Two players missing on boat off Florida coast

In this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard, shows former University of South Florida football player Nick Schuyler clinging to the engine of an overturned boat in the Gulf of Mexico, as the U.S. Coast Guard approaches, Monday March 2, 2009. (Agencies)

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Coast Guard on Monday narrowed the search area for two NFL players and a third man missing since a weekend fishing trip off the Florida Gulf Coast after crews rescued a fourth man clinging to their capsized boat. Survivor Nick Schuyler, a former University of South Florida player, told rescuers that the boat the four good friends were aboard was anchored when it flipped Saturday evening in rough seas, said Coast Guard Capt. Timothy M. Close.

Schuyler, who was wearing a life vest, had been hanging onto the hull that a Coast Guard cutter discovered 35 miles off Clearwater.

The 21-foot boat belongs to Oakland Raiders linebacker Marquis Cooper, who, along with free-agent defensive lineman Corey Smith and former South Florida player William Bleakley, were missing.

The Coast Guard wouldn't speculate on the men's chances of survival, but Petty Officer Robert Simpson said their size and good health were advantaged. Cooper, 26, is 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, and the 29-year-old Smith is 6-foot-2, 250 pounds. The 25-year-old Bleakley had played tight end.

"With all of these men being past, present football players, they do have a much larger physique than a lot of people," he said. "So their odds are going to be definitely in their favor."

Their families have said they had life vests and flares aboard.

Schuyler was conscious but appeared weak as he was being taken off a helicopter at Tampa General Hospital and placed on a stretcher. His father said his son was in serious but stable condition and that he "looks OK."

"He's got some cuts and bruises. He's dehydrated," said Stuart Schuyler.

Schuyler's mother, Marsha Schuyler, said her son told her that he survived by thinking about how he didn't want her to go to his funeral.

The family's joy at him being found alive was tempered by the search for his friends.

"We still have three men missing, and we're not going to talk too much until we find these guys," said his father, Stuart Schuyler. "We're all praying for them. These guys are all very close friends."

Searchers had previously covered 16,000 square miles of ocean but the area being searched was much smaller since they found Schuyler, Close said.

Smith's family planned to drive to Florida from Richmond, Va., Tuesday, after the snowy weather in the East made getting a flight impossible, said Yolanda Newbill, one of Smith's sisters. She said they have been in contact with the Coast Guard every few hours since the search began.

"We have never lost hope," Newbill said. "We have total faith that (he) will be coming home."

Ray Sanchez of Tampa, a cousin of Cooper, said the family was confident the Coast Guard would find them.

"My cousin's a powerful swimmer," he said.

James Allen, a marine safety consultant who once worked search and rescue operations with the Coast Guard, said the chances of finding survivors diminish after people have been in the water three days.

Survivors have been found who were floating for days, but he added "you just can't swim forever."

After 18 hours in 64-degree water, hypothermia will set in, Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class James Harless said.

The four men left Clearwater Pass early Saturday in calm weather, but heavy winds picked up through the day and the seas got heavy, with waves of 7 feet and higher, peaking at 15 feet on Sunday. A relative alerted the Coast Guard early Sunday after the men did not return as expected. The Coast Guard said it did not receive a distress signal.

The men were aboard an Everglades-manufactured boat, which is built with compressed foam encased in Fiberglas, making it difficult to sink. The weather had improved, with waves subsiding to 6 to 8 feet, National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Barron said.

However, Bob Zales, president of National Association of Charter Boat Operators, said waves that high can capsize a boat the size of Cooper's.

"A boat that size, personally, I wouldn't get out any farther than 20 or 30 miles offshore," Zales said. "But I see people all the time 40, 50 miles offshore."

Smith of Richmond, had 30 tackles, including three sacks, and an interception in 12 games last season for the Detroit Lions. He also played for the San Francisco 49ers and was a standout at North Carolina State.

Cooper, 26, played college ball at Washington, and has spent five seasons with five different teams, appearing in 26 games with the Buccaneers in 2004 and 2005. He's played sparingly since. He grew up in Gilbert, Ariz., and his father Bruce is a prominent sportscaster for KPNX-TV in Phoenix.

The Raiders and Lions said in separate statements that the teams hope the men will be rescued and that their thoughts and prayers go out to their families.

(Agencies)

Brusells' Manneken Pis dressed in traditional Chinese costume

Musicians play as Brusells' famous statue Manneken Pis is dressed in traditional Chinese costume made in leather in Brussels, capital of Belgium, Mar. 2, 2009. The costume was presented by Haining municipality, which is famous for its leather industry in China. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

Brusells' famous statue Manneken Pis is dressed in traditional Chinese costume made in leather in Brussels, capital of Belgium, Mar. 2, 2009. The costume was presented by Haining municipality, which is famous for its leather industry in China. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)

Musicians play as Brusells' famous statue Manneken Pis is dressed in traditional Chinese costume made in leather in Brussels, capital of Belgium, Mar. 2, 2009. The costume was presented by Haining municipality, which is famous for its leather industry in China.

 

Relics on auction amid trial

2009-02-24 00:42:21 GMT2009-02-24 08:42:21 (Beijing Time)  China Daily

Capital Normal University students sign a banner, reading, "China has unquestionable ownership of the looted relics", on Sunday. [Yi Bai]

Auctioneer Christie's brought a seven-member legal team to court yesterday to counter a motion to stop the firm from putting two bronze relics looted from China's Imperial Summer Palace under the hammer, one of the two lawyers supporting the motion told China Daily yesterday.

The hearing was ongoing at press time.

Association for the Protection of the Art of China in Europe president Bernard Gomez submitted the application to the court last Thursday, said Liu Yang, who orchestrated the transnational lawsuit and heads the 85 volunteer lawyers.

The bronze rat and rabbit heads are part of a zodiacal collection of 12 animals that decorated the palace in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). They were stolen when the palace was ransacked by Anglo-French troops during the Second Opium War in 1860. Five have been returned to China, while the whereabouts of the others are unknown.

The relics belong to the Yves Saint Laurent Foundation and are expected to raise as much as 30 million euros ($39 million), Christie's had said.

Ren Xiaohong, a Chinese attorney licensed in France, China and New York State, represented Gomez along with another French attorney.

"She is just the attorney we need," Liu said. "But I'm not optimistic about the seven-to-two face-off."

Gomez was the best plaintiff because his organization has worked closely with the Chinese government to restitute Chinese relics lost overseas, Liu said.

Chinese lawyers vow to carry on despite

Ren Xiaohong (R), a lawyer for the Association for the Protection of Chinese Art in Europe (APACE), the plaintiff, speaks to the media with her colleague Ayagh at the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris, capital of France, Feb. 23, 2009. The Paris court on Monday ruled against stopping the sale of two looted Chinese bronze sculptures which come up for auction at Christie's on Wednesday.(Xinhua/Zheng Suchun)

BEIJING, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Despite losing a bid in a Parisian court to stop two looted bronze sculptures from being auctioned at Christie's, Chinese lawyers pledged to continue their efforts to halt the sale.

"We are disappointed about the French court rule on Monday but we have to accept it," Li Xingfeng, one of the 81 Chinese lawyers that participated in the project, told Xinhua here Tuesday.

A motion was filed to the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris last Thursday, seeking an injunction to stop the auction at Christie's, by the plaintiff, the Association for the Protection of Chinese Art in Europe (APACE).

The court ruling said the APACE was not entitled to file the motion because it did not have direct links with the two bronze sculptures.

The bronze rabbit and rat heads were among 12 animal head sculptures that formed the zodiacal clepsydra decorating the Calm Sea Pavilion in the Old Summer Palace of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795).

They were looted when the palace was burned down by Anglo-French allied forces during the Second Opium War in 1860.

The Global Aixinjueluo Family Clan, a civil society registered in Hong Kong, had agreed to be the plaintiff but it was also not qualified according to French laws. Aixinjueluo is the clan name of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty.

Since the motion for the injunction was rejected, the Chinese lawyers will "make every effort" to halt the auction at the Christie's, Li said. But he refused to elaborate on what they would do.

"If they were sold, we would start legal proceedings against the buyer," he added.

Ren Xiaohong, one of the lawyer group and representing the APACE in Paris, told Xinhua Monday that it was "of great significance" to file the lawsuit, even though the motion was rejected.

"We hope to arouse public attention in Europe over the fate of numerous Chinese works stolen in the past, to help keep those relics well protected and collected," she said.

The bronze sculptures became part of a collection of the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and were put up for auction by his partner, Pierre Berge.

They are expected to fetch between 16 million and 20 million euros (20.8 million to 26 million U.S. dollars) at Wednesday's auction.

So far, five of the 12 bronze animal heads have been returned to China, while the whereabouts of five others are unknown.

Legal experts here voiced their concerns about the lawsuit.

"With full respect to their sincerity and patriotism, I think there is little chance of them winning the lawsuit," Wang Yunxia, a professor of cultural relics law at Renmin University in Beijing.

"So far, I haven't seen any international conventions or laws that could be applied to the relics dating back that far (to the Qing Dynasty)," she said.

Thai anti-gov't protesters back to rally

Hundreds of Thai anti-government protestors marching peacefully from the Government House, arrive at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok as they were rallying to pressure Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to resign on Feb. 25, 2009. (Xinhua/Thana Nuntavoranut)

Hundreds of Thai anti-government protestors marching peacefully from the Government House, arrive at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok as they were rallying to pressure Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to resign on Feb. 25, 2009. (Xinhua/Thana Nuntavoranut)

Hundreds of Thai anti-government protestors marching peacefully from the Government House, arrive at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok as they were rallying to pressure Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to resign on Feb. 25, 2009. (Xinhua/Thana Nuntavoranut)

Hundreds of Thai anti-government protestors marching peacefully from the Government House, arrive at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok as they were rallying to pressure Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to resign on Feb. 25, 2009. (Xinhua/Thana Nuntavoranut)

A group of Thai anti-government protesters were demonstrating at the Government House Wednesday night after protesting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier.

Chase away evil spirits with fire rituals

Musicians play near a bonfire during rituals in celebration of Sirni Zagovezni festival in the village of Dobrinishte, some 156km (97 miles) of Sofia, Bulgaria, March 1, 2009. People in this region believe they can chase away evil spirits with fire rituals on Sirni Zagovezni. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

A man carries a tyre to a bonfire during rituals in celebration of Sirni Zagovezni festival in the village of Dobrinishte, some 156km (97 miles) of Sofia, Bulgaria, March 1, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Musicians play near a bonfire during rituals in celebration of Sirni Zagovezni festival in the village of Dobrinishte, some 156km (97 miles) of Sofia, Bulgaria, March 1, 2009. People in this region believe they can chase away evil spirits with fire rituals on Sirni Zagovezni. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Chinese bidder says will not pay for relics bought at Paris auction

Cai Mingchao, a well-known antique collector, identified himself as the mystery bidder in a statement released in Beijing by the National Treasures Fund, which is dedicated to retrieving Chinese relics from abroad. (Xinhua photo)

Cai Mingchao is seen at the press conference March 2, 2009. (Xinhua photo)

BEIJING, March 2 - A Chinese antique collector said Monday he was the mystery buyer who placed the winning bid for two bronze relics at a Paris auction last week, but that he would not pay for them.

The announcement was the latest twist to a 150-year-old drama over the rabbit and rat bronze heads, which British and French forces looted from the imperial Summer Palace in Beijing towards the end of the Second Opium War.

The bronzes, part of the art collection of late French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge, sold for 15.7 million euros (20.3 million dollars) each at the Christie's auction in Paris.

Authorities in Beijing had repeatedly demanded the sale not go ahead, and that the relics be returned to China.

Cai Mingchao, a well-known antique collector, identified himself as the mystery bidder in a statement released in Beijing by the National Treasures Fund, which is dedicated to retrieving Chinese relics from abroad.

"I believe that any Chinese person would stand up at this time... I am making an effort to fulfill my own responsibilities," Cai said.

"But I must stress that this money I cannot pay."

The statement did not specify whether Cai could not pay for the relics because he did not have the money, or whether his inability to pay was for other reasons, such as his conscience not allowing him to buy looted items.

Officials with the fund did not take questions when they gathered reporters and released the statement, which said Cai is an advisor to the body.

Cai, who is also the head of a Chinese auction house, hit the headlines in 2006 when he paid 116 million Hong Kong dollars (14.95 million dollars) for a Ming dynasty Buddha image at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong.

The treasures fund praised Cai's actions.

"Since the auction has taken place, there has been a lot of guessing about who was behind the winning bid," fund vice-director Niu Xianfeng said in the same statement.

"I formally announce that this bidder is a Chinese person who should be admired. He is an advisor to the fund... Mr Cai Mingchao.

"We want to again stress what Cai Mingchao stressed -- this money can not be paid."

It said Cai had registered with Christie's to participate in the auction.

After the sale, China reacted furiously with government authorities warning Christie's it would face reprisals such as tougher checks on its Chinese operations.

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage said last week the auction had "harmed the cultural rights and hurt the feelings of China's people and will seriously impact (Christie's) development in China".

"(The agency) resolutely opposes and condemns all auctions of artefacts illegally taken abroad. Christie's must take responsibility for the consequences created by this auction," it said.

Chinese navy conducts trainning

Photo taken from a helicopter shows China's destroyer "Guangzhou" sailing in the Indian Ocean on the way to Pakistan March 2, 2009. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)

A helicopter conducts a takeoff and landing training on China's destroyer "Guangzhou" in the Indian Ocean on the way to Pakistan March 2, 2009.(Xinhua/Zha Chunming)

A Chinese soldier instructs the helicopter to take off from destroyer "Guangzhou" in the Indian Ocean on the way to Pakistan March 2, 2009. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)

Photo taken from a helicopter shows China's destroyer "Guangzhou" sailing in the Indian Ocean on the way to Pakistan March 2, 2009. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)

A Chinese naval task force including destroyer "Guangzhou" and a helicopter will attend the "Peace-09" exercise in the seas off Pakistan. The task force on Monday conducted a training session of the helicopter.