Morning Brief: Pope Benedict XVI announces he will resign

Top news: Pointing to an ailing "mind and body," Pope Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign, the first leader of the Roman Catholic Church to do so since 1415. 

'In today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of St. Peter and proclaim the gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me,' the pope said. 'For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom, I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of St. Peter.'

Appointed in 2005, at the age of 78, Benedict XVI -- born Joseph Ratzinger in Bavaria, Germany -- was the oldest pope appointed since the 18th century, and the last few years of his tenure have been marked by declining health and increasing frailty. But during his tenure, Benedict guided the church through an ever-widening sexual abuse scandal, and though his response to the crisis has been criticized, he met with victims and apologized for the abuse.

Benedict's resignation sets the table for a papal conclave in mid-March that is likely to see a heated argument over the church's future. The church has seen its power wane in Europe, but is on the rise in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and the appointment of a non-European pope would represent a watershed moment in the church's history as it seeks to maintain its position into the 21st century.

United States: A National Intelligence Estimate -- a report summarizing the consensus views of U.S. spy agencies -- has concluded that the United States faces a sustained cyber-espionage effort undertaken largely by China and aimed at stealing commercial secrets. Much of the Chinese effort has been directed at U.S. companies -- including finance, information technology, and aerospace firms -- and the report concludes that the hacking constitutes a threat to U.S. competitiveness.