pilots for the first time. and the relatives of the missing flight will be flown over the search area on wednesday in a specially chartered airbus. that's according to airasia ceo. and as many as 180 family members will be flown. thanks for watching. our coverage continues now with errol barnett and rosemary church at the cnn center in atlanta. >> hello. well, it's actually john vause and robyn curnow. >> we'd like to welcome our viewers in the united states and all around the world. we are still covering that search for the missing airasia plane. and in the last few hours that search area has expanded again and crews are checking reports of smoke on an island in the search zone. plus, we'll take you live to indonesia where dozens of families are waiting for any

word on their missing loved ones. and still ahead, a survivor from the adriatic sea describes the terrifying moments before she was rescued. we begin with the search of airasia flight 5801. >> meanwhile, the search area is expanding yet again. it now covers 13 different zones and a vast stretch of the java sea, about 156,000 square kilometers. crews from south korea, japan, and united states are helping. the flight disappeared early sunday. it was flying with 162 people on board. >> let's head straight to surabaya for more on this story. andrew stevens is at the airport

there tracking developments. we just heard news about the families will be taken via plane to the search area. in that press conference, what was said? what did you hear? >> reporter: yeah, that's right, robin. this is a request, actually, from the families of the passengers. they want to go across the search zone because they want to pray. and they want to pray because they think that will help find some sort of resolution on what is still a mystery on where this plane is. they have made it quite chelearo airasia that they want this flight to happen. and airasia said absolutely. they will be on an airbus 320, the same type of plane that has disappeared. there should be room for 160-plus passengers on that. they have also invited some media on that flight as well. but that's about all the details we have at the moment. but certainly, airasia and authorities here have been doing

everything they can to increase the flow of information to the families here. they just set up a skype link with their headquarters of the search team in jakarta so they could ask questions first hand of the chiefs in charge of this search. and also there's been what is essentially a multi-denominational prayer service held just behind me, again, behind closed doors. there were two christian priests and a muslim cleric was there. they also have a buddhist on hand as well, who is also doing one on one conversations and prayer meetings with the families of the victims. so they are trying to get as much information to the families and give them as much as they can. the families obviously want information desperately. the scenes of anguish here, robyn are heart-rending. one of the images that really,

really stood out was a picture of a man with his head bowed, tears streaming down his cheeks, and his hand was resting on the shoulder of what i assume was his young son in front of him. so it gives you an idea of the anguish here of so many people. 155 passengers on that plane, plus the crew, of course, seven crew members all have relatives. all those relatives grieving, hoping against hope, but that hope must be fading now because it is well past 40 hours. still no sign. >> so many families involved. let's go down to some of the information that we're getting. suggestions that smoke is being seen on an island. is this credible? and even if it is, what would it tell us? >> reporter: well, it's credible in the fact that the indonesian search authorities have confirmed that there is smoke on an island in the search area. and if you put that in context, this is a search area that is expanding.

and you would think it would probably be contracting as the focus becomes narrower and narrower, but it is now expanding. 13 zones now under active investigation. it's a grid sort of formation. they, rescue teams are going to be going methodically through each of those. this is 156,000 square kilometers of search. that's roughly the size of california to give you an idea how big this is. the smoke has been confirmed. they are sending a team to investigate the source of that. we don't know yet. we have not been told by authorities whether they are actually at the site or not. smoke obviously is a pretty common feature in this region, technical particularly when they are burning off parts of jungle, plantations et cetera. but this is the rainy season, and they've got to follow every lead they've got. there are now 40 ships involved. 30 aircraft including helicopters over this vast, vast

area. and, you know, there are other reports they have to sort of verify. reports of fishermen seeing objects, all those things very reminiscent of what we saw in mh 370. so many reports in the first three or four days of oil slicks. of fishermen seeing strange flaming balls in the sky. et cetera, et cetera. all of those have to be checked out because we have this vast search area. anything falling within that search area has to be checked out. >> and we'll check in with you, andrew stevens in surabaya. >> we know when search crews got to perth and were looking for mh 370, they were delayed because of bad weather. and that seems to be a similar thing here too in the region. pedram javaheri standing by. and it's about to get worse. >> up until april, you've got the next five or sex months

where the winds are favorable for thunderstorms. the search box is in place here. the thunderstorms already in place. this is the current perspective. notice the last point of contact with the aircraft. major thunderstorms. plenty of cloud cover, another complex of thunderstorms again, on that second area with the search zone in place. the only area you're going to have partly cloudy skies is well to the north of the search area. an expansive region, and the current perspective as far as rainfall, plenty of it across the southern tier. and i want to take you into the morning hours. in this part of the world, unlike say, of course north america when you have thunderstorms blossom in the afternoon, the peak intensity here is around sun rise. once again, you go shortly after sun rise, surabaya, 5:15. also in the northern periphery. notice wednesday afternoon,

wednesday, 4:00, thunderstorms begin moving away from the water, migrate over to the land masses, but the sunsets around 5:30 or so. so you have about four hours per day every single day over the next couple days where rainfall will not be threatening the region, and we take you into thursday morning about 8:15 in the morning on thursday. look at the active line of weather again extending into the northern periphery of the search region. and this continues to be the theme throughout the next couple days. winds with this could be up around 50-mile-per-hour. that will produce significant white caps associated with this. and the rainfall, 3 to 4 inches. 80 to 90 millimeters expected in this region over the next two to three days. this is the wettest time of the year december into january. one thing we know, this is much shallower than we dealt with with mh 370.

but the bad thing about the lower and the shallow level here is that the current's going to be stronger in these shallow seas. the current's significantly stronger, a west to east flow. that could be a major issue over the next couple days as they try to zero in on potential debris across this region. we know the plane dealt with at least one line of very active weather, had a clearing in place tass moved over this region shortly after sun rise on sunday morning. and of course it goes beyond this into another complex of thunderstorms. so the uncertainty remains of what happened in that last 15, 20 minutes of flight. and the downdraft is something most prevalent in this region. >> there has been a lot of rain in that search zone since the plane disappeared? >> absolutely. there's been a lot of rain. it's a search zone that is quite expansive, the size of the country of greece. >> there's a fire burning since the plane went down and there's smoke, it seems unlikely three

days on that that fire is still going. >> they typically burn a lot of debris on those islands but this time of year because rain is falling not typically something you see. the daughter of flight 8501's captain has made an emotional plea for her father to come home safe lay. this is really heartbreaking. >> we're learning more about the two men at the controls of at that missing jet. here's joe johns. >> reporter: he is known by only one name, iranto. pictures on facebook confirm one of his hobbies. he is a fan of motorcycles. reports suggest he is a member of a motorcycle club. his daughter posted a picture of him on social media with this message, saying dad, please come back. i still need you. the family's brother died of diabetes days ago. he told the bbc i want my son to

come back alive. he was a veteran of the skies with more than 20,000 flying hours, of which 61 ho00 hours o the airbus. more hours than chesley sullenberger who executed the landing on the hudson. the captain of the airasia likely had about the same skill set based on his experience based on an author. >> he would have been just as competent to perform the miracle on the hudson. >> reporter: what we don't know is what happened in the cockpit before the plane went off radar. the potential clues include the presence of bad weather in the area and the request to increase altitude, which was denied because of additional air traffic close by. what the captain may have done with that information is still an open question. for example, whether the pilot may have tried to disregard the

controller's guidance. >> what disturbs me is did he begin a climb without a clearance from air traffic control, that might be indicative of an emergency problem developing. >> reporter: there was also no known communication before it went on off radar. not necessarily a radio malfun shun. >> we're trained early on to navigate and communicate being the last thing. if indeed the contributing factor was the weather, the last people that would be able to help you is air traffic control. >> reporter: the first officer is from france, according to the french foreign ministry which notified his family about the missing plane. he had 2100 hours flying with airasia. >> we'll be learning more about some of the passengers on board that flight.

choi chi man, an energy executive was on the plan. his daughter zoe, a citizen of singapore was on the flight with him. and students at the surabaya cambridge school were on board. a sister told cnn how she found out about the news. [ speaking in foreign language ] >> and louise says her fiance was on the flight 8501 with his it family. she had planned on meeting them for a vacation. that was before their planned wedding next may. >> also next on cnn, we hear from one of the passengers on

that burning ferry in the adriatic sea. also, a hospital in london now preparing for the first ebola patient diagnosed in the u.k. as investigators search for anyone else.

well, the death toll has now risen to ten in the adriatic sea

ferry disaster. >> a criminal investigation is now under way into how the fire began. one of the survivors spoke about this harrowing ordeal. >> people were going there and going there and trying to runaway from the fire. >> reporter: delivered to safety. this was a moment she didn't dare believe would come for her and her fellow passengers. hundreds stranded on a burning ship in the aid rdriatic sea, t was the stuff of nightmares. >> i knew it is so real. this was really bad to really know it is real. >> reporter: ute stumbles over her words. >> we did not know where it was the best, could it be the best place to stay, so you stand there. we were wet and cold, and the rain was like in needles, so hard wind and there was always

this explosions and this feeling you have in your feet. it goes through your body, alt explosions. >> reporter: for many families, though, the nightmare has still not ended. while we wait for the boat to bring in those who have been rescued this this disaster, the coast guard has begun ferrying in the bodies of those who lost their lives at sea. they've asked us not to come any closer than this because a lot of families still haven't been told. now that the rescue operations are coming to an end, the questions are beginning. they are launching an investigation into the incident, how this could have happened and how to prevent it from ever happening again. cnn, italy. isolated in glasgow, scotland, a patient is waiting to be transported to london with the ebola virus. >> she returned sunday from

sierra leone where she worked with save the children at an ebola treatment center. a search is under way for anyone who may have had contact with her. >> reporter: we know that this nurse has been volunteering in sierra leone probably since november. because that's when the ebola unit she was working in was built by british troops. she boarded a flight from freetown to casablanca. to london and glasgow. she did undergo screening for ebola. it's really important to know that she did not have symptoms at that point, and that's why she was able to travel freely. otherwise, she would have been isolated immediately. >> the patient will be moved to a high-level isolation facility at london's royal free hospital as soon as possible. they contacted another nurse who contracted ebola while working

in africa. operations were forced to be suspended on monday. a problem was reported with the landing gear. >> it burned off fuel for several hours before safely landing on the airplane's single runway, virgin's founder praised the crew for that safe landing. we'll take a look at how airasia's ceo is handling the search for the missing plane as the search continues to expand. you're driving along, having a perfectly nice day, when out of nowhere a pick-up truck slams into your brand new car. one second it wasn't there and the next second... boom! you've had your first accident.

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welcome back to cnn if you're just joining us. it is now day three, there are still no confirmed traces of the missing jet. and right now indonesian search teams are looking around an island where a helicopter spotted smoke. >> meanwhile, planes and ships from seven countries are searching. >> and we turn now to the man behind airasia, tony fernandes whose biggest challenge is now at his feet. >> he bought airasia from the malaysian government for less than $1 and staged a major turn

around. poppy harlow has a look at how he's handling this case so far. >> reporter: tony fernandes is living the moment every airline executive dreads. airasia ceo since 2001, he treated more than a dozen times in the hours following the plane's disappearance. this is my worse nightmare. we will go through this terrible ordeal together. >> our concern right now is for the relatives and next of ken. >> reporter: the approach of airasia thus far stands in stark contrast to malaysia airlines after mh 370 disappeared. >> it is a boeing triple 7 wide body jet. >> all affected passengers and crew and their family members. >> reporter: but malaysia airlines didn't tell families that flight 370 was missing until after it was supposed to

arrive in beijing, many hours after it vanished. and there was the disastrous text message sent from lails airlines to family members saying none of those on board survived. malaysia air ceo defended the move saying it was the best way to tell those it could not reach by phone or in person, but it led to some demanding his resignation. >> they're different men with different strategies, but it doesn't mean one's better than the other when it comes to running an airline. whether you have tony coming out in front, leading, a.j. was much more behind. he was much more the government's leading the way forward. we're dealing with it in that way. that does not mean that behind the scenes he wasn't as involved with his staff and with the airline. >> reporter: how much do you think tony fernandes has learned

from really the communications debacle after mh 370? >> i think every ceo of an airline around the world has learned something from the malaysia airlines situation. that was impersonal, disorganized. it was really a checklist of alt bad things that an airline could do. >> reporter: malaysia airlines is replacing its ceo as part of the company's recovery plan. as for airasia's fernandes, the outspoken ceo may have managed to turn around a failing airline, but his biggest challenge is ahead. >> we have carried 220 million people up to this point. of course there's going to be some reaction, but we're confident in our ability to fly people. >> reporter: the question now, will fliers feel as confident? poppy harlow, cnn, new york. well, there's been a massive search over a vast area. after the break, we'll show you how teams from seven countries

are coordinating the search for airasia flight 8501. >> also news about the search is reopening some emotional wounds for those who lost loved ones in the disappearance of mh 370. more on that when we come back. doesn't take a holiday. but add brand new belongings from nationwide and we'll replace stolen or destroyed items with brand-new versions. making sure every season is the season of giving. just another way we put members first. join the nation ♪ nationwide is on your side but the comfort it provides is it's justimmeasurable.ece the america red cross brings hope and help to people in need every 8 minutes, every day. so this season give something that means something.

coming up to 9:30 on a monday night on the u.s. west coast. and we'd like to welcome our viewers in the united states and all around the world. i'm john vause. ? and i'm robyn curnow. crews headed to an island in the java sea where smoke was spotted a few hours ago. it's the late east in the search for airasia flight 8501 which disappeared on sunday. they have not found a trace of the plane. relatives of the passengers will be flown over the search area on wednesday. >> the death toll stands at 10 in the adriatic sea ferry disaster. it all began when a fire broke out sunday in the ferry's car deck. rescuers battled some very tough weather conditions for more than a day, pulling 427 survivors

from the ferry called norman atlantic. and london's royal free hospital is preparing to treat the first patient diagnosed with ebola in the u.k. the nurse worked for save the children treatment center in africa. the search for airasia flight 8501 currently involves seven countries with indonesia taking the lead. there have been reports of oil slicks and a ping, and this has all turned out to be false leads. we have the managing editor of a publication. do you think maybe the plane could have put down on land somehow? would you expect to be finding smoke three days after a crash? >> pshly, i would be quite

surprised if there was smoke coming from the island. generally, i think like 90% of the search area is at sea, although it is conceivable the aircraft was, there are land masses, belitung island and also borneo nearby. so in theory, it could be related to the aircraft. but the key is for investigators to go there in a helicopter or send guys on the ground and find out what happens. sometimes when an aircraft goes down in a more remote wilderness environment it takes a few days to locate it. >> indonesia has admitted they're not equipped to do this kind of search, but they remain in charge of the search. is there any question about their ability to deal with what is turning out to be a very complicated international effort? >> i think they're pretty well situated to take care of this. indonesia, malaysia and other countries in the region will

continually conduct search and rescue operations. when this happens, they can come together, and they can work together as a coordinated team. so i am fairly confident that, you know, this will be managed in a professional manner and at some point we'll find out what happened to that aircraft and where the location is. >> does it bother you that the search area keeps getting bigger instead of narrowing down? >> when they last had contact with the aircraft it was at 32,000 feet. so airplanes, it probably wouldn't have fallen right there. it has great scope to flying or ghieding to another area before it comes to the surface of the earth. so i think they're just being prudent to really make sure they cover the maximum area, and also, too, they have a lot of resources, a lot of airplanes coming in, a lot of ships coming

in. so they have the luxury of searching a larger area as well. >> airasia has a good safety record, but the industry as a whole does not. given what has happened in southeast asia over the last 12 months, will aviation authorities again be taking a closer look at airlines from this part of the world? especially given the massive growth of air travel in this part of the world? >> interestingly, the situation in indonesia is getting better. we had really, two bad crashes in 2005, 2007. and there's been a few other crashes but nothing on the scale that you're seeing today. this is the second-worst air disaster. the other one, over 200 people were killed there. so i think the safety record of indonesia is getting better. but the real challenge for them

is going to be for them, this massive influx of airlines coming in, it's really training your staff and really developing a safety culture around what they do, where they make sure they follow the rules. they don't cut corners on checklists. and they know the appropriate procedures when, for circumstances that can arise during routine air travel. >> great, we'll leave it there. the managing id tor of flight global.com. thanks for being with us, greg. >> thank you. airasia has never had a crash before. it's a popular budget carrier based in malaysia and flies to about 100 destinations in 22 countries. >> it has affiliates in the philippines. malaysia and indonesia. it holds a 49% stake in its

indonesian affiliate. >> the missing plane is an airbus a 320. they have a fleet of 30 of them. >> we take a look at the history with airlines around the world. >> worldwide, more than 3600 airbus 320s are flown by more than 400 airlines, charter companies and private entities. eight american carriers combined have more than 450 a320s in their fleet, amongst the biggest, jet blue with 190. delta and u.s. airways, 69 each. in the short to heed yum range world, the a320 is second only to boeing 737, which has delivered nearly 8,000 of its ultra-popular medium-sized planes. the family includes the a318, 319, and 321. one of its family is taking off

or landing somewhere in the world. the missing plane was delivered to airasia in 2008. since then, the airline says it has taken off some 13,600 times, logging approximately 23,000 hours in the air. airasia 8501 was carrying enough fuel for three hours of flight. shortly before disappearing, the pilot asked if he could ascend to 38,000 feet. that request was denied. the a320 is certified to fly up to 39,000 feet. its absolute limit is 42,000 feet. weight, temperature and fuel all play a role in how high the plane can fly safely. in its history, 16 have crashed, nine were deadly, resulting in 656 deaths on the planes or on the ground. the first crash, shortly after

the plane started service in 1988. air france flight skimmed the top of frees. the fly by wire system and pilot error were the cause. in 2007, tam airlines crashed in sao paulo. 187 passengers and crew died, plus 12 on the ground. the deadliest crash for an a320, cause, likely mechanical error or pilot error. and who could forget 1549's ditching. on takeoff, the plane collided with a flock of geese. both engines failed. captain sully sullenberger successfully landed the plane on the hudson river. all aboard survived. this latest airline mystery

has also taken a toll on the families of the passengers of the missing malaysia airlines flight 370. danica weeks husband, paul, was on that plane when it went missing ten months ago. and she says this holiday season, as you can imagine has been really tough for her and her two young sons. >> and another woman shared her reaction to the news of the disappearance of the plane. >> i just started to shake, kind of like when i heard the first news. the emotions just repeat. and then you instantly feel this incredible ache, it's a physical pain through your whole body, just imagining what all those families are feeling as well. i can imagine. unfortunately, i know exactly what they're going through, and it's horrible. and now, the same complete lack of news. you know, it's unbelievable.

>> the day it happened i just had to go to bed. i totally couldn't function any longer, i think i sort of hoped that i would wake up and they would have news and i'd have some peace, because this is, it's horrible, it's a horrible nightmare. >> we want some closure. you know. we talk to each other on a regular basis. we're constantly asking for news, and we just don't know anything at all. it's continuing to be a giant mystery. and we really need to have some closure in our lives. >> >> danica? >> i have the same sentiments there. we want the truth. we want to know what happened. because you just run these scenarios. and we will never find peace until we do what's right by our loved ones, and that's bring them home to us. and to find out what actually happened. we need to know the truth, and not just for us, but for the flying public. this is a, this is a plane that

we don't know what happened to. we need to know what happened. and all i want, you know, my number one kwish for 2015 is to bring pauley home to myself and our boys. >> well, searchers haven't found any remains of flight 370. officials believe it went down in the southern indian ocean after veering thousands of kilometers off course. still to come here on cnn. it has been a year now since the arrest of threealg prisoners. and the money rolls in for the interview. well, that was close. you ain't lyin'. let quicken loans help you save your money.

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journalists and human rights campaigners protested outside the egyptian embassy in london. they were marking one year since three al jazeera journalists were arrested in egypt. they were accused of aiding the banned muslim brotherhood. >> reporter: it's a life she never imagined. she's now on the front line defending freedom of the press in courthouses and meeting with lawyers, hoping some day to free her fiance, one of the three

convicted al jazeera journalists. >> i was very happy. i thought he was the one. i found myself doing things that i never expected that i was able to do after he was arrested. >> reporter: on this trip she's submitting a letter from amal clooney. egyptian authorities arrested him seen here in a leaked video along with two others last december. prosecutors accuse them of being a part of or supporting the outlawed muslim brotherhood and portrayed them as a threat to national security. a claim the journalists and al jazeera denied. all three were sent to prison. >> i told the guard, i want to visit mohamed fahmi who is here. and he said you mean the

terrorist? i can't forget this. >> reporter: the family travels to support him. it was shocking to see their son and brother a respected, international journalist behind bars. >> it is for us a very stressful and traumatic experience still. just now super high security prison setting is something that we are just so unused to, and it's so alien to us to see heavily armored and manned tanks around the streets. >> reporter: the trial lasted four months. it appeared no hard evidence linked the journalists to their alleged crimes. however, a day of wishful vindication turned to horror after a judge declared all three guilty. they received seven years in prison and mohamed received ten. the verdict widely seen as political. despite the set back, they

strive forward. >> but the reality is that we can never return back to where we were. we will all be quite, quite greatly and deeply changed after all of this. >> reporter: their dream wedding is on hold for now. they want an in-prison marriage. and when things seem bleak, simple love letter keeps her going. >> you are a new muse to me. and my next project will be dedicated to you. thank you for being the gorgeous gentle woman you are. i'll see you on the flip. love, respect, mohamed fahmi.

in less than an hour we expect a verdict two weeks earlier than planned. the government moved it up to avoid protests that were planned by supporters. the man and his brother are accused of stealing more than $500,000 from a french conco co company. he has been a powerful campaigner against corruption inside the russian government, and he has led massive street protests in the past and knows the risks of speaking out against russian president vladimir putin. >> translator: i always understood right from the start. you can go to jail in russia for any independent political activity. you should not do it if you are not ready to go to jail. >> in 2010, he exposed what he said was a $4 billion embezzlement scheme at transnet.

both the company and mr. putin denied that claim. this is not the first time he has faced charges. in another case he was found guilty of miss appropriating $500,000 in a lumber deal a day after he registered to run for mayor of moscow. next hour, erin mclaughlin joins us with the latest from moscow.

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welcome back. as many as 180 relatives of the passengers on board airasia flight 8501 will be flown over the search area on wednesday. the families will also be provided a live stream from search and rescue headquarters. ships and planes from seven nations are now combing a vast area of the java sea, 156,000 square kilometers for any trace of the missing jet. >> ships from china and the u.s. are expected to join that search. >> one of the pilots of the 8501 asked to climb to a higher altitude because of bad weather. >> while the airline says it's far too early to blame weather for the plane's disappearance, our tom foreman takes a look at the major factors at play.

>> bad weather is such a factor that they have to consider it. we know this flight passed through an immense band of bad weather. first, could lightning have taken this plane down? not likely. modern airliners are made so that it will be ejected off the wing tips or tail. and even if it penetrates to the interior, very improbable that it would disable enough electronics to bring the plane down. second possibility, what is the storm is so immense and so big that it produces such turbulence and the plane is torn apart in flight. this plane can take a huge impact. something was already wrong with the wind or tail, then the weather could exacerbate it.

third one, what if there were so many high and low pressure systems so close together that the plane just lost a tremendous amount of speed all of a sudden, dropped to 100 miles per hour and began to stall. if that happens, then you have a real serious problem related to the weather because the air flow over the wing, the thing that makes it fly, could separate. it's like losing traction in a car. and regaining it is very hard. it would take a very skilled crew, a very calm crew. and a plane at 32,000 feet could be in the water in 45 seconds or less. >> now we move on to the other big story over the last couple days. and tensions are growing over sony pictures "the interview." north korea has lashed out at president obama the last couple days. >> revenge for the release is almost certain. this is millions of dollars for

"the interview." >> reporter: sony's unprecedented move to release "the interview" online and in independent theaters simultaneously is paying off. many moviegoers saying it was their patriotic dputy to see th film. ♪ i'm proud to be an american, where at least i know i'm free ♪ >> reporter: so far it has raked in about $18 million. most of it online with more than 2 million downloads. >> i wanted to see it as quickly as i could to show my support. >> reporter: now apple itunes is jumping on board the distribution bandwagon. >> i've never heard this before in my life. >> reporter: as sony cashes in, the question looms. will the hackers, who the u.s.

says are working for the north korean government, strike back? >> i think they will continue to go after sony as retribution for putting this film out. we'll see a lot more e-mails. this is a huge corporation. >> reporter: sony believes its systems are now secure. the concern is that the hackers will release more confidential information they've already stolen. >> running searches in the country is almost virtually impossible. >> reporter: over the weekend, the blame game between the u.s. and north korea escalated. north korea claiming the u.s. cut off its internet last week, and calling president obama a monkey. >> at the end of the day, have we deterred north korea? >> reporter: senator lindsey graham suggested china's possible involvement and pushed for aggressive measures against north korea. >> put them back on the state-sponsored terrorism list

and attack their infrastructure. i can't imagine anything happening this massive happening in north korea without china being involved. >> a fbi official tells cnn unless new information arises, north korea acted alone on the cyber attack. and we have breaking news on a fire in a crowded shopping center in pakistan. it happened in lahore. at least 13 people are confirmed dead. others are still being treated. and firefighters are still searching the buildings. the fire was touched off by a short circuit that quickly engulfed this three-story center. we also have confirmation in the search for airasia 8501, they have now spotted debris in the water. a number of pieces of what appears to be the plane have been found in the search zone. we will have much more details on that at the top of the hour, and of course now we have a live report with our andrew stevens who is on the scene.

this is the major breakthrough they've been looking for. once they find the debris they can work backwards. this is confirmation now that debris has been found in the waters of indonesia. and you are watching cnn. i'm john vause. ? and i'm robyn curnow. i'll be back with all of that information at the top of the hour, including the rest of the day's stories. but more importantly, a live report from indonesia on this latest breaking news. these ally bank ira cds really do sound like a sure thing, but i'm a bit skeptical of sure things. why's that?

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