Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal

NEW DELHI: Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal, who played a key role in negotiating a trade deal with the United States, spearheaded the government’s response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his “compromised PM” remarks, in which the rival leader levelled a series of serious allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Amid the Lok Sabha leader of opposition’s criticisms of the interim India-US deal, Piyush Goyal called Gandhi a “puppet of foreign powers, anti-India forces, and anti-India organisations.”“Rahul Gandhi has, in a way, demonstrated a high-handed approach to politics before the nation and the world. He is nothing but a puppet of foreign powers, anti-India forces, anti-India organisations, and anti-India governments. This is the compromise Rahul Gandhi and the Gandhi family are making today: whether in Parliament, whether outside, whether in a press conference,” Goyal said. On Rahul calling PM Modi “compromised,” Goyal said the Congress leader was playing with the country and “completely putting the interests of the countrymen at stake”.“…perhaps they cannot tolerate the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the new India, the emerging economy, and India’s dominance in the emerging world. Therefore, they repeatedly compromise national and national interests by telling lies upon lies. And this isn’t a recent incident,” Goyal added.

On Rahul calling PM Modi “compromised,” Goyal said the Congress leader was playing with the country and “completely putting the interests of the countrymen at stake”.

Putting all the members of the Gandhi family, who have ruled the nation, in the dock, the Union minister said the clan never “shied away from compromising the country”.“You saw how Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi wielded extra-constitutional powers even during Manmohan Singh’s government. Sometimes, they even tore up cabinet decisions in front of the press. Disrespecting the Prime Minister, running the government through the National Advisory Council, and imposing a leftist ideology on the country? Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi used to run a parallel cabinet and compromise the country,” Goyal said. He went further back to attack the Nehru-Gandhi family as he highlighted the infamous Bofors scandal that was widely reported during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure and had been the reason behind the fall of his government.“It wasn’t just Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi who compromised the country… Rajiv Gandhi also never shied away from compromising the country. We all know how, at Rahul Gandhi’s behest, the Foreign Minister tried to stop the investigation in the Bofors scandal by asking Swedish authorities to do so. We all know how, in order to protect his friend Ottavio Cataracci, an honest investigation was prevented. It’s not known what role the Congress and Rajiv Gandhi played in Bofors... The Gandhi family tarnished the country before the world and compromised it,” Goyal said.The senior BJP leader also accused Indira Gandhi of “compromising” India’s interests by mentioning Ambassador Moynihan’s “CIA funded the Congress party” claims. “Indira Gandhi was no less in compromising the country’s interests. We saw how Ambassador Moynihan confirmed that the CIA repeatedly provided funds to the Congress party for elections and that the Congress party ran its politics through the CIA,” Goyal said.The minister also attacked Rahul over his “behaviour with the press” and accused him of addressing “a curated press conferences”.“We have seen his behaviour with the press. You can’t even ask an uncomfortable question to Rahul Gandhi without being tagged as a BJP-associated press person. He only wants curated press conferences. He can’t take questions other than those he’s given in writing. Such a person is leading the Congress party and playing with the country. They are completely putting the interests of the countrymen at stake,” Goyal alleged.Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday made serious allegations against PM Modi, claiming the PM rushed into a trade deal with the United States in the interest of his minister Hardeep Puri and industrialist Gautam Adani, who Rahul said is the “BJP’s financial structure”.

Rahul said: “He (PM Modi) left and called Trump, saying, ‘Sir, I’m ready to do whatever you say'”.

The Gandhi scion claimed Union minister Hardeep Puri’s name in the infamous Epstein files was released to “threaten” the PM, and that there are “videos and messages which have not been released from the millions of Epstein files” held up in the US.In another allegation, Rahul claimed that the case against Adani in the United States is not against the industrialist but against PM Modi, adding that these two were the reasons PM Modi finalised the trade pact with America, which had been stuck for months.Rahul said: “He (PM Modi) left and called Trump, saying, ‘Sir, I’m ready to do whatever you say’, and he sold the country… Narendra Modi is compromised; he was trapped and forced to sign the US-India trade deal.”

Sanjeev Sanyal (File photo)

India’s heavy dependence on foreign-flagged vessels, which carry more than 90 per cent of the country’s trade by volume, poses a serious strategic vulnerability risk, according to Sanjeev Sanyal, Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister.Speaking to ANI, Sanyal argued that India’s limited merchant fleet constrains the nation’s economic resilience, particularly during periods of global instability. While naval strength remains essential, he stressed that commercial maritime capacity must grow alongside it.

“I have argued many times before that ships and this maritime capability is one of our biggest strategic weaknesses,” Sanyal said, adding that a robust merchant fleet is necessary to “provide support to the economy in good times and bad.” He also said that relying solely on military power is insufficient. “Until we own our own ships, build our own ships, it’s not enough to only have a navy.”Menawhile to address the gap, the central government is accelerating efforts to develop a domestic shipping and shipbuilding ecosystem. Recent policy measures have granted ships infrastructure status and introduced legislative reforms aimed at easing ownership structures and attracting private investment. Sanyal said that these initiatives are backed by a Rs 77,000 crore package intended to expand India’s national fleet and strengthen maritime capabilities.Beyond strategic considerations, Sanyal pointed to the significant economic benefits of scaling up shipbuilding. Describing it as an “ecosystem of jobs,” he noted the sector’s labour-intensive nature and its wide industrial linkages. “It requires basically a large amount of welding. There is all the engineering that goes into it, the steel that comes from it,” he said, emphasising the ripple effects across engineering, heavy manufacturing, and logistics.Eastern India, particularly West Bengal, could emerge as a key beneficiary of the maritime push. Sanyal cited the region’s longstanding maritime heritage and existing infrastructure, including facilities such as Garden Reach Shipbuilders. He pointed to historical ports like Chandraketugarh and Tamralipti, along with modern hubs in Kolkata and Haldia, as indicators of the state’s natural advantages.“I’m sure this big effort that the central government is doing in terms of building out the shipbuilding and shipping industry has many paybacks to places like Bengal,” Sanyal said.The expansion of domestic maritime capacity also ties directly to India’s evolving trade strategy. As the country deepens economic engagement through new free trade agreements, including with major partners such as the US, Sanyal argued that shipping infrastructure will play a decisive role.“As trade grows, the shipping industry will be a very important part of that trade,” he said, calling strong maritime linkages and a capable merchant navy “absolutely critical” for sustaining long-term economic growth.

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The historic Pallekele International Cricket Stadium witnessed a night of high drama on February 24, 2026, as England edged out Pakistan by two wickets in the 45th match of the T20 World Cup Super Eights. While Harry Brook’s sensational 51-ball century steered England into the semifinals, the aftermath in the Pakistan camp was anything but celebratory. Following the narrow defeat in the Group 2 clash, a fiery televised exchange between former captain Mohammad Hafeez and spin legend Saqlain Mushtaq has gone viral, exposing deep rifts over the team’s tactical direction and the roles of key all-rounders.

Tensions flare as Mohammad Hafeez responds strongly to Saqlain Mushtaq after England defeat

With Pakistan now staring at a near-certain elimination, the post-match analysis on a prominent TV channel turned into a battlefield. The core of the argument rested on the utility of Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan. Hafeez, known for his blunt “Professor” persona, questioned whether these players were being selected based on merit or vague labels. “Is he a bowling all-rounder or a batting all-rounder?” Hafeez demanded, specifically targeting Shadab.

Mushtaq, who has previously coached the national side and is the father-in-law of Shadab, attempted to defend the duo, asserting they possess equal prowess in both departments. “Look, he is a bit of both,” Saqlain insisted.

However, Hafeez shot back with a personal anecdote to illustrate his point: “I played for Pakistan as an all-rounder. My primary job was batting. If I am not scoring, I do not need my 8, 6, or 4 overs. My captain used to tell me that if I don’t deliver with the bat, we don’t need your bowling. Nawaz’s primary job is bowling—if he can’t do that, we don’t want him.”

Critics have viewed Hafeez’s remarks as a thinly veiled jibe at Shadab’s stagnating form. This isn’t the first time the two have clashed; a similar spat occurred after Pakistan’s recent loss to India, where Hafeez blamed the senior core while Saqlain pointed fingers at the support staff.

Here’s the video:

🚨🚨 HEATED ARGUMENT BETWEEN HAFEEZ AND SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ🚨

-Saqlain is trying to defend his son-in-law

-Hafeez asking why is he in team ? What are his first priority in the team ?

• Shadab is the biggest Parchi after Babar Azam ❗pic.twitter.com/o4sm5MbhFh

— SheR•ALI (@Sher__Ali) February 24, 2026

Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Shaheen Afridi reveals reason behind Pakistan’s defeat against England in Super 8 clash

Shadab Khan’s dismal bowling run in T20 World Cup 2026

The tension between the two legends is fueled by Shadab’s statistical decline as a frontline bowler. While Shadab provided a cameo with the bat (23 runs) against England, his bowling—his primary job, remained ineffective at a time when Pakistan needed breakthroughs to stop the Harry Brook onslaught.

Shadab’s journey through the 2026 T20 World Cup has been a rollercoaster of inconsistency. Aside from a standout performance against Namibia, his ability to contain top-tier batters has vanished:

The numbers highlight a worrying trend: in critical games against major nations like India and England, Shadab has failed to take a single wicket. As Pakistan prepares for a “do-or-die” final Super 8 match against Sri Lanka, the debate over whether the team is over-reliant on struggling all-rounders continues to divide the nation’s cricketing icons.

Also READ: What does Jofra Archer’s ‘C’ celebration mean? England pacer sparks buzz after Saim Ayub’s wicket in T20 World Cup 2026

Before US sanctions were imposed in 2019, India was the third-largest importer of Venezuelan crude. (AI image)

Venezuelan crude oil flows to India again: Trading firms and purchasers of Venezuelan crude have started hiring very large crude carriers to move oil from the South American country for the first time since a supply arrangement between Caracas and Washington came into effectThe move is expected to increase shipments to India, according to a Reuters report.Before US sanctions were imposed in 2019, India was the third-largest importer of Venezuelan crude. Venezuela’s oil exports rose to about 800,000 barrels per day in January after US restrictions were lifted, compared with around 500,000 barrels per day in December.Since January, most Venezuelan crude exports have been transported on medium-sized tankers such as Panamax and Aframax vessels, which typically carry between 450,000 and 700,000 barrels of heavy crude, largely destined for US refineries. Some shipments have also been moved on Suezmax tankers, which can transport up to 1 million barrels, to storage terminals in the Caribbean, from where traders have shipped the oil onward to ports in the United States and Europe, according to vessel movement records.

Venezuela Looks To Boost Oil Exports To India

Large vehicles, each capable of carrying as much as 2 million barrels of crude, are likely to reduce freight costs for traders and buyers, ease the shortage of smaller vessels and quicken deliveries from next month. Faster shipments could also help draw down the large volumes of crude currently stored in Venezuela.At least three very large crude carriers chartered by Vitol and Trafigura have been allotted loading schedules for March at Jose, Venezuela’s main crude export terminal. Operated by state energy company PDVSA, the facility handles as much as 70% of the country’s oil exports. The cargoes are expected to head to India, sources told Reuters.Another supertanker, Olympic Lion, indicated Venezuela as its destination this week and is projected to reach the country in the latter part of March, according to LSEG ship-tracking data quoted in the report.Moving crude in larger volumes could help trading firms lower expenses, particularly as some have argued that the roughly $15-per-barrel discount to Brent agreed last month for early purchases of Venezuela’s Merey heavy crude has become less appealing. This is partly due to the backward dated structure of the market, where cargoes scheduled for later delivery are priced lower than those available for immediate shipment.According to shipping records and two sources, US oil company Chevron has sold Venezuelan crude cargo to Reliance Industries for the first time since December 2023. The shipment consists of Boscan crude and is expected to be transported aboard the vessel Ottoman Sincerity. The deal represents the first sale of this heavy crude grade in nearly six years.Sources told Reuters that Reliance has purchased a 2-million-barrel cargo from Vitol for loading in March and is exploring the possibility of sourcing crude directly from PDVSA.Trading companies Vitol and Trafigura have been exporting Venezuelan crude this year under a $2-billion agreement between the United States and Venezuela. They have recently sold heavy Venezuelan crude cargoes to Indian refiners, including Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp and HPCL Mittal Energy, as India seeks to reduce its dependence on Russian oil, the report said.Meanwhile, Chevron and several US-based refiners, including Valero Energy, Phillips 66 and Citgo Petroleum, are making preparations to increase the volume of Venezuelan crude processed at their facilities, a step that is expected to support higher export levels.Two sources said Chevron and some US refiners have chartered dozens of Aframax and Panamax tankers, largely through time-charter arrangements tied to Venezuela. These agreements mean the vessels will be used exclusively to transport Venezuelan crude during the contract period.

The showdown between the Pentagon and Anthropic over the use of its AI solutions in US military for “all lawful purposes” which reportedly include mass surveillance of American citizens and fully autonomous weapons shows no signs of cooling down. According to a report by news agency Reuters, in a tense meeting on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a strict ultimatum to Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei: drop the company’s strict AI safety rules by Friday (February 27), or face severe government retaliation.Citing sources, Reuters said that Anthropic has no intention of backing down on its usage restrictions as the AI startup has refused to remove safeguards that would prevent its technology from being used to target weapons autonomously and conduct domestic surveillance.

What Pentagon head Pete Hegseth told Anthropic CEO

Reportedly, the Pentagon argues that AI companies working with the military should only be required to follow standard US law, rather than imposing their own corporate ethical guidelines. Hegseth has given Amodei until 5:00 p.m. on Friday to comply. If Anthropic refuses, the government is threatening two massive actions.The first is invoking the Defense Production Act – a Cold War-era law to legally force Anthropic to change its rules and provide unrestricted technology. The second is the “Supply-Chain Risk” Label on Anthropic. This label is normally reserved for foreign adversaries and would effectively destroy Anthropic’s ability to do business with any other company tied to the US government.

What caused tensions between Anthropic and the Pentagon

Tensions between the two sides ‘exploded’ earlier this month over an international military operation, reports said. The Pentagon believed Anthropic was asking questions about whether its AI was used during a US military raid in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.During the meeting, Amodei reportedly pushed back, telling Hegseth that Anthropic never questioned the Pentagon or its contractor, Palantir, about the raid, the report said.Meanwhile, the Pentagon is said to be negotiating with other major tech players like Elon Musk’s xAI Google and OpenAI. Axios reported that xAI and the Pentagon have agreed to the technology for “all lawful purposes”. “This specific scenario is unprecedented. It will almost certainly trigger a raft of downstream litigation if the Administration takes adverse action against Anthropic here,” warned Franklin Turner, a government contracts lawyer, as per Reuters.