Plans for a $500 million Trump Tower in Belgrade have been cancelled after protests and a legal investigation. The project, backed by Jared Kushner, former White House adviser, was halted after Serbian prosecutors indicted officials over removing the site's cultural heritage status.
Serbian prosecutors have indicted Culture Minister Nikola Selaković and other officials for their alleged roles in allowing the redevelopment of the site.
They face charges of abuse of office and falsifying documents. The court is expected to decide whether to approve the indictment, a process that could take several months.
The project was to include a hotel, apartments, offices, and retail spaces. However, it faced significant opposition from local residents and cultural preservationists, who argued that the area should be preserved as a monument due to its historical significance of former Yugoslavia and its damage during the 1999 NATO bombing.
Protests intensified after the Serbian parliament passed laws that fast-tracked the development, easing procedures for construction permits. Critics claim these laws ignored public objections and threatened the integrity of Serbia’s cultural heritage.
While President Aleksandar Vučić initially supported the project for its economic potential, he later acknowledged the loss of the investment due to the ongoing legal issues. He has promised that those responsible for the illegal actions will be held accountable.
Jared Kushner’s Affinity Global Development, which partnered with the Serbian government on the project, announced its withdrawal after the legal investigation escalated. The company cited concerns over further division and complications arising from the controversy.
The cancellation highlights Serbia's struggle to balance foreign investment with cultural preservation. The case also reflects broader political instability in the country, including ongoing protests over governance and corruption.
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Austria’s public broadcaster ORF, which is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest next year, has said it will not block Palestinian flags in the audience or suppress crowd reactions during Israel’s performance.
At least 37 people have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rain in Morocco's Atlantic coastal province of Safi, Moroccan authorities said on Monday (15 December).
Authorities discovered the lifeless bodies of renowned filmmaker Rob Reiner, aged 78, and his wife, Michele Reiner, 68, in their upscale Brentwood home in Los Angeles on Sunday. The police investigation has labeled the incident an apparent homicide.
Cambodia must be the first to declare a ceasefire in the ongoing border conflict, Thailand said on Tuesday (16 December), as fighting continued despite earlier claims that hostilities would stop and at least 52 people have been killed on both sides.
Schools across Cambodia and Thailand were forced to close on Monday (15 December) as border clashes between the two countries escalated, with the death toll reaching at least 40 and hundreds of thousands of people displaced, according to officials and local media.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held two rounds of high-stakes talks in Berlin, Germany on 14-15 December. Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, posted on X that discussions with the U.S. envoy have been "constructive and productive".
In the complex world of international diplomacy, the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan have raised significant questions about the role of third-party mediation.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 17th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
FIFA has introduced a new “more affordable” ticket category for the 2026 World Cup, priced at $60 (£45) for all 104 matches in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, according to agencies.
The younger son of Hollywood filmmaker and political activist Rob Reiner was formally charged on Tuesday (16 December) with first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of his parents, who were found slain in their Los Angeles home over the weekend.
Police in Australia said on Wednesday (17 December) they had charged a man who allegedly opened fire on a Jewish event on Sydney's Bondi Beach with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one of committing a terrorist act. It was Australia’s deadliest mass shooting for nearly 30 years.
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