November 20, 2016

Gov't posts Guidelines for Romanian voters abroad; Gaudeamus Fair comes to a close

Newsroom, 20.11.2016, 00:01

ELECTIONS – The Romanian Foreign Ministry has made public its “Guidelines for Romanian voters abroad, intended for the Romanian citizens who live abroad and want to cast their ballots in the December 11 parliamentary election. The guidelines include information on the various categories of eligible voters, the voting process, the opening hours of polling stations, the documents required in order to be able to vote and instructions regarding the vote by mail procedure. The Romanian citizens in the diaspora who have not chosen to vote by mail will be able to choose from among the 417 polling stations abroad. The largest number of polling stations set up abroad are in Italy (70), and Spain (50), while another 35 will be opened in the Republic of Moldova. There are 111 polling stations more than in the parliamentary elections of 2012 and 123 more than in the presidential election of 2014. Two years ago, thousands of Romanians living abroad were unable to vote because of the flawed organisation of the presidential election.

BOOK FAIR – The Gaudeamus International Book and Education Fair, organised in Bucharest by Radio Romania, comes to an end today, when the trophies of the 23rd edition are also presented. This years guest of honour is China. Hundreds of publishers have taken part in Gaudeamus, which featured over 850 events, from book launches to meetings with authors, debates, recitals and workshops. The highlights of the Fair have included so far volumes devoted to the Royal House of Romania, and events devoted to the Romanian film industry, attended by directors Cristian Mungiu and Radu Jude. The USA will be the guest of honour in next years Fair.

REMEMBRANCE DAY – Several events are organised in Romania today to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, commemorated on the third Sunday of November every year, at the initiative of the UN. Last year nearly 1,900 people died and over 9,000 others were severely injured in road traffic accidents, the Romanian Police has reported. According to statistics, 1 in 5 car crashes takes place around the capital city Bucharest, with Covasna County reporting the smallest number of accidents. Most incidents involve a vehicle and a pedestrian, and 8 out of 10 have been reported in dry weather. The latest European report indicates that Romania ranks second in the EU, after Latvia, in terms of the number of deaths in road traffic accidents.

YIDDISH FESTIVAL – The TES FEST kicks off in Bucharest today, and is scheduled to come to a close next Sunday. The event is intended to showcase and promote the Yiddish culture. Taking part in the festival are professional theatre companies and klezmer bands from Romania, the USA, Israel, France and Poland. Book launches and workshops will also be organised as part of the event. This first edition of TES FEST is organised by the Jewish State Theatre in Bucharest, which celebrates 140 years since the establishment of the first professional Yiddish theatre in the world, in the north-eastern Romanian city of Iaşi, in 1876, by writer and artist Avram Goldfaden. According to the organisers, the festival targets the general public of all ages, and aims to contribute to the understanding and acceptance of different cultures.

RAIL CRASH – More than 100 people died in India as the Indore-Patna express train derailed on Saturday night, the Uttar Pradesh state police announced. Another 150 people were injured, the police say. The causes of the tragedy, which occurred while most passengers were asleep, are yet to be identified. AFP mentions that the Indian railway network, one of the largest in the world, has major safety problems, but remains the main means of transportation in the country. The worst railway accident in India was in 1981, when 800 people died after a train fell into a river.

RUGBY – Romanias national rugby team Saturday night defeated Canada, 21-16, in a test match played on the ”Arcul de Triumf” stadium in Bucharest. It was the first match between the two teams since the memorable performance at the 2015 World Cup, when the Romanian team managed the greatest reversal of fortune in the history of that competition, winning 17-15 after having been led 0-15. Next Saturday, in the last test match of the year, Romania takes on Uruguay, on the same stadium in Bucharest.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)