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| ===== The Vatican closes the Sistine Chapel to the public and prepares for a papal conclave ===== | ===== Austria welcomes JJ back home with cheers, hugs and roses after he wins the Eurovision Song Contest ===== |
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| By VANESSA GERA Associated Press | By PHILIPP JENNE and KIRSTEN GRIESHABER Associated Press |
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| VATICAN CITY (AP) — Exit tourists. Enter cardinals. | 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." |
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| The Vatican has closed the Sistine Chapel, where cardinals will gather for the conclave to elect the next pope after the death of Pope Francis on April 21 at age 88. | 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. |
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| Francis was buried Saturday after a funeral in St. Peter's Square that gathered world leaders and hundreds of thousands of others, and a nine-day period of mourning is continuing before the conclave can start. | 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." |
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| But the church is at the same time turning its attention to the next steps. | 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. |
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| Key is preparing the Sistine Chapel for the red-robed cardinals who will gather at the Vatican in the heart of Rome to choose the next pope in an ancient process fictionalized in the 2024 film "Conclave." | "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. |
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| One key task: installing the chimney where ballots will be burned after votes. | 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." |
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| Those visitors who managed to enter on Sunday considered themselves lucky, since there is no telling how long the conclave will last, and how long the gem of the Vatican Museums will remain off-limits. | **'All of Austria is happy'** |
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| "I think we felt very lucky to be able to be the last group of visitors to come in today," said Sumon Khan, a tourist from the United States. "You know, our trip would not have been complete without seeing this beautiful place." | Austria's president, Alexander van der Bellen, celebrated JJ in a video posted on X. |
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| According to a schedule determined by church law, the conclave can only begin after the nine-day mourning period. It is expected to start between May 5 and May 10. | "What a success! What a voice! What a show!" he exclaimed. "All of Austria is happy." |
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| When it does, the cardinals will enter solemnly to participate in a secretive process said to be guided by the holy spirit that will result in the selection of the next leader of the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic church. The choice will determine whether the next pontiff will continue Francis' reforms, with his focus on the poor and marginalized and the environment, or whether they will choose a pontiff closer in style to conservative predecessors like Benedict XVI focused on doctrine. | Chancellor Christian Stoecker wrote on X: "What a great success — my warmest congratulations on winning #ESC2025! JJ is writing Austrian music history today!" |
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| For inspiration, the cardinals will also have the great beauty of the frescoes painted by Michelangelo and other renowned Renaissance artists. The most recognizable is Michelangelo's Creation of Adam, showing God's outstretched hand imparting the divine spark of life to the first man. | 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. |
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| The chapel is named after Pope Sixtus IV, an art patron who oversaw the construction of the main papal chapel in the 15th century. But it was a later pontiff, Pope Julius II, who commissioned the works by Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling depicting scenes from Genesis from 1508 and 1512 and later returned to paint the Last Judgement on one of the walls. | 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. |
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| When the conclave opens, cardinals will chant the Litany of Saints, the solemn, mystical Gregorian chant imploring the intercession of the saints, as they file into the chapel and take an oath of secrecy. The chapel's thick double doors will close and the master of liturgy will utter the Latin words "Extra omnes," meaning "everyone out." | JJ himself said he hoped that Vienna would get the next ESC which he would love to host together with his mentor, Conchita Wurst. |
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| The secretive process is part of a tradition aimed at preserving the vote from external interference. | **A nail-biting final** |
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| The world will then wait for a sign that a successor to Francis has been chosen. Black smoke coming from the chimney in the Sistine Chapel will indicate that they haven't achieved the two-thirds majority for a new pope. | 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." |
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| But when a pope is finally chosen, white smoke will rise and bells will toll. | 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. |
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| Associated Press video reporter Pietro De Cristofaro contributed from Rome. | "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. |
| ===== How bugs and beet juice could play roles in the race to replace artificial dyes in food ===== | |
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| ---- | **Eclectic and sometimes baffling** |
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| {{:en:ecrit:ap25116701895698.jpg?300 |}} | 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. |
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| By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer | 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. |
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| ST. LOUIS (AP) — As pressure grows to get artificial colors out of the U.S. food supply, the shift may well start at Abby Tampow's laboratory desk. | 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. |
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| On an April afternoon, the scientist hovered over tiny dishes of red dye, each a slightly different ruby hue. Her task? To match the synthetic shade used for years in a commercial bottled raspberry vinaigrette — but by using only natural ingredients. | The show was a celebration of Europe's eclectic, and sometimes baffling, musical tastes. |
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| "With this red, it needs a little more orange," Tampow said, mixing a slurry of purplish black carrot juice with a bit of beta-carotene, an orange-red color made from algae. | Grieshaber reported from Berlin. Associated Press writer Jill Lawless in Basel, Switzerland contributed to this report. |
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| Tampow is part of the team at Sensient Technologies Corp., one of the world's largest dyemakers, that is rushing to help the salad dressing manufacturer — along with thousands of other American businesses — meet demands to overhaul colors used to brighten products from cereals to sports drinks. | |
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| "Most of our customers have decided that this is finally the time when they're going to make that switch to a natural color," said Dave Gebhardt, Sensient's senior technical director. He joined a recent tour of the Sensient Colors factory in a north St. Louis neighborhood. | ===== The UK and the EU hail a new chapter as they sign fresh deals 5 years after Brexit ===== |
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| Last week, U.S. health officials announced plans to persuade food companies to voluntarily eliminate petroleum-based artificial dyes by the end of 2026. | By SYLVIA HUI Associated Press |
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| Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called them "poisonous compounds" that endanger children's health and development, citing limited evidence of potential health risks. | 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. |
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| The federal push follows a flurry of state laws and a January decision to ban the artificial dye known as Red 3 — found in cakes, candies and some medications — because of cancer risks in lab animals. Social media influencers and ordinary consumers have ramped up calls for artificial colors to be removed from foods. | 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. |
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| **A change to natural colors may not be fast** | 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. |
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| The FDA allows about three dozen color additives, including eight remaining synthetic dyes. But making the change from the petroleum-based dyes to colors derived from vegetables, fruits, flowers and even insects won't be easy, fast or cheap, said Monica Giusti, an Ohio State University food color expert. | "Britain is back on the world stage," Starmer told reporters. "This deal is a win-win." |
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| "Study after study has shown that if all companies were to remove synthetic colors from their formulations, the supply of the natural alternatives would not be enough," Giusti said. "We are not really ready." | 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." |
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| It can take six months to a year to convert a single product from a synthetic dye to a natural one. And it could require three to four years to build up the supply of botanical products necessary for an industrywide shift, Sensient officials said. | 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. |
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| "It's not like there's 150 million pounds of beet juice sitting around waiting on the off chance the whole market may convert," said Paul Manning, the company's chief executive. "Tens of millions of pounds of these products need to be grown, pulled out of the ground, extracted." | Here are the main takeaways from the summit: |
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| To make natural dyes, Sensient works with farmers and producers around the world to harvest the raw materials, which typically arrive at the plant as bulk concentrates. They're processed and blended into liquids, granules or powders and then sent to food companies to be added to final products. | **Cutting red tape on food trade** |
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| Natural dyes are harder to make and use than artificial colors. They are less consistent in color, less stable and subject to changes related to acidity, heat and light, Manning said. Blue is especially difficult. There aren't many natural sources of the color and those that exist can be hard to maintain during processing. | 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. |
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| Also, a natural color costs about 10 times more to make than the synthetic version, Manning estimated. | 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. |
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| "How do you get that same vividness, that same performance, that same level of safety in that product as you would in a synthetic product?" he said. "There's a lot of complexity associated with that." | 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. |
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| **The insects that could make 'Barbie pink' naturally** | 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. |
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| Companies have long used the Red 3 synthetic dye to create what Sensient officials describe as "the Barbie pink." | **Defense procurement pact** |
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| To create that color with a natural source might require the use of cochineal, an insect about the size of a peppercorn. | 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. |
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| The female insects release a vibrant red pigment, carminic acid, in their bodies and eggs. The bugs live only on prickly pear cactuses in Peru and elsewhere. About 70,000 cochineal insects are needed to produce 1 kilogram, about 2.2 pounds, of dye. | 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. |
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| "It's interesting how the most exotic colors are found in the most exotic places," said Norb Norbrega, who travels the world scouting new hues for Sensient. | **Fishing rights** |
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| Artificial dyes are used widely in U.S. foods. About 1 in 5 food products in the U.S. contains added colors, whether natural or synthetic, Manning estimated. Many contain multiple colors. | 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. |
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| FDA requires a sample of each batch of synthetic colors to be submitted for testing and certification. Color additives derived from plant, animal or mineral sources are exempt, but have been evaluated by the agency. | 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. |
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| Health advocates have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating they can cause neurobehavioral problems, including hyperactivity and attention issues, in some children. | 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." |
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| The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that the approved dyes are safe when used according to regulations and that "most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives." | **Easing movement for young people** |
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| But critics note that added colors are a key component of ultraprocessed foods, which account for more than 70% of the U.S. diet and have been associated with a host of chronic health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and obesity. | 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. |
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| "I am all for getting artificial food dyes out of the food supply," said Marion Nestle, a food policy expert. "They are strictly cosmetic, have no health or safety purpose, are markers of ultraprocessed foods and may be harmful to some children." | 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. |
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| **The cautionary tale of Trix cereal** | British officials insisted that numbers would be capped and stays would be time-limited. |
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| Color is powerful driver of consumer behavior and changes can backfire, Giusti noted. In 2016, food giant General Mills removed artificial dyes from Trix cereal after requests from consumers, switching to natural sources including turmeric, strawberries and radishes. | 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. |
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| But the cereal lost its neon colors, resulting in more muted hues — and a consumer backlash. Trix fans said they missed the bright colors and familiar taste of the cereal. In 2017, the company switched back. | **Cutting airport waits** |
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| "When it's a product you already love, that you're used to consuming, and it changes slightly, then it may not really be the same experience," Giusti said. "Announcing a regulatory change is one step, but then the implementation is another thing." | British passport holders will be able to use e-gates at more European airports as part of the deal. |
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| Kennedy, the health secretary, said U.S. officials have an "understanding" with food companies to phase out artificial colors. Industry officials told The Associated Press that there is no formal agreement. | 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. |
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| However, several companies have said they plan to accelerate a shift to natural colors in some of their products. | **Opposition objects to a 'surrender'** |
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| PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta said most of its products are already free of artificial colors, and that its Lays and Tostitos brands will phase them out by the end of this year. He said the company plans to phase out artificial colors — or at least offer consumers a natural alternative — over the next few years. | 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. |
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| Representatives for General Mills said they're "committed to continuing the conversation" with the administration. WK Kellogg officials said they are reformulating cereals used in the nation's school lunch programs to eliminate the artificial dyes and will halt any new products containing them starting next January. | 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." |
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| Sensient officials wouldn't confirm which companies are seeking help making the switch, but they said they're ready for the surge. | 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. |
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| "Now that there's a date, there's the timeline," Manning said. "It certainly requires action." | 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. |
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| Dee-Ann Durbin contributed reporting from Detroit. | "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." |
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| The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. | Pan Pylas and Jill Lawless in London and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed reporting. |
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