Latest news with #ancestry
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Finding Your Roots'' Henry Louis Gates Jr. Presents Pope Leo with Family Tree, Confirming His Surprising Celebrity Relatives
Henry Louis Gates Jr. the host and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated PBS show Finding Your Roots, traveled to the Vatican on July 5 to meet with Pope Leo XIV to present his genealogical research His research confirmed that Pope Leo XIV is related to several celebrities including Madonna, Angelina Jolie, and Justin Bieber, among others It was also confirmed that Pope Leo has mixed Black and European ancestryHenry Louis Gates Jr. is taking on his latest genealogy adventure! On Saturday, July 5, the host and executive producer of the Emmy-nominated PBS show Finding Your Roots traveled to the Vatican to meet with Pope Leo XIV to present his genealogical research on his family tree. Gates, 74, confirmed that the first American pontiff is related to Madonna, Angelina Jolie, Justin Bieber, Pierre and Justin Trudeau, Hilary Clinton, and Jack Kerouac, which was previously reported by The New York Times. Pope Leo, 69 is ninth-cousin several times removed to the high profile bunch, and they are linked through a maternal ancestor who was born in the 1590s, per Gates' research. Additionally, the pope has two freedom fighters in his family tree, and has multiracial lineage. Gates was able to trace Pope Leo's ancestry back 15 generations, and confirmed that several of his ancestors were enslaved people, while others in his lineage were slaveholders. He also has mixed Black and European ancestry. In his post, which featured several photos from their visit, Gates wrote: "On Saturday, my wife, the historian Dr. Marial Iglesias Utset, and I were granted the profound honor of a private audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican to present him with a copy of his family tree." "She and I had worked with an outstanding team of researchers to publish it in The New York Times Sunday Magazine and were deeply grateful for the chance to walk His Holiness through the branches of his family tree, sharing stories of his ancestors back to his 12th great-grandparents who were born some 500 years ago," he continued. "This was one of the most meaningful and deeply moving moments of our lives." According to the Chicago Sun Times, Prevost was raised by his parents, Louis, an educator, and Mildred, a librarian, alongside his two siblings, Louis and John. He is also a dual citizen of Peru, having previously served as the leader of the Augustinian order after serving as the bishop of the city of Chiclayo, Peru. Sacred Heart University catholic studies professor Dr. Charlie Gillepsie previously told PEOPLE that the new pope's election is a 'clear signal that the College of Cardinals felt the calling of the spirit to elect someone for the whole globe.' Gillepsie said he was 'surprised and excited," about the first American pontiff. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. ABC News spoke to one of his two brothers, John Prevost, upon Pope Leo's election to the papacy. "I don't know how many people will find it interesting, but when he was in first grade, a woman across the street that we used to play with the kids, and a woman down the street said he would be the first American pope. In first grade, they said that," said Prevost in May. New episodes of Finding Your Roots air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on PBS, and are available to stream online. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The Ancestral, Spiritual Gift You Inherited, Based on Birth Month
The Ancestral, Spiritual Gift You Inherited, Based on Birth Month originally appeared on Parade. Even if you can't see them, your ancestors and those who came before you are always nearby; they provide spiritual presence and encouragement, guiding you on your journey from higher realms. Experts suggest that each birth month is associated with specific traits, skills, or personalities that closely resemble the characteristics of the ancestors linked to one's soul contract. Check for the month you were born for pro insights. You inherited the gift of resilience. Throughout generations of struggle, your ancestors overcame hardship. Your closest spiritual guardians have gifted you with similar grit and grace, carrying their inner spark of resilient strength. When life gets rocky or turbulent, your roots keep you grounded. Not only can you survive any spiritual storm, but you also find a way to rebuild and improve circumstances with courage. READ: 3 Zodiac Signs with a Magical, Mysterious Aura You inherited the gift of foresight. With generations of diviners, dreamers, and innovators running through your bloodline, you are connected to spiritual mentors who see beyond the present moment. With great foresight, you intuit future events and what lies beneath the surface within others. Your spiritual gift is being ten steps ahead, leading the collective to greater potential. You inherited the gift of compassionate healing. With a lineage centered on mystics, healers, empaths, and those who have led unconditionally lovingly, you are close to spiritual ancestors who encourage you to lead with your heart. Therefore, you can hold space for others, even when they act out of character. Your compassionate approach spreads healing, allowing your presence to be a catalyst for spreading joy, light, and hope. You inherited the gift of courage. Those born in April are courageous to their core, coming from warriors, truth-tellers, and leaders. When things get tough, you're the first to leap into proactive solution mindsets, never backing down from necessary confrontation. Your ancestors push you to fight for what's right, advocate for yourself, and for the underdogs. Protective, you ensure the sacred is honored. NEXT: 3 Birth Months With Beautiful Souls, According to Experts You inherited the gift of embodiment. Your ancestors were attuned to sensual, practical, and Earth-based wisdom, imparting onto you the wisdom of the body. Beauty, aesthetics, values, and morals motivate you to expand upon ideas that already exist. Bridging the gap between the physical planes of existence and higher, spiritual realms, you are able to channel meaningful, tangible growth thanks to those who came before you. You inherited the gift of storytelling or self-expression. Those born in June are closely guided by ancestors who were poets, performers, central community figures, or educators. Your intellectual ancestral lineage knows the power of voice, gathering socially, and the power of connection. With your ability to chat, charm, and speak things into existence, you have the spiritual gift of ensuring everyone's voice is heard through authentic self-expression and mindful listening. You inherited the gift of emotional memory. July birthdays are closely guided by ancestors who were protectors of tradition and ancestry, known to be healers, caretakers, nurturers, and heart-centered. Your feelings transcend time and are intuitively connected to higher, spiritual realms. Your spiritual gift of emotional psychics, picking up on what lies deep within another's soul, and fostering exceptional emotional memory, is connected to those who came before you. RELATED: What Vow You Made Before This Lifetime, Based on Zodiac Sign You inherited the gift of radiance. Those born in August are a beacon of light, encouraging others to treat one another and themselves like royalty. Your ancestors believed in legacy and leaving a positive impression behind, taking themselves and their loved ones with pride. Your charisma, ability to light up a room, and ability to entertain crowds give others permission to take up space unapologetically as well. You inherited the gift of sacred service. September-born have a lineage of keepers of ritual, healing, and being of service to others. Whether they were midwives, healers, alchemists, or teachers, those before you sought to improve their communities. Your spiritual powers may appear subtle, but they are detail-oriented, precise, and powerful in changing the lives of others. With intellectual problem-solving and intuitive compassion, you are a catalyst for growth. You inherited the gift of shadow wisdom. October-born people are able to confront the taboos, shadows, or darkness within themselves. In turn, they know how to hold space for the messy parts of others and society. Your power to encourage transformation, profound healing, and meaningful emotional alchemy comes from those who came before you. Your lineage is full of intentional healers, encouraging you to look at life head-on as well. You inherited the gift of depth. November birthdays are closely guided by ancestors who were guardians of secrets, protected mysteries, studied psychological or spiritual truths, and held sacred rites. They have given you the spiritual gift of diving deep and seeing more than what meets the eye. Your presence thins the veil between the material realm and spiritual planes, creating intentional connection, choices, and life paths. You inherited the gift of hope. Those born in December are guided by ancestors who spread light, keeping resilience, light, and hope alive when others wanted to give up the most. They endured spiritual hardship and didn't let the world's challenges dull their optimism about possibilities. Your presence allows others to dream bigger, not accepting the limitations that were placed upon them by external circumstances. The Ancestral, Spiritual Gift You Inherited, Based on Birth Month first appeared on Parade on Jul 2, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
The National
27-06-2025
- Science
- The National
Indians' ancient ancestry lies with Iranian farmers
A genetic study of modern-day Indians has revealed their ancestry can be traced back to Neolithic Iranian farmers, Eurasian Steppe pastoralists and South Asian hunter-gatherers. Researchers analysed data from 2,700 people from across India, capturing genetic variation based on geography, linguistic groups and communities. The results could help inform health strategies for the country. 'This study fills a critical gap and reshapes our understanding of how ancient migrations, archaic admixture, and social structures have shaped Indian genetic variation,' said senior author Priya Moorjani of the University of California, Berkeley, who pointed out that even though India's population is one of the most diverse in the world, it is underrepresented in global data sets. 'Studying these subpopulations allows us to explore how ancient ancestry, geography, language, and social practices interacted to shape genetic variation.' They used this data to reconstruct the evolutionary history of India at fine scale, showing how history affects adaptation and disease in present-day Indians. The UC Berkeley team found that most of the genetic variation in India can be explained by a single migration of humans out of Africa about 50,000 years ago. These populations interbred with now-extinct relatives – Neanderthals and Denisovans – and then spread throughout Europe and Asia, including India. As a result, Indians and Europeans both carry roughly equal amounts of Neanderthal genes – between 1 per cent and 2 per cent of the entire genome. 'Potentially, there were earlier waves out of Africa to India, but it's likely that those groups either did not survive or left little genetic impact on today's populations,' said Elise Kerdoncuff, a former UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow and one of two lead authors of the paper. One of the main goals of the study, published in the journal Cell, was to understand how India's complex population history has shaped genetic variation related to disease. In India, many subpopulations have an increased risk of recessive genetic disorders, which is due largely to historical isolation and marrying within communities. Another focus was on how Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry could make people susceptible to certain diseases. Surprisingly, Indians have a greater variety of Neanderthal DNA segments than other populations around the world. 'One of the most striking and unexpected findings was that India harbours the highest variation in Neanderthal ancestry among non-Africans,' says co-lead author Laurits Skov, also of UC-Berkeley. 'This allowed us to reconstruct around 50 per cent of the Neanderthal genome and 20 per cent of the Denisovan genome from Indian individuals, more than any other previous archaic ancestry study.'
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Business Daily When a home DNA testing company fails...
What happens to our data once it's been handed over to DNA testing companies? One such firm, 23andMe, filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. The company was set up to help people could track their ancestry - one of a number of similar sites using DNA data to create links and matches between users. However the company has been dogged by privacy concerns over its use of customer information and was fined for a data breach that exposed UK customers. What lessons can be learned now the company's been bought out of bankruptcy by its co-founder? Produced and presented by David Reid (Image: Woman swabbing her mouth for a DNA test. Credit: Getty Images)
NDTV
25-06-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Millionaires On The Move: Where The World's Rich Are Migrating To In 2025?
At least 142,000 millionaires are likely to move to a new country in 2025, according to Henley & Partners, a global consultancy giant for residence and citizenship by investment. The number of these high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) - the ones with over $1 million in liquid assets - is projected to rise to 165,000 in 2026, says the Henley Private Wealth Migration Report 2025. The UAE maintains its position as the world's biggest wealth magnet, with a record net influx of 9,800 millionaires predicted this year. The US, Italy, Switzerland, and Saudi Arabia are also among the preferred destinations for millionaires. The UK is anticipated to have the highest net outflow of high-net-worth individuals from any country, according to the report. Where Are The Millionaires Headed? The United Arab Emirates remains the most sought-after destination for wealthy individuals, with 9,800 HNWIs projected to gain residency status in 2025, up from 6,700 last year. The US is projected to be in second place for millionaire inflow this year, attracting an estimated 7,500 new millionaires, while Italy is in third place and Switzerland fourth. Saudi Arabia is also experiencing rapid growth, with over 2,400 inbound millionaires expected in 2025, an eight-fold increase from last year. Countries Losing Wealth The United Kingdom is facing the largest single-year exodus of wealth, with 16,500 HNWIs projected to acquire residency elsewhere. China is the second-biggest loser, with 7,800 HNWIs likely to gain residency status in another country. In Asia, South Korea is expected to see significant net outflows with 2,400 millionaires, while India is set to experience a significant loss of 3,500 millionaires. EU heavyweights France, Spain and Germany are predicted to see net HNWI losses in 2025, with estimated outflows of -800, -500, and -400 millionaires, respectively. Ireland (-100), Norway (-150), and Sweden (-50) are also seeing huge wealth losses. Why Does Wealth Migration Matter? "At stake is a profound shift in economic influence, as countries compete not just for talent but for the fortunes that follow it," the report stated. With an estimated collective investable wealth of around $63 billion, the UAE has evolved from a regional hub to a global wealth nexus through comprehensive policy innovation, it added. Interestingly, the UK, prior to 2016, had always drawn more millionaires than it lost to migration. According to Nuri Katz, the term "migration" is somewhat misleading, as many wealthy individuals use these programs as a "Plan B." "These people are not actually leaving the UK. They are simply getting paperwork in different countries but aren't necessarily making the move," he added. Investment Migration Programs Only about 30% of HNWIs opt for investment migration programs to secure residency or citizenship. The majority acquire residency through work visas, ancestry visas, retirement visas, family visas, or birthright second passports, according to Henley & Partners. What Makes UAE And USA Attractive To High-Net-Worth Individuals The country's welcoming immigration policy, zero income tax, world-class infrastructure, and political stability make the UAE the preferred destination for HNWs, said the report. The UAE's Golden Visa program, introduced in 2019 and tweaked in 2022 to expand eligibility, offers a long-term, renewable residence visa valid for 5 or 10 years. "Recently, a lot of high-net-worth people have been moving to the UAE for the lifestyle and, obviously, the absence of personal income tax," Katz added. The US is expected to welcome 7,500 millionaires in 2025, mainly through the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program, which has "channeled over $50 billion in foreign direct investment while creating hundreds of thousands of American jobs," the report said.
