Pope leaves Vatican on historic final day

VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI left the Vatican on Thursday for the last time as pontiff before he steps down as leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics, becoming the first pope to resign in 700 years.Benedict boarded a white helicopter emblazoned with the Vatican flag for the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo near Rome, flying over the Vatican for the last time as pope.As...

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Journalist: Threat was very clear

on your computer or on the CNN Apps for iPhone® and iPad®.iPhone, iPad and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.If you get CNN and HLN at home, you can watch them online and on the go for no additional chargeStart watch...

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Manning makes sudden admission in WikiLeaks case

Updated at 11:43 a.m. ET FORT MEADE, Md. An Army private charged in the biggest leak of classified material in U.S. history offered guilty pleas Thursday to 10 of 22 charges against him and a military judge said she would allow the soldier to read a statement explaining his actions. Pfc. Bradley Manning would plead guilty to sending hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the anti-secrecy...

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Benedict Departs Vatican for the Last Time as Pope

Pope Benedict XVI bade his final farewell to the faithful today, lifting off from the Vatican in a white helicopter as the first pope to resign in six centuries.Just before 5 p.m. local time, Benedict, 85, walked out of the Vatican for the last time as pope, waving to a cheering crowd in the Courtyard of San Damaso as he entered a black Mercedes for the short drive to a nearby...

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Benedict: Pope aware of his flaws?

Pope Benedict XVI delivers his last Angelus Blessing to thousands of pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter's Square on February 24.STORY HIGHLIGHTSSister Mary Ann Walsh: Pope Benedict acknowledged that he made mistakesWalsh: In firestorm over scholarly quotes about Islam, he went to great lengths to atoneWalsh: Similarly, he quickly reversed a decision that had angered Jews and repaired tiesEven his stepping...

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New Singapore ambassadors to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Switzerland

SINGAPORE: The government has appointed Mr Wong Kwok Pun as Singapore's first resident Ambassador to the State of Qatar, Mr Lawrence Anderson as Singapore's next Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Mr Tee Tua Ba as Singapore's Ambassador to Switzerland (resident in Singapore). Mr Wong and Mr Anderson will assume their post on 17 March 2013 and 30 March 2013 respectively.Mr...

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Pope: At times 'Lord seemed to sleep'

STORY HIGHLIGHTSBenedict XVI says there were "times when the Lord seemed to sleep" in past 8 yearsBenedict: The Roman Catholic Church has been through stormy waters, but God won't let it sink"I really felt all the support and all the love, the prayers," says a priest in the crowdHe is to leave office at 8 p.m. Thursday for a life of seclusion and prayerRome (CNN) -- In front of rapt crowds, Pope Benedict...

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Anti-virus firm makes new revelation on Stuxnet

Updated at 11:22 a.m. ET LONDON The sophisticated cyberweapon which targeted an Iranian nuclear plant is older than previously believed, an anti-virus firm said Tuesday, peeling back another layer of mystery on a series of attacks attributed to U.S. and Israeli intelligence. The Stuxnet worm, aimed at the centrifuges in Iran's Natanz plant, transformed the cybersecurity field because it was the...

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Bring on the Cuts: Some Want the Sequester

Mark Lucas wouldn't mind seeing America's defense budget cut by billions."There's quite a bit of waste within the military," Lucas, who serves as Iowa state director for the conservative group Americans for Prosperity (AFP), told ABC News. "Being in there for 10 years, I've seen quite a bit of it."With the budget sequester set to kick in on Friday, the former Army ranger is among...

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Vatican 'Gay lobby'? Probably not

STORY HIGHLIGHTSBenedict XVI not stepping down under pressure from 'gay lobby,' Allen saysAllen: Benedict is a man who prefers the life of the mind to the nuts and bolts of government However, he says, much of the pope's time has been spent putting out firesEditor's note: John L. Allen Jr. is CNN's senior Vatican analyst and senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter.(CNN) -- Suffice...

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