cnn's ben wedeman is standing by live in rome with the very latest developments in this case. re does this case go from here? >> reporter: well, we understand from the presiding judges that in 60 days, they will publish their reasoning for this decision to overturn the october 2011 acquittal for amanda knox and her former boyfriend, raffaele sollecito. now, after he publishes that, the defense and the prosecution has 45 days to put forward their argument. so, we're really talking about, perhaps, possibly a trial some time in the middle of the summer, but it's a convoluted, lengthy process. but certainly, this ruling, which came out about 18 minutes ago from the italian supreme court behind me, comes as something of a surprise. this morning i mentioned to one of the defense lawyers, saying that he was confident that the court would uphold the acquittal. so, yes, now we're looking ahead to another trial, perhaps just as sensational as the last for raffaele sollecito and amanda knox. >> a lot of people are simply going to be shocked by this information this morning. i know you sai

ben wedeman is in vatican city.shows us why people are calling this pope a man of the people. >> fred, benedict was the intellectual pope. francis is quickly shaping up to be the people's pope. it could be any pope, greeting wishpers one by one after sunday's mass, but it wasn't any church and it wasn't any priest. it was pope francis at the santa anna parish church in the vatican. his charm offensive moving full steam ahead, he stepped outside the vatican and into italian territory to greet well wishers. >> i was watching some of the video when he came out of the church. obviously, he's very personable, really connecting with the people. >> in his first sunday as pope, francis appeared at the window of his papal apartment, overlooking a packed st. peter's square, speaking of forgiveness and compassion. he wasn't providing free advertising for a cardinal whose writing he praised. he ended his message with a simple wish. have a good sunday, and have a good lunch. just four days on the job, and pope francis is already

>> ben wedeman. thanks, ben. appreciate it. back in september i had a chance to sit down with amanda knox's ex-boyfriend raffaele sollecito and i asked him about what he thought about the potential of a retrial. this is what he told me back then in september. prosecutors would like to continue with this case. and that's, i guess, in theory could mean you could go back to prison. >> it's far away, so it's not -- they can't do that yet. >> are you worried about it, though? >> well, i'm a bit worried. but i'm still -- i wrote the book because this has been an opportunity to make all the people understand the truth. if all the people realize the truth of this case, then i have nothing to worry against. because i'm innocent. >> that was raffaele sollecito. he had just written a book about his life, and the trial. be sure to watch cnn's latest on this story, of course. and then on friday night, anderson cooper has a special report called "murder abroad: the amanda knox story" at 10:00 p.m. eastern. >>> another big court case we're fo

i want to talk to ben wedeman. john allen saying the one group in the entire world not charmed by pope francis might not be his security detail. ben? we'll try to reach ben wedeman now. >> no, no, here i am. the pope is coming back for his second turn here. obviously security is a problem with this pope who's been described as unpredictable. as you can see, he's not within the glass enclosed normally where he would be on this popemobile. i'm going to step out of the way so you can see him. there he is, quite close. the the security detail obviously having a very hard time. in fact, yesterday one of the italian newspapers quoted a member of pope francis's security detail saying if he carries on with this unpredictable behavior, he's going to drive us all crazy. obviously very difficult job dealing with a pope who seems to want to do what he wants to do and stepping away from protocol and predictability. >> the crowds are loving it and all the access. the fact that he's getting out of the pope mobile. he's sharing han

ben wedeman, cnn, rome. >> a deadly explosion rocks a town in central mexico.f injured climbs to more than 150. we have more video of the chaotic scene when we return. return. [ man ] i got this citi thankyou card and started earning loads of points. we'll leave that there. you got a weather balloon, with points? yes i did. [ man ] points i could use for just about anything. go. ♪ keep on going in this direction. take this bridge over here. there it is! [ man ] so i used mine to get a whole new perspective. [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] earn points with the citi thankyou card and redeem them for just about anything. visit citi.com/thankyoucards to apply. >> grant:continuing our world at least 13 people are dead and more than 150 hurt tonight after a truck carrying fireworks exploded. authorities say the blast happened late last night in the central mexican city of nativitas. a the truck was on its way to a religious procession when live firework set off for the festival landed in a truck filled with other fireworks. the number of those injured now up to 154 p

earlier tonight, i spoke with cnn's ben wedeman who was at the court in rome for today's hearing and the correspondent for the daily beast. ben, many expected there was going to be a ruling tonight. it looks like it won't come down until tomorrow morning, is that correct? >> reporter: that's right. we were told earlier today we should be expecting some sort of announcement regarding this verdict at 9:00 p.m. however, at 9:00 p.m., a judge came out of the supreme court building behind me and announced we would hear the announcement at 10:00 tomorrow morning, that's 5:00 a.m. your time. >> you say we shouldn't read too much into that delay. >> no, i don't think we should read too much into it. this appellate court today heard 14 cases, of which the knox case was certainly the most high profile but it wasn't the most complicated, and you know the head of this court is 76 years old. it's 9:30 at night. maybe he just needed a good night of sleep. the fact they're going to announce it at 10:00 tomorrow morning i think gives us an indication that they do, are honing in on their idea of what

>> thanks so much, ben wedeman in rome. in about 30 minutes, we will talk to a vatican analyst about some of the leading contenders. >>> in dozens of country around the world where women are considered second-class citizens and people are imprisoned for being gay, a new document will soon ban all forms of discrimination. the document is a new charter for the commonwealth of nation. the common swath voluntary group of 54 independent nations headed up by britain's queen elizabeth. tomorrow, the queen will sign the charter. skid cnn's royal correspondent, max foster, the significance of all of this. >> reporter: this is the first time that the commonwealth has had a single doctrine setting out the core values of the organization and the aspiration of its members. as you say, there will be an element of this document that opposes all forms of discrimination, whether in jender, race, color, creed, political belief or other grounds and those other grounds being -- the feeling is that is about sexuality, they didn't want to put se

i asked ben wedeman which is the strongest contenders. >> reporter: every day, you see a list of theop contenders, a guessing game at this point. there are three -- two major trends when it.does to the top candidates, those outside the roman curia interested in seeing a new face, somebody who can manage the affairs of the vatican. the traditionalists are looking more in the direction of angela scola, the cardinal from milan. he is a man who has got one foot in the italian catholic church and another foot in the vatican, somebody who knows very well the affairs of the vatican state. but then you hear other names, for instance, like peter turkson of ghana, that he is somebody that those who want to see a completely different character to the papacy, they would like to see somebody like him. as i said, every single day you hear different candidates being discussed and at this point, we are just going to have to wait, frederica, for that white smoke. >> thank you so much, ben wedeman in rome. >>> here in the u.s., a terrible accident. six teenagers are kill and two others injured in a si

ben wedeman, cnn, rome. >> all right, ben, thank you very much. at half past the hour, almost. check the headlines on cnn. dead of winter? no. almost april. a fierce spring storm, snow storm, springtime snow storm hammered st. louis today. also kansas city, indianapolis and it's coming down hard right now in central ohio as well. the storm brought airports and highways to a standstill in half a dozen states today. the supreme court is set to consider historic cases on same-sex marriage in a couple of days. the political stakes are huge. president barack obama announced support of same-sex marriage and rob portman became the first sitting gop senator to support same-sex marriage. some opponents say voters should decide the issue, not supreme court justices. >>> a huge crowd gathered to hear the new pope lead palm sunday prayers. ♪ the pope broke with tradition at start of the ceremony, greeting the crowd in an open jeep instead of a bulletproof pope mobile. during the message pope francis urged followers to shun corruption and greed. >>> it is probably everyone's biggest fear ab

ben wedeman.here was one person who definitely did not want francis to become pope. >> someone rather close to him, knows him very well. the former argentine cardinal, we are talking about his sister, maria. take a listen to what she said. >>. >> translator: i pray that he wouldn't get elected. during the conclave, i was praying that the holy spirit would intervene and not listen to my prayers. and it didn't listen to me. >> translator: it didn't listen to you? >> no, it did as it pleased. >> she's very happy for her brother and it's quite likely her life will change, too. you can imagine the media folks hounding her. >> we're not going to leave her alone. >> forget about it. >> want to get back to a top story. financial crisis brewing in europe. cyprus needing a bailout. the country's parliament ready to vote on a plan that includes one-time tax on most of the country's bank accounts. >> controversial stuff. let's bring in richard quest, he's in london, jim bolden is in nick casilla. imagine what

ben wedeman, thanks so much from rome. >>> earlier today the u.s. senate passed its version of the federal budget. it's mostly symbolic since it is nonbinding. it lays out the senate's priorities, which are vastly different from the house budget passed by the republican majority. the senate plan increases government spending and it would also repeal the automatic spending cuts. those cuts are still enforced. we look at the ripple effects and how it will impact workers. >> reporter: herndon, virginia, is right outside of washington. the businesses that depend on them, here they are already feeling the the effects of those steep budget cuts put into place three weeks ago and the reality is sinking in. those cuts are here to stay. >> it's getting real. i was hoping congress would come together. as we go on now, they still have not come up with an agreement. >> reporter: keith fixes computers for the customs and border protection agency. he's learned he will have to stay home from his job for 14 days so the agency can save money. that will cost him 20%

>> thanks so much, ben wedeman. wow, lots of vigor coming from the selection of pope francis.o see people excited like that. >> i love it. >> hey, don, how are you? >> great. i like the green. >> i like the green, too. >> we're matching today. okay, fred, could you have heard this? let me explain. rand paul, sarah palin, newt gingrich, bring it back to both of us, so there's this panel at cpac, and it's called are you tired of being called a racist when you know you're not one. so that was -- enough said with that. there was a disturbance that broke out because there's a gentleman, who is a frederick douglass republican, so an african-american republican, and a gentleman stands up and says he feels disenfranchised and the moderate explains, he reads a letter and says he forgives him, and the guy says why? for providing him with food and shelter? and that's when the argument breaks out. >> i think ten years, he writes a letter to the former slave owner and said, i forgive you. >> for giving him shelter and food all this time? >> no. >> okay, and then it goes on after this. >> o

our senior international correspondent ben wedeman is there. ben, you are in the crowd. paint a picture this morning. >> reporter: it's a beautiful day here in rome unlike yesterday when it was raining and windy. there are lots of people coming here. now the italian authorities have made public transportation in rome free until 2:00 p.m. to ensure that as many people as possible can come here. now we understand the capacity for st. peter's square and the road leading up to it is about 250 thousand people. the rome authorities said yesterday they expected perhaps a mill. that might be something of an over estimate. today is a normal working day in rome. lots of people who might want to come might not be able to come. we see a lot of security, a lot of people, a lot of police making their way up the road to attend this historic ceremony. zoraida. >> i saw some pictures yesterday of some chairs being set out. are there official tickets also for the celebration today? >> our understanding is this is very much a vip ceremony as far as anything beyond the square itself. so as

ben wedeman now updates us on where the case stands. >> an emotionally overcome amanda knox is led from an italian courtroom moments after learning she was free at last. the murder conviction against her and former boyfriend overturned on appeal. that was october 2011. they had spent four years in prison for the 2007 sexual assault and murder of her roommate, british exchange student meredith kirjer. knox and meredith had been studying language and culture. knox's tearful return to her family home in seattle washington seemed like the end of her ordeal. but it may not have been the end after all. the prosecution is demanding a retrial and will appeal the conviction before the italian supreme court in rome. the wheels of italian justice however grind slowly. if the acquittal is overturned, the case could go back to an appellate court. if that happens, knox might have to return to italy. if she refuses, the italian authorities could appeal to the u.s. government for her extradition. if the acquittal is upheld, it's case over. a native of the ivory coast who was raised is serving a 16-year

don. >> ben wedeman, thank you very much. >>> venezuela's presidential election could take place in a matter of weeks. state television is reporting the vote will be held on april 14th. until then, former vice president nicholas maduro will serve as leader. he was sworn in yesterday. the opposition criticized the move as unconstitutional. a long-time leader hugo chavez died tuesday. >>> former south african president nelson mandela is in the hospital again. the presidential office released a statement saying the 94-year-old is being treated for an existing condition and stress, that is all part of a routine check up. he was recently treated for a lung infection and gallstones. >>> controversial court verdict surrounding last year's deadly soccer riots in egypt are triggering a new explosion of anger. thousands of people protested in port said after the court confirmed death sentences against 21 defendants. in it cairo, where most of the 21 victims were from, celebrations initially broke out but it quickly turned violate after the court also acquitted seven police officers. >>> two peo

very humble. >> want to bring in our ben wedeman joining us live from rome.pope francis really shaking things up a little bit there, huh? >> yeah. shaking things up. also shaking up his security a bit. one of the italian newspapers quoted a member of his security detail after that incident when he walked out into the streets of rome saying if he keeps this up, we're going to all go crazy. >> well, i can imagine it is giving them heart attacks. talk about inauguration tomorrow. what's likely to happen? we've touched on the guest list, but also robert is there despite an eu travel ban, is that being talked about? >> it's being talked about, but according to the protocol between the vatican and italy going back to 1929, there's no interference by italy with visitors to the vatican. and according to what i've read, robert is described as a roman catholic. >> what happens at the inauguration then? what do we expect? >> well, the pope is going to be out early in the pope mobile going around st. peter's square and then there's going to be a special mass on the occas

ben wedeman has more now. >> the massive doors have opened for popes since 1626.nly here could he escape the pressures of the job. that was pope benedict xiv, back in the 1700s. benedict xvi, as poem emeritus, will spend several months in this traditional summer residence of popes before returning to the vatican to live in the convent being specially prepared for his retirement. going back to roman times, this hills south of the city have been popular with the rich and powerful. it's a great place to go to escape the heat and humidity of the roman summer. it's comprised of 55 hectors, almost 136 acres of manicured gardens, olive groves, orchards, and pastures, home of frescotti wine. history runs deep here. this tunnel dates back to roman times. for more recent days, you can see the damage from allied bombing during world war ii. the staff here account that thousands of local residents took refuge here during the war, and the papal bedroom was converted into a delivery room where as many as 50 babies were born. the director of pontifical villas says he doesn't exp

ben wedeman, cnn, rome. >> all right, ben.e most powerful images from the war in iraq. the marlboro marine. this picture made that marina hero, and then his life fell apart. we'll hear from him right after this. i know what you're thinking... transit fares! as in the 37 billion transit fares we help collect each year. no? oh, right. you're thinking of the 1.6 million daily customer care interactions xerox handles. or the 900 million health insurance claims we process. so, it's no surprise to you that companies depend on today's xerox for services that simplify how work gets done. which is...pretty much what we've always stood for. with xerox, you're ready for real business. earning loads of points. we'll leave that there. you got a weather balloon, with points? yes i did. [ man ] points i could use for just about anything. go. ♪ keep on going in this direction. take this bridge over here. there it is! [ man ] so i used mine to get a whole new perspective. [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] earn points with the citi thankyou card

ben wedeman, cnn, rome. >> all right, ben. of the most powerful images from the war in iraq. the marlboro marine. this picture made that marina hero, and then his life fell apart. we'll hear from him right after this. e can understand 5,000 data samples per second. which is good for business. because planes use less fuel, spend less time on the ground and more time in the air. suddenly, faraway places don't seem so...far away. ♪ earning loads of points. we'll leave that there. you got a weather balloon, with points? yes i did. [ man ] points i could use for just about anything. go. ♪ keep on going in this direction. take this bridge over here. there it is! [ man ] so i used mine to get a whole new perspective. [ laughter ] [ male announcer ] earn points with the citi thankyou card and redeem them for just about anything. visit citi.com/thankyoucards to apply. you want to make sure it goes up and stays up. [ chirp ] with android apps, you get better quality control. so our test flights are less stressful. i've got a lot of pape

ben wedeman is going to take us inside where benedict is going to spend the next few weeks.r our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. [ construction sounds ] ♪ [ watch ticking ] [ engine revs ] come in. ♪ got the coffee. that was fast. we're outta here. ♪ [ engine revs ] ♪ >>> one-time nba star dennis rodman is in north korea of all places on a basketball diplomacy mission. he's sitting next to kim jung un, apparently his new best friend. we'll explain ahead. >>> tonight, the catholic church is without a leader. benedict xvi papacy ended at 2:15 today. in his final hours as pope, he said his farewells, starting with his cardinals who would elect his successor. benedict is the first pontiff in almost six centuries to retire as leader of the world's catholics. he spoke with the cardinals and then he boarded a helicopter as he flew off to his summer home castle gandolfo. the bells of st. peter's basilica tolled as he lifted off, and they watched on television screens and cheers. then he was greeted by another cheering crowd.

ben wedeman has more now. >> the massive doors have opened for popes since 1626.ope benedict once wrote, only here could he escape the pressures of the job. that was pope benedict xiv, back in the 1700s. benedict xvi, as poem emeritus, will spend several months in this traditional summer residence of popes before returning to the vatican to live in the convent being specially prepared for his retirement. going back to roman times, this hills south of the city have been popular with the rich and powerful. it's a great place to go to escape the heat and humidity of the roman summer. it's comprised of 55 hectors, almost 136 headache e acres of gardens, olive groves, orchards, and pastures, home of fres caughty wine. history runs deep here. this tunnel dates back to roman times. for more recent days, you can see the damage from allied bombing during world war ii. the staff here account that thousands of local residents took refuge here during the war, and the papal bedroom was converted into a delivery room where as many as 50 babies were born. the director of pontifi

i want to take you straight to rome to our senior international correspondent, ben wedeman, and, ben, as we eventually weigh this decision from the court, we know amanda knox, she's back in seattle, she's been penning this book, attending college. if italy does attempt to retry this case, how does this work? how can the italian judicial system force her on a plane? >> reporter: well, they really can't. they need to -- the italian government needs to request her extradition from the united states, and there is no guarantee at this point that the united states would agree. now, and also, if this court, the italian supreme court, rules that the acquittal that took place in october of 2011 is invalid, it will have to go back to another appeals court in florence and so the timing is not at all clear at this point or the mechanics of how this would be done. now, we have been told by one of amanda knox's lawyers that they are expecting an announcement from the court within the next two hours. so we're waiting to hear what they decide. it was fairly lengthy procedure today, normally in these

peter. >> and ben wedeman joining me now from rome.know any more about a possible front-runner? >> reporter: no, we don't. i mean, really, fredericka, there are a lot of names being bandied about. in fact, on the wall in one of our offices, we have all the pictures of the so-called potential candidates. and the pictures are getting quite a few. we've got about 15 at this point. i mean, if you talk to veteran vatican watchers, they'll mention two names as possible front-runners. one is angela scola, the archbishop of milan, a man who really represents sort of the italian establishment within the vatican. another name you often hear mentioned is mark ouillet of canada, part of those who would like to see a non-european face in the vatican. >> all right. names we'll be watching and listening out for. thanks so much. ben wedeman in rome. >>> back here in the u.s., austin, texas, is the place to be this weekend. the latest music, film and technology that you can find at the south by southwest festival. we'll take you there next. it's not wh

ben wedeman, our senior international correspondent in rome for us right now. and as we mentioned, there is still a lot going on. still a lot to do here before the conclave even begins to then decide who the next pope is. what is taking them so long? >> reporter: well, certainly what we saw all week, brooke, was some very intense discussions among the cardinals talking about issues of governance, some of the leaks that have taken place over the last few years with the vatican, a lot to discuss, a lot to deal with before they finally got around, after five days of discussions, to deciding upon the date of the conclave. and as you said, they still have a lot of work to do yet before they go tuesday afternoon into the conclave. they'll just have one vote in the sistine chapel on tuesday, followed by four a day until they finally come up with that white smoke declaring we have a pope. >> ben wedeman, before we see that white smoke, though, i know there are people betting on this. we have talked about the sweet sistine. who are some of the favorites for the next pop

cnn's ben wedeman is live in rome with the very latest. ng, ben. >> good morning, christine. the supreme court began listening to the case of amanda knox about 45 minutes ago. now they're looking at a total of 14 separate cases today. but their decision will determine whether amanda knox is, indeed, free of all charges or she will have to go okay ban trial. an emotionally overcome amanda knox is led from an italian courtroom moments after learning she was free at last. the murder conviction against her and former boyfriend raffaele sollecito overturned on appeal. that was october 2011. they had spent four years in prison for the 2007 sexual assault and murder of her roommate, british exchange student meredith kercher. it was a tabloid case that riveted the media, attracting an army of journalists to the medieval town of perugia where knox and kercher had been studying italian language and culture. knox's tearful return to her family home in seattle, washington, seemed like the end of her ordeal. but it may not have been the end after all. t

ben wedeman, cnn, rome. >> ben, thank you.ii were elected in just two days. the conclave for john paul i was just one day. >>> a busy airport fails a major test of its security reportedly letting a man get through screening with a fake bomb, yes, a bomb, in his pants. capella university understands rough economic times have led to an increase in clinical depression. drug and alcohol abuse is up. and those dealing with grief don't have access to the professional help they need. when you see these issues, do you want to walk away or step up? with a degree in the field of counseling or psychology from capella university, you'll have the knowledge to make a difference in the lives of others. let's get started at capella.edu as well as they could because they don't take it with food. switch to citracal maximum plus d. it's the only calcium supplement that can be taken with or without food. my doctor recommends citracal maximum. it's all about absorption. my doctor recommends citracal maximum. the people of bp made a commitment to t

ben wedeman, cnn, rome. >>> it's still one of the most powerful images from iraq, the marlboro marineaches, fevers. and i relieve nasal congestion. overachiever. [ female announcer ] tylenol® cold multi-symptom nighttime relieves nasal congestion. nyquil® cold and flu doesn't. relieves nasal congestion. u >>> breaking news and this is history. the war in iraq is officially over. u.s. troops are moving across the board into kuwait. i remember that evening well when i announced on cnn that all u.s. combat troops left iraq. that was december of 2011. this week will mark the tenth anniversary of the iraq invasion. march 19th here in the states, march 20th baghdad time in 2003. america's part of the war may be over but iraq remains a violent and unstable place. a car bomb killed at least ten people just today in northern iraq. >>> remember this face? it remains one of the most powerful and lasting images of america's involvement in the iraq war. this is a u.s. marine. his photo was taken by a "los angeles times" photographer in falluja in 2004. we wanted to check in and see where this mari

let's get to ben wedeman in rome this morning. hey, ben. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, soledad. the news here is that the dean of the college of cardinals, anga angelo saldono has invited the cardinals to begin at 9:30 a.m. on monday. 3:30 eastern time. a session beginning at 5:00 in the afternoon on monday as well this is really a critical gathering of all cardinals. not just the 115 cardinals who will be participating in the conclave, but also those who are over the age of 80, and obviously, the first business on the agenda, will be setting a date for the conclave. >> ben wedeman updating us what happens next in rome. thank you, ben. pope benedict xvi the ever pope to open a twitter account, and he now is the first pope to close one. i guess he won't be tweeting as pope emeritus. the senate yesterday says this, thank you for your love and support. may you always experience the joy that comes from putting christ at the center of your lives. you can see here, account is called empty seat italian. and all of those tweets have been

our senior international correspondent ben wedeman is live if rome.reporter: yes, good morning. and people's pope he seems to be. we saw him yesterday at the mass where there were more than 200,000 people on this road behind me and in st. peter's square. earlier he had gone to a mass at a nearby church within the vatican and afterward he shocked his security by walking down the street and meeting a mob of well wishers who were just outside the gates of the vatican. for the security, however, it's becoming something of a nightmare, one member of the pope's security detail saying if he continues with behavior like this, we are going to go insane were the words he used. >> it seems to be working, though. catholics are desperate for change, let's put it that way. >> reporter: certainly if you talk toed people who have been coming here, they're very excited all over rome really the talk is about him, about the example he's setting. i spoke with a taxi driver this morning who told me he hopes that the pope will shame italian politicians into getting their a

i'm ben wedeman, reporting from rome. >> and in about a half hour, we'll talk to the rome bureau chiefout what is next in this long running legal battle for amanda knox. >>> other stories we're watching right now, north korea issues yet another threat saying it's putting its military units on combat-ready status. the north also says those units have the capability to target south korea and u.s. forces across the pacific. new threats come as the undercontinues military exercises with the south. >>> another massachusetts drug company pulling injectable drugs off the market saying foreign materials were found vialses of a dozen products. >>> the university of north carolina is under federal investigation over how it hams sexual assault cases. two women tell cnn school administrators brushed aside their complaints, did not take them seriously. and that's not all. david mattingly travelled to chapel hill in search of answers. all right after being sexually assaulted while enrolled in the university of north carolina, annie clark and andrea penal say they approached administrators for help b

senior international correspondent ben wedeman live in rome. so, ben, when is the announcement?ould be within three hours. we're expecting to hear from fed recompany lombardi, the spokesman for the vatican, who said that shortly after 7:00 p.m. local time, that's 1:00 p.m. your time, they will send out an announcement in this modern age via e-mail we're told. >> how long -- why did it take so long is the question? >> reporter: well, we understand from various sources vatican watchers and others that there was a lot to discuss, that the feeling was that pope benedict emeritus was a very good intellectual, but when it came to managing the vatican, there were a lot of things that were left unattended. so they've been discussing vatican finances, governance of the vatican, and there were apparently a lot of matters that they needed to really krclarify before they got around to actually setting a date for the conclave. now, as far as the at a tidate conclave, we're expecting sometime next week. what's interesting is italians condition tuesday and friday to be bad luck days, so it pro

ben wedeman is live in rome with the very latest. poppy. the court session has begun. they are looking at 14 different cases today, and amanda knox's case is case number nine. so we may be waiting for some time to hear whether this court decides this is the end for amanda knox's legal ordeal in italy. or it could be the beginning of yet another sensational trial. an emotionally overcome amanda knox is led from an italian courtroom moments after learning she was free at last. the murder conviction against her and former boyfriend raffaele sollecito overturned on appeal. that was october 2011. they had spent four years in prison for the 2007 sexual assault and murder of her roommate, british exchange student meredith kercher. it was a tabloid case that riveted the media, attracting an army of journalists to the medieval town of perugia where knox and kercher had been studying italian language and culture. knox's tearful return to her family home in seattle, washington, seemed like the end of her ordeal. but it may not have been the end

ben wedeman has more. >> tens of thousands crammed and to st.eter's square is the beginning of the holy week. the new pope has electrified a plane homily facing the challenges of the young, war weary. let us look are round he said and how many wounds are inflicted on humanity by evil. economic conflict and greed for money which nobody can take with them. as he did before his inauguration polk francis went through st. peter's square without the usual bullet proof plexiglas kissing babies and shaking hands. his security was challenged by his unpredictable ways. later he will break with tradition with a holy thursday ceremony and a juvenile prison. instead of traditional church. he is clearly determined to break tradition. >> passover begins at sundown tomorrow. all over the world, people are gathering to celebrate the holiday that commemorates the jewish people's escape from slavery in egypt. for seven days in israel-and eight days everywhere else- friends and family come together for festive seder meals packed with ritual foods. >> coming up the

ben wedeman is at castel sandan again lo in rome. the conclave. >> reporter: it will be fairly calm in vatican city. nothing really scheduled until 930 a.m. monday morning when the general congregation of cardinals begin. all cardinals, not just those participating in the conclave, but those over e80 will get together twice a day to discuss all of the issues facing the church at the moment. the first thing on the agenda for the general congregation will set a date for a conclave. when that happens, of course, the approximately 115 cardinal who's participate in the conclave will be completely secluded, cut off from the world, without cell phones, internet, no access to newspapers, radio, or television. they will vote four times a day, until they finally select a pope. john. >> what are these meetings this weekend mean for the front-runners, the people we consider the top contenders for the pope? >> well, what's going on behind the scenes is a lot of discussions. it's not politicking and sort of the classical sense, but the cardinals w

>> ben wedeman for us this morning. ank you, ben. >>> still ahead this morning on "starting point," trial aided by social media. tears and apologies in an ohio courtroom after a young woman's attackers are found guilty of rape. mostly due to their own texts and pictures and videos. we'll have a live report on that story straight ahead. today is gonna be an important day for us. you ready? we wanna be our brother's keeper. what's number two we wanna do? bring it up to 90 decatherms. how bout ya, joe? let's go ahead and bring it online. attention on site, attention on site. now starting unit nine. some of the world's cleanest gas turbines are now powering some of america's biggest cities. siemens. answers. >> announcer: did you know there are secret black market websites around the world that sell stolen identities? >> 30-year-old american man, excellent credit rating. >> announcer: lifelock monitors thousands of these sites 24 hours a day. and if we discover any of our members' data for sale, lifelock is there with the mo

but first, ben wedeman and the daily beast, barbie ladough on the court decision that could turn the new life she has upside down. ben, the judges haven't issued the reason behind their ruling, have they? >> reporter: no. in fact, they have up to 90 days, anderson, to do that and of course, then the prosecution and defense has 45 days to respond. so this is not a fast track case in any sense of the word. this could take quite awhile. >> can you explain exactly what is going on? a lot of people in the u.s. have been likening this to double jeopardy, being tried for the same crime twice. you say that's not an apt comparison. >> no, that's not right at all. italy has a three-tier system in which there are really three levels to every single criminal trial, whether a simple robbery or murder as complex as the murder of meredith kercher. in the first case the lower court makes a decision. in this case, they were convicted of the murder. in the second level which is the right by every defendant to appeal the first conviction if it's a conviction or for the prosecutor to appeal an acquittal

ben wedeman, thank you.affair with pope francis in rome. >> i'm a little worried about him. because he's so accessible, and you know, people who have to protect him, that's going to be an awesome job for them. >> it will be tough. but it's nice to see him out. >> it's great. it's great. i'm sure that they love it. but there are crazies out there. ten minutes past the hour. break out those brackets, berman, the field for the ncaa men's basketball tournament is set. louisville is the top seed in the midwest region and number one overall in the tournament. the other number one seed gonzaga in the west, indiana in the east and kansas in the south. last year's champion, kentucky, did not even make the tournament. we're filling out our brackets and you can compete against us. go to cnn.com/brackets and join the cnn group. >> a lot of talk about louisville. having a hard time not picking louisville to win. i don't want to but i might have to. >> don't tell me what you're doing. >> i'm being honest with you. coming

>> thanks so much, ben wedeman in vatican city. >>> at the bottom of the hour we'll hear from cardinalimothy dolan of new york. chris cuomo spoke to the cardinal about what it was like to take part in electing the pope. >>> and some nba history to share with you. the miami heat earlier today tied the houston roberts' 2008 record for second longest winning streak. 22 straight wins and the heat pick up that win right where it started the winning streak in february -- toronto. the heat beat the raptors 105-83. >>> nfl wide receiver dante stall cart is being treated for severe burns at a miami hospital. he and a female companion were hurt after a hot air balloon they were riding in crashed into a power line yesterday. stallworth's agent says the accident should hurt his ability to play football. >>> for more entertaining sports news, check out bleacherreport.com. >>> march madness is spreading across the country, beginning with right here. today is selection sunday. in just a few hours we'll know which 68 teams will be competing in this year's ncaa tournament. joining me from kansas city t

we'll talk about the significance of the mass with ben wedeman and the significance of what he is choosingant, soledad. normally the pope washes the feet of 12 retired priests. in this case, it will be at castel del marmo, where he will wash the feet of 12 inmates. out 5690 inmates in the prison are not italian. some from egypt, tunisia, other parts of europe and a high probability that many of those participating in the mass are not even catholic. so it's certainly the latest in a series of moves by pope francis to show he will do things his way. he's moved out of the papal apartment, living in a simple residence, he doesn't take his limousine. rather, the bus, so this is doing it his own way. >> coming back, right? with the basic message of jesus. simplify, deal with the poor and those who are without. i just think it's so stunning to hear that. >> he is bringing back kind of a social gospel side. >> ben wedeman, thank you for the report. amazing. >>> i want to see the video from that. wouldn't that be amazing? >>> still ahead, the nation's highest court heard arguments concerning the co

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ben wedeman as well, thanks so much.ned by ted simon, expert in international law who represents amanda knox. thanks for being with us. how confident are you this italian court will not overturn your client's acquittal? >> we're not in the business of prejudging any court's ruling but i think you have to understand what the legal landscape is and the procedural posture we're actually in. the appellate court jury had the authority and the jurisdiction to review whether or not the trial court committed any legal error, but they also had the authority and the jurisdiction to re-evaluate the facts and determine what the true facts were, and when they did that, they acted within their authority when they reopened, reinvestigated, re-evaluated and ultimately redetermined what the true facts were, and when they did that, whether it was regard to prosecution witness testimony, physical evidence or prosecution forensic conclusions, they ultimately determined that either it was absent, nonexistent, inaccurate, unreliable or simply

ben wedeman thank you very much.ciate it. >>> a south african judge has lifted bail restrictions on the former olympian oscar pistorius. back in february he was charged with murder for killing his girlfriend reeva stein camp. the story is still awaiting trial but he is now allowed to travel outside of south africa if invited to compete overseas. until it happens, his lawyer is going to hold on to his passport. pistorius is also now allowed to drink alcohol and return to his home where he shot his former girlfriend. >>> new details now in the tragic, tragic killing of the baby in georgia shot in the head while his mother was walking him in a stroller. two teenagers accused in the shooting have been indicted by a grand jury. some of the family members now are also in big trouble. victor blackwell is joining us from brunswick, georgia. i know the police just updated you on the case. what have we learned? >> reporter: three big headlines, suzanne. first, that the bullet that was used to kill little antonio, they say they

in fact randi kaye, i'll hold her off because ben wedeman is standing by live, is he? rome.rophone. very exciting that we finally have the date, i won't suggest that you've been alive for the last couple of conclaves, but this seems like a lengthy process just to get the date for the process. is it? >> reporter: yes, it certainly is. it's been a week now, rather five full days of meetings by more than 200 cardinals to decide on a date. they did decide it will be tuesday, the 12th of march according to a press release we received from the vatican press office in the morning on tuesday, the cardinals who will be participating in the conclave will take part in a special mass and of course at this point we have no idea how long the conclave will go. but really this general congregation of cardinals which includes not only the lectors, those 115 cardinals who will participate in the conclave, but those over the age of 80. they've been discussing a lot of weighty issues, governance of the church, financial matters, the various scandals that have racked the courage over thurch. so