this is e w news live from berlin hong kong heads to the polls in key local elections and chief executive kerry lam is under pressure pro-democracy protesters want to send her and beijing a message record numbers of voters are turning out as authorities warn against violence also coming up. romanian social democrat your hopes for an upset victory as she faces incumbent president close your highness in a runoff election. and in the bonus league clubs faced off against. the berliners have

a reputation is giant slayers but can they take down the team at the top of the tail. spicer welcome to the program. and we started hong kong where people are voting in municipal elections the vote is seen as both a test of kerry lam's probating government and as a referendum on the pro-democracy movement that has rocked the city for months order participation is already at record levels. on conus are used to queuing for restaurants conventions but not for an election especially not on a sunday morning and even before the polling stations open. movements of the accused to form came a familiar face pro-democracy leader aung he himself was sparked from running this

for a cause that you action is that you action in more community based more district constitution issue is that overall hong kong political system reform but i still urge people both in the action to show what this called had to beijing. many vote has see these local elections to see referendum on whether the public still supports the protests hong kong has been rocked by almost 6 months of phone rest some of it violent but calm returned in the run up to the election protests his feet the government my call of the vote we are facing an extremely challenging situation in all the nice thing this year's elections but i'm pleased to say that with the concerted efforts of all parties including of course over 30000 civil servants in many departments working today we should have a relatively peaceful and calm and vironment to conduct these elections successfully for now peace has temporarily returned to the city but this could

change depending on the results. and for more on this i'm joined by our correspondent on the ground charlotte charleston pill charlotte you're at a polling station tell us what the scene is like where you are out. well usually nic district council elections don't attract a huge amount of fanfare but i'm sure you can tell from what's going on just behind me this year is very different there are huge queues snaking along this path just behind me with voters hoping to cause that ballots in this vote which is seen by so many as a litmus test of the popularity of authorities here and of the pro-democracy movement young rest that's been raging for almost 6 months now now we've just heard that by lunchtime the very to turnout has exceeded the total voter turnout the last 8 straight council elections in 2015 now it's possible that there has been and people

concerned that the violence or or clashes could stop them casting their ballots but this really is a significant sign of just how many people have been compelled to cast their ballots today on this referendum if you like on this protest movement and. what is at stake here is symbolically pure legislative terms. where for both sides the pro-democracy camp and the pro stablish macam this is about sending a message now it has to be pointed out the pro standish macam dominates currently the district council at the moment so they're on the defensive they want to show that they can maintain that strength of support going forward and that there is still support for storage fees here in hong kong they want to defend their seats on the other side the pro democracy camp they want to show a surge in support they know that they're not going to dominate the district council votes in the same way that the prostatitis macam has but they do want to

show surge and support proof for proof that they're pro democracy cause these protests are legitimate it legitimizes them on a more practical level these voters do have a scent degree of significance as well that's because 6 district councilors will be awarded seats in. legislative council that century hong kong's parliament and a number of district councils will then be put on the body the committee that appoints the chief executive going forward so if you speak to pro-democracy candidates here they'll tell you that any gains that they may make will be a more significant step to shaping the future in hong kong the you've been covering the protests and often the violence for weeks and months now do you get a sense that there might be more of that today. with the weeks ahead of this they have been marred by some of the worst violence that we've seen over the last 6 months the days ahead of this they have been

there's been an easy calm here you've been hearing on pro-democracy groups and speaking to people who've been saying they want to try and keep this is calm as possible so as not to give authorities an excuse to call off the election they have been threatening to cancel all suspended if violent clashes continued here saying that they simply wouldn't be able to hold the vote as it stands it is extremely peaceful here so far but of course it is carefully guarded by police for the 1st time riot police are gone all of the polling stations here to ward off any kind of unrest ok views show chosen till reporting from hong kong on this whole vote there . romanians are holding a runoff vote for a new president on sunday but they're doing so in a climate of political instability and public anger over allegations of corruption that have sparked huge street protests voters will decide between the incumbent president close your highness and for a prime minister of your cadential of was government was recently ousted because of

alleged corruption whoever wins will have no executive power but could have significant influence over the future direction of the country. proud romanian staunchly pro europe and a level headed champion of the rule of law. that's the carefully crafted image of remaining us incumbent president klaus your highness he's been in office since 2014 and secured 40 percent of votes in the 1st round of the 29000 presidential election . i'm going to wear all the old woman should mean i have always believed in romanians this is a great joy for democracy. this ixia old member of the centrist national liberal party has also presented himself as a vocal critic of corruption the various she that brought his political opponent to

her knees. former prime minister have your ticket done sheila and a social democratic government ousted by parliament last month following an era of corruption scandals that steered the country onto a collision course with the european union. but done she is hoping for political resurrection she's trying to shift the focus on to economic achievements and social reform. number. of well being of guaranteed rights for a safe and proud romania i voted so romanians don't live in fear of tomorrow when they won't have anything to put on the table and won't have money for medicine or bills i voted against the cutting of the pensions and salaries i voted against austerity. region rounds and i was in a country struggling with widespread poverty these are words that could go down well but political observers say the duchess party just isn't managing to shake

claims of corruption the issue that voters of all political persuasions are fed up with. in the past 3 years romania has seen massive anti-corruption protests. the weather wins the presidential run a photo will face close scrutiny by voters and the here. and now to some of the other stories making news around the world. as a government protesters in colombia have taken to the streets for a 3rd consecutive day thousands marched in the capital bogota. we're stopped and dispersed by police using tear gas protesters were angry at president event bouquets economic social and security policies. 7 in western kenya at least 34 people have been killed in flooding caused by heavy rains most of the deaths occurred when homes were swept away by mudslides the rains are battering parts of ten's india as well or 10 people have drowned in a small river. but francis has called upon the world leaders to

scrap their nuclear arsenals the pontiff made the appeal during a visit to japan the final leg of his tour of asia francis visited nagasaki one of the 2 say cities devastated by an american nuclear bomb in the closing days of the 2nd world war he spoke of the suffering injured by the victims of that attack and he said nuclear weapons could never provide the world with security peace and stability. and to discuss it i'm joined by our religious affairs correspondent martin jacques this is the 1st papal visit in 38 years to japan and what do you think the significance is for the christians of japan well i think that this moment for them and other things because over the last sort of 10 years 2030 years they have lost 10 percent of the population been reduced by 500 from 500002 about 450 years so quite clearly there's a pattern that the church sees not only sort of in japan but around the world so i

think one of the reasons why you the pope is there is to try to really train obviously this regional projection. particularly broken relationships china where the christian community got to the communities under quite a bit of pressure as it has it's not really been so i think that in the in the regional context this visit was quite important and just before the pope got there the japanese catholic church criticized japanese society for being too materialistic what do you make of that well i mean the criticism was not a good. much releasement excessive consumption and competition so i think that there is a german sense that there's something that has been sort of following this about you know this spoke for now since the beginning of the see that the question of unbridled capitalism is something that essentially directly or they have a tricky opposed to you know ideas of spiritual growth and sort of the wellbeing of people around sort of the more classical institutions of church life and japan in

some sense is sort of been precisely that kind of development or if that kind of and this realization consumption so i think that that was sort of the criticism and you know it's one that is consistent with the position of the last few years ok thanks so much for that each of you and that is fares reporter martin jacques. orts now bonus league table toppers bowl with dimension gladbach travelled to the german capital on saturday facing league newcomers. when you don't have shocked a few big teams so far this season and once again aim to cause an upset. i with rufus fans in a tight knit squad lane is not an easy place to visit league leaders clad back knew an early goal would help silence the home crowd an entire stadium held its breast as patrick hammond's head came back off the post. take it all exhale not long after

the found himself in space and headed to host since her 15th minute lead. this was just 2nd goal of the season justifying his recall to the starting line up in new york went close to doubling that lead to marcus inverts and. the crowd back were posing the biggest threat and they should have leveled just before half time the normally clinical player fluffing his big chance. fortress in the on was looking pretty solid and though the visitors dominated the 2nd half play they had precious little to show you for all their possession. it just wasn't their day typified when in your own breakaway in stoppage time sebastian anderson the man on target i equally fully glanced in the deflected cross 2 had is 2 players giving in yawn another 3 points. work all together and then

we get the point so i don't know. i think we should not think too much about it. that is our way to go in this league is very hard league had a hard moment and now we have a good moment to want to run it as long as possible then you are now well and truly mixing with the best not showing up yet another win a rich top 6 club. and a reminder of the top stories we're following for you. executive kerry has cast your ballot. there has been record turnout in a vote seen as both a test of clubs probating government and us a referendum on the pro-democracy movement that has rocked the city for months. coming up next our documentary series doc film looks at the dangers of a new nuclear arms race after both the u.s. and russia pulled out of a key treaty so after the break you can find more news and headlines 247 on our web

site www dot com spicer i squash. the adventures of the famous naturalist and external. to celebration comics on the phone it's 250th birthday. barging the no 4 huge discovery. expedition good on t.w. .