39.17% of the registered voters in Romania had cast their votes in the local elections, 3 hours before the closing of polling stations, show data provided by the Central Electoral Bureau. Over 250,000 candidates are running for the position of mayor and local councilor in Romania\u2019s almost 3,200 cities and communes and for the position of county councilor in Romania\u2019s 41 counties. For the citizens of other EU member states, who have legal residence in Romania, additional election lists have been drafted for them to be able to elect their local representatives. For the first time the polling stations have been equipped with computer voter identification systems to monitor voter turnout and prevent multiple voting. These local elections are taking place in one round, the winner being the one who gets the simple majority of the votes cast. The measure has been criticized by civil society representatives and the media, that claim that, in the context of a low voter turnout, some of the elected mayors will be considered illegitimate.<\/p>\n
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The Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, will pay a visit to Luxembourg on Monday and Tuesday at the invitation of Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg. The Romanian official will also meet with the prime minister Xavier Bettel, the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Mars di Bartolomeo, and the foreign minister, Jean Asselborn. The talks will focus on deepening the political and sectoral relations between Romania and Luxembourg, with special emphasis on boosting economic cooperation as well as cooperation in the fields of research, development and industrial innovation. Another issue under debate will be the preparation of the NATO summit to be held in Warsaw, in July. On the occasion of the visit, the two officials will sign the Exchange Program in the fields of science and technology, education, culture and sports between the government of Romania and Luxembourg, valid for the period 2016- 2021. <\/span><\/p>\n
The film \u201cDogs\u201d by the Romanian director Bogdan Miric\u0103 is the winner of this year\u2019s edition of the Transylvania International Film Festival TIFF. The director received the award on Saturday night from the minister of culture, Corina \u015euteu. The film Dogs, the only Romanian movie registered in the TIFF 2016 competition, received the critics\u2019 award in the 2016 edition of the Cannes Festival. Film producer Iain Smith, who produced such movies as \u2018Mad Max\u2019 and \u2018The fifth element\u2019 received the TIFF Special Prize for his contribution to World Cinematography while the actress Carmen Galin was awarded the festival\u2019s Prize of Excellence. The audience\u2019s Prize went to the film \u2018Open door\u2019 — La Puerta Abierta by director Marina Seresesky while the FIPRESCI award granted by the foreign press went to the film \u201cNeon Bull\u201d directed by Gabriel Mascaro. An outstanding personality of world cinematography, actress Sofia Loren received the Lifetime Achievement Award.<\/p>\n
Romania\u2019s women\u2019s\u2019 handball team was defeated by the team of Belarus 23-20 on Saturday in Piatra Neamt, in their last match in the preliminary Group 1 of the European Championship to be hosted by Sweden in December 2016. Romania\u2019s team qualified, however, to the final tournament in Sweden on Wednesday when they defeated the Lithuanian team in Kaunas, in the last but one leg of the group. Romania\u2019s women\u2019s\u2019 handball team will also participate in this summer\u2019s Olympic Games hosted by Rio de Janeiro. (news translated by Lacramioara Simion)<\/p>\n
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