Belgrade. Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has made millions in Kosovo, Serbian Vecernje Novosti daily writes.
“The commitment of the former leader of the U.S. diplomacy to the Albanians’ side has paid off in recent days. Albright’s company (The Albright Group) has made EUR 20 million from the sale of the Kosovar mobile operator,” the Serbian newspaper comments, adding this happened with cunning financial and political moves.
When the wars of the former Yugoslavia finally ended in 1999, the region was left with hundreds of battle-hardened men who had become accustomed to crime and easy money. With the fighting over, many of them turned to crime full-time. In the era of electronic banking, banks no longer carry much cash so jewels are the softest target for thieves. The former Yugoslav criminals saw their opportunity and are now the world's most feared diamond thieves. Interpol has dubbed them the Pink Panthers.
"They've become more than pure criminals, they're heroes," said Dragan Ilic, a morning radio talk show host in Belgrade, the Serbian capital. "They're violent but they haven't killed anyone. It's as if they're saying, ‘We can beat the technologically superior West with our raw power and intelligence.' They're feeding the Western myth of the dark, tribal Balkans - these criminals coming from those wars and woods."
Once Brothers (ESPN, 2010) is the story of Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac, 2 of the greatest European basketball players of our time. Drazen and Vlade were part of the last Yugoslavian national team, which went to win the 1990 World Championships in Argentina, defeating both the USA and Soviet powerhouse teams.
This movie is incredible. 4real. To me, and likely most former Yugoslavian kids, it's also very personal. I remember the times when Divac snatched the Croatian flag from the fan, and I remember him becoming a hero to Serbs, and a villian to Croatians. Where I lived (Serbian part of Croatia) every kid wanted to be Divac, and every kid had a Divac poster on their wall (In my case, a TEMPO magazine centerfold). I also remember everyone, Serbian and Croatian idolizing Drazen Petrovic. Drazen's dad was Serbian, his mom Croatian, and before the war he was the pride of Yugoslavia.
"Once Brothers" is a obvious metaphor for the story of all Yugoslavian people, it's more than a sport story. It's packed with front line footage of the civil war, never before seen footage of Vlade's and Drazen's early years in the NBA, and rare insight into the behind the scenes details of this incredible piece of history. Divac does a good job directing and narrating as well.
I met Vlade Divac in 2002, at the peak of Sacramento Kings mania. I was at a church hall in Hamilton, and he was at a table with Scott Pollard, Hedo Turkoglu and Peja Stojakovic. I only got a chance to talk to him briefly, but to me it's still one of the illest moments of my life. I don't think people outside of Serbia can ever understand how much love Serbian people have for Vlade. It's been said for years, and it's most likely true, that if Vlade Divac decided to run for president, our country would have it's first unanimous election. Not because he's a Serbian extremist, or even nationalist. Maybe because he's a Real Philantropist (you know, the kind that gives more money to charities worldwide than Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods and ... you name him, but without the media coverage return on investment), or maybe because he's a Real Leader (you know, the kind that sees no racial or national differences in people... the kind of goodfella who can't understand how his friend can put his country above their friendship, and although he has a country in a war too, he had a friend before the war started), or maybe it's just because, in the words of Chris Webber, "He's a Real Nigga".
If it's the only documentary you'll watch this decade, please don't miss a thing.
focus-fen.net
When the wars of the former Yugoslavia finally ended in 1999, the region was left with hundreds of battle-hardened men who had become accustomed to crime and easy money. With the fighting over, many of them turned to crime full-time. In the era of electronic banking, banks no longer carry much cash so jewels are the softest target for thieves. The former Yugoslav criminals saw their opportunity and are now the world's most feared diamond thieves. Interpol has dubbed them the Pink Panthers.
Once Brothers (ESPN, 2010) is the story of Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac, 2 of the greatest European basketball players of our time. Drazen and Vlade were part of the last Yugoslavian national team, which went to win the 1990 World Championships in Argentina, defeating both the USA and Soviet powerhouse teams.