this is d.w. news live are from binding to record a town out in hong kong a local election as a test of support for the territory's chief executive carried out the pro-democracy protesters want to send her and to beijing a message also coming up francis takes a stand against nuclear weapons the pontiff makes us in baltic visits and nagasaki in japan where he calls upon the world's nuclear nations to scrap their hostels. and the vying for romania's presidency incumbent close your highness faces the

country's 1st female prime minister the early could at chiller in a runoff election. i'm headed home for a black you could join me we start in hong kong where record numbers of people are voting in municipal elections the vote is seen as both a test of carried out as pro beijing government and as a referendum on the pro-democracy movement that has rocks the city for months now. 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. moments after the queues started to form came a familiar face pro-democracy leader aung he himself. spot from running district

house or your action is that you action in more coverage based on more district constitution issue is that of overall hong kong political system reform but i still urge people both in action to show i want this called head to beijing. many voters see these local elections as a referendum on whether the public still supports to protests hong kong has been rocked by almost 6 months of unrest 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 organizing 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 subsets the

need for now peace has temporarily returned to the city but this to change depending on the results. and for more i'm joined now by our correspondent on the ground shot it chelsea health good to see you charlotte record turnout already what is the latest where you are. yes this has already been a record breaking district council election here by lunchtime the number of people who had cast their ballots already surpassed the total number of people who voted in these district council elections last time around in 2015 now we've been at this particular polling station most of the day today helen aaron throughout the day we've seen long queues gathered behind me people waiting to cast their ballots it's quiet down a little bit now but there has still been a steady stream of people coming and going they tell us that they think it's their duty as hong kong citizens to cost their vote this after all as you've said is

being considered as a litmus test referendum on almost 6 months of unrest here on hong kong both on the pro-democracy movement which is becoming increasingly violent in recent months and on how all stories he's have been handling the unrest here is that that reason that so many people are coming out on to the polls out to the polls they tell us today to cast their votes in what would usually be a fairly low key election these district councillors who being elected here today don't have a huge amount of power they mainly focus on local issues today though this vote has become very much about the politics here in hong kong rather than those community issues as you point out charlotte we're talking about local elections that clearly hong kong has a just not wasting an opportunity to exercise democracy so what's at stake here. you know this is the 1st time that people here in hong kong have had the chance to

cost their vote since this unrest began back in june for the pro-democracy movement this is a chance for them to take their battle to the ballot box there really will be a sense here from the results that we're expecting tonight of how much support there remains for this pro-democracy movement support which she would often see out on the streets a lot of people now avoiding the front lines of these protests as the clashes become increasingly violent now what has to be pointed out here is that the pro stoppers from an parties dominating the district councils here in hong kong at the moment said they are very much on the defensive they don't want to see huge losses that would be slight for them and the authorities here in hong kong the pro-democracy movement that they're part pro-democracy of parties aren't expecting to make massive gains here but any gains that they make will be a signal a sign if you like that there is still broad support here in hong kong for this pro-democracy movement now headed on a more practical level these pro democracy these district council elections do play

a role as well in shaping hong kong's political future albeit slightly a relatively small one for example 6 of these district councils will automatically get a seat on the legislative council that's hong kong's parliament and some say more importantly a dozens of district councillors will then be part of the committee that will in future select the next chief executive of hong kong so as a pro democracy candidate here they will see any gains that they make in this vote today is a step in the right direction for you know what they're aiming for here in hong kong our correspondent in hong kong for us thank you charlotte. well for him a vote is are costing ballots in the 2nd round of presidential elections but they doing so in a climate of political instability and public anger allegations of corruption that have sparked huge street protest as well lurches will be deciding between the

incumbent president hu a prime minister the already cadential or his government was recent the ousted because of alleged corruption and whoever wins will have no executive power but could have a significant influence over the future direction of the country. a proud romanian staunchly pro europe and a level headed champion of the rule of law. that's the carefully crafted image of romania's incumbent president klaus yohannes 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 a little boy in shiny black i have always believed in romanians this is a great joy for democracy. this 60 year 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 tried to shift the focus on to economic achievements and social reform. many 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. richard 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 doesn'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 fight will face close scrutiny by voters and the. now some of the other stories making news around the world security forces in the southern iraqi city of nasiriyah have opened fall protesters killing at least 3 people the demonstrators had gathered on the 3 key bridges in the city demanding the overthrow of a political class seen as corrupt and serving foreign powers while many iraqis live in poverty. contenders in israel's governing like good party are just playing for position after prime minister benjamin netanyahu was indicted on corruption charges

former minister gideon starr has called for a party primaries saying he would run but israeli nor does not require netanyahu to step down unless he is convicted in. voting is underway in a presidential election in the west african country of did this now after weeks of violent protest as many hope that the vote will be a step towards stabilizing the country can best sellers suffered 9 coups or attempted coups since independence from portugal in 1974. and west in kenya at least 34 people have been killed in flooding caused by heavy rains most of the deaths occurred when homes what swept away by mudslides the rains are battering parts of towns near as well where 10 people have drowned in a swollen river. well pope francis has called upon while the latest to scrap nuclear weapons the pontiff made the appeal during a visit to japan the only country to south the nuclear attacks. huge

crowds turned out and braved the rain to catch a glimpse of the pope it's the 1st people visit to japan for nearly 4 decades and not exactly the pontiff laid a wreath at a growing sea room oriel for the 10s of thousands of people including $8000.00 catholics who perished in an atomic bombing in the final days of world war 2. francis told the crowds that he believes a world without nuclear weapons is both possible and necessary and the money spent on them could be put to better use. you know give me children who need it into a day's world where millions of children and families live in inhumane conditions. the money that is squandered and the fortunes of my. age through the manufacture grading maintenance and sale of even more destructive weapons they are now from crying out to heaven nothing of the good nor. did.

the pontiff is also visiting her russia the site of the 1st atomic bombing in 1945 on monday pope francis will meet survivors of the 20 live in fukushima nuclear disaster he'll also meet japan's prime minister shinzo abbey and emperor nutter hito and he will be hoping that they and other global leaders key to his calls for a nuclear free world. well to discuss the pope's visit i'm joined by our religious affairs correspondent martin get good to see you martin now this is the 1st papal visit to japan in the ca years was it 6 new significance for japan's christians well at a time in which got the community of japanese contracting i mean over a 30 year period there was about a 10 percent contraction that is to say 500002 about $450.00 it is truly representative of what's going to ron going on with the conflict church pretty much

where it's a world where you know the police are empty now and so i think that in that sense sort of the significant to think that the main point is that. the pope is talking from japan and you need to cut the legs and entire region and very likely you just chinese christians are paying close attention because i could use a way for the vatican to project power that's about to and is about to see that it's been very much interested in questions of global policy and this is one of the way in which actually presents itself. in that context is that this question nuclear proliferation also becomes important towards now ahead of the pope's visit the catholic church in tokyo actually criticized japanese culture for being too materialistic what do you think it was getting us specifically this is been pretty much a position of this pope since day one would you. that there is an e sure of mother and canons of values things that have to do with consumption would competitiveness or competition actually. in japan you see in this sort of

a linchpin so say or it's in a sort of an example of precisely that kind of economics and that kind of construction of contemporary society which in the eyes of the church sort of moves away from ideas of spiritual growth and importance of the core of christian values . and it moves to questions of you know fulfilling or satisfying needs that are much more material i think that this is an opportunity and sensually to bring the message out that this is something that was really much more street and when it was actually in the very same callers or the same tones in the us which is much more of an example of this kind of economics or of this kind of body all right already just as correspondent thank you very much you're welcome feeling out of this. well you are watching it d.w. news live from berlin up next we've got wild stories that we can report looking at how hong kong's on arrests is spreading into tourist areas for more news remember you can always visit our website that is d

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