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Oil prices spike, US stocks fall on Israel-Iran crisis

Oil prices have increased in response to concerns that the US-Iran conflict could become a bigger conflict.

As US President Donald Trump demanded “unconditional surrender” from Tehran, the two most widely used oil benchmarks, Brent North Sea Crude and West Texas Intermediate increased, respectively, by 4.4 percent and 4.3 percent on Tuesday.

Following the increase, the benchmarks were set at $ 6.45″ and $ 4.84″, respectively.

Oil prices increased even more in early trading on Wednesday, increasing the gains by nearly 5%, before stabilizing at $ 76.37 and $ 74.83, respectively, later that day.

The benchmark S&amp, P500, and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite all dropped 0.84 percent and 0.91 percent, respectively, as a result of rising geopolitical tensions overnight.

Since Friday, Israel has bombed several Iranian oil and gas facilities, including the Shahran oil depot, Fajr Jam gas plant, and the South Pars gasfield.

Although there haven’t been any significant changes to global energy flows so far, the possibility of an even greater escalation, including US military action against Israel, has skeptics on their feet.

Trump reacted more forcefully to his rhetoric against Iran on Tuesday, raising concerns that his administration might order a military strike against the country’s Fordow facility.

Trump threatened Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a thinly veiled tweet that the US knew his whereabouts but did not want him killed “for now.”

Iran’s oil reserves are the third-largest in the world, followed by its gas reserves, but sanctions from the US-led sanctions have severely restricted its ability to export energy.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, the nation produced about 3.99 million barrels of crude oil per day in 2023, or 4% of the global supply.

Iran is also located along the Strait of Hormuz, which handles 20 to 30% of global oil shipments.

Iran’s oil exports are currently exempt from Israeli bombing thanks to the Kharg Island export terminal.

In an analysis released on Monday, Clayton Seigle, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, wrote that “Israel may choose to strike its oil exports in the context of its efforts to destabilize Iran,” believing that working to end a hostile regime risks alienating allies who are concerned about potential price increases.

Madonna’s hilarious reaction to finding out she’s related to the Pope

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Madonna responded to Pope Leo XIV’s announcement that she is related to him with a wry, tongue-in-cheek statement.

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The significance of Madonna’s hit ” Like a Prayer ” appears to have increased unexpectedly.

According to a fascinating interactive piece by Henry Louis Gates Jr., who collaborated with American Ancestors and the Miami Cuban Genealogy Club, The Queen of Pop has been linked to Pope Leo XIV.

The article builds on the research of New Orleans genealogist Jari C. Honora, which reveals that the Pope has Black ancestors and highlights his Creole heritage, which Jari first made.

Madonna is among several celebrities found to share ancestry with the Pope through a Canadian forebear, Louis Boucher de Grandpre from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec. This ancestral tie places the Pope in a family tree with a host of “Canadian-derived distant cousins,” including not just Madonna but also Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton, Justin Bieber, Jack Kerouac, and both Pierre and Justin Trudeau.

Upon discovering her familial ties to the pontiff, Madonna couldn’t hide her excitement. On Monday, June 16, she took to social media, sharing a screenshot of the revelation on X/Twitter and then posting a black-and-white snap of herself with her dad, Silvio Ciccone, on Instagram Stories, as reported by Mirror US, reports the Express.

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In the shared photo, which reads “Silvio, We’re related to the Pope!” We witness Silvio holding her breath while Madonna poses dramatically with her hands elevated while Silvio is sitting comfortably. Before this newfound connection to Pope Leo, Madonna’s relationship with Catholicism has always been a central theme in both her life and career.

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Madonna’s relationship with Catholicism predates her connection to Pope Leo.(Image: madonna/Instagram)

She chose Veronica as her confirmation name after being raised in the Catholic faith, and she has since developed her “spiritual practices.”

She has studied various religions, including Judaism, Sufism, and Kabbalah, but Catholicism has consistently had an impact on her, most notably in her music career as a result of its symbols.

She is credited with infusing the cross into pop culture as a statement.

The 66-year-old icon has frequently been the subject of controversy over her controversial use of Catholic imagery, which has been linked to blasphemy and sacrilege. The Vatican was outraged by her controversial 1989 film “Like A Prayer,” which featured burning crosses and a sensual depiction of Jesus.

Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber attends The 2021 Met Gala(Image: Getty Images)

Even Pope John Paul II urged the country to boycott her Blond Ambition tour.

With her Vanity Fair cover shoot, Madonna once more sparked debate with her depiction of the Virgin Mary and other religious motifs, such as the 12 apostles. She expressed her shock at being targeted by the Church, referring to the backlash to “Like a Prayer” and the subsequent calls for a boycott, noting that they did not understand the positive intentions behind her artistic endeavors.

Following a conclave on May 8, an unexpected cardinal from the United States, Robert Francis Prevost, has been elected as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. The 69-year-old cardinal, who is now known as Pope Leo, is the first person from America to hold the revered position.

Pope Leo succeeds Pope Francis, who tragically passed away on April 21 at the age of 88 from complications from a cerebral stroke that caused a coma and heart failure.

Pope Leo, who was born on September 14, 1955, and his two brothers Louis and John were raised in the South Suburban city of Dolton. His parents, Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martinez, both worked in the parish and as librarian.

Pope Leo’s heritage, which includes his father having Italian and French ancestry, and his mother having Spanish ancestry, is interesting. The family also discovered Creole roots on their father’s side, according to his brother, but it was never a topic of discussion among the siblings.

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In a tweet in which Madonna addressed Pope Francis in 2015, she said, “I’m a good Catholic. I swear 🙂 🙂 🙂 ! I mean, I don’t wear a shirt! My last confession was a few decades ago. Would it be possible to meet up for a meeting to talk about significant issues in the future? It seems unfair in comparison.

Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,210

On Wednesday, June 18, this is how things are going.

Fighting

  • According to Ukrainian authorities, 16 people died as a result of dozens of Russian drone and missile strikes in Kyiv early on Tuesday. According to officials, two people have also been killed in attacks on Odesa in the Black Sea.
  • Sergei Shoigu, the head of the Security Council, reportedly made the remarks while meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, adding that the country will send thousands of military construction workers and deminers to aid reconstruction efforts in Russia’s Kursk region.

Diplomacy

  • A Canadian official told reporters on the sidelines of the summit that Canada had abandoned its plans to make a strong statement about the war after American opposition, according to a Reuters news agency.
  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, claimed he had informed the G7 leaders that diplomacy was “in crisis” and that they needed to pressure US President Donald Trump to use his “real influence” to put an end to the conflict. The truth is that America still has the most broadest global interests and the largest number of allies, Zelenskyy said on Telegram.
  • According to Andrii Melnyk, the UN ambassador to Ukraine, a report was quoted as saying to Ukraine’s national news agency Ukrinform that the country called for an urgent meeting of the Security Council following Russia’s deadly attack on Kyiv and other cities.
  • According to four people with knowledge of the plans, the Trump administration’s Ukraine envoy, Keith Kellogg, is scheduled to meet with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the coming days. According to Reuters, Kellygg has privately portrayed the trip as a step toward resuming discussions about ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Sanctions

  • People and organizations alleged to be connected to Russia’s financial, energy, and military operations have been subject to sanctions in the UK. Two UK residents are accused of sending electronics to Moscow among the sanctioned individuals.
  • Following the example of several of its Western partners, including Canada and the European Union, Australia announced sanctions on 60 vessels connected to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stated in a statement on Wednesday that “Russia uses these vessels to circumvent international sanctions and continue its illegal and immoral war against Ukraine.”

Anne Burrell dead: Food Network star and host of Worst Cooks in America passes away

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Chef Anne Burrell of the Food Network, Anne Burrell, passed away at the age of 55.

In Brooklyn, New York City, paramedics arrived on foot and reportedly discovered Anne unconscious inside the well-known chef’s home. The woman was unable to be revived, and doctors later declared her dead.

A representative for the Food Network, which is owned by Warner Bros Discovery, described Anne as a remarkable person and culinary talent who taught, competed, and never lost sight of the value of food in life.

Since Secrets of a Restaurant Chef debuted in 2008, Anne has had a long career in the field in addition to her work on Food Network. Since then, she has appeared on a number of other channels on the network, including The Best Things I Ever Ate, both in the UK and the US.

However, Anne and Beau MacMillan’s brutal Worst Cooks in America, a 40-year-old program that professional chefs Anne and Beau MacMillan founded in 2010 to train contestants in a “culinary boot camp” to become better chefs, made a big TV debut. Since then, it has had 28 seasons, most of which are available on Amazon Prime Video.

Along with this, other projects, most recently those on Food Network, included Chef Wanted with Anne Burrell, a series that saw the no-nonsense professional interview candidates for positions at some of the best restaurants in the US.

The TV star, from New York, is pictured preparing a dish onstage at a food festival in 2019
The TV star from New York is pictured cooking a dish for a 2019 food festival (Getty Images for NYCWFF).

The actress has won numerous awards and competitions to raise money for charities, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. In 2015, she won the fourth Chopped All-Stars tournament.

After getting engaged the year before, Anne wed Stuart Claxton in October 2021. She leaves him behind, though, in Brooklyn after her tragic passing on Tuesday. There is still not a known cause of death.

Anne attended Canisius College in Buffalo on September 21, 1969, where she was born and graduated with a BA (Hons) in 1991. She studied English and communication at Cazenovia, New York. She also pursued her culinary education at the Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners in Asti, which made Anne’s desire to pursue a career as a chef more evident.

In her early 20s, she continued to work in Italy, cutting herself at various restaurants. La Bottega del 30 is a small Tuscan restaurant with one seating each night. After working for Felidia, she returned to the US and worked for Savoy, where she worked under chef Lidia Bastianich.

At the age of 38, she hosted Secrets of a Restaurant Chef for the first time in 2008, beginning her television career. Soon after her participation in The Best Things I Ever Ate, Anne recalled her favorite dishes, including her adored Italian dishes.

However, her big hit, Worst Cooks in America, earned Anne a following all over the US because of how deftly they turned some helpless cooks into culinary wizards. There have been some celebrity spin-offs, and there are now nearly 200 episodes of Worst Cooks in America.

Meghan Markle shares sweet way she keeps little Archie, 6, and Lili, 4, grounded

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Meghan Markle described their children’s needs for both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. To be aware of the value of money, especially because they have “privilege,” Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Meghan Markle revealed Archie and Lilibet sell produce from their Montecito mansion’s garden at a local farmers’ market(Image: Emma Grede/Youtube)

Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet sell homegrown fruit and vegetables at a farmers’ market to understand the “value of things,” Meghan Markle has said.

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, believes the practice helps teach her kids the value of money because they are “very lucky” to live in a “privileged” home. She and Prince Harry encourage the children to do gardening regularly, and take pride in the crops in order to sell them at a market in Montecito, California.

There is a cost and a price for things, Meghan said, and I believe that’s important for kids to understand that, in addition to being kind to others and taking care of the things that are around you, there is a value on things. “

The duchess, who is the co-founder of Kim Kardashian’s Skims line, told a friend and fellow podcaster, British-born Good American CEO Emma Grede, that gardening is “really really great for kids because it teaches them patience and how to value and appreciate their food.” “

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The Sussexes recently visited Disneyland to celebrate Lilibet's fourth birthday.
The Sussexes recently visited Disneyland to celebrate Lilibet’s fourth birthday.
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Meghan recently shared a sweet photo of Mia, a Sussexes’ beagle, sniffing a basket of fresh produce that appeared to be growing in her Montecito mansion. The mother claimed at the time that she uses garden-grown vegetables to make Archie and Lilibet’s packed lunches.

At the conclusion of a long day, I adore it. At around 7 or 8 am, the kids are going to bed. I’m having a glass of wine while they are having a quick lunch downstairs. Whatever causes me to enjoy it, it can be therapeutic. Meghan continued on the podcast, “That is one of my simple pleasures.”

This is a crucial time. I love that I can do drop-off and pick-up at school, meet with my kids, and then travel to Disneyland for two days, as we recently did. And you know, you can volunteer to take the lead on the kindergarten field trip or to provide hot lunch at school. “

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