brent: this is "dw news," live from berlin. tonight in israel, the polls have closed in the closest election in years. an incumbent prime minister in the political fight of his life. a challenge it a real chance of winning. both candidates declclaring winning. voters today asked to decide four-term prime minister benjamin netanyahu or former general and political newcomer, benny gantz. who will be israel's next leader? we will go live to jerusalem for the first results. also coming up tonight, theresa may makes a deadline dash to

europe to avoid a brexit crash . just three days until britain leaves the european union. today may met with president macron in paris to plead for another extension. earlier she made the same plea to chancellor merkel here in berlin. ♪ brent: i'm brent goff. to our viewers on pbs in the united states and all around the world, welcome. to night in israel it is simply too close to call. vote counting is underway in israel's parliamentary election. exit polls show benjamin netanyahu's lakud party and his challenger's blue and white party in a neck and neck race.

voters had been deciding whether to extend d prime minister benjamin netanyahu's tenure for a fifth term. or -- the elections are being closely watched in the entire region. i want to take you now to jerusalem where our very own tania kramer is following the election results as they come in. talk us through the numbers as they stand right now. tania: you said brent, it is a very close race, a very dramatic election, even here. at the moment we only have exit polls that were published by several tv channels. they are a bit contradictory. they are not conclusive at the moment. there is channel 12 who gives the blue-and-white the lead with 37 seats. 120 seats, and likud 33 seats.

channel 13 gives them a time of 36 and 36. another broadcaster also gives blue and white a very narrow lead over likud. that is a bit of a surprise, although blue-and-white has been leading in all the polls of two election day. of course everyone is doing the mathematics, what does it mean for the two blocks. brent: you saw that both netanyahu and gantz have declared victory. how do you read that? what does it mean? tania: well, mr. gantz has said basically likud has promised to obtain 40 seats and they did not make it so they are the losers of the elections. of course mr. netanyahu says we won, because they are looking at how they would be able to form a coalition.

at the moment at least it looks like the right wing bloc will still have a narrow lead over the centerleft. but again, it is very early tonight and these are only exit polls. i think both want to o take advantagage now, taking thee momentum so to speak, and showing that they are in the lead. brent: you say it is very early in this process. with these numbers as close as they are, when can we expect to get final results? are we talking about sometime wednesday morning? tania: yeah. we are expecting them to trickle in over the next few hours overnight. it was such a close race, we have to wait and see basically. but they should be known by early morning. but it is still not clear at that time how i possible coalition will happen because the party leaders will then recommend who they would see as prime minister, then the

president will task the party, the leader who has the best chance to form the next coalition government. so it will be a long night certainly. brent: tania kramer on the story for us in jerusalem. thank you. and our coverage continues here at the big table. with me is gil murciano, the middle east analyst. gil, good to have you back on the show. both netanyahu and gantz are claiming victory. what does each candidate have working for him and against him at this stage? gil: if you need proof that this race is too close to call is this claim of victory by both candidates. one of the interesting things is the moment they are not passing the threshold. if we speak tomorrow morning, for gantz, there's two things

working for him. the evidence and recordings of netanyahu's alleged corruption will be published in the next couple weeks, which might contribute to a specific climate supporting gantz. brent: are there indictments against him on corruption charges? gil: right. one of them on bribery and other ones. but they were held off because of the election but now they will be out in the open. the second issue, much more indicative, when we define the so-called blocs we have to take into account that they were created late -- based on the assumptions we have a classic left versus right, but that is not what we have here. we have right versus center. it means gantz has more flexibility to actually deal with specific partisans traditionally in the right wing camp.

brent: that is because he is more in the center so he can reach out on both sides. gil: his particle he is basically a white buffet of opinions. brent: that would be a big strength. gil: yes. but there is one thing working definitely against himim. the traditional kingmaker of israel election. i did not see any option that gantz can build a coalition without it. here comes the liability. his partner, who made the separation of religion and state into his trademark. in many ways the persona non grata. never say never, but there might be changes especially when it comes to planned rotation. he might have to consolidate. brent: usually when we talk about ultra-orthodox it is a given they will vote for likud, right? gil: it is true in the last decade they have affiliated

themselves closely with the right wing. but the most important thing for ultra-orthodox for the last decades is being part of the government. to preserve their specific needs and demands regarding budgets and other issues. so it it's a trade-off for the ultra-orthodox. if we seek racks within the right, factions of specific parties, they might choose to jump on with gantz. less likely than the other option, but still an option. brent: the election today was described as a vote of king bibi vs. bibi fatigue. bibi of course refers to prime minister benjamin netanyahu. is this a referendum on his previous four terms? gil: what is the kingdom, -- one is the kingdom and the other is a notion of public duty. there was an attempt by the gantz campaign to put the candidates on the specific aspect. so it is really about not just

the agenda of the government. but about the way you government. specific issues of corruption. the ability of netanyahu to make decisions when he is complicated in all these legal issues. brent: gil murciano helping us to understand this election in israel as the first results come in. we appreciate it. thank you. here are some of the other stories now that are making headlines around the world. u.s. attorney general william barr has promised to release a redacted copy of special counsel robert mueller's report on russian election meddling within a week. barr has faced intense pressure to release the full report after initially publishing a short summary of it. barr portrayed its findings as highly favorable to president trump. staying with donald trump, he has hosted egyptian president abdel al-sisi for talks at the white house. trump praised al-sisi, saying

the egyptian leadader is doing quote, a great job, but there was no mention of the country's human rights record under al-sisi. sisi plans to change the constitution to stay in power. a court in hong kong has found nine leaders of the 2014 umbrella movement guilty on public nuisance charges. they could face jail time for their role in organizing the pro-democracy rallies calling for greater autonomy from china. germany has been forced to recall its ambassador to rwanda. rwanandan officials say he made ofoffensive remarks about the country and its president. a newspapeper in germany see the remarks appeared in an email which he sent, although it is unclear how rwandan officials saw it. a german convert to islam has gone on trial, charged with murder when she was a murderer

of -- a member of so-called islamic state in iraq. a prosecutor in munich alleges that the 27-year-old woman allowed a young girl she and her husband kept as a slave to die as thirst in the hot sun. reporter: jennifer w. entering the courtroom. a young woman of small stature, she was dreressed in western clothes without a veil or head scarf. she is accused of joining the so-called islamic state and being complicit in the killing of a five-year-old girl in iraq. >> we believe the accused husband chained up the little girl outside in blazing heat. the defendant did not do anything to help the five-year-old. the girl later died after being subjected to these conditions. reporter: after the charges were read to the court, the proceedings were interrupted. federal prosecutors were recently able to question the mother of the five-year-old and submitted new evividence.

>> what we have just received is very important, detailed evidence. reporter: after interviewing the girl's mother, prosecutors are now considering adding even more serious charges against the defendant. >> interviews with our client have led us to believe there may be evidence of crimes against humanity were committed, over and above the current indictments. slavery, on the followed the detention -- unlawful detention, human trafficking, and torture. reporter: anticipation is now growing among the community. they hope that others who committed serious crimes in the name of i.s. will soon face justice. brent: it is crunch time for british prime minister theresa may. she spent much of today on a whirlwind european tour ahead of in emergency eu summit tomorrow. all of this just days before the u.k.'s schedule departure from the european union. may was in paris and earlier

today which he was in berlin. she wants an extension to the beginning of brexit. paris reportedly favors a short extension. the government in berlin reportedly favors a long one. reporter: theresa may may have been given a friendly french welcome in paris, but it was not an easasy day. president emmanuel macron is often seen as the european leader of the toughest demands. may was lucky this time. france softened its stance and set a delay within limits was an option for the long-awaited brexit. still, france and other european countries are getting increasingly impmpatient. >> we want t to understand what the u.k. needs this extension for and what are the political surroundings to have this extension. reporter: before, may had traveled to berlin for an extension. just as s with everything

involving brexit, theresa may's arrival did not go quite as planned. she was obviously too early and merkel was not there to welcome her. after the meeting merkel said brexit could even be extended to the beginning of 2020. but many european leaders a are urging the british to provide more clarity. this was voiced on tuesday morning at a meeting of the eu foreign ministers. >> we are waititing finally for substantive steps in the right direction. up to now, nothing at all has changed. we are of f course thinking abot an appropriate extension of the deadline and also about a longer extension. it must, however, come with very strict conditions. reporter: official visits to berlin and paris over, theresa may still has tough times ahead. with the upcoming emergency summit in brussels. brent: let's take the story now to brussels. i am joined by our correspondent

barbara wesel. here we are again on the eve of another big you summit on brexit . -- eu summit on brexit. details are emerging for the european union's terms for a brexit extension. they include, i am quoting here, a boris clause, as in boris johnson. what is that about? barbara: that is the so-called child safety locks against a future prime minister that might be called boris johnson. that means someone from the camp of the hard brexiteers in london. it operates in a way that britain will have to pledge sincere cooperation as long as it is a member of the european union. and france even wants three monthly checks on really they do that. and if they do not than they might even be kicked out. we are not quite there yet but that is the rough outline. other than that, there will be in think -- be an extension.

the length has yet to be determined. that will be the big fight among the 27 leaders at this summit. there are other obligations also. britain will have to participate in european elections unless they figure out by the 23rd of may how to leave the european union and go. that is what everyone in brussels really wishes for. brent: it is amazing, that boris clause against boris and the bad brexit boys. he appeared today to rule out a no deal brexit. >> a no deal outcome will never be the european union's decision. we have worked for an agreement, for a treaty that is much more than just a deal. it provides guarantees where brexit creates legal uncertainty for eu citizens.

it more than a deal, it is a treaty. brent: that is the take from michelle barney i. there are also indications that emmanuel macron may be softening his stance when it comes to the length of this brexit delay. he has favored a short extension so far. how long of an extension will paris tolerate now? barbara: that we will figure out tomorrow night. it is very likely. it will be something between the one year angela merkel finds tolerable and the three to four or five months that emmanuel macron really finds suitable. so let's say late fall or maybe right after christmas, something like that, is within the realm of the possible and l likely. macron really emphasized different things because he is worried about the european union -- not only by the possible

emergence of the bad boys of brexit when they come to brussels, look -- but by being forced to deal with brexit and the whole negativity and chaos it brings. europe has other things on its agenda. that is what macron was trying to say. brent: barbara wesel on the story for us tonight on the eve of that emergency eu summit. thank you. you're watching "dw news." still to come, a move to bring a painting from the year 1810 to virtual life in 2019. it is happening right here in berlin with technology that has opened a window into another world. we will find out how. hurricane maria wreaked serious damage when it struck puerto rico 18 months ago. now a group of young inventors is using drones and the internet to speed up emergency response

times and to secure lifesaving communications following natural disasters. take a look. reporter: she was the strongest storm to hitit in almost a century. hurricane maria's driving winds and lashing rains dedestated puererto rico, causising $90ilin worth ofof damage to t the islan downing power lines, turning highways into lakes, and claiming 3000 lives along the way. now, one lococal is s hoping toe drones to find s survivors the next time a storm hits. his idea, born in the chaos that followed maria. >> just like the rest of the island i was worrieded about my family, my friends. and i went to go visit my parents to make sure they were ok. i went over there, the roads were flooded, there were a lot of cell towers that were down, lampposts on the ground, but they w were fine. my grandmother, i had no way to

get to her. so i went close to her house after the roads were closed, but i used my drone to check on her. when i got to her house with a drone, she heard it and she saw in the window that everything was fine. reporter: pedro designed a series of signs depicting basic needs, water and food, for example, that drones can now read and record. he wants the signs to be sent to every household on thehe island. elsewhere on puerto rico, this team is trialing a wi-fi network for use during disasters. the system would allow survivors to send vitatal information to emergency services. all made possible with small battery-or-solar-powered transmitters like thisis. the mayor says t they wish they hahad had the technology when maria hit. >> it is onene of the bigg challenges after a hurricane as devastating as maria and other emergencies.s. it was c clear that the greaeatt difficulty was communication.

not only local, but how to communicate with government agencies to respond to all thehe needs that occccurred. >> 29. 29 came in. reporter: the initial results are positive. the project team is carrying out its first large area test, installing transmitters on trees and roofs. at the home base, the messages start coming in with the help of a balloon equipped with a signal booster. it is a cheap solution that could yet offer a lifeline to communities cut off by extreme weather. brent: staying in the caribbean, players from the baseball crazy company -- country of cuba have always had to defect to the u.s. if they wanted to play u.s. major league baseball. it appeared the days of leaving everything behind was over after a deal was announced allowing players to play in the united states. but the trump administration has

pulled the plug on that deal. reporter: in abrupt end -- an abrupt end to a historic agreement. a deal reached last year which would allow cuban players to retain citizenship and play in the u.s. it wouldld allow them to not hae to defect to the u.s. like many in cuba. >> this was an opportunity to continue to see talents in the mlb. with the breaking of this agreement, it set us back, like it has in other areas because of the blockade. there is a lot of talent in cuba that will not get a chance because of thehe breaking ofof s agreemement. reporter: the announcement came just days aftererhe cuban baseball feratation released its first list o of 34 players authorized to sign contracts directly with major league teams. as part of the deal, the

federation would receive a fee for each player signed. but since the trump administration considers the cuban federation to be part of the cuban government, this would go against u.s. sanctions. a spokesman said on twitter, the administration looks forward to working with major league baseball to identify ways for cuban players to have the individual freedom to o benefit fromom the talenents and not as property of the cuban state. for now at least, cuban's hoping to pursue a career in the u.s. have once again found themselves with the entry door firmly shut. brent: now for some fascinating news from turkey for history buffs. archaeologists there think they may have found the world's pulled thihis -- ololdest ship wrececk. they belieieve the wreck is arod 3600 years old. it appears the s ship was transporting copper that had

been mined in c crus and smelted into bars when it sank.k. 3600 years ago. now, what would it be like to step into a painting and to be part of the scene that you see? technology is bringing a work of art from the year 1810 to virtual life, and it is happening right here in berlin at the old national gallery. it has opened a new window into the world of the artists of the romantic age. reporter: a tiny lone on the beach h in front of a rough sea. in the sky, heaped up mounds of clouds. "the monk by the sea," an icon of romantic painting. in 2010 -- in 1810 it shocked

his contemporaries. >> it was written that his eyelids had been cut away because the work is so spare. only a single figure can be seen on the beach, which is otherwise deserted. reporter: but now the monk is entering the age of virtual reality. with high-tech glasses, you can now immerse yourself in this masterpiece and meet the monk in a life-size representation. >> you lose yourself in a different world. >> it is super. great. reporter: virtual reality experts in the national gallery have worked together for 1.5 years. >> we always try not just to reproduce the painting, but to create a new world. and in that way to interpret the painting and try to understand what the painting was thinking, and what his vision was. reporter: here, virtual reality

is more than just a gimmick. the monk by the sea was extensively restored. seven layers of varnish had to be removed. the darkened paint'layer had obscured the images true colors. it became apparent he had not originally designed the picture quite so radically, but rather conventionally. the master romantic had put three boats in the picture. the virtual reality experience reveals the sketch and also tries to convey to the user is ingenious use of paint to create its groundbreaking work. >> who would not want an image that opens up like a new world and to be able to enter it? and with this access you can playfully learn and experience what was previously simply not possible. reporter: and of course, it

should make you want to look at the original with fresh eyes, too. brent: while. you're watching "dw news." after a short i will be back to take you through "the day." stick around for that. we we'll be right back. ♪ [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org]

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