Albania presses ahead with $1.6 billion Kushner resort amid protests

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said the government will move forward with a $1.6 billion luxury resort tied to Jared Kushner despite mounting protests in Tirana and on the southern coast. The project, backed by Kushner's Affinity Partners, would cover part of the Narta Lagoon area near the protected Vjosa-Narta landscape and a separate site on Sazan Island. Opponents say construction is already disturbing a key habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife, and they want more transparency on how the development will affect local residents and public access. Rama cast the resort as part of Albania's push for high-end tourism and closer integration with the European Union.