News roundup - Saturday, 11 May

Fajon calls for Rafah crossing reopening as she visits border point

CAIRO, Egypt - Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon started her Middle East tour by visiting the Rafah border crossing in Egypt, a key Gaza crossing point for humanitarian aid. She called for reopening the crossing, which has been taken over by Israeli forces, so that humanitarian convoys can get into the Gaza Strip. The situation there is appalling, she said, noting the need to step up aid deliveries. She also visited the nearby Egyptian Red Crescent logistics centre, which collects humanitarian aid for Gaza.

Eleven EU election slates endorsed, one rejected

LJUBLJANA - The National Electoral Commission (DVK) endorsed another three lists of candidates for EU election that were registered in time and met relevant criteria, driving the final number of slates to eleven. The Pirate Party's list of candidates was rejected, since the non-parliamentary party failed to submit enough verified voter signatures. It later said it would appeal the DVK's decision.

Event marks Slovenian-American Friendship Day

POLZELA - Held near the village of Polzela, an event celebrated Slovenian-American Friendship Day by commemorating a US bomber crew that crashed there during World War II. The ceremony was addressed by President Nataša Pirc Musar and US Ambassador Jamie L. Harpootlian, both of whom stressed the strong ties between the two countries.

Locals hold another protest against asylum centre in Obrežje

OBREŽJE - A group of locals gathered at the border crossing Obrežje to protest over the government's plan to open an asylum centre unit there. According to the organisers, some 250 people took part in what was another in a series of local rallies against the project. Maintaining that the unit would not belong in the area, the protesters intend to continue with their rallies and stick to their demands for the government to abandon the plan.

Some 37,000 hikers and runners take part in Ljubljana WWII memorial event

LJUBLJANA - A total of 37,002 hikers and runners participated in the three-day sports event Walk along the Wire, which commemorates the liberation of Ljubljana in WWII. The gravel commemoration path follows the route where the Italian occupying forces set up a barbed-wire fence in 1942 to prevent any incursions or cooperation between members of the resistance movement in and outside the city.

Tadej Pogačar wins mountain stage at Giro d'Italia

PESCARA, Italy - Slovenian cycling ace Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) continued to dominate this year's Giro d'Italia. He scored his third stage win at the Italian Grand Tour by winning stage 8, the first hardcore mountain stage, to further cement his overall lead. He increased the gap between himself and the other contenders for the Giro to two minutes and 40 seconds.