New Delhi: Actor Dhanush reportedly finds himself in the middle of a legal dispute after production house Thenandal Films served him a legal notice concerning a long-delayed film. The company is seeking Rs 20 crore in compensation, citing significant financial losses due to the prolonged halt of the project.
Production House Claims Actor Failed Commitments
According to a report by OneIndia Tamil, Thenandal Films alleges that Dhanush had signed on for the film Naan Rudran in 2016, but did not proceed with shooting as planned.
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The notice, issued through the company’s legal counsel, states that Dhanush was initially committed to both directing and starring in the film. While some changes to the plan were agreed upon, the production house claims the actor failed to deliver the complete screenplay, causing the project to stall for an extended period.
The complaint further notes that the production house had invested up to Rs 20 crore in advances and other expenses, including payments to stars like Nagarjuna Akkineni and SJ Suryah, who were slated to appear alongside Dhanush.
The notice warns that the delay resulted in substantial financial setbacks, prompting the company to demand monetary compensation and cautioning that additional legal action may follow if its demands are not met within a specified timeframe.
Allegations of Scheduling Conflicts
Advocate A Chidambaram, representing the production house, claimed in the notice that Naan Rudran was stalled halfway because “Dhanush gave call sheets to other films without completing work on this pending project.”
So far, Dhanush has not released any official statement regarding the controversy and has maintained silence amid the legal dispute.
Dhanush’s Recent and Upcoming Projects
Dhanush’s recent films include Kuberaa, Idli Kadai, and Tere Ishk Mein (2025). The romantic drama Tere Ishk Mein, starring Kriti Sanon, received mixed reviews and earned a worldwide box office collection of Rs 161.96 crore.
He is next set to appear in Vignesh Raja’s Kara, produced by Dr Ishari K Ganesh, scheduled for release this summer, and a project tentatively titled D55, to be directed by Rajkumar Periasamy.
On February 8th sports fans watching the Super Bowl, an American-football game, were treated to an ad for Claude, an artificial-intelligence chatbot. That might have given investors with long memories an unsettling sense of déjà vu. The Super Bowl of 2000 passed into market folklore as having epitomised internet-stock mania: no fewer than 17 “dotcom” firms paid millions of dollars each for 30-second advertising slots. Weeks later share prices fell into a brutal bear market.
From dotcom to AI boom, investors seek ways to protect portfolios as stocks, bonds, and alternatives show rising risks
Back in the present, investors’ confidence in today’s emerging technology—AI—has already begun to wobble, just as companies prepare to spend jaw-dropping amounts of money to develop it. In recent weeks Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft have said they will spend a combined $660bn on AI in the coming year. Investors who a year ago might have cheered such plans are getting cold feet. Each firm’s stock price has fallen since its announcement, though Meta’s shot up at first. Microsoft’s is down by 16%.
It is no wonder that markets feel jittery. Everyone knows that shares are expensive—especially in America, but increasingly elsewhere, too. When stock prices are high relative to underlying earnings, expected returns are low and shareholders have more to lose from a crash. The trouble is knowing which other assets might offer refuge. The price of gold, investors’ time-honoured safe haven, has swung wildly of late. One-time fans of bitcoin, a digital pretender, are losing the faith. Just as investors are searching for ways to hedge their equity risk, hedging opportunities seem few and far between.
The most obvious way to protect yourself from a stockmarket crash is to sell your stocks. Yet for most professional investors this is not an option. Some swashbuckling hedge funds can allocate their portfolios however they please, but most money managers face strict limits. When someone entrusts their capital to an equity fund, for example, they expect it to be invested in equities. Often, the portfolio manager’s mandate will prevent them from sitting on a pile of cash; if not, doing so would still invite angry calls from clients, followed by withdrawals. They can keep cash in their own bank accounts, after all, without paying the manager’s fees.
Individuals have no such restrictions, but selling up because stocks look pricey can still be a bad strategy. During the dotcom bubble, the valuation of the tech-heavy NASDAQ index relative to expected underlying earnings rose to multiples of its current level. In the five years to its peak in March 2000 the index suffered corrections of 10% or more on at least a dozen occasions. Any of these might have prompted the nervous to cut their losses. Over the same period, however, it ultimately rose nearly 12-fold. Even at the bottom of the subsequent plunge, investors who had simply bought at the start of 1995 and held on would have doubled their money.
A good strategy for hedging stockmarket risk is one that does not suppress returns too much on the way up, then cushions losses on the way down. Sifting through the wreckage of the dotcom crash is a helpful way to think about how the various candidates might perform today. Broadly, they fit into three categories: the classic split between stocks and bonds; exotic strategies involving derivatives; and the use of alternative diversifiers.
For asset allocators with the freedom to do so, buffering stocks with bonds would have worked well during the late 1990s. The borrowing costs of rich-world governments were falling as the high inflation of the 1980s faded into memory, granting windfall gains to bondholders (since prices move inversely to yields). From early 1995 to the NASDAQ’s March 2000 peak, Bloomberg’s index tracking the total returns from a basket of American Treasuries rose by nearly 50%. As share prices plummeted, central bankers slashed interest rates and bondholders benefited from falling yields again. As the NASDAQ fell from peak to trough, the Bloomberg Treasury index rose by another 30% (see chart 1).
It is not clear, however, that government bonds are still as useful for hedging equity risk today. During the last prolonged bear market, in 2022, both asset classes suffered as inflation rose sharply and interest rates followed (see chart 2). Ask investors today what might end stockmarkets’ bull run, and resurgent inflation—and the hawkish response it would require from central bankers—will top plenty of lists. That would mean share and bond prices falling in tandem once more.
Feeling liberated
Others will recall the short-lived panic that followed the unveiling of President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs last April. Then, for a brief spell, Treasuries and stocks also dropped together as investors worried that the White House’s erratic policymaking would endanger the bonds’ status as a haven asset for international investors. It is easy to imagine the next leg down in share prices being triggered by similar concerns, or by questions over the sustainability of rich-world governments’ vast borrowing. In either case, stocks and bonds would both be in the firing line.
A second category of hedging strategies involves derivative contracts called options. These have long been used by hedge-fund managers and other professional investors, but are increasingly sold by retail brokers, too. “Overlaying” a stock portfolio with options allows an investor to harvest most of the profits when share prices are rising, then to restrict their losses once the cycle turns.
A “put” option on a stock, for example, confers the right but not the obligation to sell the stock at a pre-agreed “strike” price on some specified future date. If you also own the underlying stock, the effect is to cut off your potential losses beyond a certain point. Set the strike at 90% of the current price, say, and the option to sell at that strike means you cannot lose more than 10% of your initial holding. A put option on the S&P 500 share index that limits losses to 10% over the coming year currently costs 3.6% of the underlying amount to be protected. In other words, an investor who agrees to give up 3.6 percentage points of their returns can be protected from a crash.
The trouble is that the performance of such hedges depends heavily on the choice of strike price and expiration date. Analysts at Goldman Sachs, a bank, compared how two strategies using put options on the S&P 500 would have performed from 1996 to 2002. One involved buying a series of one-year options, each limiting losses to 10%; the other, a series of one-month options limiting losses to 4%. Though both would have offered protection as the dotcom bubble burst, the costs of repeated option purchases would have snowballed. Overlaying a stock portfolio with the one-year options would have resulted in roughly the same annualised return as unhedged stocks (albeit with less volatility). Overlaying it with one-month options would have generated a substantially worse return, despite the crash.
Some of the most effective strategies the Goldman analysts found fell into the third category: combinations of stocks and non-bond diversifiers. In fact, the best diversifiers were mostly filtered baskets of stocks, such as the S&P 500 “low volatility” subindex, which includes the 100 least volatile stocks in the main index. A 50/50 split between this and the S&P 500 would, from 1996 to 2002, have generated nearly twice the annualised excess returns (over cash) of the S&P 500 index alone. So would a similar split with the S&P 500 “dividend aristocrats” index, which includes only companies that have increased their dividends every year for the past 25. Diversifying into “quality” stocks (with high returns on equity, stable earnings and low net debt) would have brought similar returns.
Today, the idea that the best way to hedge equity risk is with equities feels unsatisfying. Considering the alternatives, though, it might just be the best shareholders can do.
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Maha Shivratri 2026: Maha Shivratri in 2026 falls on February 15. The sacred festival is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, symbolising their divine union and the balance of masculine and feminine energies. Devotees visit temples, offer prayers and observe fasts. It is also believed that Lord Shiva performed the Tandav- creation and destruction’s cosmic dance, on this holy night.
Maha Shivratri is on February 15. (Picture credit: Unsplash)
Greetings are shared with family and friends to spread positivity and blessings on this holy occasion. Here are some wishes that are suitable for Mahashivratri.
Spiritual Mahashivratri wishes
Let Lord Shiva guide you. (Picture credit: Freepik)
1. May silence guide your thoughts and faith steady your soul. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
2. Let this sacred night bring inner clarity and calm. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
3. May devotion help you release what no longer serves you. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
4. On this spiritual night, may your mind find stillness. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
5. Let reflection replace noise and faith replace fear. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
6. May the energy of this night align your body and soul. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
7. On Maha Shivratri, may surrender lead you to strength. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
8. Let this night remind you to pause, breathe, and believe. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
9. May your inner world feel lighter and clearer today. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
10. On this sacred night, may wisdom unfold quietly within you. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
11. Let faith ground you and silence heal you. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
12. May spiritual calm replace restlessness tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
13. On Maha Shivratri, may reflection guide your path ahead. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
14. Let this night deepen your connection with your inner self. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
15. May devotion help you let go and trust the journey. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
16. On this sacred night, may peace feel effortless. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
17. Let stillness be your strength tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
18. May this night cleanse your thoughts and renew your spirit. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
19. On Maha Shivratri, may faith bring emotional balance. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
20. Let your soul rest in quiet devotion today. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
21. May this sacred night help you reconnect with purpose. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
22. On Maha Shivratri, may patience and clarity grow within you. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
23. Let reflection shape your days ahead. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
24. May silence speak wisdom into your life tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
25. On this spiritual night, may you feel deeply grounded. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
26. Let devotion bring steadiness to your heart. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
27. May inner strength rise through calm surrender. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
28. On Maha Shivratri, may balance return to your life. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
29. Let this night gently realign your thoughts and energy. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
30. May spiritual peace stay with you long after tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
31. May this sacred night bring deep stillness to your thoughts. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
32. Let devotion guide you inward toward clarity and calm. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
Lord Shiva performed the cosmic dance- Tandava on this day. (Picture credit: Freepik)
33. On this spiritual night, may your heart feel unburdened. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
34. May silence help you listen to your inner truth tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
35. Let reflection shape your intentions moving forward. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
36. On Maha Shivratri, may faith anchor your restless thoughts. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
37, May this night encourage surrender and inner strength. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
38. Let calm replace chaos within you today. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
39. On this sacred night, may awareness deepen naturally. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
40. May devotion help you reconnect with what truly matters. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
41. Let this night slow you down and ground you. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
42. On Maha Shivratri, may spiritual clarity unfold gently. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
43. May quiet faith guide your path ahead. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
44. Let stillness become your source of strength tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
45. On this sacred night, may your soul feel steady. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
46. May devotion bring balance to mind and heart. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
47. Let this night invite calm acceptance within you. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
48. On Maha Shivratri, may patience grow through faith. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
49. May inner peace feel more accessible tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
50. Let the spiritual energy of this night stay with you. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
Devotional Mahashivratri wishes
Devotees pray to Lord Shiva on this day. (Picture credit: Freepik)
51. May Lord Shiva bless you with unwavering faith and inner peace. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
52. May your prayers be answered and your devotion rewarded. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔱
53. Let the divine grace of Shiva guide your every step. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
54. May this sacred night strengthen your faith and calm your heart. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
55. Wishing you blessings of strength, wisdom, and devotion. Happy Maha Shivratri 🪔
56. May Lord Shiva remove obstacles from your path. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
57. Let your heart bow in humility and gratitude today. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
58. May devotion bring light into your life. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌸
59. On this holy night, may Shiva’s grace protect you always. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔱
60. May your fasting and prayers be filled with sincere devotion. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
61. Let faith be your anchor and Shiva your guide. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
62. May divine blessings flow into your home. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
63. On this auspicious night, may your soul feel purified. Happy Maha Shivratri 🪔
64. May Lord Shiva grant you strength in every challenge. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
65. Let this sacred occasion deepen your spiritual connection. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
66. May Shiva’s blessings bring harmony to your life. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌸
67. On this holy night, surrender your worries in prayer. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
Seek blessings from Lord Shiva. (Picture credit: Freepik)
68. May devotion and faith light your path forward. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔱
69. Let your heart chant with gratitude and belief. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
70. May Lord Shiva bless you with courage and compassion. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
71. On Maha Shivratri, may divine protection surround you. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
72. May this sacred night bring peace to your spirit. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
73. Let your prayers rise with sincerity and trust. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
74. May Lord Shiva bless your family with harmony. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌸
75. On this auspicious occasion, may your devotion grow stronger. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔱
76. May the divine presence of Shiva fill your heart with calm. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
77. Let this holy night cleanse your thoughts and renew faith. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
78. May Shiva’s grace guide your life’s journey. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
79. On this sacred celebration, may blessings multiply. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
80. May your devotion be steady and your heart humble. Happy Maha Shivratri 🪔
81. Let faith replace fear and prayer replace doubt. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
82. May Lord Shiva bless you with patience and wisdom. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
83. On this divine night, may your soul feel uplifted. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
84. May the sacred chants bring calm to your life. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔱
85. Let this holy night inspire deeper devotion. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
86. May Shiva’s blessings shine upon you today. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌸
87. On this auspicious night, may your heart stay faithful. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
88. May divine grace bring you clarity and strength. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
89. Let your prayers be filled with gratitude and trust. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
90. May Lord Shiva bless you with spiritual fulfillment. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
91. On this sacred night, may peace settle within you. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
92. May devotion guide your thoughts and actions. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
93. Let this holy occasion strengthen your belief. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔱
94. May Shiva’s blessings remove darkness from your path. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
95. On Maha Shivratri, may your heart remain pure and devoted. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌸
96. May divine light illuminate your life. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
97. Let faith and prayer shape your journey ahead. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
98. May Lord Shiva bless you with resilience and grace. Happy Maha Shivratri 🔔
99. On this sacred celebration, may devotion bring you peace. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
100. May the blessings of Lord Shiva stay with you today and always. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
Calming Mahashivratri wishes
Let Lord Shiva clear the darkness and guide you towards clarity. (Picture credit: Freepik)
101. May this sacred night slow your thoughts and steady your breath. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
102. Let calm settle gently into your heart tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
103. May silence bring you comfort and clarity. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕯️
104. On this peaceful night, may your mind feel unburdened. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
105. Let go of the rush and rest in faith tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
106. May this night wrap you in stillness and calm. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
107. Allow yourself to pause, breathe, and feel grounded. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
108. May quiet devotion ease your worries today. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
109. Let this sacred night soften your thoughts. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕯️
110. May peace arrive gently and stay awhile. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
111. On this holy night, may your heart feel lighter. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
112. Let calm guide you inward toward balance. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
113. May this night remind you that rest is sacred. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
114. Allow silence to restore your energy tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
115. May devotion bring quiet strength to your soul. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕯️
116. Let go of noise and welcome stillness. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
117. May peace flow through your thoughts and emotions. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
118. On this calming night, may you feel deeply grounded. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
118. Let serenity replace restlessness today. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
119. May your spirit feel rested and reassured. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
120. On Maha Shivratri, may calm be your companion. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕯️
121. Let this sacred pause bring emotional ease. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
122. May your heart feel steady and safe tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
123. Allow faith to quiet your worries. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
123. May this night gently realign your energy. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
124. Let peace arrive without effort tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
125. On this holy night, may your thoughts slow down. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕯️
126. May stillness bring clarity without pressure. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
127. Let calm moments shape your night. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
128. May devotion feel soothing, not heavy. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
129. On Maha Shivratri, may your breath feel deeper and slower. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
130. Let the quiet of the night comfort you. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
131. May peace sit gently with you tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕯️
Spread blessings with friends and family with the help of wishes. (Picture credit: Freepik)
132. Allow this night to ease emotional weight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
133. May calm thoughts replace anxious ones. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
134. Let softness guide your spirit tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
135. On this sacred night, may rest come naturally. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
136. May your heart feel calm without needing answers. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
137. Let faith bring quiet reassurance. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕯️
138. May this night feel like a gentle reset. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
139. On Maha Shivratri, may your inner world feel peaceful. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
140. Let stillness restore what stress has taken. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
141. May calm guide you into tomorrow. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
142. Allow this sacred night to soothe your mind. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
143. May serenity linger long after tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕯️
144. Let devotion feel like comfort, not effort. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
145. On this quiet night, may you feel held and steady. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
146. May peace come softly and stay close. Happy Maha Shivratri 🕉️
147. Let calm be your prayer tonight. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
148. May this sacred night leave you feeling gently renewed. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
149. May this sacred night gently quiet your thoughts and bring deep comfort to your heart. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌙
150. Let peace unfold slowly within you and carry you into a restful calm. Happy Maha Shivratri 🌿
A part of this content contains AI-generated materials.
Ireland vs Oman Live Score, T20 World Cup 2026: Ireland and Oman face off in Match 22 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in a Group B encounter at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo on Saturday. Both teams come into the match under pressure after suffering back-to-back defeats, making this clash vital for their hopes of staying alive in the tournament.
Oman have won the toss and have opted to field.
Ireland have endured a difficult start to their campaign and are currently fourth in the group without a point. Their problems have been compounded by the injury to regular captain Paul Stirling, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. Sam Topping has been named as his replacement, while Harry Tector will lead the side on the field. The Irish team will rely on their experienced core, including Lorcan Tucker, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, and Mark Adair, to provide stability, while young talents will be eager to make an impact.
Oman, captained by Jatinder Singh, are also winless after two matches and will be desperate to open their account. Players like Aamir Kaleem, Mohammad Nadeem, and Vinayak Shukla will be key to their chances as they look to challenge Ireland in what could be a tightly contested match.
Historically, Ireland have dominated this matchup, winning four of the six previous encounters between the two sides, while Oman have claimed two victories. Both teams have had identical recent form, with two wins and three losses in their last five games, highlighting how evenly matched they are.
With both sides needing points urgently, fans can expect an intense and competitive battle in Colombo.
This Valentine’s Day, chocolate prices are no longer at last year’s peak, but cheap chocolate has not made a comeback, and it probably never will. Last year’s cocoa price crisis, driven by a combination of extreme heat, drought and disease in key producing regions, may have eased. But the aftertaste remains: A market that no longer behaves the way it used to, because the landscapes that grow cocoa are no longer the same. And the world’s unwitting appetite for cheap chocolate at the expense of biodiversity is part of the reason.
Cocoa is one of the most rainfall-dependent crops in the tropics, grown mainly by smallholders with few safety nets. Because cocoa production is concentrated in a handful of regions, a bad season in one place can quickly ripple across global supply. That fragility was laid bare in 2024, when the Ivory Coast and Ghana, which produce nearly 60 percent of the world’s cocoa, were hit by climate extremes that slashed harvests. Prices surged by more than 300 percent, squeezing some farmers, enriching others, and leaving consumers paying for the uncertainty.
The problem is not simply that cocoa is vulnerable. It is that we have built a cocoa economy that magnifies the vulnerability. For decades, the world has chased low prices and high output, and too often that has meant converting forest landscapes into farmland, from West Africa to parts of Latin America and Southeast Asia.
But forests are not optional. They regulate rainfall, protect soils, and create the microclimates on which cocoa depends. Full-sun cocoa farms can produce higher yields in the short term, but the sugar rush is followed by a costly crash: Depleted soils, limited protection from heat and drought that is on the increase, and little for farmers to fall back on when the monocrops fail. Yields fall, farms expand deeper into forests to compensate, and the cycle repeats.
This is why cocoa’s price volatility is not a temporary blip. It is a warning sign: We are weakening the natural systems cocoa depends on at the same moment that climate change is making harvests less reliable.
Research by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shows how extreme heat undermines agriculture, reducing both the quantity and quality of crop yields and increasing pest and disease pressure. A recent study modelling cocoa under mid-century climate change finds that warming could wipe out as much as a third to half of today’s suitable cocoa area in some core producing zones, while shifting production towards new regions. Without safeguards, that transition risks trading climate stress in one place for forest loss in another. The details will vary across regions, but the implication is global: As climate change alters weather patterns, the geography of cocoa production will shift, and a stable supply will become harder to take for granted.
Unless we build resilience now, future Valentine’s Days may come with less chocolate and higher prices.
But we can eat our chocolate and keep forests too, by changing how cocoa is grown. It starts with bringing trees back to cocoa farms, reversing the damaging practices that are ultimately undermining production. Change can be made through climate-resilient agroforestry practices that rebuild shade cover, improve soil health and moisture retention, and reduce cocoa’s exposure to heat and drought. Cocoa grown under shade trees can stabilise farm conditions and support biodiversity, while producing higher-quality beans that meet premium market standards, giving farmers stronger incentives to maintain tree cover rather than clear more land.
Sceptics argue that growing cocoa with trees means accepting lower yields. But when it comes to unsustainable practices, high productivity today comes with a high cost tomorrow. A farm that exhausts its soil, loses shade, is exposed to drought, and needs ever more chemical inputs to maintain production is not a success story. It is a trap.
In a changing climate, the point is not how much cocoa a farm can produce in a year, but how reliably it can produce year after year. That requires resilience built into the landscape, now more than ever: More tree cover, healthier soils, and diversified farm systems that protect livelihoods when climate extremes hit.
This is not theoretical. It is already happening.
In Ecuador’s Amazon province of Napo, a project financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and supported with technical assistance from the FAO has helped strengthen a sustainable cocoa value chain built around the traditional Chakra agroforestry system used by Kichwa communities. Put simply, it is cocoa grown as part of a forest garden: Kichwa women known as Chakramamas help steward these farms, cultivating cocoa under shade trees alongside a diverse mix of other crops and native plants, rather than clearing land for a single crop. Recognised by FAO as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, the model is still expanding more than a decade on, helping Indigenous producer families earn more from premium cocoa through stronger processing, marketing, and partnerships with high-value buyers. High-end chocolatiers continue to source from Chakra producers, showing that cocoa grown alongside trees can deliver world-class quality while keeping forests standing for biodiversity, climate and land benefits.
There are more examples. In the Ivory Coast, FAO-backed efforts supported by the Green Climate Fund are already delivering results, restoring 1,084 hectares (2,679 acres) of degraded land and converting 3,527 hectares (8,715 acres) of conventional cocoa into improved agroforestry systems while reducing pressure on forests. Meanwhile, 234 farmers now have access to cocoa cooperatives, ensuring access to international fair-trade and organic certifications and a better price for their products. In Sao Tome and Principe, FAO has supported cocoa agroforestry through the GEF-funded Restoration Initiative, helping restore nearly 10,000 hectares (about 25,000 acres) of forest and improve land management across a further 23,000 hectares (about 57,000 acres). These are not boutique experiments. They are working models for stabilising supply, supporting farmer incomes, and reducing the forest loss that fuels cocoa’s growing volatility.
But projects alone will not be enough. Scaling them will take serious investment: From governments, companies, and consumers. It will also require rules that shift incentives across the entire cocoa economy, such as a new European Union law that requires cocoa and chocolate entering the EU market to be deforestation-free. By tying market access to how cocoa is grown, these rules are pushing governments, producers, and companies to rethink production models, improve traceability, and strengthen zero-deforestation cocoa systems.
Governments will also need to invest in farmer adaptation and long-term productivity, not just short-term output. That means accessible finance, practical support on farms, and policies that reward sustainable production instead of expansion into forests.
And chocolate companies need to promote resilience across their supply chains, not just chase volume. In a world of climate disruption, the cheapest cocoa is not necessarily the best bargain if it comes at the expense of farmers’ livelihoods or the ecosystems that keep cocoa viable in the years to come.
Paying farmers for chocolate that keeps forests standing is not a luxury. It is part of what makes cocoa more available and keeps farmers in business in a warming world. Chocolate is sold as a simple pleasure, but cocoa is no longer a simple crop: Its future depends on whether we treat forests and biodiversity as essential infrastructure for stable and resilient agrifood systems.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.
Zee TV’s popular show Jagadhatri continues to receive immense love and appreciation from the audience. With its gripping storyline, emotional depth, and powerful performances, Jagadhatri has struck a chord with viewers. The chemistry between Shivaay (Farman Haider) and Jagadhatri (Sonakshi Batra) has especially captured hearts, turning Shivdhatri into a fan-favourite love story.
Taking this love story a step further, the makers recently unveiled a brand-new romantic track, Har Janam, beautifully picturised on Shivaay and Jagadhatri. Fans have been showering praise on the song, calling it nothing less than a movie-style love anthem that perfectly reflects the depth of their bond.
Sonakshi Batra shares her excitement for Har Janam
Sharing her excitement about the song, actress Sonakshi Batra said, “As an actor, getting the opportunity to explore different shades of love through music is always special, and shooting for Har Janam has truly been a beautiful experience for me. This song captures the pure and unconditional love that Shivaay has for Jagadhatri. It shows how he stands by her through every phase of life like a shadow that never leaves. That unwavering support and silent strength define their bond so beautifully.”
“Shooting this song with Farman Haider was truly memorable. We shot it for almost 3 days across various locations, paying attention to every little detail to ensure it looked nothing less than a movie song. The scale, the emotions, the visuals, everything was crafted with so much care. The lyrics are so beautifully written; they perfectly express Shivaay’s unconditional love and the promise of being there for Jagadhatri in every lifetime. Farman and I have worked really hard on this, and seeing the overwhelming love pouring in from fans for this Shivdhatri surprise makes it all worthwhile.”
Farman Haider on what Har Janam means to him
Farman Haider expressed his views on the song and said, “Har Janam is very close to my heart because it beautifully reflects Shivaay’s emotions and the depth of his love for Jagadhatri. It’s always special when a song allows you to express feelings that sometimes words alone cannot. This track truly showcases Shivaay’s promise of standing by Jagadhatri through every phase of life.”
“Shooting for the song was an amazing experience. We filmed it for almost 3 days, and every frame was crafted with so much care to give it that grand, cinematic feel. It actually feels like a movie song. Sonakshi Batra and I great comfort level, which really helps in bringing out the emotions naturally on screen. I’m already in love with the song, the melody and lyrics are so heartfelt and perfectly capture Shivaay’s devotion.”
Talking about the current storyline, Jagadhatri keeps viewers hooked as Jagadhatri and Shivaay’s fake marriage to uncover the truth about their parents slowly turns into a heartfelt bond. Currently at the Deshmukh house, they have only a few days left to prove to Maya Deshmukh and the family that Mahesh is Shivaay’s real father.
Will Shivaay and Jagadhatri succeed in their mission? Will Jagadhatri ever fall in love with Shivaay? To witness these exciting twists unfold, keep watching Jagadhatri every day at 10 PM only on Zee TV.
Spin great R Ashwin has a simple suggestion for Indian batters as they gear up to deal with the unique side-arm action of Pakistan off-spinner Usman Tariq come Sunday — just move away when he pauses before delivering the ball.
“If he stops before delivering the ball, the batsman has the right to move away. He can say that ‘I thought he is stopping’. That will be an interesting case and a huge headache for the umpire,” Ashwin said on his Youtube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
“If I was there I would have done it. One should do everything to win a game within rules. I would simply say I don’t know when he will release the ball and I would step away. If I move away, it is the umpire’s responsibility,” he added.
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In Sony Pictures Animation’s action comedy Goat, the underdog story isn’t just on screen, it’s deeply personal. For NBA icon Stephen Curry, Will’s journey from overlooked rookie to fearless game-changer mirrors his own rise in professional basketball. Lending his voice to Will, Caleb McLaughlin echoes the emotion, calling underdog stories universal because “we’ve all felt like underdogs at some point.”
Caleb McLaughlin and Stephen Curry on why underdog stories resonate
For Curry, Will’s story is a familiar one. “I relate to the entire story of Goat” he says. “My journey resembles Will’s—being overlooked, underrated—but finding your self-confidence through it all. It’s about the power of the team: No matter what walk of life, you can’t do anything great without the people around you. It’s cool to bring that into ‘GOAT,’ knowing how relatable it is—not just to my story, but to everybody.”
Caleb McLaughlin, who lends his voice to Will, shares the sentiment. “I think underdog stories hit people because we’ve all felt like underdogs at some point,” he says. “We all start from a low place and have to push through our own version of concrete. And when you finally reach a goal, you remember the moments you struggled, or wanted to give up, but didn’t. People doubt you along the way, and I think audiences relate to that. These stories usually find people right at the moment they feel like quitting, and watching an underdog win reminds them to keep going.”
More about Goat
From Sony Pictures Animation, the studio behind Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and the artists that made KPop Demon Hunters, comes Goat, an original action-comedy set in an all-animal world. The story follows Will, a small goat with big dreams who gets a once-in-a-lifetime shot to join the pros and play roarball – a high-intensity, co-ed, full-contact sport dominated by the fastest, fiercest animals in the world. Will’s new teammates aren’t thrilled about having a little goat on their roster, but Will is determined to revolutionize the sport and prove once and for all that “smalls can ball!”
The voice cast includes Caleb McLaughlin, Gabrielle Union, Stephen Curry, Nicola Coughlan, Nick Kroll, David Harbour, Jenifer Lewis, Aaron Pierre, Patton Oswalt, Andrew Santino, Bobby Lee, Eduardo Franco, Sherry Cola, Jelly Roll and Jennifer Hudson.
Sony Pictures Entertainment India releases GOAT in Indian theatres on 20th February 2026 in English and Hindi.
Mohammad Amir makes controversial remark about Abhishek Sharma (Agency Photos)
NEW DELHI: Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has stirred controversy ahead of the India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2026 clash by criticising Indian batter Abhishek Sharma, who is currently recovering from illness. With the big match set for February 15 in Colombo, the comments have added extra spice to the rivalry.
What will be India’s playing XI against Pakistan?
Amir questioned Abhishek’s batting ability and called him a one-dimensional player.“By whatever little I have seen, if you ask me honestly, I feel he is just a slogger… I don’t think he is technically sound,” Amir was quoted as saying in a Pakistani show. “He just stands there and wants all balls to be bowled in a particular area. I will consider him a proper batter only when I see that the ball is swinging even slightly and he tackles it well.” Amir also suggested that Pakistani bowlers should target Abhishek with bodyline bowling and slower balls, claiming he lacks patience and technique.Meanwhile, Abhishek has been racing against time to recover from a serious stomach infection that led to weight loss and hospitalisation.Recently, Varun Chakravarthy offered a more positive update, saying, “As far as I have spoken to him he looks good, he did some practice today also. He told me he is on the way.”Abhishek has travelled with the team to Colombo and will undergo final fitness tests. India have made a perfect start to their campaign, having already won both their matches against USA and Namibia, respectively. If they win the game against Pakistan on Sunday, the Men in Blue will qualify for the Super 8s.
45 years ago today, Anil Kapoor`s acclaimed drama Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaya reached the cinema lovers. Commemorating the milestone, Anil recalled how the project became a turning point in his life, leaving him with an experience that he will cherish forever. He shared that initially, the makers had a lot of trouble finding buyers for the drama, but when it was finally released, it managed to leave an indelible mark on the history of Indian cinema. Anil posted a video montage of some snippets from Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaya on social media.
His sincere post went, “45 years ago, a film that had trouble finding buyers finally saw the light of day with just one show, and that one show became a turning point in my life. Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaya gave me an experience that I`m grateful for to this day. (sic)”.
Recalling how a journey which began with uncertainty turned into a milestone, he added, “Working with M. S. Sathyu, being framed through the lens of Ishan Arya and sharing the screen with Pankaj Kapur – both of us at the very start of our careers- it was nothing short of extraordinary for a young actor at the beginning of his cinematic journey. What began with uncertainty turned into a milestone I will always cherish. Forty-five years later, I look back with immense gratitude for the struggles, the lessons, and the film that shaped my path.”
Released back in 1981 Kahan Kahan Se Guzar Gaya was made under the direction of MS Sathyu. Along with Anil, the movie also starred Pankaj Kapur, Sharon Prabhakar, Masood Akhtar, and Neesha Singh in prominent roles, along with others.
Up next, Anil will play the lead in Suresh Triveni`s Subedaar. He will bring to life the character of Arjun Singh on the big screen – a former soldier navigating through the complexities of civilian life, while trying to heal his relationship with his daughter Shyama (played by Radhikka Madan).
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