Babalugats

Cross posted from https://feddit.uk/post/50646043

Thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets of Tirana to protest a $5.8 billion luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Demonstrators chanted 'Albania Is Not for Sale' and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, accusing the government of ignoring environmental concerns and public transparency.

The controversial project is planned near a protected wetland that is home to flamingos, seals, and sea turtles.

As the so-called 'Flamingo Revolution' grows, the European Union is also watching closely, raising questions about Albania's environmental commitments and its future EU membership ambitions. Joshua Barnes tells you more.

continue reading HERE

Cross posted from https://feddit.uk/post/50646043

Thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets of Tirana to protest a $5.8 billion luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Demonstrators chanted 'Albania Is Not for Sale' and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, accusing the government of ignoring environmental concerns and public transparency.

The controversial project is planned near a protected wetland that is home to flamingos, seals, and sea turtles.

As the so-called 'Flamingo Revolution' grows, the European Union is also watching closely, raising questions about Albania's environmental commitments and its future EU membership ambitions. Joshua Barnes tells you more.

continue reading HERE

Thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets of Tirana to protest a $5.8 billion luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Demonstrators chanted 'Albania Is Not for Sale' and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, accusing the government of ignoring environmental concerns and public transparency.

The controversial project is planned near a protected wetland that is home to flamingos, seals, and sea turtles.

As the so-called 'Flamingo Revolution' grows, the European Union is also watching closely, raising questions about Albania's environmental commitments and its future EU membership ambitions. Joshua Barnes tells you more.

continue reading HERE

Thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets of Tirana to protest a $5.8 billion luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Demonstrators chanted 'Albania Is Not for Sale' and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, accusing the government of ignoring environmental concerns and public transparency.

The controversial project is planned near a protected wetland that is home to flamingos, seals, and sea turtles.

As the so-called 'Flamingo Revolution' grows, the European Union is also watching closely, raising questions about Albania's environmental commitments and its future EU membership ambitions. Joshua Barnes tells you more.

continue reading HERE

Thousands of Albanians have taken to the streets of Tirana to protest a $5.8 billion luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump. Demonstrators chanted 'Albania Is Not for Sale' and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama, accusing the government of ignoring environmental concerns and public transparency.

The controversial project is planned near a protected wetland that is home to flamingos, seals, and sea turtles.

As the so-called 'Flamingo Revolution' grows, the European Union is also watching closely, raising questions about Albania's environmental commitments and its future EU membership ambitions. Joshua Barnes tells you more.

continue reading HERE

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• https://yewtu.be/watch?v=YUUhDoCx8zc

Why is the story Ireland tells itself about data centres so different from elsewhere? It’s another fantasy that’s nice to believe

Irish exceptionalism is an interesting thing. In the 2000s, our property market was sui generis, it was just that nobody else understood our particular brand of originality, until ... well, you know. Our corporate tax take and its density in a handful of companies is unmatched in its inimitability. Now, look over there. We don’t “do” the far right because Irish people are uniquely sound. Please ignore the arson, riots and racism. As for the scale of data centre development and its impact? As you already you know, we’re special. This stance on important aspects of our economy and society is akin to that of a deluded friend declaring that he’s not crazy, it’s everyone else who’s mad.

A number of things connected to the world of data centres happened in recent weeks, offering Government an incantation that breaks the spell of exceptionalism. It’s called perspective. A report by Friends of the Earth Ireland and Beyond Fossil Fuels, The Cost of Data Centres, estimated that the average household may have paid around €360 in additional electricity costs between 2015 and 2023 due to the pressure data centres put on the grid.

Minister for Finance Simon Harris said it’s easy to say data centres are the “bogeyman”, an emotive term designed to deflect justified critique. But people know the cost of their bills, and their relative expensiveness is backed up by data. The Household Energy Price Index recently published stats for May, with Dublin the most expensive capital in the EU for electricity, 52 per cent higher than the European average. In April, Eurostat found that for medium-sized household customers, Ireland had the highest electricity prices in the EU for the second half of 2025.

Last week, a report on the environmental cost of AI’s energy use by the UN academic body the Institute for Water, Health and Environment, spotlit Ireland in one section. “Ireland offers a cautionary example of local grid stress from concentrated digital infrastructure,” the report said. “Ireland’s experience highlights the need for responsible siting and capacity planning so that rapid AI infrastructure growth does not outpace local power systems.”

Darragh O’Brien – who is Minister for Transport and also Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment – went on the Irish Times Inside Politics podcast and said Ireland was not going to meet its legally binding target to halve carbon emissions by 2030. Fines for missing this well-signposted target could be between €8 billion and €26 billion. This is entirely, depressingly predictable.

[EMBEDDED AUDIO CLIP]

All of this coincided, with almost farcical timing, with a Department of Enterprise-commissioned report, authored by KPMG, titled The Value of Data Centres to Ireland. A few pages in, the study starts to feel like it should be accompanied by a laugh track. It declares data centres in Ireland underpin €104 billion in GVA (gross value added) and 876,000 jobs. KPMG is a serious consultancy but these are not serious figures. You simply cannot attribute that many Irish jobs to data centres, no more than you can attribute every job in Ireland people travel to by car to the existence of traffic lights.

Even the Minister of State at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, Timmy Dooley, doesn’t think that. If he did, he wouldn’t have referred to Ireland’s data centre ecosystem as “supporting tens of thousands of jobs” when speaking in late May at the launch of another report, this one commissioned by the data centre lobby group Digital Infrastructure Ireland. Tens of thousands? I thought it was 876,000.

As for how much electricity is being used by data centres in Ireland, the KPMG study compares the percentages of data centre electricity consumption plus other non-residential electricity consumption to those of European countries. In Ireland, this totals 73 per cent of electricity consumption, in Germany 71 per cent, in Spain 70 per cent, and so on. The study frames such similar top-line figures as demonstrating how “Ireland’s consumption is in line with FLAP [Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris] host countries and other European peers”. No it isn’t.

There is a big difference in the percentage breakdown within non-residential electricity consumption. The reason Ireland’s non-residential plus data centre electricity consumption is 2 per cent higher than Germany’s, for example – a country with a huge industrial sector – is because 22 per cent of our electricity is used by data centres. In Germany and the UK that’s 5 per cent, France 2 per cent, the Netherlands 6 per cent. This cannot be framed as “comparable”.

So why is the story Ireland tells itself about data centres so different from elsewhere? Even in the US, where environmental regulation and its enforcement are bulldozed by the Trump administration, communities across the political spectrum are mobilising against AI data centre buildouts. While Ireland’s data centres are still conventional cloud because we do not have the capacity to support hyperscale AI data centres, concerns about electricity prices, grid capacity, water usage, noise pollution and large industrial development are real, and surely shared.

Continue Reading Here - https://archive.ph/ocvvi

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/50408610

Alternatively - https://xcancel.com/euronews/status/2063887796855566811

As uproar continues in Albania over a planned resort linked to Trump's son-in-law, Albanian PM @ediramaal says the project will "change how Europe understands the environment." "No chance that projects in Albania will be defined by street protests." As uproar continues in Albania over a planned resort in an environmentally-sensitive area linked to Trump's son-in-law , Albanian PM Edi Rama says the project will "change how Europe understands the environment." On #EuropeToday:

Full article and video here - https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/05/rama-alleges-hybrid-war-behind-protests-against-kushner-linked-coastal-development

The luxury venture, spanning a protected island and a stretch of seafront on the southern coast, has drawn opposition from environmental campaigners and critics of Prime Minister Edi Rama, who sees external interference.

Albanian leader Edi Rama told Euronews that opposition to a proposed real estate project on the country's southern coast linked to the Trump-Kushner family is being amplified by bots, antisemitic narratives and hostile external forces to fuel tensions in Albania.

Speaking from Montenegro, where EU leaders met Western Balkans candidate countries on Friday, he said Tirana had come under a coordinated attack from external actors, without specifying who they were, seeking to exploit public discontent.

His comments come as activists and environmental groups continue to protest plans linked to Affinity Partners, the investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, over a planned luxury resort off the Albanian coast.

He added that antisemitic narratives are being promoted by the "enemies of Israel and Albania", including what he described as false online speculation about a secret deal between Israel and his government to facilitate the displacement of Palestinians.

"There is a narrative that this is about a hidden deal between me and Bibi Netanyahu through Jared Kushner to bring Palestinians to that area, which is a total fantasy," he said, adding that his country "has a very proud history of saving Jews, of never having antisemitic feelings", while describing Albanian Muslims as "incredibly tolerant".

Asked whether protesters' concerns were legitimate, Rama acknowledged their motives but argued that their "well-meaning" worries were being "weaponised" by hostile actors employing a coordinated online strategy to exploit public sentiment around environmental protection and Albania's relationship with Israel.

"It's a lot of bots, it's a lot of fake profiles, it's a lot of attacks coming from all over," Rama said. "I have seen it this week on social media. The way it has happened in other countries, I am now seeing it in my own country."

Protests have intensified this week, with demonstrators carrying pink flamingo signs in reference to the island's natural habitat, which they claim could be irreversibly damaged if construction goes ahead.

Despite the unrest, Rama signalled that demonstrations alone would not determine the future of the investment in Albania's developing tourism sector.

"This will never happen. Not under my watch," Rama told Euronews. Rama says no project submitted yet, despite signs of works

Rama also sought to push back against criticism of the development itself, arguing that no final proposal has yet been submitted to Albanian authorities.

"Is there an expression of interest to have a project? Yes. Is there a project? No," he told Euronews. "The project is being worked on by the investors. We have to see when the project will be presented."

He added that any proposal would be subject to review and approval procedures before construction could begin. Still, protesters say signs of construction activity, including heavy machinery and excavators, have been spotted on the island since May.

The project has become one of the most closely watched real estate developments in Albania, highlighting growing tensions between the country's efforts to attract foreign investment and the need to preserve the environment.

Rama has argued that the project could be transformational for Albania as it seeks to establish itself as a tourism hub, in line with broader real estate developments along the Adriatic coast by neighbouring countries, including Croatia and Montenegro.

Environmental organisations insist that major construction works in sensitive coastal areas could threaten protected habitats and irreversibly alter landscapes for the benefit of a select group of investors and foreign capital.

Still, Rama said images circulating online have been exaggerated

Continue Reading Here - https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/05/rama-alleges-hybrid-war-behind-protests-against-kushner-linked-coastal-development

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/50408610

Alternatively - https://xcancel.com/euronews/status/2063887796855566811

As uproar continues in Albania over a planned resort linked to Trump's son-in-law, Albanian PM @ediramaal says the project will "change how Europe understands the environment." "No chance that projects in Albania will be defined by street protests." As uproar continues in Albania over a planned resort in an environmentally-sensitive area linked to Trump's son-in-law , Albanian PM Edi Rama says the project will "change how Europe understands the environment." On #EuropeToday:

Full article and video here - https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/05/rama-alleges-hybrid-war-behind-protests-against-kushner-linked-coastal-development

The luxury venture, spanning a protected island and a stretch of seafront on the southern coast, has drawn opposition from environmental campaigners and critics of Prime Minister Edi Rama, who sees external interference.

Albanian leader Edi Rama told Euronews that opposition to a proposed real estate project on the country's southern coast linked to the Trump-Kushner family is being amplified by bots, antisemitic narratives and hostile external forces to fuel tensions in Albania.

Speaking from Montenegro, where EU leaders met Western Balkans candidate countries on Friday, he said Tirana had come under a coordinated attack from external actors, without specifying who they were, seeking to exploit public discontent.

His comments come as activists and environmental groups continue to protest plans linked to Affinity Partners, the investment firm founded by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, over a planned luxury resort off the Albanian coast.

He added that antisemitic narratives are being promoted by the "enemies of Israel and Albania", including what he described as false online speculation about a secret deal between Israel and his government to facilitate the displacement of Palestinians.

"There is a narrative that this is about a hidden deal between me and Bibi Netanyahu through Jared Kushner to bring Palestinians to that area, which is a total fantasy," he said, adding that his country "has a very proud history of saving Jews, of never having antisemitic feelings", while describing Albanian Muslims as "incredibly tolerant".

Asked whether protesters' concerns were legitimate, Rama acknowledged their motives but argued that their "well-meaning" worries were being "weaponised" by hostile actors employing a coordinated online strategy to exploit public sentiment around environmental protection and Albania's relationship with Israel.

"It's a lot of bots, it's a lot of fake profiles, it's a lot of attacks coming from all over," Rama said. "I have seen it this week on social media. The way it has happened in other countries, I am now seeing it in my own country."

Protests have intensified this week, with demonstrators carrying pink flamingo signs in reference to the island's natural habitat, which they claim could be irreversibly damaged if construction goes ahead.

Despite the unrest, Rama signalled that demonstrations alone would not determine the future of the investment in Albania's developing tourism sector.

"This will never happen. Not under my watch," Rama told Euronews. Rama says no project submitted yet, despite signs of works

Rama also sought to push back against criticism of the development itself, arguing that no final proposal has yet been submitted to Albanian authorities.

"Is there an expression of interest to have a project? Yes. Is there a project? No," he told Euronews. "The project is being worked on by the investors. We have to see when the project will be presented."

He added that any proposal would be subject to review and approval procedures before construction could begin. Still, protesters say signs of construction activity, including heavy machinery and excavators, have been spotted on the island since May.

The project has become one of the most closely watched real estate developments in Albania, highlighting growing tensions between the country's efforts to attract foreign investment and the need to preserve the environment.

Rama has argued that the project could be transformational for Albania as it seeks to establish itself as a tourism hub, in line with broader real estate developments along the Adriatic coast by neighbouring countries, including Croatia and Montenegro.

Environmental organisations insist that major construction works in sensitive coastal areas could threaten protected habitats and irreversibly alter landscapes for the benefit of a select group of investors and foreign capital.

Still, Rama said images circulating online have been exaggerated

Continue Reading Here - https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/05/rama-alleges-hybrid-war-behind-protests-against-kushner-linked-coastal-development

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/50408134

A widening property-fraud investigation into a $4 billion luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner has led Albanian authorities to freeze developer assets, compounding pressure from public protests and international critics. Albanian anti-corruption prosecutors on Tuesday froze the bank accounts of a landholding company tied to a controversial $4 billion luxury resort project backed by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. The escalating crisis over the coastal development has triggered mass protests, a sharp diplomatic rift with neighboring Greece, and stern warnings from the European Union.

The preventive seizure, ordered by the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime, targeted Albania Land Development amid a widening investigation into allegedly fraudulent property titles. The company, owned by the prominent Qatari entrepreneurs Moutaz and Ramez Al-Khayyat, recently purchased beachfront plots in Zvërnec. The protected coastal area along the Adriatic Sea, near the southern city of Vlora, is where Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners, plans to build an elite mega-resort.

The legal intervention follows days of intense public unrest. Over the weekend, thousands of demonstrators marched through the capital, Tirana, under the banner “Albania Is Not for Sale.” Environmental groups and local residents are protesting the development’s encroachment on the Pishë-Poro-Nartë protected area, a sensitive Mediterranean wetland critical for flamingos and nesting sea turtles.

Public outrage boiled over after recent clashes between local residents and private guards hired to secure the construction site. Viral footage from the site showed a guard punching and dragging a protester away from the fenced-off beach.

In response to the violence, the State Police announced an internal investigation into the command structure of the Vlora Regional Police Directorate. Authorities also arrested Gerald Biba, a 32-year-old employee of the private firm Major Security, charging him with unlawful deprivation of liberty and intentional minor injury.

Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania condemned the guards' actions as "disgusting," but fiercely defended the resort project as the country's ticket to the "Champions League" of global tourism. He asserted that five top international architecture firms are redesigning the masterplan to safeguard the environment, emphasizing that the lagoon itself will not be touched.

Rama also defended the foreign backers of the project, while validating the investigation into the local land sellers.

"The investors are within their rights. Blocking the transaction is arbitrary and negative," Rama said. "However, blocking the transfer of money to the owner who is under suspicion is welcome. If the investigation finds that there are individuals who have fraudulently claimed ownership, the money should go to those who are the legitimate owners."

The violence has caused severe friction with Athens, elevating a local land dispute to an international diplomatic incident.

Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "deep concern" over the incidents in Zvërnec, confirming that a Greek citizen was among the injured residents protesting for their property rights. The Greek Embassy in Tirana provided medical assistance to the victim and formally filed representations to the Albanian government demanding accountability.

Athens also issued a broader warning tied to Tirana's aspirations for Western integration, stating that upholding minority property rights and protecting ecological areas are "a prerequisite for progress in the accession process."

Continue Reading Here - https://www.occrp.org/en/news/albania-freezes-assets-in-kushner-resort-probe

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/50408134

A widening property-fraud investigation into a $4 billion luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner has led Albanian authorities to freeze developer assets, compounding pressure from public protests and international critics. Albanian anti-corruption prosecutors on Tuesday froze the bank accounts of a landholding company tied to a controversial $4 billion luxury resort project backed by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. The escalating crisis over the coastal development has triggered mass protests, a sharp diplomatic rift with neighboring Greece, and stern warnings from the European Union.

The preventive seizure, ordered by the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime, targeted Albania Land Development amid a widening investigation into allegedly fraudulent property titles. The company, owned by the prominent Qatari entrepreneurs Moutaz and Ramez Al-Khayyat, recently purchased beachfront plots in Zvërnec. The protected coastal area along the Adriatic Sea, near the southern city of Vlora, is where Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners, plans to build an elite mega-resort.

The legal intervention follows days of intense public unrest. Over the weekend, thousands of demonstrators marched through the capital, Tirana, under the banner “Albania Is Not for Sale.” Environmental groups and local residents are protesting the development’s encroachment on the Pishë-Poro-Nartë protected area, a sensitive Mediterranean wetland critical for flamingos and nesting sea turtles.

Public outrage boiled over after recent clashes between local residents and private guards hired to secure the construction site. Viral footage from the site showed a guard punching and dragging a protester away from the fenced-off beach.

In response to the violence, the State Police announced an internal investigation into the command structure of the Vlora Regional Police Directorate. Authorities also arrested Gerald Biba, a 32-year-old employee of the private firm Major Security, charging him with unlawful deprivation of liberty and intentional minor injury.

Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania condemned the guards' actions as "disgusting," but fiercely defended the resort project as the country's ticket to the "Champions League" of global tourism. He asserted that five top international architecture firms are redesigning the masterplan to safeguard the environment, emphasizing that the lagoon itself will not be touched.

Rama also defended the foreign backers of the project, while validating the investigation into the local land sellers.

"The investors are within their rights. Blocking the transaction is arbitrary and negative," Rama said. "However, blocking the transfer of money to the owner who is under suspicion is welcome. If the investigation finds that there are individuals who have fraudulently claimed ownership, the money should go to those who are the legitimate owners."

The violence has caused severe friction with Athens, elevating a local land dispute to an international diplomatic incident.

Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "deep concern" over the incidents in Zvërnec, confirming that a Greek citizen was among the injured residents protesting for their property rights. The Greek Embassy in Tirana provided medical assistance to the victim and formally filed representations to the Albanian government demanding accountability.

Athens also issued a broader warning tied to Tirana's aspirations for Western integration, stating that upholding minority property rights and protecting ecological areas are "a prerequisite for progress in the accession process."

Continue Reading Here - https://www.occrp.org/en/news/albania-freezes-assets-in-kushner-resort-probe

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/50408134

A widening property-fraud investigation into a $4 billion luxury resort linked to Jared Kushner has led Albanian authorities to freeze developer assets, compounding pressure from public protests and international critics. Albanian anti-corruption prosecutors on Tuesday froze the bank accounts of a landholding company tied to a controversial $4 billion luxury resort project backed by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law. The escalating crisis over the coastal development has triggered mass protests, a sharp diplomatic rift with neighboring Greece, and stern warnings from the European Union.

The preventive seizure, ordered by the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime, targeted Albania Land Development amid a widening investigation into allegedly fraudulent property titles. The company, owned by the prominent Qatari entrepreneurs Moutaz and Ramez Al-Khayyat, recently purchased beachfront plots in Zvërnec. The protected coastal area along the Adriatic Sea, near the southern city of Vlora, is where Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners, plans to build an elite mega-resort.

The legal intervention follows days of intense public unrest. Over the weekend, thousands of demonstrators marched through the capital, Tirana, under the banner “Albania Is Not for Sale.” Environmental groups and local residents are protesting the development’s encroachment on the Pishë-Poro-Nartë protected area, a sensitive Mediterranean wetland critical for flamingos and nesting sea turtles.

Public outrage boiled over after recent clashes between local residents and private guards hired to secure the construction site. Viral footage from the site showed a guard punching and dragging a protester away from the fenced-off beach.

In response to the violence, the State Police announced an internal investigation into the command structure of the Vlora Regional Police Directorate. Authorities also arrested Gerald Biba, a 32-year-old employee of the private firm Major Security, charging him with unlawful deprivation of liberty and intentional minor injury.

Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania condemned the guards' actions as "disgusting," but fiercely defended the resort project as the country's ticket to the "Champions League" of global tourism. He asserted that five top international architecture firms are redesigning the masterplan to safeguard the environment, emphasizing that the lagoon itself will not be touched.

Rama also defended the foreign backers of the project, while validating the investigation into the local land sellers.

"The investors are within their rights. Blocking the transaction is arbitrary and negative," Rama said. "However, blocking the transfer of money to the owner who is under suspicion is welcome. If the investigation finds that there are individuals who have fraudulently claimed ownership, the money should go to those who are the legitimate owners."

The violence has caused severe friction with Athens, elevating a local land dispute to an international diplomatic incident.

Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed "deep concern" over the incidents in Zvërnec, confirming that a Greek citizen was among the injured residents protesting for their property rights. The Greek Embassy in Tirana provided medical assistance to the victim and formally filed representations to the Albanian government demanding accountability.

Athens also issued a broader warning tied to Tirana's aspirations for Western integration, stating that upholding minority property rights and protecting ecological areas are "a prerequisite for progress in the accession process."

Continue Reading Here - https://www.occrp.org/en/news/albania-freezes-assets-in-kushner-resort-probe