and it's one of the w's $100.00 german must read. but 1st contestants have been arriving in tel aviv in israel for this year's your vision song called test and although the final is on saturday rehearsals have started and the knockout stages begin on tuesday 41 countries have entered the 26 get to the finals and here's met last year's winner of dr big greats she knows how to put on a show. and i'm joined by my colleague adrian cannon and then the agent is all it is for most have arrived and their households have gotten we can have a sneak preview i think we're going to have a look at the french contribution 1st i thought is one of the favorites this year his song is as much a political statement as

a song is an l g p t plus. fronts the song is about not being defined by others but staying true to yourself. something i think you can identify with 2 key haitian stay true to myself part. and spain's entry provides a splash of color this is with la vendee. and finally home germany is represented by sisters with that summation instead of the performing sister sisters and not actually sisters. and. the country's run of bad luck since 2015 germany has come lost twice actually receiving one point. in 2050 of them britain a german top faring so well in the competition recently but top of the list when it

comes to set design indeed this is the 6th time for invite rida vida. has designed sets for vision. the final run up to the euro vision song contest in tel aviv a key test drawing for florian feeder. he designed the backdrop for the show the biggest competition of its kind on the planet's. now he gets a chance to see whether everything works as planned. it's all it's a big set and big venue but the stage itself is actually relatively small and that creates an intimate party atmosphere even though when viewed as a whole it of course looks gigantic muniz and course also. it's the 6th time the german stage designers shape the look of the contest the 1st

rehearsals every participating country like poland is responsible for its own performance but one design element reappears again and again the triangle it's a reference to the star of david and its raining symbol. the expo exhibition center tell of eve is the venue for this year's european song contest the most complex aspect is coordinating with the various country delegations and israeli t.v. producers. it's not easy to do a search for your vision we have 4141 countries when we need a lot of versatility is and i think you can see in floor and stage a lot of versatility guys who beat us this concept of course it's important to me that the whole thing looks good and works visually but the most important thing of all is that it works as a whole. you can only judge that after the show. and when it's over i'm happy if it all went well. would leave florian vader has done far more than create a stage for

a competition with a 29000 euro vision song contest he sets a new milestone for stage design. so a great sense but one of the big talking points this year a.j. well the biggest controversy is not a song this year but rather the venue of course the contest taking place and because it is releasing and it was a lie won the contest in 28 c. the pro palestinian international boycott divestment sanctions movement b.d.'s has called for a boycott and there were protests at the weekend in tel aviv the b.d.'s says the contest allows a whitewashing of israelis policies towards palestinians in the occupied west bank and gaza israel says the international boycott is discriminatory and anti said mistake but dozens of european artists have called for the contest to be moved

elsewhere but so far no singers have doubt some of the artists have also defied the boycott calls madonna will be appearing at the final on saturday night's indeed very briefly big who's going to well the touch song is favorite duncan lawrence has appeared a kid in the video for al-qaeda appears naked on saturday night i predict he could have a good chance of pulling it off. he will be taken. off his clothes. by do very. the german aids foundation annual charity over the weekend in western germany tops our us from the operatic world performed with the beethoven orchestra and raise lots of money for age charities he was maybe a part of the event and broadcast it live but if you've missed it some highlights see. 2 do good and take joy in it that's the motto of this year's opera gala

in bone it's been held for the 8th time on behalf of the german aids foundation soprano orly and i took out was one of 10 singers who took part as well as pieces from their days this is silly investments and la traviata the ukrainian singer also performed mini's aria from pretty nice boy. who didn't concept the aria is perfect for this concert in particular because mimi has a character is also in. but she's in love and never loses hope that everything will turn out ok. the artists all perform for free the proceeds from ticket sales are donated to the fight against the still incurable disease. accompanying this thing as is the city's beethoven orchestra led by conductor derek cuffed on.

it's for a good cause for an important cause that we need to keep in the public are a huge sum of money was raised on this evening that's great and we're happy to serve the cause of. god as was started by on and helmet under ass hot feet he's biggest concerns remain prevention and research globally almost 37000000 people are living with hiv that's the aim of the subject is played down people act as if it's not such a bad thing no 1st you should protect yourself otherwise you have a lifelong. disease and be reliant on strong medication and that's not fun people should be careful and be informed that our message. the bon oprah gala has become one of the hottest dates in the cultural calendar popular with both concert goers and artists other engaging performances came from soprano iniesta.

and countertenor news van does a. 10 hour andrade danino had an energetic take on klein such to do wolf and often box the tales of hoffmann. the sea has got a netted a record 240000 euros but classed as dagon of the german aids foundation says the charity's work is far from over when if you answer considering our work as a whole it's very important for us that the disease be acknowledged by society for it to be curable one day to finally beat it that would be our greatest success and . that beethoven's ode to joy the anthem of the european union brought the

event to a triumphant close so it's beethoven choir and audience join together in song to demonstrate their joint resolve to fight aids. now to all series 100 must reads the best books of german language literature from the start of the 20th century today it's a book called by a swiss author called peter. it was written just 20 years ago and it's a tragic love story between an older man and a woman half his age is our man david leavitt's with mole. when people are in love they do some pretty cool raese stuff like buying expensive jewelry opening joint bank accounts going through each other's e-mails some people even write love stories but what happens when the story becomes more important than the love itself . and.

agnes is the debut novel of swiss author page. it's the story of a love story gone terribly wrong the narrator is a want to be a novelist with a writer's block he falls in love with agnes' a student he meets at the public library no i'm not giving anything away when i tell you that it does not and while the author makes that clear from the very beginning. agnes is dead killed by a story all that's left of her now is this story and begins on that day 9 months ago when we 1st met in the chicago public library it was cold when we 1st met and generally is cold in the city. their conversation the big topics death intimacy when agnes asks her lover who write a story about her it starts off as a game the narrator documents their love affair as it unfolds but then he starts writing a few chapters ahead. a few days after. the story

moved into the future now agnes was my creation i felt the new freedom lend the wings to my imagination i planned her future for her the way a father would plan his daughters. so where is the line between reality and fantasy . or is it just part of the story within the story is a novel about love and loneliness and a parable about the power of little. finally today the hollywood legend doris day has passed away in california. to begin. badly in a car accident and took up singing then hollywood beckoned and she became one of the biggest. of the $950.00 s. and sixty's. pillow talk.

show in recent years she spent most of the time and energy as an animal rights activist doris day it was died aged 90. 6 it's a day. old facebook. good. come. come.

to talk it's all up for grabs. at the moment it's a done. deal just non-game left in the season here and that can have a happy man again. not take the time. to claim it champions i am human needs. a. good. song d.w. . belgariad a great treasure. from the poorest countries become luxury goods used to where only alone simply priceless. most loyal is the heart of a perfume. until now what others have profited from they lay there but now grow this one to benefit themselves treasure blossoms in the careless rose valley in 75 w.

. europe a big idea. but what's become of it. will it look like tomorrow. looking for a better future isn't enough europe requires our cultures of a shallow. you know legends 2019 may 26th on g.w. . i'm sick. in the game or that's hard and in the end this is a me you're not allowed to stay here and we will send you back. are you familiar with this. with the smugglers we're alliance and the what's your story ready ready. i'm working on is

a women especially in victims of violence. take part and send us your story we are trying in all ways to understand this new culture. and that of a little. you want to become sitting. in for migrants your platform for reliable information. u.s. secretary of state mike pompei o has made a surprise visit to brussels where e.u. officials have been trying to salvage a nuclear deal with iran washington wants the block to withdraw from the 2015 accord the e.u. is top diplomat federica moca rini called on the u.s. and iran to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any military escalation. saudi arabia claims 2 of its oil tankers were among vessels had by in the lead.