum demanding strict action against English medium schools that prohibit students from speaking Marathi.

Earlier, MNS activists on Tuesday distributed letters across banks in the district, asserting Marathi should be the primary language of communication with customers.

They had also pulled down a banner outside a bank in the city because it had no Marathi text.

At his Gudi Padwa rally on March 30, Raj Thackeray reiterated his party’s stand on Marathi being made mandatory for official purposes.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

NEW DELHI: Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday launched a strong criticism of the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, accusing the government of “bulldozing” it through the Lok Sabha.
Speaking at the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) General Body meeting, Sonia Gandhi characterised the bill as part of the BJP’s strategy to maintain societal polarization.
“Yesterday, the Waqf Amendment Bill, 2024, was passed in the Lok Sabha, and today it is scheduled for the Rajya Sabha. The bill was, in effect, bulldozed through. Our party’s position is clear—the bill is a brazen assault on the Constitution itself. It is part of the BJP’s deliberate strategy to keep our society in a state of permanent polarisation,” Sonia Gandhi said.
She warned that the government’s actions were systematically undermining democratic values and pushing India toward becoming a surveillance state.
The contentious bill passed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday after a marathon 12-hour debate, securing 288 votes in favor and 232 against. The BJP received support from its allies, including the TDP, JD(U), Shiv Sena, and LJP.
Sonia also expressed strong opposition to the ‘One Nation, One Election’ proposal, describing it as “another subversion of the Constitution.”
Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi criticised the bill as an attack on the Constitution’s basic structure, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav warned about its potential impact on India’s secular image. However, minority affairs minister Kiren Rijiju defended the bill, emphasising that it pertains solely to properties and does not interfere with religious institutions.
“The amendments were necessary because the UPA-era changes gave the Waqf Act an overriding effect over other laws,” Rijiju said.
Home minister Amit Shah defended the bill, particularly regarding the appointment of non-Muslims to Waqf councils, while former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad criticized Congress’s historical stance on minority issues.

In a massive loss of face to the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, the Supreme Court has upheld the Calcutta High Court order, cancelling the appointment of more than 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff under the West Bengal School Service Commission. The Supreme Court said the entire selection process is “vitiated by manipulation and fraud” and its credibility and legitimacy “denuded”.

The bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar said that it saw no reason to interfere with the High Court order. The court said the appointments resulted from cheating and are thus fraudulent.

The court asked the state government to complete a fresh selection process within three months. Those who clear this fresh process would not be required to return the salary they drew since their appointment in 2016. But the ones who don’t must pay back. The court has given relaxation to persons with disabilities and said they may continue in their present posting.

The Mamata Banerjee government had challenged the high court order in the Supreme Court, and pressed for a segregation of tainted and untainted candidates.

At the centre of the row are supernumerary posts created by the state government. More than 23 lakh candidates had appeared for the state-level selection test in 2016. The number of vacant posts was 24,640, but 25,753 appointment letters were issued. It is alleged that these supernumeric posts provided room for illegal recruitment.

Irregularities in the teachers’ recruitment had opened a can of worms for the Trinamool Congress government. Several of its top leaders, including former education minister and a trusted lieutenant of Mamata Banerjee, are in jail in connection with the case.

Senior BJP leader Amit Malviya described the Supreme Court verdict as a “crushing defeat” for Mamata Banerjee. “Mamata Banerjee’s close aide, Partha Chatterjee-who served as the Education Minister and was caught with wads of cash-is already in jail for his role in the scam. The Chief Minister, under whose watch this massive fraud ruined the careers of thousands of youths, must also be held accountable and face trial,” he said.

Rescuers scan the rubbles at the site of an under construction high-rise building that collapsed after an earthquake in Bangkok (Pic credit: AP)

The death toll from Myanmar‘s devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake rose to 3,085, with search and rescue operations still underway, the country’s ruling military junta confirmed on Thursday.
According to junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun, a total of 3,085 deaths have been confirmed, while 341 people remain missing and 4,715 have been reported injured. Rescue teams and aid workers from 17 countries have arrived to assist, bringing nearly 1,000 tonnes of relief supplies.
“We have been continuing search and rescue work, and we would like to express special gratitude for the hard work of the international community and medical teams,” Zaw Min Tun said.
In response to the disaster, the military declared a temporary ceasefire in the ongoing civil war, announcing on state television MRTV that hostilities would be halted until April 22 to facilitate relief efforts. However, the military warned resistance groups against using the ceasefire to reorganise or launch attacks, cautioning that “necessary measures” would be taken if violations occurred. Meanwhile, opposition forces have said that they reserve the right to defend themselves if attacked.
The earthquake, which struck at midday last Friday, caused widespread devastation, toppling buildings, collapsing bridges, and severely damaging infrastructure. Despite ongoing rescue operations, most teams are recovering bodies rather than survivors. However, on Wednesday, rescue workers pulled four people alive from the rubble in different locations.
The quake has exacerbated Myanmar’s already dire humanitarian crisis, which has been worsened by prolonged conflict. Even before the disaster, more than 3 million people were displaced, and nearly 20 million were in urgent need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations. Local sources fear the actual death toll could be even higher than reported.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday imposed sweeping tariffs that target key economic partners, escalating global trade tensions. China faces a 34 per cent tariff, the European Union 20 per cent, and India a 26 per cent “discounted reciprocal tariff.” The affected sectors span automobiles, dairy, steel and electronics.

Trump’s trade battles are not new. In his first term, he aggressively targeted China with tariffs, leading to retaliatory duties on American exports. His tariff threats also played a role in renegotiating the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement in 2020.

What Are Tariffs?

A tariff is a tax that a government places on goods and services imported from other countries. When products cross a nation’s borders, the importing business pays this tax to its home country’s government. Tariffs are typically calculated as a percentage of the item’s value, known as an ad valorem tariff.

Why Are Tariffs Imposed?

Their purpose is to:

• Protect Domestic Industries: By making imported goods more expensive, tariffs encourage consumers to buy products made locally, shielding domestic businesses from foreign competition.
• Generate Government Revenue: Tariffs provide a source of income for governments, especially in countries where other forms of taxation might be limited.
• Address Trade Imbalances: Tariffs can be used to correct trade deficits by discouraging imports and promoting exports.

Types Of Tariffs

• Ad Valorem Tariffs: Charged as a fixed percentage of the item’s value
• Specific Tariffs: Charged as a fixed amount per unit of the imported good, regardless of its value.
• Compound Tariffs: Combine both ad valorem and specific tariffs on the same item

Who Pays For Tariffs?

Importers pay tariffs when goods enter the country, but the cost usually gets passed down. Businesses may absorb some of it, reducing their profits, but most often, consumers end up paying higher prices. In some cases, exporters lower their prices to stay competitive. Over time, companies might move production to the US to avoid tariffs. Importers can also request exemptions if no other suppliers are available.

The Process Of Collecting And Enforcing US Tariffs

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) enforces tariffs at nearly 330 ports of entry, including border crossings, seaports, and airports. The Treasury Department oversees the regulations, but CBP handles collection, audits, and penalties.

How It Works:

• Imported goods receive numeric codes under the International Harmonised System, which determines the tariff rate.
• Businesses pay tariffs at customs clearance, and the funds go to the Treasury’s General Fund.
• Incorrectly declaring product details – whether by mistake or fraud – can lead to penalties.

Special Cases:

• Re-Imported US Goods: If a product made in the US is not altered abroad, it returns duty-free.
• Manufactured Goods: If US gold is sent to India to make earrings, the final product (including the gold’s value) is taxed upon re-entry.

Trump has imposed a 26 per cent reciprocal tariff on Indian goods.

What Are Reciprocal Tariffs?

A reciprocal tariff is when one country matches the import tax (tariff) that another country places on its goods.

In simple terms, if Country A charges a 10 per cent tariff on imports from Country B, then Country B responds by charging the same 10 per cent on goods from Country A. The idea is to ensure fair and balanced trade between nations.

Some countries set tariffs based on trade deficits, not just matching rates. For example, the US has considered higher tariffs on nations with whom it has a large trade gap, aiming to correct what it sees as unfair trade.

Indian astronaut-designate Shubhanshu Shukla is likely to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) as soon as May this year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said in an update about Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4).

Group Captain Shukla serves as the astronaut designate and Mission Pilot.

Mr Shukla, currently serving as an officer in the Indian Air Force, will become the second Indian to travel to space, four decades after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s historic feat in 1984. He will be accompanied by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and mission commander; Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland; and Tibor Kapu from Hungary.

His selection comes after ISRO identified him as a key astronaut-designate for India’s upcoming Gaganyaan mission, India’s first human spaceflight program, aiming to send up to three-member crew to a 400 km low Earth orbit for up to three-day mission. ISRO has collaborated with NASA and Axiom Space for this mission.

India has also chosen Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair as a designated astronaut who will become part of Ax-4 should Mr Shukla be unable to fly.

As part of an agreement between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), India bought a seat for its astronaut on the upcoming mission to space by Axiom Space Inc, a Houston-based company. However, the collaboration between the space agencies may be exempt from the reciprocal tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump.

Ax-4, the fourth private astronaut mission to the ISS, is targeted to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It will launch aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft hoisted by the Falcon-9 rocket, which will fly them to the space station. Once docked, the astronauts are scheduled to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprised of science, outreach and commercial activities. The private mission also carries the first astronauts from Poland and Hungary to stay aboard the space station.

According to NASA, the first private astronaut mission to the station Axiom Mission 1 lifted off in April 2022 for a 17-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory. The second private astronaut mission to the station Axiom Mission 2 launched in May 2023 with four private astronauts who spent eight days in orbit. The most recent private astronaut mission Axiom Mission 3 launched in January 2024, with the crew spending 18 days at the space station.

Ax-4’s likely launch in May will come months after Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams returned to Earth after spending 286 days in space.

The following is a partial list of reciprocal tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump during his April 2 press conference.

All nations will be subject to at least a 10% tariff going forward, while dozens of countries listed below that the administration identified as having high barriers on US goods will be subject to higher “reciprocal” rates. The new levies stack on top of existing tariffs, like the 20% fentanyl-related tax Trump previously imposed on Chinese goods. A previous exemption for short-term goods is also being closed.

There are some exemptions, including Canada and Mexico, which are subject to previously announced tariffs. Certain goods from key industries – including steel, aluminum, automobiles, copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lumber – are also exempt from these rates. Instead, they’ll be tariffed at rates either already determined or soon to be determined by the president.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)