Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at controversial investment projects in Albania, the White House’s ire over the passage of a war powers resolution, and violent anti-immigrant attacks across South Africa.
Albania Is ‘Not for Sale’
Mass protests in Albania over proposed luxury resort developments linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to intensify, as thousands of people call on Tirana to block the controversial projects.
The uproar concerns two real estate projects on the Adriatic Sea that are backed by Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners. The first is a plan to build a luxury resort on the uninhabited island of Sazan, which was once a secret communist military base. The second is a plan to develop a tourism complex in a protected coastal area of Zvernec, which is home to flamingos, seals, and sea turtles. In January, 40 environmental organizations called for the Sazan resort project to be suspended, citing threats to biodiversity.
Their demands were not met. But recent sightings of construction fencing and equipment near the sites—as well as allegations of possible corruption—have reignited demands that the Albanian government cancel the projects. On Tuesday, Albania’s special prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the funds used to acquire the land titles for Zvernec. Tirana insists that these locations were privately owned and sold in a transparent manner.
However, critics disagree. “From start to finish, there has been a total lack of transparency,” said Aleksandr Trajce, the head of Albania’s leading conservation group, the Protection and Preservation of the Natural Environment in Albania. “We have seen no public consultation or public documentation regarding permits, and so now what we are saying is, if they remove the bulldozers, remove the fence, and restore the habitats to what they were, then we can start talking.”
Opponents of the projects have also accused Kushner of receiving preferential treatment so Tirana can curry favor with the White House, a claim that Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama denies. Trump’s son-in-law has served as an informal advisor to the U.S. president during his second term and has played a central role in negotiations on both the Russia-Ukraine and Iran wars.
Clashes between protesters and security forces reached new heights over the weekend, when private security guards injured several demonstrators. In response, local authorities suspended several police officers and revoked the licenses of two private security firms.
Despite public backlash, Rama continues to defend the project, calling it a transformational opportunity for the country as it seeks greater foreign investment amid its European Union membership bid. “It is very important that we remain welcoming, that we remain fair, and that under no circumstances do we receive the stigma of being a country where investors are met with hostility,” Rama said on Tuesday. “There is absolutely no chance that the investment will stop as long as I am here.”
That day, Rama offered to meet with the protesters’ representatives to discuss their concerns. But his offer was denied, and police renewed clashes with demonstrators the following day.
Neither the White House nor Affinity Partners has commented publicly, with the latter referring questions to Sazan Real Estate Development LLC, which is developing the two projects with Affinity. “We’re excited about the opportunity to create a world-class destination and make one of the largest private investments in the region’s history,” Asher Abehsera, the chair of Sazan, said in a statement.
Today’s Most Read
What We’re Following
Internal party dissent. Trump lashed out on Thursday at Republicans who broke ranks to support a resolution ordering the president to withdraw U.S. troops from Iran. “Who would do such an unpatriotic thing,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling the four conservative lawmakers who voted in favor of the legislation “GRANDSTANDERS” who “should be ashamed of themselves.” In the same post, he accused Democrats of preferring to “have our Country fail than give me another, of many, victories.”
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 215-208 on Wednesday in favor of the resolution. The largely symbolic move signals dwindling public support for the conflict, which continues to see U.S. forces carry out “self-defense” strikes on Iran amid a cease-fire.
“We are trapped in a war that won’t end because an incompetent president launched it thinking of only his own ego, while failing to prepare for the consequences,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “Diplomacy is the only exit from this, not more bombing, not more bluster.”
Anti-immigrant attacks. South Africa will deploy envoys across Africa and around the world to address a recent spate of anti-immigrant violence, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Thursday. Standing beside Kenyan President William Ruto, Ramaphosa said that the initiative will work with global partners to tackle xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, adding that Ghana, Malawi, and Mozambique have already offered their assistance. “South Africans are not xenophobic,” Ramaphosa said. “South Africans are Africans. They want to live with other Africans peacefully.”
In recent weeks, violent anti-immigrant protests across South Africa have forced hundreds of foreign nationals to flee the country. These mobs have accused undocumented migrants of committing crimes and taking away jobs and resources from South African citizens. One anti-migrant group has demanded that all foreign nationals leave the country by June 30, and its supporters are using weapons to enforce the self-declared deadline.
Tensions exploded over the weekend, when demonstrators set fire to more than 50 shacks in the South African harbor town of Mossel Bay. According to Mozambique’s government, five of its citizens were killed as a “direct consequence of the xenophobic attacks.” In response, Ghana has already flown roughly 300 of its citizens out of the country, with hundreds more expected to leave this weekend. Nigeria has also announced emergency repatriation flights.
Unprecedented travel ban. Beijing barred four New Zealand lawmakers on Thursday from traveling to China, Hong Kong, and Macao for one year, citing their recent visit to Taiwan. The move—marking the first time that China has imposed a travel ban on a member of New Zealand’s parliament—reportedly surprised New Zealand’s foreign minister, as the country’s lawmakers have previously visited Taipei without issue.
Parliamentarians Laura McClure, Maureen Pugh, Duncan Webb, and David Wilson visited Taipei for five days in May as part of cross-party delegation aimed at maintaining ties between Taiwan and New Zealand. In an email seen by local media, New Zealand’s Office of the Clerk relayed a message from the Chinese Embassy in Wellington stating that if the parliamentarians apologized for their actions, then the “sanctions concerned” may be “suspended or cancelled.” Already, McClure has rejected the demand, saying that she will not be “bullied” for doing her job.
The unprecedented travel ban signals that Chinese efforts to isolate Taiwan may be escalating. China is New Zealand’s largest trading partner; however, that has not stopped Beijing from threatening to upend their close economic ties. “Anyone who crosses the line on the Taiwan issue, regardless of who they are, will pay the price,” the Chinese Embassy said in a statement.
Odds and Ends
Mountaineers are calling it nothing short of a miracle. Six days after a Nepali climbing guide went missing on Mount Everest, a cleaning crew on Thursday found the experienced climber slowly descending the mountain by himself. Dawa Sherpa, 52, had last been seen above Camp 3 at around 24,600 feet, before he became separated from the Polish national that he was guiding. “As far as I know, no one has survived alone at that altitude on Everest so far,” said Pemba Sherpa, the executive director of 8K Expeditions, which was overseeing the search efforts.
Despite frostbite on his hands, Dawa was discovered in relatively good health and was quickly reunited with his wife and daughter, who were overjoyed to be able to cancel funeral rites for him that were already underway.
