News Broadcasting
COCOA-NOMICS: A CNN FREEDOM PROJECT DOCUMENTARY
MUMBAI: Two years ago, CNN Freedom Project documentary ‘Chocolate’s Child Slaves’ exposed the plight of young Africans forced to harvest the beans that make the chocolate we eat around the world. Many of the children made to work in the cocoa plantations in countries like Ivory Coast are forced to work long hours in appalling conditions, most have never even tasted chocolate. Cocoa-Nomics: A CNN Freedom Project Documentary premieres on CNN International on Saturday March 1 at 1930 IST.
Now CNN host Richard Quest has returned to the plantations, with José Lopez, the Executive Vice President of Nestle, to find out if anything has changed and to see if chocolate producers are willing and able to eradicate slavery from their industry. Quest follows the supply chain, from bean to bar, examining the collective efforts to reform the cocoa industry – the fundamental socio-economic solutions needed to secure a sustainable future for cocoa farming and the chocolate industry.
As the global demand for chocolate rises, so does the threat to the supply of cocoa; this is a pivotal time in the development of the cocoa economy in West Africa – for the industry, the next generation of cocoa farmers and for chocolate lovers.
Premieres on CNN International on Saturday March 1 at 1930 IST
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
