Gun bills may be a long shot

Obama's proposed assault weapon ban isn't likely to survive the House, analyst says Vulnerable Democrats may not support legislation in the Senate, either But supporters say December's killings in Connecticut changed the equation (CNN) -- Despite supporters' hopes that this time it's different, President Barack Obama's new call for restricting some semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines will face deeply entrenched resistance in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and could be a long shot even in the Democratic-led Senate. Any gun legislation sent to the House "is going to have to pass with most Democrats and a few Republicans," said Nathan Gonzales, deputy editor of the Rothenberg Political Report. "This would be an even more high-profile bill." And Obama's call for Congress to reinstate the federal ban on military-style rifles that expired in 2004 "is a further reach than some of the other proposals that are being tossed around," Gonzales said. "There is no way that it is going to pass with a majority of Republican support," he said. "That is just the reality of the situation. It is going to take virtually all the Democrats, and all the Democrats won't vote for that." Obama and Vice President Joe Biden laid out a package of measures aimed at reducing gun violence Wednesday, just over a month after the December massacre at a Connecticut elementary school. The killings of 26 people there followed a July rampage in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, that left 12 dead and the August attack on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin that killed another six. "The world has changed, and it's demanding action," said Biden, who led a White House task force on gun violence after the Connecticut slayings. But before the announcement, local officials in at least three states vowed to resist any new gun controls. And Second Amendment fans have poured out their vituperation online, some floridly warning of a power grab by the Obama administration. Texas state Rep. Steve Toth told CNN on Wednesday that he'll introduce legislation that would make it illegal to enforce a federal gun ban. var currExpandable="expand19"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/16/exp-tsr-acosta-nra-ad.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130116164224-exp-tsr-acosta-nra-ad-00004608-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand19Store=mObj; White House calls NRA ad 'cowardly' var currExpandable="expand29"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/16/exp-point-forbes-guns.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130116085037-exp-point-forbes-guns-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand29Store=mObj; Forbes: Gun laws shouldn't limit rights var currExpandable="expand39"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/16/nr-brooke-wallace.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130116162456-nr-brooke-wallace-00033221-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand39Store=mObj; Gun Control Battle var currExpandable="expand49"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/16/exp-point-duckworth-guns-1.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130116075329-exp-point-duckworth-guns-1-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand49Store=mObj; Duckworth:Let's stay calm on gun control "We're going to do everything we can to call people back to the belief and the understanding that we're a constitutional republic and that our rights do not come from Congress," he said. "Our rights come from God and are enumerated in the Constitution." And in a video that spread virally across the Internet, the head of a Tennessee gun training and accessory company warned "all you patriots" to "get ready to fight" if the Obama administration took steps to restrict firearms. "I am not letting my country be ruled by a dictator. I'm not letting anybody take my guns. If it goes one inch further, I'm gonna start killing people," Tactical Response CEO James Yeager vowed. In a later video, in which he's accompanied by his attorney, Yeager apologized "for letting my anger get the better of me" and cautioned viewers, "It's not time for any type of violent action." Opinion: NRA's paranoid fantasy Obama on Wednesday signed 23 orders that don't require congressional approval that he said would stiffen background checks on gun buyers and expand safety programs in schools. And he called on Congress to restrict ammunition magazines to no more than 10 rounds and to require a background check for anyone buying a gun, whether at a store or in a private sale or gun show. The steps that require legislative action are likely to bump up against the often-visceral opposition of lawmakers from conservative districts -- and some of their more outspoken constituents. Most Republicans in the House of Representatives have top rankings from the National Rifle Association, the powerful gun-rights lobby, which quickly criticized the White House plans. But it's not just Republicans: Many Democrats, particularly in the conservative South and rural West, are vocal gun-rights supporters as well. "Guns have been one of the key issues that more moderate Democrats have used to express their independence from the Democratic Party, and this gun talk is putting a strain on that independence," Gonzales said. Though they might be willing to support proposals such as a ban on large-capacity magazines, they're unlikely to vote to ban "an actual gun," he said. "You can just see the ads -- 'They are taking guns away' -- where with these other items it is different," Gonzales said. Even in the Senate, where Democrats control the chamber, Democratic leadership sources told CNN that passing any new legislation will be extremely difficult. More than a dozen vulnerable Democrats from conservative states will likely resist much of what the president is pushing, the sources said. Those sources say they have no intention of putting their members in politically vulnerable position on a gun measure unless they are sure it can reach the president's desk. That means not only getting enough red-state Democrats on board, but getting enough Republicans to break a possible GOP filibuster. But Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-New York, said the tide appears to have shifted in favor of gun control after the Connecticut killings. A CNN/Time magazine/ORC International poll released Wednesday found 55% of Americans generally favor stricter gun control laws, with 56% saying that it's currently too easy to buy guns in this country -- but only 39% say that stricter gun controls would reduce gun violence all by themselves. McCarthy said Senate approval "might even give some members of Congress the spine to do the right thing." "You know, the NRA is not in line with an awful lot of their members, and that is something we're counting on to go forward," said McCarthy, whose husband was among the six killed when a deranged gunman opened fire on a Long Island commuter train in 1993 December's killings have "gone to the heart of every mother, father, grandparent thinking about their children, grandchildren. We have to do something," she added. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Dan Merica contributed to this report.

6 reasons events in Mali matter

Mali's location and its wide areas beyond central control make it a magnet for militants The greatest risk of the Mali campaign is that it will serve as a recruiting sergeant for jihadists It has become a center for the conflict between tolerant and conservative Muslims Mali is now a test bed for the effectiveness of international action against militant Islam (CNN) -- Within the past few days, French combat forces have deployed to the West African state of Mali to halt the advance of militant Islamist fighters toward the capital and to help the Malian army begin to reclaim towns previously occupied by the militants. After intense airstrikes against rebel strongholds, French ground forces are moving north to try to dislodge the fighters. Mali is one of the poorest countries in Africa, a vast and sparsely populated land that is largely desert. But events there are being watched with growing anxiety throughout West Africa, in European capitals and in Washington. Why? 1) Location, location, location Mali is hardly a regional powerhouse and is "marginal" to the world economy. It does not sit on lakes of oil; it is landlocked and desperately poor. But it is very big -- nearly twice the size of France -- with seven neighbors whose long, poorly guarded borders provide militants with supply (and escape) routes. Read: What's behind the instability in Mali Many of these countries - from Algeria in the north to Ivory Coast in the south -- have themselves seen violence, extremism and instability and are ill-equipped to deal with the fallout from Mali imploding. var currExpandable="expand17"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='world/2013/01/16/ctw-intv-fmr-french-fm-on-mali-action.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130116172253-french-soldiers-mali-bamako-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand17Store=mObj; Ex-French PM concerned by troops in Mali var currExpandable="expand27"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='world/2013/01/16/dnt-hilsum-mali-inside-bamako.itn'; mObj.videoSource='ITN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://itn.co.uk/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130116121937-mali-people-wave-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand27Store=mObj; French 'liberators' welcomed in Mali var currExpandable="expand37"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='world/2013/01/15/verjee-mali-conflict-kouchner-intv.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130115070402-verjee-mali-conflict-kouchner-intv-00000000-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand37Store=mObj; Kouchner: France 'obliged' to help Mali var currExpandable="expand47"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='world/2013/01/12/bitterman-islamist-militant.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130112160550-bitterman-islamist-militant-00005702-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand47Store=mObj; French militant operations in Africa var currExpandable="expand57"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/16/exp-erin-us-pledges-support-in-fight-against-mali-militants.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='cnn.com/OutFront'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130116025906-mali-french-troops-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand57Store=mObj; Townsend: No U.S. boots in Mali To the west, Mauritania has its own problems with Islamist militants associated with al Qaeda. Neighboring Niger to the east has, like Mali, seen frequent rebellions by ethnic Tuareg separatists. To the north, the Algerian government still has its own al Qaeda problems. In the 1990s an Islamist insurgency and its repression claimed at least 100,000 lives. Militant cells remain active in the eastern mountains and in the desert bordering Mali, where troop convoys have been ambushed on several occasions. Read: France vows to halt jihadist charge in Mali Despite lingering animosity toward France because of colonial rule, Algeria has taken the unprecedented step in the past few days of allowing French military overflights to monitor the extremists' movements. That's because, according to analysts, it sees a growing danger of militant groups coalescing. To try to prevent militants infiltrating, Algeria has closed its border with Mali and deployed some 30,000 troops to border regions. Mauritania has also tried to protect its border. Mali also sits astride some of the most lucrative smuggling routes from Africa to Europe, routes that militants have turned into a cash machine. At one point, drug traffickers from South America were flying aging jets packed with cocaine into a remote desert airstrip in Mali, for shipment to Europe. So vast and inhospitable are the deserts of North Africa that groups with local knowledge (and a fleet of 4 x 4 vehicles) can make serious money from trafficking, whether in drugs, people or other contraband. 2) Ungoverned space In Mali and throughout much of West Africa, the lack of state authority is nirvana to extremist and criminal groups. Across a largely Muslim area stretching from the Mediterranean to northern Nigeria, deprivation and corruption are recruiting sergeants for militant Islamist groups: al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Movement for Jihad and Unity in West Africa (MUJAO), Ansar Dine and Boko Haram. The current crisis has been some time in the making. A U.S. diplomatic cable from 2009 quoted a senior Algerian official, Abdelmalek Guenaizia, who complained that "the nexus of arms, drug and contraband smuggling in northern Mali created an enabling environment" for terrorists, who would "use any means available to finance their activities, including corruption and hostage-taking." Guenaizia warned then that AQIM was increasingly capable. They "use the best explosives, have honed their bomb-making expertise and use sophisticated means to deploy explosives against their targets," he said. AQIM comprises largely Algerians, Mauritanians and Malians. Experts say its total strength is probably in the hundreds rather than any more. But the fall of Gadhafi opened up a black market arms bazaar across North Africa, and western intelligence agencies believe AQIM may have acquired anti-aircraft missiles along with other heavy weapons, as well as plenty of vehicles, essential in a region of few (and dilapidated) roads. As jihad became more difficult elsewhere -- from southern Yemen to the tribal territories of Pakistan -- foreign fighters also began appearing in Mali. Reports from the northeastern town of Gao in recent months said Pakistani and Saudi militants had been seen there. There is the risk that global jihad's center of gravity could shift from South Asia to North Africa. "We have a responsibility to make sure that al Qaeda does not establish a base for operations in North Africa and Mali," U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters Monday. "While they might not have any immediate plans for attacks in the United States and in Europe, ultimately that still remains their objective." The current crisis in Mali began in January last year, when a rebellion by ethnic Tuaregs (helped by weapons brought from Libya as the Gadhafi regime crumbled) erupted. Mid-ranking officers in Mali's army then launched a coup against a civilian government largely seen as weak and corrupt, and in some instances complicit with the militants for its own financial benefit. Ansar Dine (Defenders of Islam) seized upon the chaos. The group was formed and led by Iyad ag Ghali, a Tuareg who had become radicalized during time in Saudi Arabia. While the main Tuareg rebel group, the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (known by its French acronym, MNLA), did much of the early fighting, Ansar Dine took control of cities such as Timbuktu as government forces fled. By the spring of last year, Northern Mali had become the "largest territory controlled by Islamic extremists in the world", according to U.S. Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Delaware, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee on Africa. A video released last week by al Sahara Media Foundation, which is affiliated with AQIM, showed that militants had deployed heavy weapons around Timbuktu's airport, including truck-mounted machine guns and rocket-launchers. And then Ansar Dine made a sudden move south, seizing the town of Konna and threatening the more important city of Mopti and its airport. Just why is unclear. Some analysts believe they were trying to force the government's hand ahead of talks in neighboring Burkina Faso. But the militants had brought together as many as 300 pickup trucks, according to a French source, and smuggled copious amounts of gasoline in from Algeria. A thrust toward the capital, Bamako, was feasible. France decided to respond immediately. "We must stop the rebels' offensive, otherwise the whole of Mali will fall into their hands -- creating a threat for Africa and even for Europe," said the French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius. 3) Exporting jihad The greatest risk of the Mali campaign is that it will actually nurture the very threat that Fabius worries about: serving as a recruiting sergeant for jihadists, to rally the faithful against a "crusader" enemy in Muslim lands. Two jihadist sites -- the Sinam al-Islam Network and al-Minbar Jihadi Media Forum -- have already urged support for fighters in northern Mali, saying, "Rise O servants of Allah, let us set a fire under the feet of the falling French cross." There is also the danger that extremists among the 5 million Muslims in France, the vast majority of them of North and West African origin, may seek revenge for French intervention. Less than a year ago, French intelligence services moved against militant cells after a young gunman who had traveled to the Pakistani tribal territories shot dead seven people in Toulouse. President Francois Hollande has already ordered tighter security in public places. "France is watching individuals who want to go to Afghanistan, Syria and the Sahel," said Interior Minister Manuel Valls. "We're watching those who could return here." Mali's neighbors could also be drawn in if they support the French intervention. Algeria has gone to great lengths to insulate itself from Mali's turbulence, but Wednesday a militant group known as Qatiba -- led by a veteran Malian jihadist, Mokhtar Belmokhtar -- attacked a gas installation in eastern Algeria and claimed afterward to be holding dozens of foreigners. The group said the attack was in retaliation for Algeria permitting French overflights as part of its operations in Mali. For the Algerians, the assault on a critical part of its vital gas industry was a major embarrassment. Security analysts said another group of militants appear to have attacked a Malian town from neighboring Mauritania. Thirty thousand French citizens live in West Africa; eight are already held by Islamist extremists. Senegal has stepped up security in the capital, Dakar, especially in locations frequented by foreigners. And a former U.S. ambassador in Nigeria, John Campbell, writes on the Council on Foreign Relations website that many Nigerians believe the local group Boko Haram has developed links with AQIM. "If such links do exist on meaningful terms, it would seem likely that Boko Haram will escalate their attacks in northern Nigeria in solidarity with its Islamic brothers," he writes. 4) The soul of Islam Twelve years ago, Mali was one of six developing nations invited to attend the G8 summit in Italy, and was seen as a beacon of civilian rule and stability in Africa. After chronic instability in the years after independence, it achieved a peaceful transfer of power from one democratically elected president to the next in 2002. (The presidential election set for April 2012 never took place in the aftermath of the coup.) It had a thriving press and lively radio stations. Women had a role in public life. Indeed, in 2011 the prime minister was a woman. Despite their country's poverty and frequent food shortages, Malians had a reputation for moderation and tolerance, and a rich history as one of the intellectual centers of Islam. Most Malians are of the Sufi tradition -- a mystical interpretation of Islam that includes a reverence for saints and is despised by puritanical Sunnis. The city of Timbuktu (sometimes called the city of 333 saints) was a religious and educational center in the 15th and 16th centuries, and its libraries had priceless collections of Islamic documents and books. Its tombs and mosques comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and attracted scholars and tourists from all over the world. Ansar Dine set about destroying those tombs, insisting they were idolatrous. Throughout the past few months, there have been reports of Malians' shock at seeing public floggings and amputations in areas controlled by militant groups. Radio stations were ordered to stop playing music and instead broadcast verses from the Koran. UNESCO's secretary general, Irina Bokova, said last July, "The attack on Timbuktu's cultural heritage is an attack against this history and the values it carries -- values of tolerance, exchange and living together, which lie at the heart of Islam. It is an attack against the physical evidence that peace and dialogue is possible." Mali's glorious musical tradition derived from poets known as griots, highly influential teachers and guides. From this background has blossomed an extraordinary succession of world-class musicians (Ali Farka Toure, Tinariwen, kora player Toumani Diabate and the Super Rail Band to name just a few) who have won fans as diverse as Jimmy Page and Ry Cooder. So as much as it is a military and political battle, the struggle for Mali's future is also cultural and religious. It pits a tolerant Islamic tradition -- which celebrates music and in which women have a public life -- with an ascetic interpretation that bans music, forbids education of girls and destroys ancient tombs and shrines as "idolatrous." 5) A humanitarian crisis Hundreds of thousands of Malians are now either refugees in camps outside the country or internally displaced. Most are dangerously prone to malnutrition and disease. There are at least 150,000 refugees now in neighboring countries. More than 50,000 live in one camp alone in Mauritania, where Doctors Without Borders has found chronic rates of malnutrition among children. Malaria and diarrhea are killing infants. "It is hard to say when the refugees will be able to return home, but many have already suffered as a result of this crisis," said Karl Nawezi, head of the non-governmental organization's operations in Mauritania. "The influx of refugees is far from over," he said. And many families are tempted to leave the relative safety of the camps because they are herders who need to return to their animals. Additionally, some 200,000 Malians have fled south to escape the Islamists. Even today, they are still arriving in towns like Segou as the battle lines to the north shift in the sands. "Many are tired, distressed and in need food and water," said Michelet William, Mali director of the British agency Plan. "We fear our already stretched resources will not last long." Children are being recruited in the hundreds as militant fighters for the promise of food and a small wage. Without a quick end to fighting and substantial humanitarian aid, a generation of young Malians will remain at grave risk, imperiling the country's future. 6) A test of international will Mali is now a test bed for the effectiveness of international action against militant Islam in Africa -- action that brings together very different capabilities and cultures and that has an ill-defined goal. Much depends on how groups like Ansar Dine and others respond to the offensive. If the militants scatter into the desert and Malian troops can reclaim the main towns, partial victory can be claimed. But if they hunker down and mix with civilians -- much as clans in Mogadishu did in 1992 -- France could find itself in an ugly war of occupation and suicide bombings, with insufficient troops (2,500 spread thin over a huge area) to provide security. This "would raise the political costs of the French bombing campaign, dragging the intervention into urban warfare that neither France, the U.S. nor Algeria would be willing to lead with boots on the ground, and leaving Mali's fractious military exposed," according to Phillippe de Pontet of Eurasia Group. The United States has made clear it cannot help train the Malian army until a legitimately elected government is in place, but it will provide satellite intelligence and intercepts. France has no viable drone capacity of its own. The role of the African force and its capabilities are unknown factors. Diplomats expect some 3,300 troops from seven or eight countries belonging to the regional grouping known as ECOWAS (the Economic Community Of West African States) to arrive in Mali over the next week or so. The largest contingent will be from Nigeria, and the force will have a Nigerian commander. They will need airlift help -- which has been promised by the United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany, and in which the United States conceivably could participate -- and are likely to be deployed in a holding role while French and Malian forces push north. But their ability to work together and fight, should Ansar Dine militants somehow evade the Franco-Malian advance, is very much in question. They have not trained together, and they have different structures and languages. In addition, some contingents will be no more than a token force of 100 men. This is an ad hoc "coalition of the semi-willing." Some French officials have begun grumbling that other European states are doing too little. Even if Ansar Dine and other jihadist groups can be broken up, Mali's military and its political institutions have been shredded by the chaos of the past year, and its population is debilitated. The "Tuareg question" remains unsolved, with southerners now even more hostile to Tuareg separatism. Many MNLA fighters are said to have fled west into Mauritania rather than get caught up in the showdown between the French and the rebels. The French may profess satisfaction at scattering Ansar Dine, thanks to months of painstakingly compiled intelligence on the group's bases. President Hollande has pledged French forces won't leave until Mali has security, legitimate authorities, an electoral process and no more terrorism. But these are early days in the campaign dubbed by the French military Operation Serval. The serval is an agile desert cat. But it is also an endangered species. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}

Obama Cabinet member quits

Salazar is a former U.S. senator from Colorado He led the administration's reaction to the 2010 Gulf spill and explosion Salazar made strides in renewable energy, forging better relations with Native Americans Washington (CNN) -- Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who led the response to the 2010 BP oil spill and administered a moratorium on offshore drilling, announced Wednesday that he is stepping down. The former Colorado lawmaker plans to return home in March after eight turbulent and busy years in Washington, four years in the U.S. Senate and four years as head of the Interior Department. President Obama nominated him for the Cabinet post four years ago and he was unanimously confirmed. He was most prominent when he spearheaded the administration reaction to the BP Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Salazar issued a six-month drilling moratorium after the April 20, 2010, explosion. Critics, including Republican leaders, Gulf state officials and Gulf Coast residents, slammed the ban. They said it would hurt oil and gas workers in the already hard-hit coastal communities, where hundreds of jobs were lost because of the disaster. But Salazar said the moratorium provided time to make sure that similar accidents wouldn't occur and that rig operators were prepared to deal with worst-case scenarios if they did happen again. Eleven people died in the explosion, which spawned one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. An estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil gushed into the Gulf before the broken well some 4,000 feet below the surface was capped. "We have undertaken the most aggressive oil and gas safety and reform agenda in U.S. history, raising the bar on offshore drilling safety, practices and technology and ensuring that energy development is done in the right way and in the right places," Salazar said in an Interior Department news release announcing his departure. The department has offered millions of acres of offshore acreage in the Gulf for exploration and "is proceeding with cautious exploration of Arctic resources," the release said. It added that the department has leased millions of acres onshore for oil and gas development and has protected "special landscapes for hunting and fishing." "Today, drilling activity in the Gulf is surpassing levels seen before the spill, and our nation is on a promising path to energy independence," said Salazar, who also overhauled Interior's management of oil and gas resources and installed new ethics standards for employees. Obama's Cabinet: Who's in, who's out? Salazar also has pursued renewable energy, with his department authorizing 34 solar, wind and geothermal projects on public lands since 2009, the news release said. Those projects total enough energy to power more than 3 million homes. "Today, the largest solar energy projects in the world are under construction on America's public lands in the West, and we've issued the first leases for offshore wind in the Atlantic," Salazar said in the release. "I am proud of the renewable energy revolution that we have launched. The release also noted progress made during Salazar's term regarding Native American lands. A settlement was reached and passed that addressed "long-standing injustices" involving the government's trust management. In addition, Obama signed into law water rights settlements that "help deliver clean drinking water" to tribes, the release said, and spearheaded a reform of surface leasing regulations for Native American lands. "President Obama has made it a priority to empower our nation's first Americans by helping to build stronger, safer and more prosperous tribal communities," Salazar said. Obama, in a separate release, said Salazar "helped usher in a new era of conservation for our nation's land, water, and wildlife" and promoted renewable energy along with oil and gas production. He "played an integral role in my administration's successful efforts to expand responsible development of our nation's domestic energy resources" and made strides in ties with Native Americans. "I have valued Ken's friendship since we both entered the Senate in 2005, and I look forward to receiving his counsel even after he returns to his home state of Colorado," the president said. Salazar's move comes amid criticism over Obama's second-term Cabinet nominees. He has taken flak because major nominations have gone to white males. White males have been tapped for three prominent Cabinet positions with second-term openings: secretary of state, secretary of defense and secretary of the treasury. One of those posts has been held by a woman, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while the others have been held by white men. Salazar focused on energizing Hispanics While Obama's record of appointing women to top posts doesn't differ significantly from that of former President George W. Bush, many take the issue with Obama's appointments since he ran as a champion of women's issues during both of his presidential election campaigns, unlike his predecessor. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger reported from Washington. CNN's Joe Sterling reported from Atlanta.

Crash rains debris on London street

The pilot killed in the crash is identified as Peter Barnes, a married father of two Police: "It is something of a miracle that this was not many, many times worse" "It all happened so fast, it was unbelievable," a witness says The crane struck by the helicopter is dangling precariously from the building Are you there? Send your pictures and video, but stay safe. London (CNN) -- A helicopter crashed into a construction crane atop a new luxury residential building in thick London fog Wednesday, killing the pilot and another person and sparking a line of flames as it plunged to the ground. Thirteen others were injured in the crash that took place near a busy intersection at the height of the morning rush hour in Vauxhall, south of the River Thames in central London. Thick smoke and flames billowed into the sky as traffic ground to a halt and emergency workers rushed to the scene, not far from landmarks like the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament. The bent crane dangled from the building top, prompting police to cordon off roads in the area and evacuate residents and office workers. Many watched, horrified, from the street and office windows as the drama unfolded. .cnn_strycntntlft > .map-canvas { width: 640px; height: 360px; margin-bottom: 20px; } .cnn_strylftcntnt > .map-canvas { width: 416px; height: 234px; margin: 0 20px 20px 0; } .map-canvas .minimap .nm_crimg, .map-canvas .minimap .nm_crnode { display: none !important; } window.nokia || document.write('') (function() { var $mapCanvas = jQuery('.map-canvas:empty'), map; nokia.Settings.set('appId', 'r2jct5woc6zEmY6u8zP3'); nokia.Settings.set('authenticationToken', '9bKjs4FN6KD2dDogtfyj'); map = new nokia.maps.map.Display($mapCanvas[0], { 'zoomLevel': 17, 'center': [51.481314757943416,-0.12829558935791852] , 'components': [ new nokia.maps.map.component.Behavior(), new nokia.maps.map.component.ZoomBar()] }); map.set('baseMapType', nokia.maps.map.Display.SATELLITE); map.removeComponent(map.getComponentById('zoom.MouseWheel')); jQuery.each([[51.481314757943416,-0.12829558935791852]], function() { map.objects.add(new nokia.maps.map.StandardMarker([this[0], this[1]], { 'text': this[2] || '', 'brush': { 'color': '#B8001B' } })); }); var _setOverview = function(obj, key, value) { if (key == 'center') { minimap.set(key, value); } else { value = value - 7 >= minimap.minZoomLevel ? value - 7 : minimap.minZoomLevel; minimap.set(key, value); } }; var $minimapContainer = jQuery('', { 'class': 'minimap', 'css': { 'position': 'absolute', 'border': '1px solid #888', 'width': 125, 'height': 75, 'top': 10, 'right': 10 } }).appendTo($mapCanvas); var minimap = new nokia.maps.map.Display($minimapContainer[0], { 'zoomLevel': 17 - 7, 'center': map.center }); map.set('observers', { 'center': _setOverview, 'zoomLevel': _setOverview }); }()); Map: Crash location in central London Watch: Crash sparks security fears "I was standing outside having a cigarette when I saw the helicopter flying super fast towards the crane," said Rezart Islami, a builder who was working across the road from the 52-story building. "The pilot appeared not to have seen the crane because the helicopter hit it and went bang." Islami said the rotor blade snapped off, and the copter spun to the ground and burst into flames. "The top off the crane also came off in the impact," he said. "It all happened so fast, it was unbelievable." Another eyewitness recounted seeing rescuers pull three injured people from two burning cars. "It is something of a miracle that this was not many, many times worse given the time of day," said police commander Neil Basu. Vauxhall, not far from Westminster, is where a new U.S. Embassy is being built. The area, which is a mix of industrial, business and residential use, is also home to the riverside headquarters of the UK intelligence service, MI6. var currExpandable="expand112"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='world/2013/01/16/pkg-mclaughlin-london-helicopter-crash.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130116163200-pkg-mclaughlin-london-helicopter-crash-00000312-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand112Store=mObj; Ball of flames after London copter crash var currExpandable="expand212"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='world/2013/01/16/vo-london-helicopter-crash-exclusive.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130116114413-lok-mclaughlin-london-helicopter-crash-00010417-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand212Store=mObj; Video shows fiery copter wreckage var currExpandable="expand312"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='world/2013/01/16/sot-uk-helicopter-crash-witness-morgan.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130116163433-uk-london-helicopter-crash-00010114-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand312Store=mObj; Witness: 'It was an enormous bang' var currExpandable="expand412"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='world/2013/01/16/robertson-uk-helicopter-crash.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130116095929-helicopter-crash-crane-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand412Store=mObj; Copter crash sparks security fears Are you there? Send your pictures and video, but stay safe Rotormotion, a helicopter charter company, identified the pilot as Peter Barnes, 50, a married father of two. "He was one of the most highly qualified and highly skilled helicopter pilots in the UK, and his death is a great loss for the British aviation and his colleagues at Rotormotion," spokesman Paul Blezard said. "The thoughts of all the staff are with this family and two young children at this dreadful time." Barnes was the only person on board the helicopter, which was on a scheduled commercial flight from Surrey, southwest of London, police said. The second person killed "was in close proximity" to the helicopter, a London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said, but gave no more details. One of the injured was treated for a broken leg, but emergency responders said the others were not seriously hurt. Construction workers were at the site when the crash happened but were not hurt. James Whipps, a CNN producer, said the helicopter wreckage appeared to have landed on two cars by St. George Wharf, a major residential construction project. Watch: Eyewitness describes the scene The St. George Wharf construction project includes the landmark St. George Wharf Tower, also known as the Vauxhall Tower. Its developers, the Berkeley Group, say it will be one of Europe's tallest residential towers. Whipps said he heard the sound of the helicopter rotors suddenly cut out. He did not see the impact, but as he looked though a window, he "suddenly saw this enormous fireball, black smoke, shoot up from the side of a building." Daniel Toledo heard "a big noise" while on his way to the nearby Vauxhall station. Though Toledo didn't see the helicopter at first, he took out his camera in time to shoot exclusive aftermath video for CNN. "I look up, after the helicopter down," said Toledo. "Big noise again. The helicopter is gone." Watch: Fatal copter crash stalls London commute Nicky Morgan, a member of parliament, heard the impact from the nearby Vauxhall station. "There was an enormous bang and clouds and clouds of thick, black smoke," she told CNN. "It was very surprising, not what you expect to see." Despite the confusion, people remained calm, she said. Christopher Jen was at Vauxhall Tube station on his way to his marketing job when he spotted smoke rising nearby. "We could hear all the sirens and you could smell the smoke as the train went past the site," he said in a submission to CNN's iReport. "The station announcers did tell us that there was a helicopter crash at Vauxhall and the engineers had to go check the tracks before we could leave." Reporters allowed through the cordons to the deadly crash scene say little can be seen other than a dark spot where the helicopter hit the ground. A Berkeley Group spokesman said the firm was giving its full support to the emergency services after its crane was hit. "Our thoughts at this time are with the friends and families of those killed in this tragic incident," he said. Firefighters are now working with contractors to make the mangled crane safe. Prime Minister David Cameron thanked the emergency services for their "rapid and professional response." Poor visibility Many helicopters follow the Thames as a flight route through the city. This helicopter appeared to be flying farther south than usual, Whipps said. No cause has yet been given for the crash, but visibility was poor in London on Wednesday morning, with fog and a very low cloud ceiling. Chris Yates, an aviation security expert, told CNN it was likely there would be questions about whether the helicopter should have been flying in these conditions. Under safety regulations, tall buildings must have navigation lights on top to make them visible to low-flying aircraft, he said. Helicopters are not supposed to fly within 500 feet of tall structures in central London, he said. The London Heliport is near the crash site, on the banks of the Thames, at Battersea. The Air Accidents Investigation Bureau, part of the UK Department for Transport, has sent a team to investigate the crash. The Civil Aviation Authority says helicopters in London have only limited radar help and fly mostly using visual reference points on the ground. Certain designated routes for helicopters are in place to "provide maximum safety by avoiding flying over built up areas as much as possible," it says. Nearly 170 flights followed the central London route along the Thames in December, its figures show. About 250 flights arrived and departed from the heliport at Battersea in the same month. Wednesday's crash caused major disruptions for many people on their way to work. Vauxhall, with a rail station, Underground station and large bus station, is an important transit point for those traveling from the south to other parts of London. The Nine Elms area between Vauxhall and Battersea has been earmarked as a major regeneration site, with plans to create 16,000 new homes and 25,000 new jobs. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Antonia Mortensen, Dominique Van Heerden, Sarah Brown, Saskya Vandoorne and Mark Morgenstein contributed to this report.

Nike is making this guy very, very rich

Nike announces multi-year sponsorship deal with golf's world No. 1 Rory McIlroy Sports firm see McIlroy as heir apparent to Tiger Woods according to experts Nike to reap the rewards of two of golf's top names competing against each other Bumper deal catapults McIlroy into one of sports' biggest earners (CNN) -- He is the heir apparent to Tiger Woods, on the course and off it. By the end of Monday, Rory McIlroy's bank balance will take a step closer to matching that of the most marketable star the sport has ever seen. A bumper multi-year deal with Nike, reported by various media outlets to be worth over $200 million, will propel the Northern Irishman into a stratosphere inhabited only by the richest men and women in sport. Though McIlroy may only have two major championships to his name compared to Woods' 14, at 23 he has time on his side as he strives to eclipse the achievements of his new stable mate. And while Woods hasn't been able to recapture the form he showed prior to news of his extra-marital affairs breaking, Nike's courting of McIlroy is an attempt to pin down a star of the present and future who comes with less baggage, according to a sports business expert. Read: McIlroy teams up with Tiger at Nike var currExpandable="expand16"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='international/2013/01/14/rory-mcilroy-intv.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://edition.cnn.com/SPORT/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130114124249-rory-mcilroy-intv-00002511-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand16Store=mObj; Golfer Rory McIlroy signs with Nike var currExpandable="expand26"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='sports/2012/11/08/living-golf-turkish-airlines-world-final.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121108115711-living-golf-turkish-airlines-world-final-00001316-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand26Store=mObj; Tiger and Rory's $1.4M battle var currExpandable="expand36"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='sports/2012/11/08/living-golf-woods-mcilroy-interview.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121108112847-living-golf-woods-mcilroy-interview-00003011-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand36Store=mObj; Exclusive: Tiger and Rory's 'bromance' var currExpandable="expand46"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='sports/2012/09/19/ws-lkl-snell-tiger-woods-and-rory-mcilroy.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120919113703-ws-lkl-snell-tiger-woods-and-rory-mcilroy-00004301-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand46Store=mObj; Is Woods intimidated by McIlroy? "Nike is in a difficult position," Simon Chadwick, professor of Sport Business Strategy and Marketing at Coventry University told CNN, "because their number one golf property historically has fallen on hard times, relatively speaking. "When Tiger Woods crashed his car into a fire hydrant in 2009, Phil Knight of Nike described it as a minor blip. Commercially that's quite interesting because I think they genuinely believed there was still some sustainability and financial value in the Woods brand heading into the future. But that just hasn't transpired. "Tiger hasn't won a major since then and his public reputation hasn't recovered to where it was. That's a problem for Nike because what you've got to keep in mind is that Nike essentially built their whole golf business on the back of Woods and for a long time the vast majority of their commercial activity and their marketing was based around him. And it was very successful. "They used not to have a significant golf business but now they do. The problem is that to a large extent, they've been left high and dry. They now have a global golf business without a credible brand spokesperson. "So essentially what they've been looking for is an heir apparent, somebody with the same competitive characteristics as Woods but without the baggage, as well as somebody who can conceivably carry the brand into the future. That's why I think the length of the deal is absolutely crucial. "It seems to me that what they're attempting to do is to build a sustainable business on the back of McIlroy over the next 10 years, just as they did with Woods over the first 13 years of their time together." What (Nike) have been looking for is an heir apparent, somebody with the same competitive characteristics as Woods but without the baggageSimon Chadwick, sports business expert At a stroke, the deal transforms McIlroy into one of the hottest commercial properties in sport. According to the Forbes list of 2012, McIlroy's deal with Nike will make him highest paid young sports star in the world, taking him well above the $17.4 million he earned in the year up to July 2012. But he still has some way to go to catch Woods, who raked in total earnings of $59.4 million in the same time period. Both trail behind the world's top two highest grossing sports stars, boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, who earned $85 million and $62 million respectively. While Nike's outlay on Woods and McIlroy is significant, it will seem like money well spent should their twin titans end up battling it out going down the stretch at many a major tournament in the years to come. But with both of golf's biggest stars now operating under the same umbrella, even if they don't end up slugging it out for honors on the course, the prospect of both players being available for marketing opportunities is a big draw for Nike, according to Tony Martin, a sport, event and project management consultant at Qatar Atlantic College in Doha. Boulden: Which Nike star will Rory mirror? "In many respects this is a coup for Nike as they now have some leverage on the two of the most marketable figures in the world of sport," he told CNN. "Golf fans everywhere are longing for the head to head battles between these two, given their considerable differences in age, style and personalities. .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 0 0 10px} if (typeof cnnArticleGallery == "undefined") { var cnnArticleGallery = {}; } if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList =="undefined"){ cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList = []; } var expGallery191=new ArticleExpandableGallery(); expGallery191.setImageCount(14); //cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Best buddies?", 1); Tiger Woods, right, congratulates Rory McIlroy after Europe's remarkable victory over the U.S. on the final day of the 2012 Ryder Cup in September. The two are big rivals on the golf course, but a friendship has also blossomed this year. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":1,"title":"Best buddies?"} Golf great Nick Faldo has questioned whether they should be so close. Sports psychologist Dan Abrahams says they would benefit from keeping a bit of distance. "In the heat of battle it becomes more difficult to emotionally detach yourself from that person's performance if you're good friends with that person," he told CNN. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":2,"title":"Too close?"} McIlroy has admitted idolizing Woods as a boy, but has now usurped him as golf's No. 1. "Once they step on the first tee, those competitive juices are flowing and they're focused either on their own game or beating each other," Abrahams said. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":3,"title":"Beating your idol"} They are following in golf's great tradition of rivalries -- most notably Jack Nicklaus, left, and Arnold Palmer. "The power of the mind and the capability of that mental discipline is what separates the good from the great," sports leadership expert Khoi Tu told CNN. "That might allow them to become friends with people off the course, but not on the course." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":4,"title":"Nicklaus vs. Palmer"} Formula One's greatest rivalry was between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. "They absolutely detested each other," Tu says. "They were two very different personalities, and often that's one of the features of great sporting rivalries: Fire and ice." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":5,"title":"Prost vs. Senna"} Fernando Alonso, left, has now twice been beaten to the F1 championship by Sebastian Vettel -- who is widely rumored to be his teammate at Ferrari come 2014. "When you get two No. 1 drivers together with no team rules, then the sparks can really fly," Tu says. "It's rare for them to be good mates. They may get along, they may trust and respect each other in a professional capacity, but hanging out is a different issue." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":6,"title":"Alonso vs. Vettel"} Former world champion Jackie Stewart, seen here playing with the children of F1 rival Graham Hill, was remarkably friendly with his peers, Tu says. "He was incredibly fond of a number of people who drove with him. That partly is because there was a clearer distinction of him being a number one and them being number two drivers." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":7,"title":"F1 friendly"} A new rivalry has grown in tennis this year between U.S. Open and Olympic champion Andy Murray, left, and childhood friend Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1. "People say that Murray and Djokovic are close but I think it's rare," Tu says. "The best sporting rivalries are the ones where there are these very distinct, almost opposite personalities, but they're very close in terms of their competence." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":8,"title":"Murray vs. Djokovic"} Rafael Nadal, left, ended the tennis dominance of Roger Federer but they have publicly expressed their friendship despite reports of arguments about on-tour issues. "As people get older they've done so much, broken lots of records, I think that competitive edge is slightly dulled," Tu says. "That makes it easier to be friendlier. You can keep your dignity if you're not crying every time you lose to a younger, faster athlete." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":9,"title":"Nadal vs. Federer"} Martina Navratilova, left, and Chris Evert had one of the biggest rivalries in women's tennis. "They ended up as good buddies, but that was when the battling had been done," Tu says. "All of the respect and friendship you get in sport comes through competence first -- ' I know how hard it is to be this good, so I respect them for that.' " cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":10,"title":"Navratilova vs. Evert"} Fiery American John McEnroe, left, and ice-cool Swede Bjorn Borg created an iconic tennis rivalry. "When those two collided, at the height of tennis perfection, that's when the audience is really enthused and enthralled," Tu says. "To get that rivalry, they have to leave any friendship on the sidelines." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":11,"title":"McEnroe vs. Borg"} Sometimes you get two great athletes, but they are too close to be proper rivals -- such as tennis star Serena Williams, left, and her sister Venus. "The great things about sport is the sense of competition, the uncertainty of the outcome, the fairness of the playing field," Tu says. "You might be able to suspend enough of your fraternal or sisterly love to play a decent game of tennis but it won't reach the heights of the rivalries that make the sport." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":12,"title":"Serena vs. Venus"} Muhammad Ali, left, "demonized" Joe Frazier to hype up their fights despite being showed respect outside the ring by his rival. "He came up with the gorilla term to create a spectacle, which he knew was important, but it revved himself up too," Tu says. "He needed to have a real enemy. By the end of the (Manila) fight, he said that Frazier brought out the best of him." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":13,"title":"Ali vs. Frazier"} Then there's modern football's greatest rivalry -- Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. "I'm not sure Messi is a rival with anyone, he still has that unique joy of just playing," Tu says. "But I think with Ronaldo, the truth is Messi is his nemesis -- and the fact that Messi doesn't care makes it even worse." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":1,"pos":14,"title":"Messi vs. Ronaldo"} Best buddies? Too close? Beating your idol Nicklaus vs. Palmer Prost vs. Senna Alonso vs. Vettel F1 friendly Murray vs. Djokovic Nadal vs. Federer Navratilova vs. Evert McEnroe vs. Borg Serena vs. Venus Ali vs. Frazier Messi vs. Ronaldo HIDE CAPTION << < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 > >> Great sporting rivalries Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { //report the first gallery image to ADBP if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined') { cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image, "Tiger's heir apparent joins Nike"); } }); .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 0 0 10px} if (typeof cnnArticleGallery == "undefined") { var cnnArticleGallery = {}; } if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList =="undefined"){ cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList = []; } var expGallery192=new ArticleExpandableGallery(); expGallery192.setImageCount(8); //cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Icing on the cake", 1); Rory McIlroy capped a sensational year with victory at the Dubai World Championship on Sunday. The Northern Irishman won five tournaments in 2012, including his second major, topped the money list on both the PGA and European Tours and ended the season as the world's No. 1 player. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":19,"y":2,"pos":1,"title":"Icing on the cake"} After a solid start to the season McIlroy's year took off with victory at the Honda Classic in March. By holding off a chasing pack that included Tiger Woods and Keegan Bradley, the 23-year-old became world No. 1 for the first time in his career. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":2,"pos":2,"title":"Streets ahead"} After a mid-season slump, McIlroy roared back to form with an eight-shot victory at the PGA Championship to seal his second major triumph. It was the biggest winning margin in majors history, as he took the record from Jack Nicklaus -- the game's greatest ever player. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":2,"pos":3,"title":"Major success"} McIlroy was almost unstoppable now as he secured victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship to take the lead in the PGA Tour's Fed Ex Cup -- the finale to their regular season. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":2,"pos":4,"title":"The real deal"} The following week the 23-year-old was in the winner's circle again, this time taking top honors at the BMW Championship. He became the first player to record back to back victories on the PGA Tour since Tiger Woods in 2009. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":2,"pos":5,"title":"Cooking on gas"} McIlroy's friendship with Tiger Woods blossomed during the 2012 season. The two even took each other on at an exhibition tournament in China in front of a huge crowd. McIlroy won by one shot. Both players reportedly shared $3 million for taking part. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":2,"pos":6,"title":"Taming Tiger"} If McIlroy was on song in the individual stakes, he more than played his part in Europe's stunning comeback to win the Ryder Cup at Medinah in Chicago. McIlroy nearly forfeited his singles match by missing the start due to confusion over time zones, but earned a vital point for his side by beating Keegan Bradley as Europe eventually came back from 10-6 down to win 14 1/2 to 13 1/2. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":2,"pos":7,"title":"Miracle of Medinah"} McIlroy was watched every step of the way in Dubai by his girlfriend -- tennis star Caroline Wozniacki. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":2,"pos":8,"title":"Lucky charm"} Icing on the cake Streets ahead Major success The real deal Cooking on gas Taming Tiger Miracle of Medinah Lucky charm HIDE CAPTION << < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 > >> McIlroy on top of the world Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { //report the first gallery image to ADBP if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined') { cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image, "Tiger's heir apparent joins Nike"); } }); .cnnArticleGalleryNav{border:1px solid #000;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavOn{background-color:#C03;border:1px solid #000;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:20px} .cnnArticleGalleryNavDisabled{background-color:#222;border:1px solid #000;color:#666;float:left;height:25px;text-align:center;width:25px} .cnnArticleExpandableTarget{background-color:#000;display:none;position:absolute} .cnnArticlePhotoContainer{height:122px;width:214px} .cnnArticleBoxImage{cursor:pointer;height:122px;padding-top:0;width:214px} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControl{background-color:#000;color:#FFF} .cnnArticleGalleryCaptionControlText{cursor:pointer;float:right;font-size:10px;padding:3px 10px 3px 3px} .cnnArticleGalleryPhotoContainer cite{background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #000;bottom:48px;color:#FFF;height:auto;left:420px;opacity:.7;position:absolute;width:200px;padding:10px} .cnnArticleGalleryClose{background-color:#fff;display:block;text-align:right} .cnnArticleGalleryCloseButton{cursor:pointer} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNext span{background-color:#444;color:#CCC;cursor:pointer;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:26px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnArticleGalleryNavPrevNextDisabled span{background-color:#444;color:#666;float:left;height:23px;text-align:center;width:25px;padding:4px 0 0} .cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{padding-right:68px;width:270px;margin:0 auto} .cnnGalleryContainer{float:left;clear:left;margin:0 0 20px;padding:0 0 0 10px} if (typeof cnnArticleGallery == "undefined") { var cnnArticleGallery = {}; } if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList =="undefined"){ cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList = []; } var expGallery193=new ArticleExpandableGallery(); expGallery193.setImageCount(11); //cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Golden Gong", 1); Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods look on in amusement before banging a ceremonial gong to mark the start of their "Duel at Jinsha Lake." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":19,"y":3,"pos":1,"title":"Golden Gong"} Both McIlroy and Woods, pictured above, had their handprints immortalized in clay as a lavish ceremony featuring drum majorettes and fireworks preceded their clash in the Chinese city Zhengzhou. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":3,"pos":2,"title":"Tiger Paw"} World No. 1 McIlroy cannot keep a straight face as the players pose at the first green, ahead of a clash reported to be paying the pair a combined total of $2 million. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":3,"pos":3,"title":"Number One"} "The scene was barely-controlled chaos," wrote Sports Illustrated's Alan Shipnuck. "Some 3,000 fans streamed across the fairways, with soldiers locking arms in a human fence to keep the throngs off the greens." cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":3,"pos":4,"title":"\"Barely-controlled chaos\" "} A course marshall practices kung fu as she awaits the golfers' arrival. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":3,"pos":5,"title":"High Jinks"} "On the tee boxes there were so many camera clicks it sounded like machine gun fire," Shipnuck wrote. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":3,"pos":6,"title":"Firing Line"} Local golf fans talk with one of the models who inhabited the greens in their evening wear in scenes seldom seen on any golf course. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":3,"pos":7,"title":"Model Display"} Woods tries to maintain focus as a luxury boat passes by, with the clubhouse car park also boasting a collection of Rolls-Royces, Ferraris, Aston Martins and Maseratis. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":3,"pos":8,"title":"Water Hazard"} Young fans show their support for McIlroy and Woods in a country that is seen as the next great market for golf to conquer. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":3,"pos":9,"title":"Next Generation? "} McIlroy never trailed Woods after starting with a birdie, going on to card a five-under-par 67 -- one less than the world No. 2. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":3,"pos":10,"title":"On the Charge"} McIlroy awaits his trophy on a day that coincided with the launch of the multi-million-dollar "Golf Villas" to be built around the Jinsha Lake course. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":19,"y":3,"pos":11,"title":"Job Done"} Golden Gong Tiger Paw Number One "Barely-controlled chaos" High Jinks Firing Line Model Display Water Hazard Next Generation? On the Charge Job Done HIDE CAPTION << < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 > >> Duel at Jinsha Lake Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { //report the first gallery image to ADBP if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined') { cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image, "Tiger's heir apparent joins Nike"); } }); "Nike will certainly use their leverage to nurture such competition by ensuring their schedules are aligned to foster maximum exposure to such opportunities. When this begins to happen consistently, and I believe it will soon, Nike reaps the unbelievable rewards. "This deal is not taken lightly and I am sure all of Nike's significant market research is verifying a likeability scale for this young man (McIlroy) that is off the charts." Just as Nike will hope McIlroy can match Woods' prowess when it comes to bagging majors and green jackets, they could be forgiven for hoping the 23-year-old won't attract any salacious headlines away from the greens. The sports giant recently dropped disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong after he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping offenses, and withstood a barrage of bad press for their client when news of Woods' extra marital affairs broke. McIlroy's only negative press to date has come via the odd misjudged quote -- which can be explained as a byproduct of his youthful exuberance and refreshing honesty in interviews -- and though he has earned plaudits for keeping his feet on the ground, Martin says there is no guarantee how he'll react if he reaches the level of fame Woods currently orbits. "Rory represents a much different personality than Tiger and on the surface, epitomizes a safe investment for Nike," he said. "However like Tiger, he appears to be a marketer's dream. The problem is, no one truly knows how any individual is going to react to all this money, fame and adoration until they have lived with it. "These superstar athletes live in a fish bowl where their every comment, action and especially reactions are fodder for the media outlets around the world. Already, controversy is circling with regard to Rory's Olympic participation decision and legal issues with previous sponsors." The first time the world will see Nike's new double act in action will be on Thursday when McIlroy and Woods line up for the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}

Beijing choking on thick smog

NEW: Beijing recording "hazardous" levels of air pollution Monday NEW: Children in worst-hit areas ordered to stop outdoor sports activities Reports of respiratory problems -- and sale of masks -- skyrocket U.S. Embassy in Beijing records an index of more than 700 micrograms Sunday Beijing (CNN) -- Schoolchildren were ordered to halt outdoor sports activities until Tuesday this week, as a dirty cloud of smog continued to shroud China's capital. This was among a series of emergency response measures adopted in Beijing Sunday when the city's Air Quality Index exceeded 500 micrograms, the highest level. Anything above this is regarded as "beyond index." Reports of respiratory problems -- as well as the sale of masks -- have skyrocketed, according to state media, and over the weekend, streets appeared emptier, as a sun was barely visible amid a hazy blanket. On Monday morning the U.S. Embassy in Beijing recorded "hazardous" levels of pollution, with a "Beyond Index" reading of 515 at 3:00 a.m. (2 p.m. Sunday) local time, last seen on Saturday when the air quality index, based on U.S. national air quality standards, hit as high as 755. 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The city's residents say pollution is worsening despite authorities' assertions that air quality has improved since the city hosted the 2008 Olympic Games. Last year, heavy haze and smog forced the cancellation of almost 700 flights at Beijing airports. The city is comparable to Los Angeles, another gray city, according to experts. "With their difficult meteorological conditions and a large number of pollution sources, addressing pollution is a long-term and difficult task," Deborah Seligsohn, adviser of the World Resources Institute, said last year. The agency runs a climate energy and pollution program in China. Los Angeles has battled air pollution since the 1950s, well before U.S. national regulation, according to Seligsohn. "Stilll in the 1970s, 20 years later, it was famous for its smog," she said. "In the 40-plus years since the Clean Air Act was passed, L.A. has never been fully in compliance with EPA standards, even though it has continued to improve." Read more: China must come clean on pollution European Commission figures show that China produced 9.7 million kilotons of carbon dioxide while the United States had 5.42 million kilotons in 2011, the latest available numbers. The weekend's pollution levels have prompted an "orange fog" warning in Beijing because of diminished visibility, according to state-run Xinhua news agency. "Pollutants have gradually accumulated over the course of recent windless days, making the air quality even worse," said Zhu Tong, an environmental sciences professor at Peking University told news agency. Beijing will remain covered in gray until Wednesday, when the wind will sweep in to the rescue and blow the smog away, according to state media. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CY Xu in Beijing and Faith Karimi in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Police: 7 gang rape last woman on bus

The bus speeds past the woman's stop Police: The bus driver and his helper take the woman somewhere Five other men allegedly join in to assault the woman through the night New Delhi, India (CNN) -- In an incident eerily similar to a sexual assault that sent shock waves worldwide, Indian police say a woman was gang-raped over the weekend by seven men after she boarded a bus at night. Police have arrested all seven suspects, including the bus driver, after the alleged Friday night attack in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab state. Just like a gang rape in New Delhi that sparked international outrage last month, the new attack occurred after the woman got on a bus. The bus sped past her stop, police said. 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A gang of men accused of repeatedly raping a 23-year-old student on a moving bus in New Delhi are to appear in court for the first time. Police formally charged five suspects with rape, kidnapping and murder after the woman died. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":1,"title":"India rape protests"} Indian lawyers shout during a protest at the entrance to Saket District Court in New Delhi on Thursday, January 3. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":2,"title":"India rape protests"} About 600 guitarists play John Lennon's "Imagine" in a tribute to the rape victim in Darjeeling on January 3. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":3,"title":"India rape protests"} Indian women take part in the Women's Dignity March in New Delhi on Wednesday, January 2. Several hundred people participated in the solidarity march organized by the government, which ended at Rajghat, the memorial for Mohandas Gandhi. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":4,"title":"India rape protests"} Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, center, participates in a group prayer during the Women's Dignity March on January 2. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":5,"title":"India rape protests"} Indian demonstrators perform a prayer ritual in memory of a gang-rape victim in New Delhi on Monday, December 31. The family of the victim said they would not rest until her killers are hanged as they spoke of their own pain and trauma over a crime that has united the country in grief. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":6,"title":"India rape protests"} A Sri Lankan opposition United National Party activist places her signature on a banner in memory of the Indian gang-rape victim in Colombo on December 31. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":7,"title":"India rape protests"} Indian protesters hold candles during a rally in New Delhi on Sunday, December 30, following the cremation of the gang-rape victim. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":8,"title":"India rape protests"} Indian protesters walk with police officials during a rally in New Delhi on Sunday, December 30, following the cremation of a gang-rape victim in the Indian capital. The 23-year-old student died Saturday and was cremated at a private ceremony, hours after her body was flown home from Singapore. She had been gang-raped and severely beaten on December 16, triggering an outpouring of grief and anger across India. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":9,"title":"India rape protests"} Indian protesters sit by lit candles and hold placards in New Delhi on December 30 during a protest against the gang rape. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":10,"title":"India rape protests"} Indian residents pray during a gathering in New Delhi on December 30. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":11,"title":"India rape protests"} Protesters hold candles during a vigil in New Delhi on Saturday, December 29, after the death of a gang-rape victim. Authorities erected security barriers throughout New Delhi's key government district after two days of street battles following a woman's gang rape on a bus on December 16. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has appealed for calm and pledged safety for women and children. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":12,"title":"India rape protests"} Indian residents hold lighted candles during a rally in Amritsar on December 29. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":13,"title":"India rape protests"} Students in New Delhi on Thursday, December 27, protest a recent brutal gang rape in the city. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":14,"title":"India rape protests"} Demonstrators shout slogans and wave placards as they move toward India Gate in New Delhi on December 27. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":15,"title":"India rape protests"} Riot police keep watch along a sealed-off road near the India Gate monument on Monday, December 24, in New Delhi after weekend clashes between protesters and police. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":16,"title":"India rape protests"} Police fire tear gas on Sunday, December 23, during a protest calling for better safety for women following last week's rape. Thousands of protesters defied a ban on demonstrations in New Delhi on Sunday, venting their anger about the incident. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":17,"title":"India rape protests"} Police attempt to disperse protesters on December 23. For a second day, demonstrators were blasted with water cannons in the Indian capital. While some dispersed, others huddled tightly in a circle to brave high-pressure streams in the cold weather. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":18,"title":"India rape protests"} Demonstrators turn a car over on December 23. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":19,"title":"India rape protests"} Students chant anti-police slogans during a protest against the Indian government's reaction to recent rape incidents in India, on Saturday, December 22, in New Delhi, India. The demonstration was prompted by wide public outrage over what police said was the gang-rape and beating of a 23-year-old woman on a moving bus in the capital last Sunday. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":20,"title":"India rape protests"} Demonstrators react from tear gas fired by police on December 22. New Delhi alone reported 572 rapes last year and more than 600 in 2012. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":21,"title":"India rape protests"} Police arrest a demonstrator during a protest on December 22. Sunday's attack sparked furious protests across India, where official data show that rape cases have jumped almost 875% over the past 40 years -- from 2,487 in 1971 to 24,206 in 2011. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":22,"title":"India rape protests"} Police unleash water cannon and fire tear gas towards demonstrators on December 22. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":23,"title":"India rape protests"} Demonstrators react as police fire tear gas on December 22. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":24,"title":"India rape protests"} Indian demonstrators march towards India Gate during the protest on December 22. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":25,"title":"India rape protests"} Indian demonstrators carry an injured man from the scene on December 22. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":26,"title":"India rape protests"} Police spray water and fire tear gas towards demonstrators on December 22. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":27,"title":"India rape protests"} Demonstrators push against a police barricade on December 22. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":28,"title":"India rape protests"} Students chant anti-police slogans on December 22. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":5,"y":4,"pos":29,"title":"India rape protests"} India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests India rape protests HIDE CAPTION << < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 > >> Photos: India rape protest Event.observe(window, 'load', function() { //report the first gallery image to ADBP if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined') { cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image, ""); } }); The bus driver and his helper then took the married 29-year-old woman to an undisclosed address where five others joined the two men and raped her throughout the night, police said. Read More: Challenges of being a woman in India "They threatened me with a sharp edged weapon and did wrong things with me," the victim told CNN's sister station, CNN-IBN. "They kept me confined all through the night and forced me to do what they want." The next day, the suspects dropped her off at her village, where she informed her family and alerted police, according to authorities. The alleged attack bears a similarity to a December 16 gang rape where attackers assaulted a woman after she boarded a bus. The men also brutally beat her and her male companion, robbed them of their belongings and later dumped them by the side of a road. Both New Delhi and Gurdaspur are in northern India. The Delhi incident triggered rallies nationwide and an uproar over the treatment of women. The badly beaten 23-year-old woman was flown to Singapore for treatment after the attack. Watch video: Changing the male mindset on rape She died about two weeks later while undergoing treatment. Five men were charged with murder, rape and kidnapping, and face the death penalty if convicted. A juvenile court is determining the age of a sixth suspect, who claims to be 17 and not old enough to be tried as an adult. At the time, the government pledged stronger laws against sexual assaults. The number of reported rapes in India -- a country where a cultural stigma keeps many victims from reporting the crime -- has increased drastically, from 2,487 in 1971 to 24,206 in 2011, according to official figures. Most women in India have stories of sexual harassment and abuse on public transportation or on the streets, said Seema Sirohi, of the Indian Council on Global Relations. if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();} CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh reported from New Delhi and Faith Karimi from Atlanta

What to do during a shooting

India shocked by rape repeat

Why Philly will never be Newtown

Philadelphia has the worst homicide rates among large U.S. cities More than 80% of homicides there are committed with a firearm Yet it takes a mass shooting to trigger attention to gun violence Indifference toward urban slayings comes down to "victim blaming," says one author Philadelphia (CNN) -- Scott Charles walks briskly across a hospital lobby toward a group of high school students waiting to meet him. "Welcome," he said, panning their faces, "I work with gunshot patients. How many of you know somebody who's been shot?" Hands spring up into the air from roughly half of the more than 20 students. Without flinching, Charles continues his introduction. "What we're going to do today is take you behind the scenes, pull back the curtain and let you see what we do in treating gunshot patients," he said. It's all part of the Cradle To Grave program that Charles helped create to reduce violence in what is supposed to be the City of Brotherly Love. var currExpandable="expand16"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/11/exp-point-guns-biden-feldman.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130111083248-exp-point-guns-biden-feldman-00002001-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand16Store=mObj; Biden ready to give Obama gun findings var currExpandable="expand26"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/08/09/hoye-philadelphia-gun-violence.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://www.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120809031813-hoye-philadelphia-gun-violence-00002922-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand26Store=mObj; Shaking up 'Kila-delphia' with cameras var currExpandable="expand36"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2012/02/09/pkg-hoye-philadelphia-killings.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/120209122041-pkg-hoye-philadelphia-killings-00002119-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand36Store=mObj; Heinous killings plague Philadelphia var currExpandable="expand46"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/11/ybl-feldman-cain-gun-debate.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130111133052-biden-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand46Store=mObj; Gun divide deepens Inside Temple University Hospital's trauma center, these high school students will relive the final minutes of life of a teenager who was killed by gun violence. Among America's largest cities, Philadelphia's homicide rate is the worst. Guns are the weapons of choice, with more than 80% of homicides committed with a firearm, according to the most recent police statistics. African-Americans make up 85% of the victims "Statistics suggest that as a young, black man, you have a greater chance of being shot and killed in Philadelphia than you would have if you were a soldier serving in the conflicts in Afghanistan or Iraq," Charles said. "That's absurd to me." Despite the daily gun violence plaguing American cities like Philadelphia, Chicago or New Orleans, it's the mass shootings at a school or a theater or a public event -- like the tragedies in Newtown, Aurora and Tucson -- that trigger outrage and a serious, nationwide discussion on gun violence. "The tragedy of the parents isn't greater in Newtown than that of a parent of someone who was shot elsewhere," Charles said, expressing sadness for the lives lost in the school shooting. "At the end of the day, their kids aren't coming home, and there's no way to compare that anguish. "Newtown has made us stare the (gun) issue in the face and ask ourselves if this is the price we're willing to pay." Despite emotions, little happens legislatively after mass shootings 'White noise' Standing with students in a hallway leading to the hospital's trauma bays and holding an iPad, Charles tells the story of 16-year-old Lamont Adams, who was shot 24 times. "That young boy stood over Lamont and fired 10 more shots into him," he said, the sound of gunshots playing in the background. A few students gasp, while others stand stoically with hard-to-read expressions, as Charles leads them into the trauma bay. One by one, he places 24 red stickers on the body of a student volunteer lying on a gurney. "He had a bullet wound here ... Lamont had a bullet wound right here ... Lamont had a bullet wound right here," Charles says, as he places each sticker on the student. var currExpandable="expand118"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/11/exp-ac-newtown-victim-family-gun-laws.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130110211152-exp-ac-newtown-victim-family-gun-laws-00024201-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand118Store=mObj; Victim's family wants voice in gun talks var currExpandable="expand218"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='us/2013/01/09/tsr-dnt-mattingly-mom-shoots-intruder.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://situationroom.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130110122232-tsr-dnt-mattingly-mom-shoots-intruder-00004302-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand218Store=mObj; Armed mom takes down home invader var currExpandable="expand318"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='international/2013/01/10/amanpour-gun-control-jerramiah-healy.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl=''; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130110123811-amanpour-gun-control-jerramiah-healy-00003015-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand318Store=mObj; Not afraid of the NRA var currExpandable="expand418"; if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);} var mObj={}; mObj.type='video'; mObj.contentId=''; mObj.source='bestoftv/2013/01/10/ac-kaye-tale-of-two-gun-stories.cnn'; mObj.videoSource='CNN'; mObj.videoSourceUrl='http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/'; mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130110015318-ac-kaye-tale-of-two-gun-stories-00032813-story-body.jpg"; mObj.lgImageX=300; mObj.lgImageY=169; mObj.origImageX="214"; mObj.origImageY="120"; mObj.contentType='video'; CNN.expElements.expand418Store=mObj; A tale of two shootings Across the United States, more than 5,700 children and teens were killed by guns in 2008 and 2009 -- a number that would fill more than 200 public school classrooms -- according to data compiled by The Children's Defense Fund. That number includes 173 preschoolers, nearly double the number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty during the same time. Responding to last month's Connecticut school shooting, President Obama created a task force led by Vice President Joe Biden charged with developing "concrete proposals" for dealing with gun violence no later than January. Obama exploring executive orders to combat gun violence Among those serving on the vice president's task force is Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, whose city had a bloody start to the New Year with five homicides in the first 48 hours. Philadelphia has seen a slow uptick in its homicide rate. Last year, 331 people were the victims of homicides, up from 324 in 2011 and 306 the year before that. But last year's toll marks a 15% drop compared to 2007, when the city earned the nickname "Kill-adelphia" after suffering more than one murder a day. The fact that most of those killed in Philadelphia are victims of gun violence is emblematic of a national trend: Federal data for 2011 shows that more than 67% of all homicides in the United States were carried out with a gun. So where's the nation's outrage? Daily, inner-city gun violence has become "white noise," said Chuck Williams, founding director of Center for the Prevention of School-Aged Violence at Drexel University. "At this point it's like, 'Oh, another six people got shot and killed over a week in a poor black community. Business as usual,'" he said, shrugging his shoulders. "So America says, if the urban communities don't care enough about it, then why should we?" Williams hopes that will change in the wake of the mass shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. "If this (Newtown) is not enough for all of us to come together and say that something needs to be done, I don't know what is," he said. "Our kids are dying and they're leaving us way too soon, and we have the power to do something about that if we so choose." A look at U.S. gun laws 'I hurt the same way' Eddie Bocanegra, born and raised in the rough and tumble section of Little Village on the southwest side of Chicago, is no stranger to gun violence. Bocanegra, who spent 14 years in prison for murder, is now on a mission to save lives. He is featured in the documentary "The Interrupters," which follows the lives of three community activists fighting to interrupt the fervent violence in Chicago. The shooting in Newtown spurred the nation to respond, from prayer vigils and donations to around-the-clock news coverage of the event. Although moving, the reaction was also sobering, Bocanegra said. "A kid growing up in the 'hood has different expectations than a kid growing up in Newtown," said Bocanegra, who works with ex-offenders at the faith-based nonprofit Community Renewal Society in Chicago. "We have worldwide attention on this tragic event in Connecticut, but it shows us how we value life, and it's a shame murder isn't treated the same across the board." "I hurt the same way you hurt. Murder shouldn't occur, and I say that as someone who took a life," Bocanegra said. "All lives are precious, and one is not worth more than the other." Every single day in the United States, 13 young people between the ages of 10 and 24 are the victims of homicide, according to federal data. More than 80% are killed with a firearm. In Philadelphia, the majority of homicide victims are African-Americans between the ages of 15 and 24. "Every time there is a loss of life, we have to remind ourselves that these are often children. And we have to ask ourselves where have we failed to protect this child?" said John Rich, director of the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice at Drexel University. The indifference toward urban slayings often comes down to "victim blaming," said Rich, author of "Wrong Place, Wrong Time: Trauma and Violence in the Lives of Young Black Men." "We're using shorthand and stereotypes to draw a conclusion," Rich said. "There's something undeniably different when we have this scale of horrible in Connecticut. And there's something undeniably horrible about a killing a day." Trauma, poverty and unsafe neighborhoods must be included in the gun control debate, said Ted Corbin, co-director at the Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice. Both Rich and Corbin want to explain the cycle of violence, not excuse it. As an emergency room physician, Corbin said he regularly sees the carnage of gun violence, and added that it's not enough to "treat them and street them." "Hurt people hurt people," Corbin said matter-of-factly. "It really is what's perceived by society as what's deserving. A veteran who has served our country deserves services, but the empathy is not there for young people who are chronically exposed to adversity." It's a shame murder isn't treated the same across the board.Eddie Bocanegra, Community Renewal Society "The assumption is that they're bad kids, (without) giving society any responsibility," he said. Back at Temple University Hospital, the students head from the trauma bay to a classroom for a discussion before they visit the hospital's morgue, Lamont's last stop. More than 7,000 students have come through the Cradle To Grave program. Amy Goldberg, the hospital's chief trauma surgeon and a co-founder of the program, said she and Charles are committed because the cost of violence is too high. "I really think it's our responsibility to prevent these kids from coming in. So as much as I may get frustrated on any evening, it really can't stop us," Goldberg said. "We really want to teach them the preciousness of life, that in an instant your life can be changed forever." if(typeof CNN.expElements==='object'){CNN.expElements.init();}