Eurovision 2019: follow all the songs and action - live
(The Guardian Culture News)

It´s the most controversial Eurovision in history, and it has a half-time show from pop legend Madonna. Settle in for a long, kitsch night in Tel Aviv 12.40pm BST Evening all, and welcome to this year´s Eurovision song contest grand final liveblog! After a few years of liveblogging from the host city, I´m in front of the TV at home this year; however the Guardian´s Jerusalem correspondent, Oliver Holmes, is in Tel Aviv and will be my eyes and ears in the host city.This year´s contest may be the most controversial in the event´s history, with campaigners accusing Israel of exploiting the light-hearted fluff of Eurovision to distract attention from its treatment of Palestinians - millions of whom live under military rule in the West Bank or are blockaded in Gaza and prevented from attending. Meanwhile, earlier this month, Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza fought an intense three-day battle that killed 23 Palestinians and four Israelis, leading to fears of another full-blown conflict. Oliver wrote a great Observer dispatch about Eurovision in Israel last weekend; it´s well worth a read while we´re waiting for the show to start. Continue reading...