[ technical difficulties ] so jim, this report add a very disturbing twist to what may have happened to the doomed germanwings plane. what's been the reaction if france? it is early yet, though, to this "new york times" story. and let's look at what was of reported exactly. >> reporter: exactly, rosemary. in fact, just after 7:00 here this morning. there hasn't been any official reaction yet. but i suspect during the day there will have to be just because of the momentous turn this report from "the new york

times" has taken the story. it is also been -- it's been confirmed by the press which quotes a close -- source close to the investigation as saying essentially the same thingment one of the two pilots was outside the cockpit when the crash occurred. according to "the new york times" story, one of the two left the kopp shocockpit shortl the plane reaped cruise altitude. thea -- reached cruise altitude. at this point the plane began a long and controlled but quick dive. the pilot is heard, the co-pilot, not sure which one, is heard first knocking on the door, trying to get in, faintly. the new york times story reports, then more knocks, more strenuous. shortly before the crash, there are the sounds of someone trying to break the door down. so the pilot or co-pilot of

alone in the cockpit at the time of the crash. one of the thing this immediately calls into question is who were the pilots, the pilot and co-pilot. we've heard a little about the -- the main commanding officer who's had some -- something more than 6,000 hours in airbus a320s. we don't know his name. we know a little less about the co-pilot involved. it seems that, according to reports from germany, that he joined the company less than two years ago. and may have been something of a newcomer to the incumbent and also to flying the airbus 320. it's still a conundrum, but it does add an element that's taken the story -- a quite different direction from before. >> usually not hearing much about the two pilots, and chilling when we hear these details now coming out. jim, how is this tragic plane

crash being reported in france? of course this crash took place. what are people saying about it? >> reporter: it's a little early to get reaction. just coming out this morning, it was only reported a couple of hours ago in the overnight hours. in fact, did not make any of the major newspapers this morning. in fact, it is all over the radio and television this morning, of course, as you can expect. and as the day wears on here, i think there will be strong reaction. i think it will be strong reaction in germany. one of the things we're watching, of course, is the two planes from germanwings coming in from dusseldorf and barcelona, carrying family. the first to ask questions about the pilots and what they know about the investigation. the pressure will really be on officials boeing here and in germany, i would say. >> senior international correspondent jim bittermann there in paris. it is early. just after 7:00.

as he mentioned, we are still waiting for reaction to the disturbing details. this twist we're hearing now respected in "the new york times." many thanks. errol? let's bring in captain desmond ross. ation industry veteran who is currently a principal at dra professional aviation services. as you see on the screen, he joins us live from sydney. captain ross, thanks for joining us again. you spoke with us this time yesterday. and your theory of something that something catastrophic must have happened on the plane, maybe kplegz blowout of some sort -- compression blowout of some sort. i'm wondering about the theory of one pile perhaps being locked out changes your view. what does that make you think? >> my first reaction is to understand where this report is coming from. i know "the new york times" is a reputable journal, but they've only had the cockpit voice recorder for a little -- probably not even 24 hours really. and this information is being

leaked so early. they probably only had the cockpit voice recorder for 12 hours and somebody started the story. i'm a bit concerned with its validity to be honest. it may well turn on the to be true. i would like to know more than an unnamed source close to the investigation. this is a very serious matter. this has very, very serious implications obviously. i'd like to just be a little bit more certain whether it is true or not. >> it makes sense to be cautious on the this early stage. the official word -- there's yet to be an official word. early ages in the investigation, painstaking work to get to and from the crash site. it is -- the little bit of information we are working with now, jittm bittermann saying th

there's a report that seems to corroborate what's in "the new york times" article and seems to map up with the slow and bizarre, gradual descent before the crash. if we are talking about the cockpit, possible locked door, what can you tell us about the door locking mechanisms in front of the planes that we fly? >> reporter: >> this is exactly what i was going to say. it's rather strange that the -- we don't know whether it was the co-pilot or captain. that's the other thing. they're saying one of the pilots. could have been either one. they have a code. each -- pilots -- they have to simply punch in a code to a k keypad to regain access to the flight deck. they don't need to beat the door down or punch it -- that won't work anyway, they would know that. those doors are built to withstand a hand grenade blast. you can't knock them down by beating with your fists. that's a complete waste of time. the person outside -- maybe went to the toilet, wants to return.

all he would need is to punch in a code on the keypad and the door would open requires a positive action to deny access. so if he was being denied access after punching if the correct code, it meant that somebody was seriously trying to keep him out. and that requires a little bit of effort. so you know, there's things here that are not gelling for me. and i really need to understand more about what's going on. there is a switch on the flight deck which has three position, if i remember correctly. something like locked position, normal position, and unlocked position. a simmer switch that they operate -- a simple switch that they operate. the code that the pilot punches into the keypad should provide access.

that should override the locking mechanism. it holds for a period. there's also a tv camera out the door. the guy on the flight deck can see whether it is his companion coming back or whether there's somebody else trying to break in. and he can deny access even though the correct code is punched in. he has to do it quickly and insistence three maintain control of the door. in the middle of doing whatever was going on at that time, i'm not sure about all this. >> it is such a bizarre migs mystery, of course they'll look into the mental and physical health history of the piles and get the flight data recorder to see what it reveal. so far the one report is being based on the flight data recorder. captain ross, thanks for yourtrem, joining -- your time, joining us via web cam from australia. appreciate it. search crews recovered the first human remains on

wednesday. we'll take you live to the french alps in just a few minutes for an update on what investigators are hoping to accomplish today. now the other major break we're following for you. this out of the lemiddle east where saudi arabia has launched military operations against houthi rebels in yemen. this as the country teeters on the brink of civil war. >> new video shows image of damaged buildings in the capital of sanaa. the station claims the attacks have killed women and children. the houthis have opened fire on saudi jet fighters near the capital of san amp the saudi ambassador to the u.s. says military action of the country's final option. listen. >> objective to defend the government of the president from the takeover attempts by the houthi militias in yemen. the use of forth is always the last resort. and it is with great reluctance

that we took the step along with our partners in the gcc countries, as well as outside of the gcc countries. >> this is still a developing situation. there are conflictsing reports about the whereabouts -- conflicting reports about the whereabouts. nic robertson maintains that as of tuesday, hadhi is in yemen. >> we're joined by nick paton walsh. nic, now that saudi arabia has launched this military operation in yemen, what is the latest on the houthi targets that have been hit and the response from the rebels? which countries are involved and what roles are they playing? >> reporter: it is still early days here. we know that saudis say they have 100 planes and on the

border 1 50,000 troops potentially involved. we know that the egyptian government said it is ready to offer political and military support, as well. it is unclear if any of that is already involved in the operation. there are plenty of conflicting reports about the scale and breadth of the gulf countries involvement wee heard a statement out -- involved. we have heard a statement theyithey i combined and under the houthi advance three yemen, calling it a dangerous step for global security. if you listen to the white house statement, they refer to gcc-led operations which does suggest there will be more than just the saudis involved in this in in the hours or dice come. on the ground in sanaa, the yemeni capital which the houthis swept into, we saw it in the previous months, in january they asked if the president and administration they're

ical clearly bombing key targets around sanaa. they've heard consistent explosions through the night. they are telling our colleague, nick robber s robertson, they'r out huouthi target. this is a seismic development for the region as a whole. the houthis are the -- most people will say they're iranian backed. a loose collection of tribe and political movements in yemen that suddenly got their act together. remarkably most say with iranian help and swept across the nation. the fact that iran's arch nemesis in the region, saudi arabia, has led -- is spearheading military operations to push those houthis back is a substantial development for the region here could particularly given that sunni/shia rift that has been playing out across the area for years now. the saudis, of course, were dominantly sunni.

those iranian backers of the houthis, shia and predominantly houthi, an extraordinary moment regionally but directly on the ground. targets being hit by the -- technologically advanced saudi arabian air force again the houthis who have significant capability. can't match the usdaies in terms of equipment and firepower. >> there have been conflicting reports about the whereabouts of yemen's president. what's being said and what's the most reliable information on this? >> reporter: we've been hearing for over a they it's likely he's leaving aden or leaving the cull full stop. and on social media, there are images suggesting he may have attempted the departure from aden bya boat. -- by a boat. not sure if he left the city or

country in general. the exact where did -- whereabouts is key. see may have gallon saudi arabia, and that would enable them to portray him as a foreign agent. if he remains in the country, of course he could still be put by those who support him as perhaps a president -- being pushed aside by the rebels in what they refer to in the gull countries as a coup here. it's unclear exactly where he is. he hasn't really been on the levers of power for months now. still internationally recognized, and if the saudis are coming in to put him back in place, of course they need him to be in yemen. that is the case now. >> saudi military operations ongoing there in yemen against the houthi rebels. nick paton walsh of there a lot earlier. he's monitoring the situation. thanks to you. we've covered the breaking

news on germanwings and break out of yemen. we have new developments for you out of iraq. iraqi forces getting help from the air to retake tikrit from isis. the leaders of france, germany, and spain pay a visit to the french app after the crash of flight 525. it's happening. today, more and more people with type 2 diabetes are learning about long-acting levemir® an injectable insulin that can give you blood sugar control for up to 24 hours. and levemir® helps lower your a1c. levemir® comes in flextouch the only prefilled insulin pen with no push-button extension.

levemir® lasts 42 days without refrigeration. that's 50% longer than lantus®, which lasts 28 days. today i'm asking about levemir® flextouch. levemir® is a long-acting insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes and is not recommended to treat diabetic ketoacidosis. do not use levemir® if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. the most common side effect is low blood sugar, which may cause symptoms such as sweating, shakiness, confusion, and headache. severe low blood sugar can be serious and life-threatening. ask your doctor about alcohol use, operating machinery, or driving. other possible side effects include injection site reactions. tell your doctor about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions. check your blood sugar levels. your insulin dose should not be changed without asking your doctor. get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing, swelling of your face, tongue or throat, sweating, extreme drowsiness, dizziness, or confusion.

today's the day to ask your doctor about levemir® flextouch. covered by nearly all health insurance and medicare plans. and i didn't get here alone. there were people who listened along the way. people who gave me options. kept me on track. and through it all, my retirement never got left behind. so today, i'm prepared for anything we may want tomorrow to be. every someday needs a plan. let's talk about your old 401(k) today.

welcome back. search crews have recovered the first human remains from the crash of germanwings flight 9525. they were airlifted out by helicopter. >> the leader of germany, spain, and fran visited the french alps on wednesday. special flights are scheduled today to bring victims' family to the area. >> we need to understand what happened. we owe that to the families. we owe it to the countries concern concerned. >> we need to investigate together as it is our duty as europeans and overall as human beings. >> translator: it is a very good feeling that we are united in such a difficult time. >> cnn has more from the staging area in the french app live on the latest.

erin, when you see those three european leaders standing side by side, you get a real sense of the impact this one crash has had and hoe important it is to find answers. i know that relatives are expected to be begin a tour of the treacherous crash site there. how and when will that be accommodated today? >> reporter: that's right, we're expecting the arrival of the victims' fence a-- friend and f. lufthanza has organized special flights from dusseldorf and barcelona to marseilles, and from marseilles, they'll be bussed here. they set up special centers with psychologists and caretakers. locals offering up their homes to house them, as well. and lufthanza saying they are planning on taking the victims' family and friends as close to the air crash site as possible. this as that all-important body

identification process continues. yesterday the first human remains were health cared out of the site. that process expected to take days if not weeks, that identification process. meanwhile, the recovery operation here expected to get underway in the coming hours. we expect to see more human beings fly out of the area to the crash site in a remote location. they are winching the workers to the site to continue to try and solve the mystery and figure out what happened. >> at the least you do have daylight now. the weather conditions have held together long enough for crash and criminal investigators to to helicopter in and try to identify more victims. of course look at the crash site remains. live in the staging area of the french alps. thank you very much. meteorologist derek van dam joins us now. and derek, of course, we've

talked so much about this very difficult terrain and the challenges that confront recovery crews. talk about how difficult it is to actually access this area. >> yeah. in fact, i want to take note that erin as she was reporting, you could see the sun rising in the background. that's good news because we're in this narrow window of time when the weather is clearing. there's a cold front dropping south from the united kingdom that will provide some of its own problems going forward into friday, which we'll talk about in one moment. the terrain across southeastern france in the french alps of course very treacherous. we're working with step terrain and the possibility of rock slide. one thing for sure, the personnel in the air and the crews on the ground definitely risking their lives for the recovery effortment again, rock slides across the region a concern going forward because this is the spring season.

we have fluctuating temperatures. as you saw in the live shot, the sun is out, that's going to warm the rocks, but it's going to allow for rock to become unstable leading to the possibility of rock slides on these very steep ravines. and not to mention, these helicopters are flying in and out of a very narrow ravine. only 250 meters wide. on top of this, we have the winds going forward across mountain ranges, if you're familiar with mountains, you can imagine that the winds are unpredictable. we have turbulence that moves across the region. near the crash site, light winds. look what's coming our way. wee wind gusts in excess of 50 to perhaps 70 kilometers per hour into friday afternoon. that will make the recovery effort with the helicopters difficult. here's the forecast. fortunate three does appear to stay dry. that's the good news out of the situation. back to you. >> all right. >> the winds will be a problem.

>> the winds. >> the helicopters getting in and out. thank you very much. we will turn our focus to the victims of flight 9525 later this thehour from o "cnn newsr- from "cnn newsroom." we'll hear from those who knew an acclaimed opera singer. >> there were some voices which if you didn't see the person, you can't always know -- you can't always tell who it is. with o leg, you could always tell. that was his individual sound. and that sound we will never forget. ♪ in my world, wall isn't a street. return on investment isn't the only return i'm looking forward to. for some, every dollar is earned with sweat, sacrifice, courage. which is why usaa is honored to help our members with everything from investing for retirement to saving for college.

our commitment to current and former military members and their families is without equal. start investing with as little as fifty dollars. [bassist] two late nights in blew an amp.but good nights. sure,music's why we do this,but it's still our business. we spend days booking gigs, then we've gotta put in the miles to get there. but it's not without its perks. like seeing our album sales go through the roof enough to finally start paying meg's little brother- i mean,our new tour manager-with real,actual money. we run on quickbooks.that's how we own it.

welcome back. we want to get you the living in out of iraq. warplanes from the summit-led coalition have joined with ground forces to retake the effort of tikrit from isis. air strikes began wednesday at the request of the prime minister there. >> analysts say if iraqi forces can retake tikrit, it could provide them momentum to reclaim the larger city of mosul also under isis control. we have more on the developments from baghdad. it has been a tough fight for iraqi foreto try to take back --

iraqi forces to try to take back tikrit. how likely is it that they can retake the city? >> reporter: well, rosemary, it's still unclear. it was late last night that this announcement came out from the united states that they have begun air strikes in and around tikrit. and according to the u.s. central command, they did strike about a dozen preplanned targets in and around the city. this could be a complicating factor to the operation that has been ongoing for the past three weeks or so. as you know, this is being led by the predominantly shia militia forces. iranian backed forces that have been in the leads here in this operation and have made major aadvantagenesses around tikrit. they have surrounded the isis militants inside the city. they've had iranian advisers on the ground. so far the leadership has been

adamant, the voluntary force known as the popular mobilization unit, they have been adamant that they do not need the u.s. military support. they do not need the coalition support in these air strikes. but late last night as we heard, the iraqi government, prime minister spoke on tv saying that this has entered the operation for the liberation of tikrit, has entered its final chapter, the final stage, as he described it. and also referenced the support from friendly countries in the help -- helping iraq in its fight against isisment and also mentioning the support from the coalition. very ski what is going to be -- very key is what is going to be the reaction on the ground from these iranian-backed shia militias who have been at the forefront of this fight. the battle for tikrit. there has been this feeling that the u.s. and the coalition is getting involved in the final stages after the advances have

already been made by the troops to possibly, as some put it, speaking on local televisions yesterday, to try and take credit for whatever advances that have been already made once tikrit has been taken over. the feeling here is it's not an if, it's when tikrit is recaptured by the iraqi forces. rosemary? >> i know. we'll be watching that carefully, what is happening in tikrit, from her vantage did point in baghdad. many thanks to you. a number of other big stories we're following for you. a u.s. soldier accused of abandoning his unit on the battlefield could spend the rest of his life in prison. the charges against bowe bergdahl next. plus, tornado alley is living up to its name in the central u.s. twisters have reduced parts of oklahoma to rubble. the latest on the severe weather. ♪

(ee-e-e-oh-mum-oh-weh) (hush my darling...) (don't fear my darling...) (the lion sleeps tonight.) (hush my darling...) man snoring (don't fear my darling...) (the lion sleeps tonight.) woman snoring take the roar out of snore. yet another innovation only at a sleep number store. when it comes to your credit, in the know is the place to be. transunion.com makes it easy. we give you 24/7 access. you get instant credit alerts to keep you in sync. you can even lock and unlock your transunion credit report from your phone. and all that information feels pretty good. come to transunion.comand get in the know.

he'sthere's a guy out there whose making a name for himself in a sport where your name and maybe a number are what define you. somewhere in that pack is a driver that can intimidate the intimidator. a guy that can take the king 7 and make it 8. heck. maybe even 9. make no mistake about it. they're out there.

i guarantee it. welcome to the nascar xfinity series. you are watching "cnn newsroom." thanks for staying with us, i'm errol barnett. >> i'm rosemary church. it is time to check the main stories we're watching. reports say one the pilots of germanwings flight 9525 was locked out of the cockpit when the plane crashed. the cockpit voice recorder indicates the pilot left the cockpit. and when he tried to get back in, there was no response. germanwings' parent incumbent says it is looking into the report. saudi arabia launched military operations against houthi rebels in yemen wednesday. it says it has the help of at least ten other nations to do

so. the air strikes are targeting military targets that were taken over by houthi rebels. the houthis have opened fire on saudi jet fighters near the capital of sanaa. u.s.-led coalition warplanes are striking isis targets in and around tikrit in iraq. the prime minister announced the assault on state television. a u.s. military official says the goal is to help iraqi forces push further into the city. the ground assault has stalled in recent weeks. the u.s. military has officially charged army sergeant bowe bergdahl with desertion. he captured by militants after leaving his post in 2009. he returned last year in a controversial prisoner swap. he could face life in prison if convicted. we want to take a closer look now at those reports about the pilot locked out of the cockpit if the final moments of

flight 9525. >> ripped quest spoke with our zain asher a short time ago. we don't know the whole story, and it's hinging in some sense on the new york types report and this military official -- "new york times" report and this military official who leaked details supposedly from the cockpit voice recorder. it also depends, zain, on the procedures, not only by airbus and the equipment on the plane but of germanwings. i'll give you an example. first of all, was the door locked? because its part of the normal procedure. or was it locked because when the pilot came out the one remaining wanted to lock it? secondly, why didn't a flight attendant go into the cockpit as many airlines do? and certainly post mh370, there was this view that a pilot should never be alone in the

cockpit for the simple reason either they could have a heart attack and drop dead or, b, for the nefarious option. as it's being portrayed so far, you have a situation where there's a pilot out of the cockpit. for whatever reason, he can't use the emergency code to get in again. the pilot inside has locked him out. >> if during the last eight minutes everything in the cockpit was completely silent, we don't necessarily know if it was something nefarious or the pile fell ill. if the cockpit was silent, how do investigators work out what happened? >> first of all, what the report says is there was banging on the door. it says that there was calm conversation, a calm, collected conversation beforehand. sound of a pilot. we don't know if it's the captain or first officer leaving the cockpit want then there's the sound of gentle knocking

which becomes more insistent until banging. and then as the report puts it, finally trying to break down the door. that's what we're told is leaked from the cockpit voice recorder. in that scenario, the guy outside would never get in if the person inside locked it. what started the descent, that's another matter. here you have straightforward options. if it was the medical option, the person inside slumps forward, knocks the side stick, and the descent begins. many have questioned that and said it's not likely because you would have to do it directly forward. if it's a nefarious option, then it really is a case of whoever's inside pushes it forward or turns the auto pilot into a gradual descent and sits back.

>> richard quest speaking with zain asher earlier. we just don't know the answers to all of these important questions at this early stage. what we do know is that lufthanza is providing two special flights for relatives and friends of the victims. we have video for you showing some of the families who are traveling at this hour to marseilles so they can be near the scene of the crash. the flights will depart from barcelona and dusseldorf where the plane was taking off and heading toment lufthanza says -- heading to. lufthanza says the flights will take off in the next hour. the sporting world in mourning for the victims, as well. germany and australia's players observed a moment of silence prior to their friendly in southern germany on wednesday. german footballer benedict hooves, held a sign that translates, "holton mourns. "he is from the german town that lost 16 in the crash. now our diana magnay is in holton for us and can bring us

new information. diana, i understand there was a student group along with some teachers who perished on the flight, as well as some acclaimed opera singers. really people from around the world. how are people there coping? >> reporter: exactly. it's just past 7:30 in the morning. and german schoolchildren are making their way to school, as you see, paying their respects to the friends that they lost. 16 children from this school, 16-year-olds, they're in 10th grade here. and their two teachers. the school has pushed a list of their names on its website, alongside some of the tributes of this ever growing memorial behind me. we are finding out more and more details about the people who lost their lives. as schoolchildren lit candles for classmates, the famous operahouse in nearby dusseldorf mourned one of its leading

lights. ♪ oleg bryjak had been a member since 1996. remembered as much for his acting as the unique range and quality of his voice. >> there are some voices which, if you don't see the person, you can't always know -- you can't always tell who it is. with oleg, you could always tell. it was his individual sound. that sound we'll never forget. >> reporter: bryjak had been in barcelona singing in a role he received huge acclaim from last summer in germany's panthon to vagner. the pinnacle of a career for a man who'd had a troubled start this life but who tackled life's challenges, his colleague said, with humor and compassion. >> his father was considered to be a german spy.

and sent to the gulag. he was brought up in kazakhstan. and then he came to the west and -- i think in the meantime he's taken german citizenship. >> reporter: he learned of bryjak's death during the opera. backstage, the ensemble together since 1999. "when oleg came to work, the first thing that arrived through the door was his big heart, and we will miss that," she says. bryjak of flying back with his star maria radner, returning with her husband and child. opera talents cut down in their prime. there were so many who lost their lives, whose talents were only known to their friends and relatives. and it's for all of their sake, the relatives also, that rescue workers now pick through the

debris, trying to make sense of what happened. >> you really did have passengers from all over the world, diana. japan, colombia. and i think we found out yesterday, there were three american on board, as well. >> reporter: that's right. we know a little bit about two of those americans. a marine college graduate, emily selky, and her mother, yvonne, traveling on the plane. and there is a u.s. american, u.s. citizen, killed on board whose details we don't know yet. but yes, three u.s. citizens, three british citizens, all of their stories beginning to come out. we know that one of the british citizens of the mother of a small baby. she'll been flown to spain to her uncle's funeral, had rushed back to the u.k. with her small child. boeing of them killed on board. two babies, two of the victims in this terrible incident.

errol? >> diana magnay live. quarter to 8:00 in the morning in germany as schoolchildren we'll do this grief as everyone else does. we pressure the update. -- we appreciate the update. thanks. >> you heard some of the nationalities there. we're learning of some of the other nationalities of the victims of flight 9525. the list is still not complete, of course. we need point that out. german -- germanwings' ceo says they come from at least 18 countries, most from germany which had 72 people on board. and spain, which had 49, there were also passengers from argentina, from australia, belgium, colombia, denmark, iran, israel, japan, mexico, the netherlands, the united kingdom, united states, as we heard there, and venezuela. this information could change as authorities identify the remaining victims. just this reminder -- you can follow the latest developments on the crash investigation by logging on to our website, that

address cnn.com. we have more on a former u.s. war prisoner now charged with desertion. why bowe bergdahl's former team leader feels justice is finally being served. stay with us. bring us your baffling. bring us your audacious. we want your sticky notes, sketchbooks, and scribbles. leader feels justice is finally let's pin 'em to the wall. kick 'em around. kick 'em around, see what happens. because we're in the how-do-i-get-this-startup- off-the-ground business. the taking-your-business- global-business. we're in the problem-solving business. 400,000 people - ready to help you solve problems while they're still called opportunities. from figuring it out to getting it done, we're here to help.

boy: once upon a time, there was a nice house that lived with a family. one day, it started to rain and rain. water got inside and ruined everybody's everythings. the house thought she let the family down. but the family just didn't think a flood could ever happen. the reality is, floods do happen. protect what matters. call the number on your screen or visit the website to learn more.

welcome back, everyone. we're following two breaking stories this hour. media reports say one of the

pilots of germanwings flight 9525 was locked out of the cockpit when the plane crashed. the cockpit voice recorder indicates the pilot left the cockpitment and when he try -- cockpitment and when he tried to get back in, there was no response from the other pilot. germanwings' parent company says it is looking into the reports. also breaking this hour, at least ten countries have joined a saudi-led coalition against houthi rebels in yemen. air strikes began late wednesday and have rattled yemen's city -- capital city of sanaa ever since. there are conflicting reports about the whereabouts of yemen's president, this man, president hadi. a saudi source speaking to nic robertson maintains that as of wednesday night, hadi is still in yemen. u.s. army sergeant and former taliban p p.o.w. bowe bergdahl has formally been charged with desertion.

>> bergdahl was released in a controversial prisoner swap last year. he disappeared from the battlefield in 2009 and spent five years in captivity. now he could spend the rest of his life in prison. barbara starr has more. >> reporter: sergeant bowe bergdahl released by the taliban after being held captive for five years could face imprisonment at homement the army now charging him with desertion and "misbehavior before the enemy, engaging in shamefully abandoning his unit." two of the most serious counts in the military justice system. bergdahl will now face the so-called article 32 proceeding, the military eequivalent len of a grand jury. the next step could be a full trial. >> possible confinement for life. >> reporter: securing a desertion conviction could be tough. desertion requires evidence he never intended to return. >> desertion would imply that he would be working with the enemy

and that he had a preconceived plan to go and join enemy forces. that's going to be more difficult to prove. >> reporter: especially difficult given what national security adviser susan rice said after bergdahl was traded for five senior taliban prisoners who were held at guantanamo bay. >> he served the united states with honor and sdirchgz and will have the opportunity eventually to learn what has transpired. >> i miss them. and i'm afraid that i might never see them again. >> reporter: just hours after u.s. commandos got bergdahl back if exchange for the so-called taliban five, president obama appeared in the rose garden with bergdahl's parent. the commander in chief welcoming a soldier home. >> he wasn't forgotten by his country because the united states of america does not ever leave our men and women in uniform behind. >> reporter: bergdahl's former team leader saw a very different

soldier. >> he did talk about how he did not agree with the war effort in afghanistan. >> reporter: some of the former teammates could be called to testify at the trial system. believed several soldiers lost their lives looking for bergdahl. >> i believe the fact of the matter is when those soldiers were killed, they would not have been where they were at if bergdahl had not of left. >> reporter: cnn, the pentagon. we'll take a short break now. next year on "cnn newsroom" -- next here on "cnn newsroom," the central u.s. in the aftermath. suspected twisters blast through the suburbs two of major cities with deadly and devastating consequences.

intercourse that's painful due noboto menopausal changesit... it's not likely to go away on its own. so let's do something about it. premarin vaginal cream can help it provides estrogens to help rebuild vaginal tissue and make intercourse more comfortable. premarin vaginal cream treats vaginal changes due to menopause and moderate-to-severe painful intercourse caused by these changes. don't use it if you've had unusual bleeding, breast or uterine cancer, blood clots, liver problems, stroke or heart attack, are allergic to any of its ingredients or think you're pregnant. side effects may include headache, pelvic pain, breast pain, vaginal bleeding and vaginitis. estrogens may increase your chances of getting cancer of the uterus, strokes, blood clots or dementia so use it for the shortest time based on goals and risks. estrogen should not be used to prevent heart disease, heart attack, stroke or dementia. ask your doctor about premarin vaginal cream.

when it comes to your credit, in the know is the place to be. transunion.com makes it easy. we give you 24/7 access.

you get instant credit alerts to keep you in sync. you can even lock and unlock your transunion credit report from your phone. and all that information feels pretty good. come to transunion.comand get in the know. in the u.s., one person is dead and a number of people injured after a violent weather roared through parts of oklahoma wednesday. here's video that shows what is suspected to be a tornado, you see it in the center of your screen as it hit in sand springs in suburban tulsa. the storm system decimated a mobile home park there. and tulsa was not the only area struck by a likely tornadoed with evening. about 100 mile to the southwest, another appears to have caused more damage to oklahoma. our meteorologist, derek van dam, keeping a very close eye on

all of this activity. talk about why people are saying possibly when it is likely a tornado. is that not clear? >> that is interesting wording. the national weather service has to go back to the suspecting area of the tornado and assess the damage and patterns of the trees and buildings laid out from the windment and then and only then can they really actually officially call that a tornado regardless of the fact that we often see the videos that one showed coming out of tulsa showing a clear tornado. this is important to note, moore, oklahoma, has been ground zero for some of the biggest tornadoes that the united states has witnessed. i've got three highlighted here within a span of about 15 to 16 years. the most recent is just now, the radar image moving across the area. i-35 north and southbound through moore. all of the destructive tornadoes including the plea 3 -- the may

3rd, 1999, concern with the high ever spin ever. look at the region, it is impressive. this is wednesday evening's tornado that just ripping apart transformers. this is moving across main street in moore, oklahoma. the damage, of course, was significant throughout the region. upturning trees and power lines. also turning over vehicles on that interstate 35. if we can get back to my graphics, you see the flare-up of thunderstorms across central and southern sections of oklahoma. we have seven tornado reports from oklahoma city to the northwestern portions of arkansas. the severe weather threat still diminishing as we lose the daytime heating from the sun. we still have severe thunderstorm watch boxes through the next three hours. normally we expect 80 tornadoes across the united states, specifically across tornado alley and throughout the

southeastern portions. but so far this march, only seven tornadoes. we still have a few days left. this is highly unusual to have this low amount of tornado. back to you. >> yeah. one minute there were none, now look at it. unbelievable. >> powerful. thank. >> thank you very much. are you watching "cnn newsroom." i'm rosemary church. >> i'm errol barnett. we will be right back with much more in our two big breaking stories. saudi military strikes inside yemen. could this be the beginning some larger proxy war? and a troubling lady in the crash of flight 9525. we're reinventing inhow we do business, so businesses can reinvent the world. from pharmaceuticals to 3d prototyping, biotech to clean energy. whether your business is moving, expanding or just getting started... only new york offers you zero taxes for 10 years with startup ny, business incubators that partner companies with universities,

and venture capital funding for high growth industries. see how new york can grow your business and create jobs. visit ny.gov/business ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ great rates for great rides. geico motorcycle, see how much you could save.

the smartest or nothing. the quietest or nothing. the sleekest... ...sexiest, ...baddest, ...safest, ...tightest, ...quickest, ...harshest... ...or nothing. at mercedes-benz, we do things one way or we don't do them at all. the 2015 c-class. see your authorized mercedes-benz dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services.

and our old internet just wasn't cutting it. so i switched us from u-verse to xfinity. they have the fastest, most reliable internet. which is perfect for me, because i think everything should just work. works? works. works! works? works. works.

hello, again. i'm rosemary church. thank for joining us. >> i'm errol barnett. hello, and welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world as we continue our breaking news coverage. two major stories we're following for you. first, what could be a major clue in the crash of germanwings flight 9525. reports that one of the pilots was locked out of the cockpit before the plane went down. air strikes in yemen. saudi arabia and a coalition of arab countries have begun bombing rebel forces opposed to the u.s.-backed president there. >> we will have more on the situation in yemen in moments. first we want to gaza strip in france