UFC 157?s Three Stars: Ronda Rousey, Robbie Lawler and Dennis Bermudez shine

UFC 157 completed the rare trick of living up to its intense hype. Who stood out as stars?

No. 1 star ? Ronda Rousey: Is there any better word to describe Rousey than star? After months of Rousey appearing on television, in magazines and on every site on the internet, she showed she's more than a media darling. Rousey not only escaped a submission attempt by Liz Carmouche, but also finished the fight with just 11 seconds to go in the first round. That's a star.

No. 2 star ? Robbie Lawler: Looking at this fight card, would you ever have guessed that Lawler would emerge as a star? Before returning to the UFC on Saturday, he lost three of his last five bouts. He was up against Josh Koscheck, who was eager to get a big win after losing to Johny Hendricks. But the power in Lawler's hands knocked Koscheck out in the first round, and earned Lawler a $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus.

No. 3 star ? Dennis Bermudez: When the preliminary fights started, the Honda Center wasn't even half full. The UFC's tailgate was still going strong in the parking lot. But as Bermudez's bout with Matt Grice wore on, I noticed the stands filling up. Perhaps they heard about the Fight of the Year candidate happening inside, with Bermudez throwing everything he had at Grice, and Grice not only withstanding the punches but coming back with big punches of his own. They each took home a $50,000 Fight of the Night bonus.

Who were your three stars from the night? Tell in the comments, on Facebook or on Twitter.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-157-three-stars-ronda-rousey-robbie-lawler-143258534--mma.html

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Video: Banksy art mystery from London to Miami

Cardinal Mahony urged to stay away

Cardinal Roger Mahony, one of the 11 American cardinals who will join 105 others to choose a new pope, is being urged to stay away because of his role in shielding sexually abusive priests. CBS News' Magalie Laguerre Wilkinson.

Source: http://feeds.cbsnews.com/~r/CBSNewsTheEarlyShowBoxOffice/~3/EYE5mOKseJU/

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Protesting workers block rail lines to Cairo

ASSIUT, Egypt (AP) ? Thousands of brick workers blocked railroad tracks from a southern city to Cairo for a second day Sunday to protest rising industrial oil prices, causing the cancellation of some services, security officials said.

The government lifted industrial fuel oil subsidies last week as part of a reform program, prompting labor protests by quarry and brick factory workers.

Egypt has been gripped by unrest in recent days, partially because of public discontent with new government measures designed to deal with a crippling budget deficit. But the unrest has also been political, as criticism of President Mohammed Morsi's government is on the rise.

Opponents accuse Morsi and his government of failing to tackle Egypt's myriad problems, and of monopolizing power. The government says political bickering has hindered its ability to manage a serious economic crunch.

Khaled el-Hawari, a marketing executive in one of the brick factories, said industrial fuel oil prices increased by 50 percent, threatening the business and the lives of hundreds of workers who could be laid off.

"No one is listening to us or responding," he said. "We plan to protest outside the Cabinet next."

A security official said negotiations with the brick workers have continued, allowing some trains coming from the capital to get through to the south, but causing a large backlog of trains in Cairo. Nearly 20 train trips to Cairo were cancelled.

The official said that the workers removed tracks for trains heading one direction near Beni Suef, 70 miles south from Cairo, and put wood planks on the other.

A worker at the Beni Suef station said thousands of disgruntled passengers had to rely on road transportation, as vehicles and minivans crowded outside the train station to pick up the backlog. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

The security official said some trains traveling from Cairo were passing through. He also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Hundreds of Workers in a quarry in the province of Kafr el-Sheikh, some 50 miles north of Cairo, stormed the local government building forcing its staff to evacuate. The workers are demanding permanent employment in the factory. They chanted against the recently appointed local governor, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi's political group.

Security only arrived later to the building, and evacuated the protesting workers, a security official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Residents of the coastal city of Port Said, at the northern tip of the Suez Canal, pressed their general strike which entered its second week on Sunday. The city has practically come to a halt as thousands of workers from the main industrial area joined the strike.

Port Said residents are angered by the killing of more than 40 residents in clashes with security forces in the city following a court order they deemed unjust. The protesters are demanding a thorough investigation into what they say was the security agencies responsibility, and Morsi's political responsibility, in the killing of civilians. The government so far has promised a new investigation, but it has yet to begin.

Shipping in the Suez Canal has not been affected. But protesters have blocked the road leading to the East Port in Port Said, a major container terminal, preventing workers from getting to the quay and obstructing loading and offloading of ships.

Calls for a civil strike in line with Port Said have spread around Egypt. A group of protesters have blocked the entrance to a major administrative building in Cairo's Tahrir Square, stopping citizens from entering and prompting small scuffles.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-24-Egypt/id-af77136eea1d4f0f93bb5ff2f0e080c8

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Pope gives final Sunday blessing before resigning

In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI delivers his blessing during his last Angelus noon prayer, from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Benedict XVI gave his pontificate's final Sunday blessing from his studio window to the cheers of tens of thousands of people packing St. Peter's Square, but sought to reassure the faithful that he wasn't abandoning the church by retiring to spend his final years in prayer. The 85-year-old Benedict is stepping down on Thursday evening, the first pope to do so in 600 years, after saying he no longer has the mental or physical strength to vigorously lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, ho)

In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI delivers his blessing during his last Angelus noon prayer, from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Benedict XVI gave his pontificate's final Sunday blessing from his studio window to the cheers of tens of thousands of people packing St. Peter's Square, but sought to reassure the faithful that he wasn't abandoning the church by retiring to spend his final years in prayer. The 85-year-old Benedict is stepping down on Thursday evening, the first pope to do so in 600 years, after saying he no longer has the mental or physical strength to vigorously lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, ho)

Faithful hold up a banner with pictures of Pope Benedict XVI and writing reading in Italian "Thank you" as they attend Benedict's last Angelus prayer, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Benedict XVI gave his pontificate's final Sunday blessing from his studio window to the cheers of tens of thousands of people packing St. Peter's Square, but sought to reassure the faithful that he wasn't abandoning the church by retiring to spend his final years in prayer. The 85-year-old Benedict is stepping down on Thursday evening, the first pope to do so in 600 years, after saying he no longer has the mental or physical strength to vigorously lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

Faithful attend Pope Benedict XVI's last Angelus prayer, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Benedict XVI gave his pontificate's final Sunday blessing from his studio window to the cheers of tens of thousands of people packing St. Peter's Square, but sought to reassure the faithful that he wasn't abandoning the church by retiring to spend his final years in prayer. The 85-year-old Benedict is stepping down on Thursday evening, the first pope to do so in 600 years, after saying he no longer has the mental or physical strength to vigorously lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

Pope Benedict XVI delivers his blessing during his last Angelus noon prayer, from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Benedict XVI gave his pontificate's final Sunday blessing from his studio window to the cheers of tens of thousands of people packing St. Peter's Square, but sought to reassure the faithful that he wasn't abandoning the church by retiring to spend his final years in prayer. The 85-year-old Benedict is stepping down on Thursday evening, the first pope to do so in 600 years, after saying he no longer has the mental or physical strength to vigorously lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

Nuns pray as they wait for Pope Benedict XVI's last Angelus prayer, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Benedict XVI gave his pontificate's final Sunday blessing from his studio window to the cheers of tens of thousands of people packing St. Peter's Square, but sought to reassure the faithful that he wasn't abandoning the church by retiring to spend his final years in prayer. The 85-year-old Benedict is stepping down on Thursday evening, the first pope to do so in 600 years, after saying he no longer has the mental or physical strength to vigorously lead the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? Pope Benedict XVI bestowed his final Sunday blessing of his pontificate on a cheering crowd in St. Peter's Square, explaining that his waning years and energy made him better suited to the life of private prayer he soon will spend in a secluded monastery than as leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

On Thursday evening, the 85-year-old German-born theologian will become the first pope to have resigned from the papacy in 600 years.

Sunday's noon appearance from his studio window overlooking the vast square was his next-to-last appointment with the public of his nearly eight-year papacy. Tens of thousands of faithful and other admirers have already asked the Vatican for a seat in the square for his last general audience Wednesday.

Perhaps emotionally buoyed by the warm welcome, thunderous applause and the many banners reading "Grazie" (Thanks) held up in the crowd estimated by police to number 100,000, Benedict looked relaxed and sounded energized, in sharp contrast to his apparent frailty and weariness of recent months.

In a strong and clear voice, Benedict told the pilgrims, tourists and Romans in the square that God had called him to dedicate himself "even more to prayer and meditation," which he will do in a monastery being renovated for him on the grounds behind Vatican City's ancient walls.

"But this doesn't mean abandoning the church," he said, as many in the crowd looked sad at his approaching departure. "On the contrary, if God asks me, this is because I can continue to serve it (the church) with the same dedication and the same love which I have tried to do so until now, but in a way more suitable to my age and to my strength."

The phrase "tried to" was the pope's adlibbed addition to his prepared text.

Benedict smiled in pleasure at the crowd after an aide parted the white curtain at his window and he gazed at the people packing the square, craning their head for a look at him. Giving greetings in several languages, he gratefully acknowledged what he said was an outpouring of "gratitude, affection and closeness in prayer" since he stunned the church and its 1.2 billion members on Feb. 11 with his decision to renounce his papacy and retreat into a world of contemplation.

"Prayer is not isolating oneself from the world and its contradictions," Benedict told the crowd. He said he had heard God's call to prayer, "which gives breath to our spiritual life" in a special way "at this moment of my life."

Heavy rain had been forecast for Rome, and some drizzle dampened the square earlier in the morning. But when Benedict appeared, to the peal of church bells as the clock struck noon, blue sky crept through the clouds.

"We thank God for the sun he has given us," the pope said.

Even as the cheering continued and shouts of "Long live the pope" went up in Italian and Spanish, the pontiff simply turned away from his window and stepped back down into the apartment, which he will leave Thursday, taking a helicopter to the Vatican summer residence in the hills outside Rome while he waits for the monastery to be ready.

A child in the crowd held up a sign on a yellow placard, written in Italian, "You are not alone, I'm with you."

No date has yet been set for the start of the conclave of cardinals, who will vote in secret to elect Benedict's successor.

"Now there will be two popes," said the Rev. Vilmar Pavesi, a Portuguese priest who was among the throngs in the square. "There will be the pope of Rome, the elected pope, and there will be the bishop emeritus of Rome, who will live the life of a monk inside the Vatican walls."

One Italian in the crowd seemed to be doing a little campaigning, hoisting a sign which mentioned the names of two Italian cardinals considered by observers to be potential contenders in the selection of the next pontiff.

Flags in the crowd represented many nations, with a large number from Brazil.

The cardinals in the conclave will have to decide whether it's time to look outside of Europe for a pope. The papacy was considered the realm of Italian prelates for centuries, until a Pole, John Paul II, was elected as pontiff in 1978, to be followed in 2005 by the German-born Benedict.

Crucially, Italian prelates have continued to run the behind-the-scenes machinery of the church's governance, and cardinals will likely be deciding what role the Italians might have played in a series of scandals clouding the central bureaucracy, including allegations of corruption and power-grabbing.

Benedict has not made any direct comment on details of the scandals.

In one of his last papal tweets, Benedict wrote Sunday in English: "In these momentous days, I ask you to pray for me and for the church, trusting as always in divine providence."

___

AP reporter Paolo Santalucia contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-24-EU-Vatican-Pope/id-15e56d15320841a498784a0eae2833d3

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First lady to press governors on veterans' jobs

WASHINGTON (AP) ? First lady Michelle Obama will challenge governors to make it easier for military members to transfer their skills to civilian jobs.

Mrs. Obama wants states to pass legislation or take executive action allowing veterans to receive professional credentials or licenses based on their experiences in the military. Administration officials said that would allow veterans to apply for jobs more quickly rather than having to take courses for skills they already have.

Mrs. Obama will announce her proposals Monday during remarks to governors who are in Washington for their annual meeting. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will also address the governors during the event at the White House.

The veterans' initiatives are part of Mrs. Obama's "Joining Forces" program, which aims to help veterans and their families. The program has focused in particular on assisting military personnel find civilian jobs, an effort that is expected to take on more urgency as more than 60,000 U.S. troops return home from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

Mrs. Obama will ask states to focus in particular on making it easier for veterans to obtain credentials and licenses for commercial driving, nursing, and emergency medical services, administration officials said. The White House has outlined suggested legislative language states can use for implementing the changes.

Officials did not have an estimate for how much it would cost states to implement the credentialing programs. But they suggested the programs could eventually be a cost-saver by keeping veterans off unemployment.

Mrs. Obama has previously called on states to help military spouses transfer their state-specific credentials when their families move due to changes in deployment. Seventeen states have passed such legislation over the past year, joining 11 states that already had laws on the books.

The officials requested anonymity in order to speak ahead of Mrs. Obama's announcement.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/first-lady-press-governors-veterans-jobs-110140579--politics.html

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Steve Jobs' Birthday: Remembering a Visionary

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Protesting workers block rail lines to Cairo

ASSIUT, Egypt (AP) ? Thousands of brick workers blocked railroad tracks from a southern city to Cairo for a second day Sunday to protest rising industrial oil prices, causing the cancellation of some services, security officials said.

The government lifted industrial fuel oil subsidies last week as part of a reform program, prompting labor protests by quarry and brick factory workers.

Egypt has been gripped by unrest in recent days, partially because of public discontent with new government measures designed to deal with a crippling budget deficit. But the unrest has also been political, as criticism of President Mohammed Morsi's government is on the rise.

Opponents accuse Morsi and his government of failing to tackle Egypt's myriad problems, and of monopolizing power. The government says political bickering has hindered its ability to manage a serious economic crunch.

Khaled el-Hawari, a marketing executive in one of the brick factories, said industrial fuel oil prices increased by 50 percent, threatening the business and the lives of hundreds of workers who could be laid off.

"No one is listening to us or responding," he said. "We plan to protest outside the Cabinet next."

A security official said negotiations with the brick workers have continued, allowing some trains coming from the capital to get through to the south, but causing a large backlog of trains in Cairo. Nearly 20 train trips to Cairo were cancelled.

The official said that the workers removed tracks for trains heading one direction near Beni Suef, 70 miles south from Cairo, and put wood planks on the other.

A worker at the Beni Suef station said thousands of disgruntled passengers had to rely on road transportation, as vehicles and minivans crowded outside the train station to pick up the backlog. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

The security official said some trains traveling from Cairo were passing through. He also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Hundreds of Workers in a quarry in the province of Kafr el-Sheikh, some 50 miles north of Cairo, stormed the local government building forcing its staff to evacuate. The workers are demanding permanent employment in the factory. They chanted against the recently appointed local governor, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, Morsi's political group.

Security only arrived later to the building, and evacuated the protesting workers, a security official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Residents of the coastal city of Port Said, at the northern tip of the Suez Canal, pressed their general strike which entered its second week on Sunday. The city has practically come to a halt as thousands of workers from the main industrial area joined the strike.

Port Said residents are angered by the killing of more than 40 residents in clashes with security forces in the city following a court order they deemed unjust. The protesters are demanding a thorough investigation into what they say was the security agencies responsibility, and Morsi's political responsibility, in the killing of civilians. The government so far has promised a new investigation, but it has yet to begin.

Shipping in the Suez Canal has not been affected. But protesters have blocked the road leading to the East Port in Port Said, a major container terminal, preventing workers from getting to the quay and obstructing loading and offloading of ships.

Calls for a civil strike in line with Port Said have spread around Egypt. A group of protesters have blocked the entrance to a major administrative building in Cairo's Tahrir Square, stopping citizens from entering and prompting small scuffles.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/protesting-workers-block-rail-lines-cairo-153728455.html

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