Latest news with #ValentineDay
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
From Wine to Chocolates: Buy Valentine's Day Gift Baskets for Every Love Story
Convey love and appreciation with a thoughtfully curated Valentine's Day Wine Gift Basket for a heartfelt and unforgettable celebration! VIENNA, Va., Feb. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The season of love and romance is looming, the time to plan date nights, send gifts and create memories with loved ones. From cozy candlelit dinners to grand feasts, wine holds significance and depth in celebrating Valentine's Day. The balanced and complex flavors of the drink go perfectly with different appetizers. The wine gift baskets have gained traction in the recent couple of years, considered as a great way to express love and affection. The thoughtfully curated baskets feature an assortment of sweet and savory snacks to pair up with wines and champagnes, along with other creative gift items. Valentine's gift seekers can reach out to online retailers such as DC Wine & Spirits and Wines & Champagne Gifts for thoughtful and creative Valentine's Day gift basket ideas. They offer an array of elegantly curated Valentine gift baskets that include the finest wines from signature houses, complemented by delightful snacks and premium chocolates to accommodate diverse tastes and preferences. Wine & Champagnes have exotic wines from different regions along with an assortment of gourmet delights for intimate date nights. The following are some trending Valentine Day gift baskets to enhance the love and spirit of Valentine: Red wine gift baskets as they embody romance and intimacy. The complex and bold wine has rich and velvety textures that complement gourmet foods like exotic chocolates and soft cheeses. The flavors of red wines intensify the depth and bond between a couple. Some popular red wine gift suggestions at Wine & Champagne Gifts to celebrate love: Opus One Napa Valley Wine and Tiffany Red Wine Glasses Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Wine And Spa Gift Basket Beringer Private Reserve Napa Valley Wine And Godiva Gift Basket Cakebread Cellars Cabernet Napa Valley Wine Gift Basket White Wine Gift Baskets are an excellent match for those who prefer to indulge in the richness and crispiness of the drink. When paired with gourmet chocolates and artisanal cheese, these gift baskets ensure that the memory of the day is etched forever. DC Wine & Spirits has an amazing selection of white wines gift sets, and some popular picks are Chateau La Freynelle Bordeaux Blanc French Wine and Godiva Chocolate gift Set Josh Cellars Chardonnay and Cheese Gift Basket Rombauer Chardonnay Wine and Cheese Box Gift Set Zenato Pinot Grigio Italian Wine with Bon Appetit Gourmet Gift Basket Rose Wine Baskets are perfect for those who enjoy soft and delicate flavors with delightful treats. Rosé wines are crafted with well-balanced white and red wines, renowned for their blush pink color and fruity flavors. The exquisite basket is ideal for cozy and romantic date nights. The sensuous and blushed rosé is a top choice between couples for sophisticated nights. Sancerre Kevin et Karine Lauverjat Moulin des Vrilleres Wine Gift Set Whispering Angel Rosé Gift Set These Valentine's Day wine gift baskets are a thoughtful and versatile way to celebrate love and strengthen the bond between couples, helping to keep relationships vibrant and meaningful. The online gift basket stores are there to provide an abundance of options in Valentine's Day wine gift basket categories with easy delivery services and excellent customer support. Reference Linkshttps:// View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Wine And Champagne Gifts Sign in to access your portfolio
The Independent
12-02-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Climate change threatens Valentine's Day gift of chocolates, charity warns
The traditional Valentine Day's gift of chocolates is under threat from climate change, campaigners have warned. Extreme weather driven by climate change is hitting cocoa harvests in key countries for the crop, forcing up prices and creating an uncertain future for farmers, a report from charity Christian Aid said. The report warned that global cocoa prices have soared 400% after droughts, floods and climate-related diseases hit production last year, slashing the availability of the crop on international markets and causing chocolate bars to shrink. Rising temperatures and erratic rainfall have hit Ghana and Ivory Coast in West Africa, where more than 50% of the world's cocoa is grown, with the shortage starting in 2023 after unexpectedly heavy rain during Ghana's dry season which caused plants to rot with black pod disease. That was followed by severe drought in 2024, which the UN has said affected more than a million people, resulting in huge crop losses and record-high food prices, and which scientists said was made 10 times more likely by climate change, the report said. Christian Aid's report is being published at the same time as a study from Climate Central which reveals that West Africa's 'cocoa belt' across Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Nigeria, where 70% of the world's crop is grown, is heating up with climate change. Analysis of daily maximum temperatures during the past decade shows climate change added at least three weeks a year above 32C during the main cocoa season in Ivory Coast and Ghana, just over two weeks above 32C annually in Cameroon and more than one week in Nigeria. We need to see emissions cut, and targeted climate finance going to cocoa growers to help them adapt Osai Ojigho, Christian Aid In 2024, human-caused climate change added six weeks worth of days above 32C in 71% of cocoa-producing areas across the four countries, higher than the optimum temperatures for growing cocoa. Excessive heat can damage the quality and quantity of the cocoa crop, the climate research and communications organisation said. Cocoa growing is being affected in other parts of the world too, with farmers such as Amelia Pop Chocoj, a cocoa grower in Guatemala, saying her plantations have been dying due to the lack of water, meaning there is no food for the family. 'The cocoa trees are dying, which are usually very resilient,' she said, adding that, when it comes to climate-related crop losses, 'I'm actually not worried that it 'may' happen, it's happening already'. Christian Aid is calling for action to cut the emissions from fossil fuels and other sources that are driving rising temperatures, and for finance targeted towards cocoa farmers to help them adapt to the changing climate. It's a nightmare. I don't think any business involved in chocolate has avoided this impact, and it's all down to climate change Andy Soden, Kernow Chocolate And UK chocolatiers have warned that the impact of a rapidly changing climate, as well as El Nino/La Nina patterns in the Pacific which affect weather globally, risks putting small manufacturers out of business. Andy Soden, from Kernow Chocolate, said the company's wholesale cost of chocolate in 2025 is 'very close' to passing the 2023 retail price. 'It's a nightmare. I don't think any business involved in chocolate has avoided this impact, and it's all down to climate change,' he said. Osai Ojigho, director of policy and public campaigns of Christian Aid, said: 'Growing cocoa is a vital livelihood for many of the poorest people around the world and human-caused climate change is putting that under serious threat.' She added: 'We need to see emissions cut, and targeted climate finance going to cocoa growers to help them adapt.'
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Joe Exotic makes pledge to Donald Trump if granted early release
Joe Exotic has pledged to commit his life to charity work if he's granted early release from prison. The 'Tiger King' star - who is currently serving a 21-year prison sentence after being found guilty of a murder-for-hire plot against rival Carole Baskin - isn't due to be released until 2036 but has written to President Donald Trump to request a pardon, and drew parallels to the Commander-in-Chief's own situation after he was granted an unconditional discharge after being found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records, meaning he avoided punishment but is still regarded as a convicted felon. According to in the letter, the 61-year-old zoo keeper - whose real name is Joseph Maldonado - urged to be released after being in jail for the "last seven years for a crime that I did not commit". He added: "Just as the Department of Justice was weaponized against you, it was weaponized against me for nothing more than a political agenda to pass the Big Cat Safety Act and monopolize tigers in America." Joe stressed he doesn't need a "full pardon" and would be happy "living out [his] life" as a felon, just as the president is doing. He went on to The Netflix star makes clear he does not need a "full pardon," and is happy "living out my life" as a felon, as Trump is doing. He went on to lament his portrayal on 'Tiger King' and pledged to continue to do good works if he is released. He wrote: "Mr. President, what 'Tiger King' the show did to me was as unjust as what the Department of Justice has done to me. No one was shown the hard work I did to grant last wishes for dying children with my foundation called the Animal Miracle Network. "No one was shown the hard work I devoted on every Holiday to open my zoo for free and cook a full dinner for hundreds of people who had nowhere to go for the Holidays. "If you find it in your heart and in the name of justice to do either, I give you my word on my parent's grave (that I have never seen) that I will make you proud with the charity work I will continue to do for America and dying children in other countries. "I have no interest in owning animals again however, I want to work very hard on the conservation of wild tigers and lions and bring some truth to their plight of survival because so many people are lying about them to just raise money for themselves. "If you would grant this wish for Valentine Day or my birthday in March of 2025, I promise you and America you won't be disappointed in letting me return to the free world..." Joe's lawyer, Levi McCathern, has argued his client's convictions should be overturned because of "inconsistencies" in the case. He said: "Joe Exotic did not hire anyone to murder anyone. He was convicted of a murder-for-hire, but there's a problem with that. No one was killed, no one was paid and no one, except for Joe, was ever charged."
