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1. Co-pilot was flying AirAsia Flight 8501
The co-pilot was at the helm of AirAsia Flight 8501before it crashed into the Java Sea with 162 people aboard, the head of the agency that is investigating the crash told reporters in Indonesia on Thursday. Investigators continue to probe the reasons behind the accident. The plane was traveling from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore.
A photograph released on April 15 shows operators aboard the ADF Ocean Shield prepare to launch a U.S. Navy Bluefin-21 robotic submarine to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet in the Indian Ocean.
A photograph released on April 15 shows operators aboard the ADF Ocean Shield prepare to launch a U.S. Navy Bluefin-21 robotic submarine to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet in the Indian Ocean. (Photo: U.S. Navy MC1 Peter D. Blair via AFP/Getty Images)
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  • A photograph released on April 15 shows operators aboard the ADF Ocean Shield prepare to launch a U.S. Navy Bluefin-21 robotic submarine to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet in the Indian Ocean.
  • Workers on the ADF Ocean Shield launch a U.S. Navy Bluefin-21 robotic submarine.The Malaysian jet with 239 people on board disappeared March 8 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
  • A Japanese P3 Orion aircraft takes off on a search mission for the missing airliner from a base in Pearce, Australia, on April 15.
  • A map from the Joint Agency Coordination Center shows the search area for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet in the southern Indian Ocean.
  • Royal New Zealand Air Force Sgt. Trent Wyatt searches for the missing Boeing 777 from a P-3 Orion aircraft on April 11 over the southern Indian Ocean.
  • Crew members on a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3 Orion aircraft operate radar and sensor systems during a search for the missing jet.
  • Royal New Zealand Air Force Flight Lt. Steven Graham, center, seated, holds a pre-flight briefing before conducting a search operation for the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft.
  • A girl stands in front of message cards for passengers
  • A woman who has a relative aboard the missing airliner displays a photo of her father, who was aboard the Malaysia Airlines jet, at a hotel in Beijing.
  • A Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion aircraft flies over the Australian Defense Force vessel Ocean Shield during a search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet on April 9 in the southern Indian Ocean. The ship has detected two new underwater signals that may be emanating from the aircraft's black boxes. The Boeing 777 with 239 people on board disappeared on March 8.
  • A map of the search area is displayed during a news conference in Perth, Australia.
  • Japanese and Malaysian officials watch the departure of a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force P3C plane at Subang airbase near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The plane is flying to Australia to join the search for the missing airliner.
  • A Japanese Disaster Relief Team member reads messages dedicated to the missing passengers on the Malaysia Airlines jet at Subang airbase near Kuala Lumpur.
  • A worker cleans a painting of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 at a school in Makati City on April 8 in Manila.
  • Relatives of Chinese passengers on the missing flight hold a candlelight vigil at a hotel in Beijing.
  • A Chinese woman cries as she prays during a vigil in the Metro Park Hotel in Beijing.
  • People cry and pray in front of candles at the Metro Park Hotel.
  • A Royal Australian Air Force P-3 Orion flight crew walks toward the aircraft at a base in Pearce, Australia.
  • Australian navy Able Seaman Clearance Divers Michael Arnold, left, and Matthew Johnston from the ship ADV Ocean Shield scan the water for debris from the missing jet on April 7 in the southern Indian Ocean.
  • A fast-response craft manned by members from the ship ADV Ocean Shield searches the ocean for debris.
  • Australian Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston shows the current search areas of the ships Ocean Shield and Haixun 01. Houston confirmed that the Australian naval vessel Ocean Shield has twice detected signals in the past 24 hours consistent with aircraft black boxes.
  • Royal Australian Navy Cmdr. Peter Leavy, left, listens as former Australian defense minster Angus Houston, chief coordinator of the Joint Agency Coordination Center, holds a map showing possible locations of a signal from the black box aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines jet a news conference on April 7 at Dumas House in Perth. The missing airliner disappeared on March 8 with 239 people on board.
  • U.S. Navy Capt. Mark Matthews talks to reporters about the ping locator operations after a news conference at Dumas House.
  • Graffiti art memorializes the missing Malaysia Airlines jet in Kuala Lumpur on April 6.
  • Buddhists pray for passengers on the missing airliner in Kuala Lumpur.
  • A woman attends a mass prayer for people aboard the missing airliner.
  • Buddhists pray for passengers on the missing jet.
  • An April 5 photograph shows a white floating object spotted by the Chinese air force in the southern Indian Ocean.
  • A Chinese relative of passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 rests behind candles in a prayer room at the Metro Park Hotel in Beijing on April 4.
  • Royal New Zealand Air Force Wing Cmdr. Rob Shearer, left, and Sgt. Sean Donaldson conduct a search for the missing jet over the southern Indian Ocean.
  • Operators monitor stations aboard the Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion during search operations for missing Flight MH370.
  • Relatives of Chinese passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight pray in Beijing.
  • Relatives of Chinese passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight weep in a prayer room in Beijing.
  • Relatives of missing Chinese passengers light candles in a Beijing prayer room.
  • A Royal Malaysia Air Force C-130 takes off on a search mission for a missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 jet on April 3 from Pearce air force base in Perth, Australia. The airliner with 239 people on board disappeared on March 8 on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
  • Relatives of Chinese passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines jet stand near a memorial to the passengers in a prayer room at a hotel in Beijing.
  • A relative of a passenger on the missing Malaysia Airlines jet watches television as he waits for new information at a hotel in Beijing.
  • Relatives of the Chinese passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines jet walk through a hotel in Beijing.
  • A Chinese relative of a passenger on the missing airliner waits for the new information.
  • A crew member aboard a Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion aircraft searches for debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet on April 2 over the Indian Ocean northwest of Perth, Australia. The Boeing 777 airliner with 239 people on board disappeared on March 8 on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
  • A crew member on a Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force P3 Orion looks from an observation window as the aircraft taxis at an Australian air force base in Pearce.
  • Malaysia's civil aviation chief Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, left, speaks to the media after a private meeting with Chinese relatives of the passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines jet at a hotel in Bangi near Kuala Lumpur.
  • A map from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority shows the search area in the Indian Ocean.
  • Japan Coast Guard crewman Koji Kubota searches for debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet on April 1 near Perth, Australia. Ten planes and nine ships are searching for the missing Boeing 777 that disappeared on March 8.
  • Japan Coast Guard pilot Makoto Hoshi flies a Gulfstream V search aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean near Perth.
  • Hidetaka Sato of the Japan Coast Guard works at the communications desk during a search.
  • Kojiro Tanaka, head of the Japan Coast Guard mission, speaks to the media during a search operation in the southern Indian Ocean.
  • The Australian navy warship HMAS Toowoomba searches for debris.
  • A woman who has a relative on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight comforts another woman before a briefing by Malaysian officials at a hotel in Beijing.
  • People who are related to passengers on the missing flight talk with members of the Malaysia Airlines special assistance team during a meeting at a hotel in Beijing.
  • A picture on a monitor shows a piece of unknown debris spotted by a Royal New Zealand P-3 Orion during a search operation for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet on March 31 in the southern Indian Ocean. The images were sent for analysis to the Rescue Coordination Center and Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
  • A shadow of a Royal New Zealand air force P3 Orion aircraft is appears on low cloud cover during a search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet.
  • The Australian navy ship HMAS Success searches for the missing airliner that had 239 people on board.
  • Royal New Zealand air force wing commander Capt. Rob Shearer conducts a search for the missing jet over the Indian Ocean.
  • An image of a U.S. P8 Poseidon search aircraft appears on a monitor in the cockpit of a Royal New Zealand air force P3 Orion.
  • A relative of a Chinese passenger on the missing jet prays before a briefing with Malaysian officials at a hotel in Beijing. The Boeing 777 disappeared on March 8 on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
  • A woman wipes away tears near a wall covered by letters dedicated to the missing passengers at a hotel in Beijing.
  • Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, center, delivers a statement on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight to the media at the Putra World Trade Center in Kuala Lumpur.
  • A Buddhist monk comforts a Chinese relative of a passenger at a Buddhist temple in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.
  • Chinese relatives of passengers bow after a special prayer ceremony at a Buddhist Temple in Petaling Jaya.
  • Family members of Chinese passengers participate in a special prayer ceremony at the Fo Guang Shan Temple in Kuala Lumpur.
  • South Korean Navy Lieutenant Commander Oh Kang-Min wears a MH370 search-and-rescue team patch as he waits to meet Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott at an air base in Perth, Australia.
  • A girl writes a note to passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines jet in Kuala Lumpur.
  • People hang messages during the "Love U MH370" event in Kuala Lumpur on March 30.
  • A volunteer cries as she prepares for a commemoration event for the missing passengers on March 30 in Kuala Lumpur.
  • A volunteer prepares to release balloons as a symbol of remembrance for the victims at Titiwangsa Lake in Kuala Lumpur.
  • A Royal Australian Air Force ground crewman stands in front of a Royal Malaysian Air Force C-130 Hercules after it landed at RAAF Base Pearce on March 29 to help with the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in Perth, Australia.
  • Royal Australian Air Force Sgt. Peter Shomos works during a search-and-rescue mission over the southern Indian Ocean.
  • A smoke marker is dropped from a Royal Australian Air Force search aircraft.
  • Chinese relatives of passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 observe a moment of silence before a meeting with Malaysian officials at the Metro Park Hotel in Beijing.
  • A relative of a Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 passenger rests at a hotel in Beijing.
  • An Royal Australian Air Force aircraft takes off on a search mission for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet from Pearce Airbase on March 28 in Bullsbrook. Planes and ships raced to a new search zone after investigators suggested the missing Boeing 777 was flying faster than first thought before it plunged into the Indian Ocean.
  • A map released by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority shows the new search area in the Indian Ocean.
  • Chinese relatives of passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines fligh pray in a room at the Metro Park Lido Hotel in Beijing. The airliner with 239 people on board disappeared on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.
  • Chinese relatives of passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines conduct a prayer vigil at the Metro Park Lido Hotel.
  • A woman photographs a screen showing a candle memorial dedicated to the missing passengers at the Metro Park Lido Hotel.
  • People place candles during a ceremony for passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines jet on March 27 in Kuala Lumpur.
  • Royal Australian Air Force Flight Lt. Jayson Nichols looks at a map as he flies aboard an AP-3C Orion aircraft during a search operation for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet over the southern Indian Ocean.
  • A Thaichote satellite image taken on March 24 and released March 27 by the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency shows objects floating in the Indian Ocean near the search area for the missing jet.
  • Royal Australian Air Force Capt. Peter Moore conducts a search for the missing jet from an AP-3C Orion aircraft over the southern Indian Ocean.
  • A navigation screen on a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion aircraft shows its location.
  • Royal Australian Air Force Sensor Employment Manager Neville Dawson watches a radar screen during a search for the missing  jet on March 26.
  • A Malaysian air force general reacts as he answers a question from a relative of a passenger on a missing Malaysia Airlines jet during a meeting at the Metro Park Lido Hotel in Beijing. The relatives were told that they would be brought to the recovery area as the search goes on for wreckage.
  • A satellite from the Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency taken on March 23 shows the location of unknown objects in the southern Indian Ocean off the southwestern coast of Perth, Australia. A Malaysia Airlines jet with 239 people on board disappeared on March 8 on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
  • A Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency map shows the location of unknown objects in the southern Indian Ocean.
  • A Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency map shows the location of objects floating in the southern Indian Ocean near Australia.
  • Malaysian Minister of Defense and acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein shows pictures of possible debris from the missing Malaysia Airlines jet on March 26 at the Putra World Trade Center in Kuala Lumpur. The Boeing 777 with 239 people on board disappeared on March 8 on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
  • Hussein shows pictures of possible debris from the missing airliner.
  • A map from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in Canberra shows the planned search areas in the Indian Ocean.
  • A map released by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority shows areas already searched and new search areas in the Indian Ocean.
  • A relative of passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, center, speaks to the media at the Metro Park Lido Hotel in Beijing.
  • A Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion aircraft takes off on a search mission from a base in Pearce.
  • A family member, right, of passengers aboard a missing Malaysia Airlines plane is comforted by a member of the Special Assistance Team at a hotel in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on March 25.
  • High school students attend a vigil for passengers aboard the missing Malaysia Airlines jet in Lianyungang, China. The Boeing 777 airliner disappeared on March 8 on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
  • A high school student holds a candle during a vigil for passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines jet in Lianyungang.
  • Crew members on board an Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion return from an 11-hour search mission for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet on March 24.
  • A relative of Chinese passengers on a missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft cries during a protest outside the Malaysia Embassy in Beijing.
  • Relatives of Chinese passengers on the Malaysia Airlines plane scuffle with police officers outside the Malaysian Embassy.
  • Relatives of passengers stage a protest outside the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing.
  • A relative of a missing passenger cries as she participates in a protest outside the Malaysian Embassy.
2. Islamic State sets Thursday deadline for release of prisoner
Islamic State-affiliated Twitter accounts posted a video setting a Thursday deadline for a hostage exchange. In the video, Japanese hostage Kenji Goto declares that if the Jordanians do not present Iraqi prisoner Sajida al-Rishawi by sunset then pilot Mu'ath al-Kaseasbeh will be executed "immediately." Jordan is prepared to make the swap at the Turkish border. However, there was no word on whether a Japanese hostage would be included in any exchange as the 24-hour deadline to secure his release passed.
3. Author Dean Koontz takes your questions
What have you always been dying to ask Dean Koontz? Get those questions ready because the best-selling author answers yours on Thursday via online video chat from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET. The occasion: The publication this month of Saint Odd, the conclusion to Koontz's popular seven-book series about Odd Thomas, the fry cook who can see the spirits of the dead. Koontz will answer questions about the series, which began in 2003, and talk about his life and writing career.
4. Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt named Hasty Pudding's woman and man of the year
There's nothing hasty about these decisions. Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals, the oldest acting society in the U.S., crowns Chris Pratt and Amy Poehler as 2015's top man and woman. Last year, Neil Patrick Harris and Helen Mirren won the title and Mirren even twerked to celebrate.
Oscar Winning actress Helen Mirren reluctantly demonstrated that she knows how to twerk, while being honored as Woman of the Year by Harvard's Hasty Pudding Theatricals. Mirren won best actress for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in 2007. (Jan. 31) AP
5. Confirmed Ebola cases fall most in a week since June last year
The World Health Organization said there have been fewer than 100 new confirmed cases of Ebola in a week in the three most affected countries. A total of 99 new cases were reported in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone in the week to Jan. 25.
And, the essentials:
Weather: Another storm will bring a mix of messy weather to the Northwest while showers begin to move into the Southwest.
The national weather forecast for Thursday, January 29 calls for light snow in the Great Lakes, and showers through the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. VPC
Stocks: Pre-market U.S. stocks rise as Asia markets decline.