-- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com back on u.s. soil. two americans are released after long stints in north korean detention. but many ask why now? violence rages on iraqi streets as the u.s. targets isis leaders in new air strikes. and a quarter century gone by. we are commemorating the fall of the berlin wall and what barriers are left standing. hello and welcome to our viewers in the u.s. and around the world. you're watching cnn live coverage. i'm natalie allen. hugs, tears, and words of thanks. this was the scene of washington state about three hours ago as two americans imprisoned in north korea return to the u.s.

kenneth bae, seen here, had been held for more than two years. matthew todd miller had been detained since april. they were freed after u.s. director of national intelligence james clapper flew to pyongyang the capital at the north's invitation. clapper carried with him a letter from u.s. president barack obama for north korean leader kim jong un. kenneth bae expressed his gratitude at a news conference shortly after he landed in the u.s. >> i just want to say thank you all for supporting me and standing by me during this time. and it's been just amazing to see so many people involved getting me released for the last two years, and not to mention the thousands of people that have been praying for me as well. so i just want to say thank you

all for supporting me, lifting me up and not forgetting me. at the same time not forgetting the people of north korea. and thank you for supporting my family as well during this this difficult time for my family. standing strong during this time. >> we also heard from bae's sister, who said their family's hopes and prayers for this moment have finally come true. >> we are thankful for the mercy of leaders in north korea who relented and allowed the return of kenneth bae and matthew todd miller. it's just hard to believe this day is finally here. for two years it's been unbelievable agony and unspeakable. and there are many who have allowed this day to happen. we are thankful for president

obama, secretary kerry, for not forgetting kenneth. they plejds their commitment to bring kenneth here and here he is. >> miller's family was also at that news conference but did not make a statement. we are now learning more about how the mission to bring bae and miller got under way. the u.s. says it received very positive signals from north korea that a visit would result in the release of the two americans. president obama approved the mission last week. the u.s. sent director of intelligence james clapper to pyongyang saying the mission had the best chance of success if they sent a u.s. government offici official. clapper met with u.s. security officials but did not meet with kim jong un. president obama had a smile on his face as he told reporters he was glad for the detainees' return and he praised james clapper for a job well done. >> it's a wonderful day for them

and their families. obviously, we're very grateful for their safe return. a great job on what was obviously a challenging mission. >> for more on what went on in north korea leading up to the release let's go live to paula hancocks. she's in south korea's capital, seoul. you spend a lot of time covering north korea, trying to figure out what they do and what's behind their actions. so tell us what you think about the fact that north korea instigated this. >> reporter: well, natalie, north korea doesn't do anything accidentally. everything is highly choreographed. everything that comes out of that country. every decision that's made. you can see from state-run media every photograph that's shown of the leader. everything is highly choreographed. so certainly this was not an accidental decision. this was not a quick decision.

this would have been assessed for the pros and cons within pyongyang itself. but the question is on many experts' lips and those that observe north korea from afar, why did north korea decide to do it now? and of course why did they decide to release both of these men together? according to the u.s., there was no quid pro quo. so it appears they got nothing physical in return. a top secret mission in the dead of night. the top spy chief in the united states arrives in pyongyang, carrying a letter from the u.s. president. he leaves one day later with two former prisoners. no conditions and no strings attached according to the u.s. so why this sudden humanitarian gesture from north korea? >> clearly they crave having this kind of high-level attention. so obviously they're pleased that general clapper came. >> reporter: another suggestion. kim jong un wants to show he's still in charge after disappearing for six weeks recently. he's back in the spotlight limping but without the cane. other experts believe

pyongyang's recent charm offensive including a high-profile visit to seoul, technically enemy territory, is a pr exercise to improve its image. the trigger, the yubted nations commission on your on human rights abuses in north korea, abuses the report termed crimes against humanity. >> you had to show a lighter side to the international community because even though there could be legal sanctions or an international criminal court proceeding against north korea, north korea is still very much conscious of its reputation. >> reporter: the release of kenneth bae and matthew todd miller comes nearly two weeks after a third u.s. citizen jeffrey fowle won his freedom. no u.s. citizens remain in north korean captivity. now two, things, natalie, are certain at this point. this decision was made at the very top. so this decision would have been made by kim jong un. and it was also made for a reason. now, pyongyang did release a statement, claiming that the u.s. president had made many

requests and also an apology. washington hasn't commented on that at this point. but if that's true and president obama did give an apology, then domestically that's propaganda gold for a north korean leader who's trying to show his own people that he is very relevant on the international stage. natalie? >> yes. he will certainly use that to his advantage. and what about the divisive nuclear issue as far as their nuclear weaponry? was any of that discussed or on the table or on the minds of mr. clapper? >> as far as we know, nothing like that was discussed. we don't know for sure. but officials say this was effectively a humanitarian mission, this was a humanitarian gesture by pyongyang. it was simply about these two u.s. citizens, kenneth bae, who'd been held for two years, and matthew todd miller who'd been held for seven months.

of course there would be many other questions washington would like to discuss with pyongyang but this simply wasn't the forum for it. it's significant there was a letter carried by clapper from the u.s. president barack obama to the north korean leader. there were no diplomatic ties between the two countries and yet this was really the most significant if not indirect contact the two leaders have had with each other. i think at this point it's just significant that this has even happened. and of course beyond that there were many officials who believe the six-party talks would be the forum for talking about denuclearization. >> and i'm just wondering, paula, because you've been following this closely, we did not hear from matthew todd miller after he arrived in the u.s. is there anything more kind of about the mystery of why he was detained and what he did when he arrived there? >> well, all the information we have at this point is from north korean state media. so of course we have to bear that in mind when we consider

what we know, what we think we know. they effectively said that miller walked into the country, that he tore up his visa and claimed asylum and during the court case according to state-run media they say he was trying to get himself sent to a prison camp so he could then be released and give a firsthand account of it. now, of course we don't know if this is actually accurate. in an interview with cnn he avoided the question what exactly did do when you entered the country? so we simply don't know. the family has been private about this. they haven't spoken publicly whilst he was in the country. and we saw today they decided not to speak publicly unlike the bae family who've been very vocal in trying to lobby for the release. very different ways of dealing with really quite similar situations. >> well, perhaps we'll learn now that he's back more about his story. thanks, paula hancocks, live for us in seoul. it wasn't just the bae family that was emotional upon

his arrival to the u.s. david sugarman has never spoken to bae, never met him in person, but he launched a huge campaign to raise awareness of bae's ordeal and ultimately bring him home. >> when i wasn't on camera, i was crying in the studio. it's important. i put a lot of time and a lot of effort, and i met a lot of great people. congressmen, senators, madam secretary clinton. all through kenneth bae and the bring bae back campaign. so today's been a very emotional day for me. i spoke with the family a bunch of times. so it's just really, really amazing to actually -- it's so surveil. >> and he's on his way to washington state to meet kenneth bae. next here on cnn, violence in iraq. more on a series of deadly car

bombings. the same day coalition air strikes destroy a convoy carrying isis leaders. plus, fire at the doors of mexico's presidential palace. protests erupting over the case of those 43 missing students now believed to have been killed.

whether or not they want independence from spain.

you're looking at live video from barcelona where informal polls are now open. the vote is not being recognized by the spanish government, but supporters hope a large turnout will get their attention. a pro-independence rally saturday evening drew a large crowd in barcelona. u.s.-led air strikes destroyed a convoy carrying isis leaders in iraq. it happened near the northern city of mosul. right now it's unclear if top isis leader abu bakr al baghdadi was in any of the ten armed trucks that were struck. also, in baghdad a series of car bombs killed at least 21 people. there goes one right there. and injured dozens more saturday. video carpeted one of those blasts, as you can see, as a car exploded outside a fuel station in a neighborhood in southwestern baghdad. no one has claimed responsibility for these

attacks. meantime, iraq is welcoming the u.s. decision to send additional paratroopers to the country but says the u.s. is "a little late." our senior international correspondent arwa damon has more on what this increase in u.s. ground forces is supposed to accomplish. >> reporter: the addition of 1,500 u.s. troops into iraq almost doubles america's presence there. they are not meant to be in a combat role but rather continuing to advise and assist the iraqi security forces and the kurdish peshmerga, also providing america with critical increased eyes on the ground when it comes to those coalition air strikes. these troops are going to potentially be based in anbar province. and also potentially to the north at tajji. two key areas where isis has significant control. al anbar province especially critical in that it is

predominantly sunni and in the pasthistorically been al qaeda's key stomping ground. and it was the sunni tribes that allowed for the tide to turn for al qaeda. and those sunni tribes are going to be vital if isis is in fact to be defeated. that is one of the main reasons why the u.s. and others are putting a lot of pressure on the iraqi government led by shia prime minister haidar al abadi to reach out to sunni triepz who at this point remain fairly weary. but when we're talking about isis's long-term defeat there is the realization this cannot be achieved by military means alone, there has to be a significant political effort alongside it. arwa damon, cnn, turkey. tensions are rising in jerusalem yet again. amid reports that israeli police shot and killed a palestinian man who they say attacked them with a knife. cnn's senior international

correspondent nic robertson is there. >> reporter: well, this incident doesn't appear linked to the recent rise in tension over access to temple mount. the police say they're investigating this incident. they say the young palestinian man who was shot and killed attacked them with a knife. you can see the policeman gets out, points his weapon, fires. the man drops to the ground. police say the policeman there fired a warning shot before firing at this man. what you can then see, the police come back, pick him up, put him in their vehicle, take him to the local hospital. that's where they say that he died. now, there have been protests during the day. an early protest. about 50 young palestinians burning tires in the streets. police say they moved reinforcements into the area. later saturday there was another protest in the town of kuf

kufa kana. they say about 2,500 people came out in protest there. while this doesn't appear linked to the recent increase in tensions here in jerusalem, there's certainly the possibility that this can really raise the temperature right now if you will. there is a lot of concern about the access to temple mount. the noble sanctuary. and this shooting by israeli police of a young palestinian man caught on camera has the potential to play into and escalate those existing tensions. nic robertson, cnn, jerusalem. violent protests and fires erupted around the mexican presidential palace saturday. demonstrators are furious over the government's handling of the search for those 43 missing college students. mexico's attorney general said friday they've all been murdered and that three suspected gang

members have confessed to killing them. the families aren't buying that story, saying evidence of the killings is slim and the mexican authorities are trying to stem the public outcry. you're watching cnn live coverage. still ahead, he led the soviet union when the berlin wall came down. mikhail gorbachev tells us what now worries him about eastern europe.

it was exactly 25 years ago today, the 9th of november, when the wall started tumbling down in berlin. right now where the cold war barrier once cat its shst its s political division there are lights celebrating german unity. thousands of lanterns along the 15-kilometer-long path of the old wall. later today those lanterns will be filled with helium and set afloat. former soviet president mikhail gorbachev warned the world is on the brink of another cold war. gorbachev was instrumental in setting the stage for the wall of the wall and is in berlin for the celebrations. he spoke with our jim clancy about the decision not to use force to put down uprisings in berlin in 1989 and why he thinks

the scenario might turn out differently if it played out today. >> translator: right after the ends of the cold war when we signed important agreements we had a calmer situation and people believed more in the possibility of improvement. now it's alarming. the time is alarming. therefore, let us not forget in mutual accusations. let us rebuild the trust that has been wrecked. and let us cooperate. >> i think people feel less secure. i saw it myself in reykjavik. mikhail gorbachev, ronald reagan. they disagreed on many things. but they both were held accountable. they both knew they had to be responsib responsible. today groups like isil, this islamic state, and others, they're held accountable by no one. >> translator: the international so-called islamic state and many

other radical forces that are in tune with them, i think that requires a common effort on our part. the possibilities and the resources are available. >> the fall of the wall 25 years on, we look at the situation now, and some say we are moving backwards, we are not moving forwards. but with ukraine, with other issues, sanctions now, it's made things -- people feel we're not making progress again. we're not taking advantage. >> translator: so a lot depends on america, europe, and russia. they have to work more actively and more decisively in protecting what was achieved by them. >> when you talk about the new

walls that are up, what are the dangerous ones? is that one of them, the lack of talking to one another? >> translator: there is a kind of information warfare under way. the time now sb for playing politics but for responsible policies for building institutions for working together. >> there are russian critics today who say the kremlin is cracking down, controlling the media, suppressing its critics. do you share any of those concerns inside russia? >>. >> translator: the media is financed by various vested interests, economic interests. and the press may look free, but actually it's less than free. so the media should be free and responsible.

we need to give attention to this. this is very serious. >> what is the lesson that people around the world who look at the events here today, what lesson should they take from it? >> translator: we made the right decision. those decisions required courage. those decisions required a lot of work. and this is the only right approach. acting responsibly. acting with a view to common efforts. >> what do you think of president obama? his presidency is in its final years. >> translator: obama has problems. it's difficult. i sympathize with him. but c'est la vie. that's life. he has to see it through to the end and to stand formally. on his position, after all it's not the most important thing to be in power. it's important to withstand the pressure of those who would like to bend you.

let us wish that he does not waste the positives that he has and there is some danger that could happen. perhaps it is happening. >> the former leader of the soviet union, mikhail gorbachev. later this hour, german chancellor angela merkel will arrive at the berlin wall memorial. she will open a new exhibition, and we'll bring that to you live as we begin a two-hour special looking at the fall of the berlin wall. coming up, two american detainees freed. they spoke exclusively with cnn while they were held in north korea. how their pleas for help were answered. now they're back in the u.s. and an american veterinarian was just trying to be a tourist in southeast asia. now she's spending her birthday behind bars. the crime, she says, she had nothing to do with. that's next as well.

hello and welcome back to our viewers in the u.s. and around the world. i'm natalie allen. our top stories, kenneth bae and matthew todd miller are back in the united states. the two americans were imprisoned in north korea convicted of hostile acts. the plane carrying them landed just over three hours ago. they were freed saturday after u.s. director of national intelligence james clapper flew to pyongyang, the capital, to discuss their situation. in baghdad a series of car bombs. you're about to see one. killed at least 21 people and injured dozens more saturday. video carpeted one of the blasts right there as a car exploded outside a fuel station in the al

amila neighborhood in southwest bath ad. no one has claimed responsibility for these attacks. fires burned outside mexico's presidential palace saturday. protesters furious over the government's search efforts for those 43 college students missing since september. mexico's attorney general said they were killed, that gang members confessed to their murder. but family members say they believe the students are still alive. two americans who spent many months in prison in north korea, as we mentioned, are now back in the u.s. this was the scene in washington state as kenneth bae began hugging his family after more than two years of detention. matthew todd miller had been detained since april. they were freed after u.s. director of national intelligence james clapper flew to pyongyang at north korea's invitation. north korea issued a statement about the two americans. it says in part, and we quote, "president obama made repeated

requests and an earnest apology and assured a guarantee there would be no recurrence of similar incidents." washington has not confirmed any of this. less than a month ago three americans were detained inside north korea, the ones we're talking about, with no sign they would be let go anytime soon. but now all three are home in the u.s. so why did north korea release them now? earlier cnn's poppy harlow spoke with bill richardson, a former u.s. ambassador to the u.n. and a man who spent years negotiating with north korea to free american detainees. here's his perspective. >> i believe there was two reasons. one, they were catching, the north koreans, a lot of heat at the united nations. secondly, i believe they want to start a dialogue with the united states. there are very few conditions

that they asked for with the release of kenneth bae and this other young man, asking for a presidential envoy. and releasing them without any apparent conditions, any conditions giving them food or aid. when i negotiated with the north koreans, they're always asking for something very tangible in return. but this time i think they're sending a message that they're ready to talk to the united states and hopefully that will lessen tensions in northeast asia with south korea, with japan, with some of our efforts to keep some kind of stability in that region. >> but do we have to be cautious not to look at this as too big of a door opening for diplomacy and north korea? should it be qualified? >> well, yes. because north korea, they're very unpredictable. they go hot and cold.

but what is significant about this is that this is a decision that could have only been made by kim jong un, the new leader we know very little about. a month ago he released another american without conditions. and now he seems to be doing that again. perhaps the condition he asked for was send a presidential envoy, ask -- give us the status of some kind of early dialogue, even though he apparently didn't meet with kim jong un. but at the same time it is a positive signal. released based on humanitarian grounds. because we have demanded that in order for us to talk to north korea they have to terminate their nuclear arsenal and engage in arms control talks and north korea has in the past basically refused. maybe it's a little opening, but you can't expect much. >> so that is bill richardson's perspective. north korea expert gordon chang

also weighing in on this. he believes something must have changed in pyongyang to justify releasing three americans in less than a month. >> i think right now there's the charm offensive on the part of the north koreans because of the rupture of their relationships with the chinese, who were their main sponsors. so now they're reaching out to the united states. but on the question of why now you've got to remember that the united states is involved in these negotiations with iran over its nuclear program. and of course the main thrust of our diplomacy with regard to pyongyang has been the north korean plutonium and uranium programs. i don't know exactly how these two developments relate to each other, but there's got to be some connection because there are no coincidences when it comes to north korea. >> a state department official says bae and miller's release is "unrelated" to other u.s. issues involving north korea. a couple of months ago cnn's

will ripley talked with bae and miller while they were being held in north korea. he was only allowed to speak to each of them for a few minutes at a hotel in pyongyang. here's will's exclusive report. >> mr. bae, will ripley with cnn. >> reporter: this is a moment we never expected. during a trip to north korea officials took us to a secret location for a surprise visit with kenneth bae. the american missionary is serving 15 years hard labor for what north korea calls a christian plot to undermine the government. >> can you tell me about the conditions at the labor cam s&p. >> condition in labor camp is i'm working eight hours a day six days weeks and working agricultural work to other hard labor that is required to do. >> you said you're being treated humanely? >> yes. >> and your message to your

family? >> i'm sure they're very worried about my help at this time. right now, last month and a half not -- it's been failing. so right now what i can say to my family and friends is continue to pray for me and also ask them to continue getting me released here. >> bae's been in north korea for almost two years. two other americans were arrested separately in april. we were pulled off our regular schedule and brought to this building in pyongyang where we were told we had precisely fine minutes with each of the detainees. >> they're held in separate rooms and have no contact with each other. american matthew miller admitted to tearing up his visa and seeking asylum in north korea. now he wants out. >> what's the bottom line about your situation here and your message that you want to put

out? >> that my situation is very urgent. that very soon i'm going to trial and i would directly be sent to prison. i think this interview is my final chance to push the american government into helping me. >> jeffrey fowle, a father from ohio, confessed to leaving a bible behind during a tourist trip. considered a covert act by the north korean government. he was arrested on his daughter's birthday. >> and your message to your family? >> message is i'll come home as soon as i can. my family is the biggest thing on my mind right now. i've got my wife and three college age schoolkids that depend on me for support. my mother's staying with us too. there's six of us in our household. and i'm gone. >> reporter: right now fowle's in a hotel. but that could quickly change if he's found guilty later this month. >> i'm good for the time being but i need to let people know that i'm getting desperate.

i'm getting desperate for help. >> reporter: each man says they're getting humane treatment. they're pleading for the united states to send a special envoy to secure their release. three americans held in north korea, waiting and hoping that someday they'll go home. will ripley, cnn, pyongyang. >> and now they are. again, will ripley was in north korea talking with them two months ago. the return of the two american detainees in the past day has put the spotlight on another american held in a foreign country. stacy addison is a veterinarian who sold everything she had to travel the world. now she's being held in east timor for a crime she says she did not commit. cnn's susan candiotti has her story. >> reporter: veterinarian stacy addison has a passion for travel and wildlife. from machu picchu to costa rica to the galapagos islands and

antarctica. voluntarying to treat animals along the way. winding up in prison was not on her itinerary. >> a crime i didn't commit. it's just a very surreal experience. >> reporter: the oregon vet quit her job, even sold her house to travel the world, her mom tells me, setting out last year. >> she was just having a wonderful time. it was her dream. >> reporter: but in timor west in southeast asia that dream takes a nightmarish turn. during a september trip to the indonesian border to renew a visa addison shares a taxi with a male stranger back to dili, the capital of timor west. along the way the stranger stops foik up a package at dhl. when he gets back in the taxi police surround them. the package, authorities say, contains drugs. >> she was terrified. she didn't know absolutely what was going on. >> reporter: addison was jailed,

held alone for four days. in court the drug suspect seems to clear her. >> he testified before the judge that he didn't know my daughter. >> reporter: addison is freed by a judge. but her passport confiscated. she's able to skype. >> initially i wasn't that worried. i knew i didn't have drugs. they searched me. the police searched me. they tested my urine. everything was negative. so i thought okay, i haven't done anything, it should be okay. but it's not. >> reporter: october 29th she goes back to court. they arrest her on the spot. she's draped by police into a mink sarong and put into a car. they are sending me to prison. she manages to send a text to a friend. she's being held in this women's prison. her hair's been cut. a rule for prisoners. yet addison is not charged with a crime. being told the investigation could take a year. this week she turned 41.

>> never in a million years would i have thought she'd be spending her birthday today in a prison. >> reporter: addison is allowed a lawyer and u.s. consulate visits. through them she's exchanged letters with her mom. she writes, "i have a mattress now and can go outside two hours a day." signing off, qu"i love you," stacy. >> what would you like to tell the government of that country about your daughter? >> that she's innocent. she just wanted to be a tourist. >> reporter: susan candiotti, cnn, new york. >> we'll continue to bring you any developments on her story. a u.s. nursing student is safe after her abduction was caught on camera. but she's not the only one whose life was saved by a piece of video. more about that coming up. let me get this straight... yes? lactaid® is 100% real milk?

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well, we all pretty much know that surveillance cameras, well, are everywhere these days. but those cameras watching you also help police crack cases. most recently the brazen abduction of a woman in pennsylvania, caught on camera. police say clues in the video led to the capture of the suspect. cnn's kyung lah reports on how cameras are a game changer for police.

>> reporter: the startling surveillance video in philadelphia helped bring carlesha freeland-gaither home. just the latest in a growing number of cases where the crime is caught on tape. a bold smash and grab robbery inside a los angeles jewelry store where you can plainly see the suspects on the surveillance video. in bel air a home surveillance video caught these two women sitting on the front porch of a home. one of them even took a selfie shortly before three men broke in. police say all five are part of a burglary crew who had no idea they were being recorded. from the hit-and-run of a pedestrian in the crosswalk to the car thieves breaking in and driving off, video has radically changed how police crack cases. detective ryan moreno shows us the lapd's latest robbery on video. three men pin down a 69-year-old woman and cut her $55,000 rolex right off her wrist. >> as a detective what is it like for you to have a piece of video like this?

>> oh, this is huge. aside from being there this is the next best thing. i would say almost 90% of our robbery cases that we rely on video. >> 90%? >> i would say so. >> detective moreno now has a car, the suspects', and less than 24 hours after they published this video the calls are already coming in. >> how much has video changed law enforcement today? >> i'd probably say tremendously. i would say in the last eight to ten years just video systems have upgraded. >> reporter: revolutionizing how police police. in the stabbing of this victim, william jennings, after lapd released a surveillance video the suspect turned himself in. las vegas police were able to piece together the final moments inside a shootout at a walmart with these two cop killers thanks to the store's video. electronic eyes in the sky don't always help police. in this dallas officer-involved shooting the eventually

unjustified shooting of a mentally disabled man led to the officer's firing. and sometimes the shoplifting in a store not always a bad guy but a bad dog. security cameras like this basically on virtually every single building you walk by. so are there any potential privacy concerns? we called the aclu and they say look, when it comes to solving street crimes of course not, but when it comes to whether this information is sold or stored that's when they become concerned. kyung lah, cnn, los angeles. a series of earthquakes has rattled parts of nevada recently. derek van dam is at the international weather center. i think you called it, what, a swarm? >> a swarm. i've heard of a swarm of bees but never a swarm of earthquakes. >> that sounds like a lot of earthquakes. >> whatever it is, it's got seismologists all excited. we've had upwards of 760-plus

earthquakes since july of this year. this is a u.s. geological survey just kind of mapping out all of these earthquakes across northwestern nevada. it's not only the frequency of these earthquakes that has been on the increase. it's the magnitude or the strength of the earthquake, which of course is measure the on the richter scale. just within the past week, in the month of november, we've had three 4.0 or higher magnitude earthquakes within this area. one on tuesday was a 4.6. that's teetering on the threshold that produces some minor damage. fortunately, this is in a very sparsely populated area. seismologists say it could be due to the movement of water underneath fault lines. of course fault lines are what cause earthquakes in the first place. we have normal, reverse, and strike slips when the crusts move side by side. nonetheless, if you are caught indoors when an earthquake takes place, remember these three simple terms -- drop, cover, and hold on.

we're also thinking that this number or frequency of earthquakes in northwest nevada could be a precursor to something larger. we'll definitely be covering that very closely. while they're holding on in nevada they're also holding on across alaska. we've got one of the strongest storms ever recorded in terms of central pressure. this is the remnants of what was typhoon nuri. there's actually a buoy in the bering sea just off the aleutian islands that has measured some impressive wave heights. upwards of nine meters on the open ocean. that's roughly 25 feet. very impressive stuff. and some significant wind gusts out of the storm system as well. the reason i'm mentioning this is because it's going to have a ripple effect on the weather across north america. we've been talking about this the past several days. cold arctic blasts inundates the eastern half of the united states. look at the temperatures tumble. especially the second half of the workweek. winter storm warnings from

minnesota all the way to wisconsin and minnesota could receive upwards of a foot of snow. if you're located in new york city, you're not prone to getting away from the storm. it will be there on thursday as well. that's all we've got for weather but i think you've got some pretty cool video. >> last week we covered nick wallenda walking between two chicago tires on a tightrope. blindfolded with no net. and now look at this. >> making me dizzy. >> must be this time of year. one of two highwire artists. he's tackling sbab yay's victoria falls on a slim tightrope. the men wore safety lines, we're happy to say. but it is still -- that doesn't look very steady there. a bold 100-meter walk with a 100-meter drop. the walkers pushed aside their nerves and made it across. >> and it ends with that. amazing. he's got a trick for it as well. you know, i've been to victoria falls, and there's just so much

going on. so much commotion. how can he not get distracted from what he's doing? that's amazing. lucky to make that one. usually they wear shoes. he's barefoot. >> always gives me the heebie-jeebies. in 1989 they saw the decade end when it seems the world could change in the blink of an eye. the words to a popular song back then. our coverage of berlin's special day, straight ahead.

this is a big day ahead for the city that once bore the brunt of cold war tensions. more than 1 million people are expected to participate in today's festivities marking 25 years since the fall of the berlin wall. as you can see, there are thousands of lanterns lined up along the 15-kilometer path of the old wall. later today those lanterns will be filled with helium and set afloat. memories are flooding back for those who remember firsthand the night of november 9th, 1989. i certainly do. but those people were there. they recall the hammers, the axes and the chisels that suddenly appeared at that tall east-west barrier which had separated berlin for much too long. as a popular song by the group jesus jones put it, "for 28 long years they had been alive and

waiting for this." ♪ right now ♪ there is no other place i want to be ♪ ♪ right here right now ♪ watching the world wake up from history ♪ ♪ i saw the decade end ♪ wishing the world could change in the blink of an eye ♪ >> that footage is really interesting. now we have live video right here of people gathering for the commemorations that are about to begin. as we await the arrival of german chancellor angela merkel, who in a few minutes will open a new exhibit for the berlin wall memorial. the fall of the wall was the start of a new way of life for people in east germany who had been cut off. our jim clancy was there a week after the wall came down.

he reported on the crowds of people traveling into the west for the first time in almost three decades. >> reporter: a line stuttered slowly toward the wall as reinforcements of east german border guards arrived to meet crush of millions of their citizens who were expected to travel to the west this weekend. >> i'm a socialist. and i will stay here. but to go sometimes, it's good. >> reporter: whether they're socialists or not, people from throughout east germany were converging on berlin for shopping or sightseeing trips. by friday evening some were already returning with bags of groceries, portable stereos, and other consumer goods. meanwhile, the line of cars heading west began backing up for blocks. some east berliners voiced the fear that the activism that opened these roads was now the being diluted by a wife of

consumerism, a development they said could affect the future of the reform movement. at a rally later in the day 5,000 students demanded their own freedom to run their own academic lives while homemade signs read the success of the so-called happy revolution wasn't going to be measured in the number of shopping bags brought home. >> i'm afraid the possibility of traveling increases the chants, the negative chance that the opposition forces and the tdr lose their mass influence. >> of course after 28 years being jailed, at least in the sense of closed walls around, the most understandable thing what happened last weekend here. and i hope, i personally hope it won't be enough. >> reporter: even among the protesters there were signs that the focus of their calls for reform had narrowed. from issues like free elections and an end to the communist party's monopoly on power to smaller, more personal affairs. >> we will have more english.

speak more english. and not so much russian. because english is more important for us. >> reporter: some of the change in the reform movement is simply a natural progression. but opposition leaders are struggling to holt on to the momentum they had before the wall came down. the shopping trips are creating problems for com mift leaders too. the outflow of cash is costing millions of dollars that the government will be hard pressed to replace. reform-minded premier hand modric believes the answer may be in east germany attracting some visitors of its own from the west. thursday he announced he was creating a new cabinet post, minister of tourism. still, many here say the reform movement has its work cut out for it. some believe that the new freedom to travel and go shopping in the west isn't just a distraction but potentially a disaster. jim clancy, cnn, east berlin. >> well, we're glad that didn't come true. jim, there's angela merkel now.

she has arrived at the berlin wall memorial. minutes from now she'll open a new exhibition on a street that saw heart-rending scenes of families ripped apart, friends cut off from one another, back when the infamous wall was suddenly erected by communist authorities in august 1961. we just saw jim clancy's report. 25 years ago for cnn. of course he's still on our team today. and he's part of our special coverage there in berlin. so stay with us for a two-hour special, looking at the 25th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall. jim clancy, fred pleitgen and holly gorani pick things up from berlin in just a minute. you're watching cnn.

s. hello everyone and welcome to our viewers all over the world and in the united states this hour. we are live in berlin. as events are under way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall. we'll get to all the celebrat n celebrations and festivities in a moment. you're seeing the beginning of those commemorative events on your screen. two american citizens held by north korea are back in the united states this sunday. a plane carrying kenne