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--- en:ecrit:articles-en [2025/04/01 14:42] – [Stressed? Sick? Swiss town lets doctors prescribe free museum visits as art therapy for patients] natasha
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-===== April Fools' Day is celebrated with pranks and hoaxes worldwide =====
+===== Austria welcomes JJ back home with cheers, hugs and roses after he wins the Eurovision Song Contest =====
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+{{:en:ecrit:ap25138550453745.jpg?300 |}}
-By HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press
+By PHILIPP JENNE and KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press
-From France to Iceland to the United States, April Fools' Day will be celebrated on Tuesday with practical jokes and elaborate hoaxes, so make sure to triple check viral posts and don't leave your back open to any stray sticky notes.
+VIENNA (AP) — Austrian fans enthusiastically welcomed classically trained singer JJ back home at Vienna airport on Sunday after he won the 69th Eurovision Song Contest with "Wasted Love."
-The jokesters' custom has been around for hundreds of years, although its exact birth is difficult to pinpoint. These days, depending on your location, it could be marked with a fish secretly pinned to someone's back or a whoopee cushion or even news reports of flying penguins (yes, that actually happened ).
+As JJ walked through the gate, hundreds of fans cheered, some played his song and others surrounded the new star, hugging him and asking for autographs.
-In the U.S., the pranks are typically followed by screams of "April Fools!" to make sure all are aware that they were the unsuspecting recipient of a practical joke.
+The 24-year-old countertenor, whose winning song combines operatic, multi-octave vocals with a techno twist, and who also sings at the Vienna State Opera, held up his trophy in one hand and a big bouquet of roses in the other. He smiled, wiped away tears and told the crowd "that victory is for you."
-Here are some thing to know about April Fools' Day and its history:
+JJ, whose full name is Johannes Pietsch, was Austria's third Eurovision winner, after bearded drag queen Conchita Wurst in 2014 and Udo Jürgens in 1966.
-**Where did April Fools' Day come from?**
+"This is beyond my wildest dreams. It's crazy," said the singer when being handed the microphone-shaped glass Eurovision trophy after his win in the Swiss city of Basel on Saturday night.
-There are plenty of theories about where this day of pranks and hoaxes came from. It's not clear exactly which one might be true. But what is clear is that April Fools' Day has roots stretching back hundreds of years.
+On Sunday night, JJ told reporters in Vienna that "I don't think you'll realize that you did it at all until you're on your deathbed."
-One idea is that it dates back to France in 1564, when King Charles IX moved the New Year celebration from its weeklong observance beginning March 25 to a celebration on Jan. 1, according to the Library of Congress. Those who forgot or were never told about the change were mocked. Although the library notes that the true history of the New Year is more complicated, as different parts of the country observed it on different days.
+**'All of Austria is happy'**
-A similar theory ties April Fools' Day to the 1582 change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, according to the library. But it explains that this type of origin story has been used to explain several holidays and may be more of a "migratory legend."
+Austria's president, Alexander van der Bellen, celebrated JJ in a video posted on X.
-And then there's the theory that it could be connected to the March 21 vernal equinox, which is known as a day when people are tricked by unexpected weather changes, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
+"What a success! What a voice! What a show!" he exclaimed. "All of Austria is happy."
-Whatever its origin, the first time there was clear documented reference to the day was in 1561 when the Flemish writer Eduard De Dene wrote in his poem about a nobleman sending his servant on pointless tasks, according to the Library of Congress. The servant soon realizes that he has been "sent on 'fool's errands' because it's April 1," the library states.
+Chancellor Christian Stoecker wrote on X: "What a great success — my warmest congratulations on winning #ESC2025! JJ is writing Austrian music history today!"
-**What are some of the most famous April Fools' Day pranks?**
+The Vienna State Opera also expressed joy over the win. "From the Magic Flute to winning the Song Contest is somehow a story that can only take place in Austria," opera director Bogdan Roscic told the Austrian press agency APA.
-In 2021, then-first lady Jill Biden pretended to be a flight attendant on an airplane traveling from California to Washington. She wore a "Jasmine" nametag and passed out Dove ice cream bars while wearing a black mask, black pantsuit and wig. A few minutes later, "Jasmine" reemerged without the wig — revealing herself to be Jill Biden, laughing and proclaiming, "April Fools!"
+Several Austrian cities were quick to show their interest in hosting next year's contest. Innsbruck Mayor Johannes Anzengruber told APA that "not everything has to take place in Vienna. ... Austria is bigger than that," and the towns of Oberwart in Burgenland and Wels in Upper Austria also threw their hats into the ring.
-Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin became known for announcing outlandish ideas every April Fools' Day soon after starting their company more than a quarter century ago. One year, Google posted a job opening for a Copernicus research center on the moon. Another year, the company said it planned to roll out a "scratch and sniff" feature on its search engine.
+JJ himself said he hoped that Vienna would get the next ESC which he would love to host together with his mentor, Conchita Wurst.
-In 1992, NPR 's "Talk of the Nation" program announced that former-President Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974, would be running for president, according to the Museum of Hoaxes. A comedian had impersonated Nixon to say, "I never did anything wrong, and I won't do it again."
+**A nail-biting final**
-Outside of the U.S., one of the most notable pranks involved the BBC World Service in 1980 declaring that Big Ben would become a digital clock and renamed Digital Dave, according to the UK Parliament.
+Israeli singer Yuval Raphael came second at an exuberant celebration of music and unity - JJ won after a nail-biting final that saw Raphael scoop up a massive public vote from her many fans for her anthemic "New Day Will Rise."
-**How is April Fools' Day celebrated around the world?**
+At a post-victory press conference, JJ said the message of his song about unrequited romance was that "love is the strongest force on planet Earth, and love persevered.
-From Scotland to Iceland to the U.S., the day is honored in a wide array of ways.
+"Let's spread love, guys," said JJ, who added that he was honored to be the first Eurovision champion with Filipino heritage, as well as a proudly queer winner.
-In France, the day is known as poisson d'avril, or "April Fish," and has long had a fish-themed pranking tradition. In modern times, it's become more of a day for children to relish in attaching paper fish to their friends' backs, Atlas Obscura says.
+**Eclectic and sometimes baffling**
-In Scotland, April Fools' has a history of being a two-day event. April 1 is known as "Gowkie Day" or "Hunt the Gowk," explained Encyclopedia Britannica. Gowk is a term used to describe a fool. On April 2, the celebration may become more physical, with children attaching "kick me" signs to people's backs.
+The world's largest live music event, which has been uniting and dividing Europeans since 1956, reached its glitter-drenched conclusion with a grand final in Basel that offered pounding electropop, quirky rock and outrageous divas.
-The day is also celebrated in Iceland, with the aim being to get people to "hlaupa apríl," or "make an April run." In other words, to trick someone in a way that makes them travel to a different location. News agencies have also been known to participate in pranking people. In 2014, for example, Iceland Review ran a story with the headline, "Google Signs Deal with Iceland," saying the fake news was part of "a long-standing tradition of the Icelandic media."
+Acts from 26 countries — trimmed from 37 entrants through two elimination semifinals — performed to some 160 million viewers for the continent's pop crown. No smoke machine, jet of flame or dizzying light display was spared by musicians who had three minutes to win over millions of viewers who, along with national juries of music professionals, picked the winner.
-===== In the rapidly shifting world of work, many employees are unclear what's expected of them =====
+Estonia's Tommy Cash came third with his jokey mock-Italian dance song "Espresso Macchiato." Swedish entry KAJ, which had been favorite to win with jaunty sauna ode "Bara Bada Bastu," came fourth.
+The show was a celebration of Europe's eclectic, and sometimes baffling, musical tastes.
+Grieshaber reported from Berlin. Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in Basel, Switzerland contributed to this report.
+===== The UK and the EU hail a new chapter as they sign fresh deals 5 years after Brexit =====
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-{{:en:ecrit:ap25078715535727.jpg?300 |}}
+{{:en:ecrit:ap25139471779226.jpg?300 |}}
+By SYLVIA HUI Associated Press
+LONDON (AP) — Britain and the European Union hailed a new chapter in their relationship Monday after sealing fresh agreements on defense cooperation and easing trade flows at their first formal summit since Brexit.
+Five years after the U.K. left the EU, ties were growing closer again as Prime Minister Keir Starmer met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other senior EU officials in London for talks.
+The deals will slash red tape, grow the British economy and reset relations with the 27-nation trade bloc, Starmer said, while von der Leyen called the talks a "historic moment" that benefits both sides.
-By CATHY BUSSEWITZ Associated Press
+"Britain is back on the world stage," Starmer told reporters. "This deal is a win-win."
-NEW YORK (AP) — When Nikelle Inman started a new job coaching first-generation college students, she looked forward to meeting with them one-on-one to talk about how to surmount obstacles and find resources to succeed.
+He hailed Monday's agreements — the third package of trade deals struck by his government in as many weeks following accords with the U.S. and India — as "good for jobs, good for bills and good for our borders."
-Instead, she and her fellow success coaches at a community college in North Carolina spent a year mired in paperwork, tasked with reviewing applications from aspiring undergraduates. They never did get to meet with students.
+But Britain's opposition parties slammed the deals as backtracking on Brexit and "surrendering" anew to the EU. "We're becoming a rule-taker from Brussels once again," Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said.
-"Admissions work kind of took over what we were supposed to do," Inman, 34, said. "I felt disengaged with the position, more so because I just didn't feel valued."
+Here are the main takeaways from the summit:
-It's disorienting when a job turns out to be completely different than advertised or morphs into something we didn't expect. But more U.S. workers have reported feeling disconnected from their organization's purpose and unclear on how to meet expectations  since the coronavirus pandemic changed the way we work, according to a new Gallup analysis.
+**Cutting red tape on food trade**
-Just under half of U.S. employees who participated in a Gallup survey in November "strongly agreed" that they know what is expected of them at work, which is one of the factors the polling firm uses to measure employee engagement. In January 2020, the figure stood at 56%.
+Officials said they will remove some routine border checks on animal and plant products and align with EU regulations, which will reduce costs on food imports and exports and make it easier for goods to flow freely across borders.
-The new survey showed that new employees, younger employees, people in white-collar industries like technology, insurance and finance, and those in hybrid work arrangements were especially likely to report that expectations for their roles weren't clear.
+Businesses have complained about trucks waiting for hours at borders with fresh food that cannot be exported to the EU because of laborious post-Brexit certifications.
-The findings make intuitive sense. Managers and employees have bushwhacked their way through disruptive changes since COVID-19 first upended public life five years ago. In late 2024, about one-quarter of employees with the ability to work remotely were doing so exclusively, up from around 1 in 10 in 2019, Gallup found. Another 55% were working in the office some days and remotely the rest, according to the 2024 data, up from about one-third in 2019.
+The changes will mean the U.K. can sell products like raw British burgers, sausages and seafood to the EU again, officials said. The benefits will apply also to movements between the British mainland and Northern Ireland, where post-Brexit customs checks have been a thorny issue for years.
-More recently, layoffs at tech companies and in the government and other sectors have left organizations with fewer people to handle the load, and expectations aren't always adjusted to the new realities.
+While the EU is the U.K.'s largest trading partner, the government said the U.K. has been hit with a 21% drop in exports since Brexit because of more onerous paperwork and other non-tariff barriers.
-"With all the rounds of layoffs, people's scope and responsibilities are shifting constantly," said Jeremy Guttenplan, an executive leadership trainer and coach based in New York. "You think about the ones left behind and the work is just getting piled on them."
+**Defense procurement pact**
-Here are some strategies for eliminating confusion when the scope and responsibilities of a job are ambiguous.
+A new security and defense partnership will pave the way for the U.K. defense industry to access a new EU loan program worth 150 billion euros ($170 billion.) That will allow Britain to secure cheap loans backed by the EU budget to buy military equipment, in part to help Ukraine defend itself.
-**Establish expectations early**
+The EU has said that the loan program will help boost the readiness of European defense as well as enable more coordinated support for Ukraine.
-Spell out or make sure you understand what a new role or project entails — along with any relevant deadlines or performance markers — from the beginning so everyone agrees on what's realistic and wanted. Writing it down in a shared document can help prevent future misunderstandings.
+**Fishing rights**
-When a successful real estate developer asked Amber Krasinski to film and produce 85 TikTok videos in three hours, she thought hard about whether she really wanted to take him on as a client. The job might be good exposure for her communications agency, IvyHill Stategies, but Krasinski knew it would be impossible to complete in so little time. She turned it down.
+The deal included a 12-year extension of an agreement allowing EU fishing vessels to operate in U.K. waters until 2038, which angered U.K. fishermen and their supporters.
-Krasinski regularly gives her client progress updates and tries to make a practice of asking clarifying questions before taking on new projects.
+While economically minor, fishing has long been a sticking point and symbolically important issue for the U.K. and EU member states such as France. Disputes over the issue nearly derailed a Brexit deal back in 2020.
-"Any time I have a conversation with a prospective client, I have that in the back of my mind," Krasinski said. "Avoiding that people-pleasing side that says, 'You can figure it out, you can do it.' You don't want to let anybody down, but you also need to set yourself up for success."
+Elspeth Macdonald, head of the Scottish Fishermen's Federation, called the agreement a "horror show for Scottish fishermen" that was granted in order to secure other objectives. Scottish First Minister John Swinney said the deal was "the direct opposite of what was promised by Brexit."
-**Seek frequent feedback**
+**Easing movement for young people**
-No one wants to spend all day in meetings. But more frequent check-ins with a manager or supervisor may help staff members who are unsure if they are prioritizing their time appropriately or don't know what they are supposed to be doing.
+Post-Brexit visa restrictions have hobbled cross-border activities for professionals such as bankers or lawyers, as well as academic and cultural exchanges, including touring bands.
-Organizations can explore different ways of building connection between employees and providing more opportunities for feedback, which can result in better understanding of workplace expectations. Brian Smith, founder and managing partner of IA Business Advisors, said his company hosts gratitude sessions for 30 minutes each week.
+The U.K. and EU said they agreed to co-operate on a youth mobility plan that's expected to allow young Britons and Europeans to live and work temporarily in each other's territory, though no details were provided.
-The first 20 minutes are led by a coach who advises attendees on issues such as how to effectively manage time or deal with challenging customers. Highlighting specific problems and strategies can help workers understand what's expected of them. At the end of the session, participants have an opportunity to share what they're grateful for.
+British officials insisted that numbers would be capped and stays would be time-limited.
-**Start the conversation**
+The free movement of people remains a politically touchy issue in the U.K., with the youth mobility plan seen by some Brexiteers as inching back toward completely free movement for EU nationals to move to the U.K. The U.K. has similar youth mobility arrangements with countries including Australia and Canada.
-Workers don't have to wait for a supervisor to seek feedback or clarify expectations. You can suggest a quick check-in at any point, if you're unsure how to prioritize long-term goals or short-term deadlines,
+**Cutting airport waits**
-"Managing upwards is going to make your life easier," said Dale Whelehan, founder of 4 Day World, a think tank that explores new models of work. "Don't assume that management has all the answers. They're probably just as lost."
+British passport holders will be able to use e-gates at more European airports as part of the deal.
-However, in hierarchical organizations where questioning management may be viewed negatively, it's important to be delicate, he said.
+Since Brexit, many British travelers cannot use automated gates when they arrive at EU airports. The new measure will end "the dreaded queues at border control," officials said.
-To initiate a feedback discussion, you can ask to meet with a manager about a current project. Whelehan outlined how to approach the conversation if the meeting gets scheduled. Start by sharing what you understand your assignment to be. Then request the manager's confirmation or clarification by saying something such as, "I just want to make sure that there's alignment here," he advised.
+**Opposition objects to a 'surrender'**
-Ask about anything else you need to clarify and close out the conversation by saying, "From what I understand from this conversation, my role is this. ... Have I understood that correctly?" Follow up with an email restating what you agreed to, Whelehan said.
+Britain's opposition parties have criticized Starmer's bid to reset relations with the EU. The pro-Brexit and anti-immigration Reform U.K. party, which recently won big in local elections, and the Conservatives have called the trade-offs in the deals a betrayal of Brexit.
-**Trust your instincts**
+Starmer is "taking us backwards. We left the European Union. That was settled, we drew a line under that," said Badenoch, the Conservative leader. "This deal is taking us to the past and that is why we call it surrender."
-With workplaces experiencing so many changes, employees can find themselves jumping from one assignment to the other, distracted by new responsibilities picked up after colleagues were laid off, or adjusting to spending more time physically in the office.
+Starmer stressed that he did not violate his "red lines": The U.K. won't rejoin the EU's frictionless single market and customs union, and will not agree to the free movement of people between the U.K. and the EU.
-If it all feels too chaotic, take a moment to pause. Revisit your priorities. And then work on the most important task.
+David Henig, a U.K. trade policy expert at the European Centre for International Political Economy, suggested that while some will continue to argue against agreeing to EU regulations, most Britons likely believe it's time to move forward.
-"If something doesn't feel right, don't just accept it," Inman said. "Whatever that avenue is, if it's staying and trying to make it better or leaving, just don't give up on what you know is right."
+"Simply following EU rules in some areas is going to be controversial to those who thought that Brexit means casting off all influence from the EU entirely," he said. "That wasn't realistic for a trading nation like the UK., where 50% of our trade is with the EU."
-Have you overcome an obstacle or made a profound change in your work? Send your questions and story ideas to cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow AP's Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well.
+Pan Pylas and Jill Lawless in London and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed reporting.
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