Elon Musk on Nikhil Kamath’s podcast

In a wide-ranging conversation with Zerodha cofounder Nikhil Kamath on the “People by WTF” podcast, Elon Musk shared his perspectives on various topics including US trade policies. The Tesla CEO touched on issues ranging from President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy to the H‑1B visa system, while also offering a bold prediction about the future of employment.Expanding on why he opposes tariffs, Musk argued that free trade is inherently more efficient. “I think generally free trade is better, is more efficient. Tariffs tend to create distortions in markets,” he said, adding that barriers make little sense even at a basic level. “Would you want tariffs between you and everyone else at an individual level? That would make life very difficult. Would you want tariffs between each city? No — that would be very annoying. Would you want tariffs between each state within the United States? That would be disastrous for the economy. So then why do you want tariffs between countries?” When asked how this plays out and what comes next, Musk said the core challenge is Trump’s firm stance on the issue. “I mean, the President has made it clear he loves tariffs. You know, I’ve tried to dissuade him from this point of view, but unsuccessfully,” he said.

The future of work

In addition to tariffs Musk also laid out an expansive vision of how AI and robotics could reshape work and income over the next two decades. “My prediction is, in the future, working will be optional. They don’t have to— I mean, look, obviously, people can play this back in 20 years and say, ‘Look, Elon made this ridiculous prediction and it’s not true.’ But I think it will turn out to be true that, in less than 20 years, but maybe even as little as, I don’t know, ten or 15 years, the advancements in AI and robotics will bring us to the point where working is optional,” said Elon Musk while speaking to Kamath. Expanding on the analogy, Musk compared future work choices to gardening as a hobby rather than a necessity. “In the same way that, like, say, you can grow your own vegetables in your garden or you could go to the store and buy vegetables. You know. It’s much harder to grow your own vegetables. But some people like to grow their vegetables, which is fine. But it’ll be optional, in that way, is my prediction,” said Musk. He added that accelerating technological progress could create a world of near-limitless abundance. “I’m confident that if AI and robotics continue to advance — which they are advancing very rapidly — like I said, working will be optional, and people will have any goods and services that they want. ‘If you can think of it, you can have it’ type of thing,” said Musk.

H‑1B visas and high-skilled immigration

Musk also weighed in on the United States’ H‑1B visa system, saying he supports high-skilled immigration but believes parts of the programme have been distorted. “I think there’s been some misuse of the H‑1B Program. It would be accurate to say that some of the outsourcing companies have kind of gamed the system on the H‑1B front, and we need to stop the gaming of the system” he told Kamath, arguing that the scheme should favour genuinely specialised talent rather than bulk outsourcing models.However, he clarified that he still support s the program and is against shutting it down completely. ” But, I’m not I’m certainly not in the school of thought that we should shut down the H-1B program. That’s which some on the right are. I think they don’t realize that that would actually be very bad.”

Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, has been arrested in connection with a brazen daylight shooting in Washington, DC, just blocks away from the White House. In response to the shooting, the Trump administration announced a pause on all asylum decisions and a suspension of visa issuance for Afghan nationals.Lakanwal, who previously served with the US military and the CIA in Afghanistan, has been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and the wounding of Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24, both West Virginia National Guardsmen deployed to the city as part of US President Donald Trump’s anti-crime initiative.

An image of an identification badge circulating online appears to link the suspect to the “Kandahar Strike Force” or “03” unit, one of several “Zero Units” that operated alongside US and other foreign forces during the war in Afghanistan.However, little is publicly known about the unit or the nature of its operations.

What is the ‘Zero Unit’?

Lakanwal was among the thousands of Afghans who served alongside US forces during the nearly two-decade war against the Taliban. Lakanwal’s “03” unit, as identified on his badge, operated in and around Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province. Images of the badge circulating on social media after the attack also featured the words “Firebase Gecko”, the former CIA and US Special Forces base in the region, which once served as the compound of Taliban founder and Afghanistan’s first supreme leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, as cited by The Time.These units operated as Afghan intelligence and paramilitary forces, supporting US troops throughout the long campaign against the Taliban. Trained by American special operations personnel, they conducted high-risk missions, including frequent night raids.Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the units of carrying out extrajudicial killings, indiscriminate airstrikes, and multiple violations of international humanitarian law during the 2010s. Known for their covert operations, the units were described by diplomats as “death squads,” according to HRW. Both the CIA and the US government have rejected these allegations.

Eight years on the frontlines

Lt Gen Sami Sadat, former commanding general of the Afghan National Special Operations Corps, said that Lakanwal served in the “03” unit for eight years. A former senior Afghan general under the US-backed government added that the “03” unit, also known as the Kandahar Strike Force (KSF), “was under the special forces directorate of NDS. They were the most active and professional forces, trained and equipped by the CIA. All their operations were conducted under the CIA command.” Sadat said Lakanwal was part of the unit’s operations team.“He was known for being responsible and professional within his team and had strong anti-Taliban views,” Sadat was quoted as saying by CBS News.Lakanwal’s family faced serious threats from the Taliban, prompting him to move them from their native Khost province to Kabul, Sadat said. In the US, Sadat noted, Lakanwal “was generally calm and maintained a clean record, though he suffered from PTSD.”As a member of a Zero Unit, Lakanwal would have been virtually guaranteed asylum in the US, as members of these elite forces were prime targets for Taliban retaliation after the group regained control. Many of these unit members also played crucial roles in the August 2021 evacuation from Kabul, securing guaranteed spots on flights out of Afghanistan for themselves and their families.

Entry through Operation Allies Welcome

A federal program established under former president Joe Biden is under scrutiny after officials confirmed that Lakanwal entered the US through it.Known as Operation Allies Welcome, the initiative was created to assist Afghans fleeing Taliban reprisals after Kabul’s fall in August 2021. Reports suggest the program had significant flaws, potentially allowing individuals to enter the country with minimal oversight, according to the New York Post.Under Operation Allies Welcome, later renamed Enduring Welcome, nearly 200,000 Afghans were admitted to the United States, with about 40 percent granted Special Immigrant Visas.The Department of Homeland Security’s archived page for the program states that all arrivals underwent a “rigorous screening and vetting process,” which was “multi-layered and ongoing,” involving checks by the DHS, Department of Defence, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center, and other agencies.

British Airways is preparing to expand its India operations to tap into the country’s fast-growing aviation market and rising outbound travel demand, a senior airline executive said, citing the country’s “incredible potential”.The carrier, which has been flying to India for more than a century, currently operates 56 weekly flights from Indian cities to London — three daily services from Mumbai, two from Delhi, and one each from Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai.Subject to regulatory approvals, British Airways plans to add a third daily Delhi–London flight next year.“We are always looking to continue to expand our services as demand grows stronger. We continue to keep our network schedule under constant review to ensure we provide connectivity and choice for our customers,” British Airways Chief Operating Officer Rene de Groot told PTI.“As demand strengthens, we remain focused on expanding our services and elevating the travel experience,” he added.

India is BA’s second-largest market

India is now British Airways’ second-biggest market after the US, with the airline maintaining crew bases in all five Indian cities it serves. De Groot said local hiring remains central to the airline’s service proposition.“In India, we continue to create employment opportunities, and support regional economies — all while promoting the best of Britain,” he said.British Airways also runs CallBA, its India contact centre located in Gurugram, which employs around 2,000 staff offering round-the-clock assistance to customers across the US, Europe and Asia-Pacific.“From a people perspective, we have invested heavily in India and steadily expanded our colleague presence here, with CallBA and our five Indian cabin crew bases growing in size,” De Groot noted.

Network expansion and partnerships

The airline maintains a codeshare partnership with IndiGo and, through its wider collaboration with Qatar Airways, serves 13 Indian destinations with a total of 148 weekly flights — including direct British Airways services from London and Qatar Airways connections via Doha.Earlier this year, the airline launched a Meet and Assist service for travellers needing extra support while flying from India to the UK.De Groot said the rapid expansion of Indian carriers is a positive sign for the market.“We view the dynamic growth of Indian carriers like IndiGo and Air India as a positive development for the aviation industry and for India’s emergence as a global aviation hub,” he also told PTI.“India is our second-largest market, and the rising demand, coupled with the expansion of carriers like IndiGo amongst others, reflects the incredible potential of this market.”

Strong India–UK travel corridor

The UK remains a preferred destination for Indian travellers — particularly for tourism and education — aided by the India–UK Free Trade Agreement. About 500,000 Indians visit the UK each year, and the Indian diaspora continues to be a strong driver of travel demand.

Brazening it out, Pakistan on Sunday dismissed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s concerns over the country’s recent 27th constitutional amendment, urging him to avoid remarks that reflect “political bias and misinformation.”“Like all parliamentary democracies, all legislation as well as any amendment to the constitution remain the exclusive domain of the elected representatives of the people of Pakistan. While Pakistan gives due importance to the work of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, it is regrettable that Pakistan’s views and ground realities were not reflected in the statement issued,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.

The FO added that Pakistan remains “fully committed to protecting, promoting and upholding human rights, human dignity, basic freedoms and the rule of law as enshrined in the constitution”.“It is regrettable that Pakistan’s views and ground realities were not reflected in the remarks. We urge the High Commissioner to respect the sovereign decisions of Pakistan’s parliament and avoid commentary that reflects political bias and misinformation,” it stated.In a statement on Friday, Türk criticised Islamabad for adopting the amendment without “broad consultation” with legal experts and civil society, warning that the “hastily adopted” changes could undermine judicial independence and raise questions about military accountability.The 27th amendment has stirred intense political debate within the neighbouring nation. On November 12, a joint parliamentary committee of the Senate and National Assembly approved the bill, prompting the opposition to warn that the government was sounding “the death knell for the Supreme Court”.Also Read | 27th amendment: Where’s Pak headed — a govt-compliant court, an army-compliant govt?The amendment alters Article 243 by abolishing the post of Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and replacing it with a new Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). It also proposes establishing a Federal Constitutional Court and reducing certain powers of the Supreme Court.The first CDF will be Asim Munir, the Pakistan Army chief who was “promoted” to the five-star Field Marshal rank following the conflict with India in May.According to Dawn, the Pakistan government is yet to notify the appointment of the CDF, even as the office of the CJCSC formally ended on Thursday.(With PTI inputs)

The BCCI shared a new video on Saturday from Team India’s training session at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi, giving fans a glimpse of senior stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma gearing up for their return to ODI cricket. The three-match series against South Africa begins on 30 November, and the experienced pair will be seen again in blue after stepping away from T20Is and Test cricket. They now feature only in the one-day format at international level. In the clip posted online, a light-hearted moment involving Rishabh Pant and Kohli has caught the attention of fans. Pant was keeping during the nets when the pacer delivered a good-length ball to Kohli. The former captain danced down the track and produced a cleanly struck pull shot that left Pant impressed. Reacting instantly, Pant said from behind the stumps, “Bhai ji, acha ball tha yeh. Tagda maar diya,” praising both the delivery and Kohli’s effortless timing. Rohit and Kohli last played an ODI together during the tour of Australia in October. In that game, Rohit produced an unbeaten match-winning 121, while Kohli supported him with a fluent 74 not out. Their 168-run partnership set the tone for India’s win. As the Ranchi opener approaches, both batters stand on the brink of major milestones. Rohit, who currently sits at the top of the ODI batting rankings, is closing in on the 20,000-run mark in international cricket. He has amassed 19,902 runs across 502 matches, including 4,301 in Tests, 4,231 in T20Is, and 11,370 in ODIs. The Indian captain needs only 98 more to become the fourth Indian to enter the elite 20,000-run club after Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid. Kohli is on the verge of creating history as well. One more hundred will move him past Tendulkar for the most centuries by a batter in a single international format. Both legends are currently tied with 51 tons each, with Tendulkar’s tally coming in Tests. Kohli’s next century will make him the first to reach 52 in one format. Only these two greats have managed to score 50 or more hundreds in any single format of the game.

S Jaishankar at a felicitation ceremony at IIM Calcutta

KOLKATA: External affairs minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said on Saturday that the world was looking beyond the US and China to other countries and blocs for trade and energy as they try to hedge against contingencies.Calling the US the “long-time underwriter of the contemporary system”, Jaishankar said, “The US has set radically new terms of engagement. It is doing so by dealing with countries on a one-on-one basis. China has long played by its own rules and is now doing so even more.”Jaishankar was speaking at an event at Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta where he received a Doctorate of Philosophies Honoris Causa — an honorary doctorate.Pointing to the fast-changing nature of current geopolitics, he said, “This is an era where politics increasingly trumps economics, and that is not a pun.” He said the “pulls and pressures of globalisation, fragmentation and supply insecurities” have prompted the rest of the world to respond by “hedging against all contingencies”. Jaishankar said countries were exploring options other than the US and China “with great urgency”, and a sign of which was the uptick in enthusiasm around free trade agreements across geographies.Speaking on de-risking and hedging against uncertainties, Jaishankar called for more production centres and resilient supply lines. “The decisions are not merely made on costs, but taking into account ownership and security — (on) where a product is made and who offers a service is as important as the price point.”On energy, he said the US transformed from an importer of fossil fuels into a “significant exporter” while China dominates renewables. “Where trade is concerned, supply-side risks are aggravated by demand-side uncertainties,” he said.The remarks come at a time when more than 85% of India’s crude oil demand is met by imports from countries, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the US. After war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, India’s reliance on oil imports rose sharply due to discounted crude from the country.Jaishankar said India was actively pursuing self-reliance and making itself a manufacturing base for industries, with a focus on “reducing our vulnerabilities” and “promoting our influence” in the global market. “As India rises and our economy grows, we are preparing to shoulder more responsibilities… India has been making exponential advancements in infrastructure as well as in the latest scientific developments,” he said.