this morning on "world news now," a chain reaction at a fireworks market in mexico. dozens are dead, and investigators are working to see what caused the massive tragedy just before the holidays. new video just in, a cargo plane crashing in colombia. authorities rushing to the scene. latest on the investigation to what caused this incident there. new this half hour, a family's call for help. a mother and father kidnapped in afghanistan four years ago now for the first time, we're seeing their children born in captivity and never have nope a day of freedom. coming to the rescue, jumping into action subduing an unruly passenger. but who was taking the pictures? we'll tell you the

the skinny on this wednesday, december 21st. from abc news, this is "world news now." good wednesday morning. we start in mexico at a market packed with people and fireworks. >> investigators are trying to figure out what sparked that blast near mexico city that left dozens dead and more than 70 others injured. >> shoppers were preparing to celebrate the holidays r and they are now trying to recover from the horror less than a week before christmas. >> reporter: you're looking at dramatic images from the outskirts of mexico city. explosions at mexico's best known fireworks market during the busiest time before christmas and new year's eve, smoke billowing into the sky, at least 29 killed, 72 injured. on the ground, confusion, chaos, and shock as people walk t

listen, and you can hear fireworks still going off in the background. >> it was a big stampede of people and visitors that were at the market at this time of the explosion going off, so a lot of people were falling to the ground and literally told me the ground was shaking. there's dozens of people that are dead now. dozens that are at the hospital. the state of mexico said a lot of the bodies could not be identified because of the degree of which the bodies were burned. there's a lot of commotion now in mexico and outskirts of mexico city about, you know, who the victims are. people are going taking to social media to post the names of some of the relatives in effort to try to find out if they are some of the burned victims at the hospital. >> reporter: no word on what caused the explosion. abc news, new york. >> we're also told that at least ten children were among the

>> this is not the first time something like this happened. the same market was hit by fire in 2005, and then again in 2006 near mexican independence day. the fires destroyed hundreds of merchant stands similar to this, and we, of course, will continue to stay on top of the breaking story for you. >> horrific scene there. we turn to the terrorist investigation taking place in berlin. police searching for the killer who turned a tractor trailer into a murder weapon slamming into that crowded market. >> the man initially believed to be the driver has been released, and isis claimed responsibility calling the attacker a soldier of the islamic state. abc's molly hunter has the latest. >> reporter: the attacker on the loose, likely armed. tuesday night prosecutors released the man detained monday due to insufficient evidence. he was a 23-year-old pakistani asylum seeker, police said tuesday morning, and hours later, haven't said what evidence led them to him in th

in the back of the attack truck, a dead polish man with gunshot wounds, but no gun was recovered. the investigation is ongoing, and police are warning the public to be extra vigilant here in berlin, across germany, and across europe where other christmas markets could be targets. president obama called german chancellor merkel saying the united states stood by germany to defeat terrorism in all forms. as 20 people were released from the hospital, merkel assured germany those responsible will be hunted down and punished. the police do not have enough information for a wanted poster, so they are chasing leads, but they don't know who they are looking for. molly hunter abc news, berlin. body of russia's ambassador to turkey arrived back in moscow. the widow went as they carried the flag draped coffin off the plane an placed

hearse. meanwhile, video of the moments just before the ambassador was shot and killed by an offduty turkish police officer. russian and turkish investigators are trying to determine whether the officer was acting alone. the taliban released video of an american woman and canadian husband held captive since 2012. the pair hiking in afghanistan when they were abducted. she was seven months pregnant at the time and since had another child in captivity. it's the first time the children have been seen. they made a plea to president obama. >> we ask quickly in our collective 14 year of prison urge the government on both sides to reach some agreement to allow us freedom, obama, your legacy in leaving office is probably important to you, and our lives and lives of our children are up to us. don't become the next jimny carter. >> reporter: parents in pennsylvania say they are just grateful to see that their daughter is still alive and to see their grandchildren for the first time there. five people killed in a

the boeing cargo plane went down moments after takeoff. watch this video captured on camera. was flying way too low to the ground and skimmed a fence there. the plane broke apart and burst in flames. one crew member survived the crash. north carolina lawmakers are in special session today to consider repealing the so-called bathroom law requires transgender people to use restrooms corresponding to the birth certificate. after the law was passed in mar march, leaders of more than 100 companies including apple and twitter called for it to be repealed, but lawmakers are facing pressure from some conservative groups to keep it in place. four more officials charged with the water crisis in flint, michigan. two charged were state emergency managers when they used the river as a source of drinking water. the other two were the former public works director and former utilities director. they face conspiracy and misconduct charges.

in an effort to save money. health officials identified the case of a deadly case of food poisoning in a san francisco bay area. bacteria led to the death of three people and made 25 others sick. all the victims apparently ate a free thanksgiving meal at a church. the officials couldn't pin point exactly what part of the meal made people sick, but they suspect it was either turkey or mashed potatoes, some of which was home made. a tennis superstar sidelined after an attack in her home country in the czech republic. police are searching for the suspect who attacked the two-time world champ, petra with a knife. at one point, even held a knife to her throat. all of this taking place in her home. she was able to escape, but suffered deep cuts on her left hand. she'll be off the courts, obviously, for at least six months. the washington capitals delivered an early christmas gift to a fan. >> seth parrish thought he was

going to watch morning practice with his mom, but actually got a chance to lace up with his favorite players and join them on the ice. >> you know, we get to come and do what we love every day, so if by doing that and being able to meet a kid and give him a jersey and his mother with us, that brightens his day, brightens christmas, that never gets old for us. >> the young player takes part in a program called taps, tragedy assistance program who lost a military mom or dad. he lost his father 32 days before he was born. >> he is not only an avid hockey fan, but a young player, and so for him, this was a huge deal to be able to take the ice with the team. a complete surprise for him. >> he's still smiling at this hour as a result. >> so nice for him. coming up in the skinny, richard marx, 25 years ago, belted out hit songs, and now he's been helping belt in an airline passenger who got out of hand. >> i see what you did there.

of a million vehicles for a problem similar that killed a "star trek" actor, but first, let's take a look at today's forecast. "world news now" weather brought to you by 23andme.com.

plumping surface cells for a dramatic transformation... ...without the need for fillers. with olay, you age less. so you can be ageless. olay ageless. hey team, i know we're tight on time, but i really need a... ...sick day tomorrow. moms don't take sick days. moms take nyquil severe: the...

...sleep with a cold, medicine. ltry align probiotic.n your digestive system? for a non-stop, sweet treat goodness, hold on to your tiara kind of day. get 24/7 digestive support, with align. the #1 doctor recommended probiotic brand. now in kids chewables. you won't see these folks they have businesses to run. they have passions to pursue. how do they avoid trips to the post office? stamps.com mail letters, ship packages, all the services of the post office right on your computer. get a 4 week trial, plus $100 in extras including postage and a digital scale. go to stamps.com/tv

again. watch as a man stops traffic on the busy highway in houston. police received calls from drivers who thought the man was sleeping. some worried he was hit by a car. the man's sister called officers and told them he has mental health issues. the man, we're happy to report, was not hurt. frightening moments along the detroit river. an 82-year-old man rescued from

driveway when he went down an embankment, and the car flipped over. a police officer driving by saw what happened and got the man out as the car filled with freezing water. the man is recovering in the hospital. >> good thing the police officer was there. federal safety regulators are looking at roll away problems in another 1 million fiat chrysler vehicles. >> one model involved is the auto maker's top selling vehicles. >> reporter: it's another group of fiat chrysler vehicles under scrutiny over gear shifters. the rotary shifters in a million dodge ram trucks and durangos. some roll away even in the parked position, and earlier recall for shifter problems in fiat chrysler jeeps was highlighted by the death of actor antan, his jeep allegedly rolling backwards in his home and crushing him against his fence.

electronic, and some drivers find them confusing. >> when controls are located in places we don't expect or are different, it's well-known drivers make errors. >> reporter: new investigation comes after the government received 43 complaints, including 25 crashes and nine injuries. 34 cases alleged the car was in park. they are cooperating fully and urged to use parking brakes. the government said in the majority of the cases, the engine was still running in the vehicle, but some of these roll away events happened, reportedly, when the engine was turned off. abc news, washington. >> of course, there was another vehicle, similar vehicle, with a problem involving that "star trek" actor, and that investigation is still ongoing there. >> scary stuff. >> yep. when we come back, we'll look here, there is life after the pop charts.

>> can even become a hero. >> yes. the heroics at 30,000 feet. the skinny

♪ ♪ whatever it takes ♪ or how my heart breaks >> she's been singing all morning long. it would be nice if it wasn't annoying. >> well richard -- >> beautiful. >> well, thank you, thank you so much. you're so kind to me. richard marx, by the way, was right there waiting when another passenger aboard a flight became violent. it was caught on camera. >> marx restrained the man as they flew from vietnam to south korea. marx posted photos on social media. at one point, the passenger broke free and began fighting again. marx said he and his wife were not hurt, but a flight attendant and two passengers were not so lucky. >> he added it seemed the flight

handle something like this. by the way, that's marx wife, daisy -- >> wait, what? >> they are married. a day earlier, they tweeted a photo of the couple sightseeing in hanoi. >> little do beknow they were married. >> that's true. >> shocking. >> should be a jam at the end of this year's induction for the roll and roll hall of fame. journey, one of the best selling american bands, and one of the favorite american bands in history, or at least mine anyway, has been for the first time, the hall inducting artists who started careers in the '90s. pearl jam and tupac. >> first hip hop artist to get there. joan baez surprised she was chosen. others honored this year are electric light orchestra and musical excellence award for

rogers. janet jackson robbed yet again. >> we'll keep working on it and writing the letters. keep writing the letters. by the way, anderson cooper is browsing my instagram account. i showed picture of me bathing a rescued elephant. a wonderful experience, i talked about it, and low and behold, guess who is copying me. >> uh-oh. >> that's right. anderson cooper. >> woah. >> i copied him by backing an anchor, and now, check it out. >> is that the silver fox in. >> that's his partner ben. that's anderson on the left. they spent yesterday afternoon in the elephant camp in myanmar. >> would it kill them to eat a pizza? this is in myanmar, right? >> yes. anderson's been there before. the reporter before his days on

"world news now," he had a shirt on at that time, however, now he's just trying to copy me. >> years ago, when reporting for channel 1 news, he snuck into vietnam and myanmar doing reporting there, and known for "world news now," if only his career went somewhere after this. >> reports that drake and jennifer lopez are together. >> really? >> that's right. they are seen together a lot lately working on new music. however, question is, is it something more? >> is it more of a collaboration? >> you could say that. >> so both drake and jlo at liberty right now, and drake did invite lopez to a private dinner party at hot new hollywood restaurant earlier this week. ? a private dinner party, huh? >> a one on one dinner, and he al

vegas as well, so that basically says they are dating. >> i missed the drake's not dating rihanna memo that apparently happened a long time ago. >> i missed -- >> i thought they were soul mates, in love, i thought the nice guy finally finished last or first. >> broke up in august. just imagine, though, if we thought marvin's room was great, after this breakup with jlo, assuming it's a relationship -- >> wait, we're not even sure they're together, and you're talking about the breakup. >> back to rock and roll hall of fame, journey, i know you perform it -- >> what's wrong with journey? ♪ don't stop believing >> this is what i have to live with. make it stop. please. it's christmas. make it stop. >> want me to sing christmas songs? >> o

christmas. there is just one thing ♪ christmas. there is just one thing ♪ sts a few hours. or, take mucinex. one pill fights congestion for 12 hours. no thank you very much, she's gonna stick with the short-term stuff. 12 hours? guess i won't be seeing you for a while. is that a bisque? i just lost my appetite. why take medicines that only last 4 hours, when just one mucinex lasts 12 hours? start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this. [ that's a good thing, eligible for medicare? t it doesn't ver everything. only about 80% of your part b medical expenses. the rest is up to you. so consider an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. like all standardized medicare supplement insurance plans, they could save you in out-of-pocket medical costs. call today to request a free decision guide.

you'll be able to visit any doctor or hospital that accepts medicare patients... plus, there are no networks, and virtually no referrals needed. join the millions who have already enrolled in the only medicare supplement insurance plans endorsed by aarp... and provided by unitedhealthcare insurance company, which has over 30 years of experience behind it. with all the good years ahead, look for the experience and commitment to go the distance with you. call now to request your free decision guide. take delsym, the #1 12-hour uncontrolcough medicine. it helps control the impulse to cough for 12 hours. which means, you're controlling your cough on your morning commute. and later when you're joking with beth... even when most cough medicines stop, delsym is still working. ♪ and when your days' over, your cough is still under control.

delsym. the cough controller. that cough doesn't sound so good. well i think you sound great. move over. easy booger man. take mucinex dm. it'll take care of your cough. fine! i'll text you in 4 hours when your cough returns. one pill lasts 12 hours, so... looks like i'm good all night! ah! david, please, listen. still not coughing. not fair you guys! waffles are my favorite! ah! some cough medicines only last 4 hours. but just one mucinex lasts 12 hours. start the relief. ditch the misery. let's end this.

♪ ♪ a john lennon classic there. this season magnifies feelings of loneliness and depression, but a missouri man decided to do something about his problem. >> you could say he too big a direct approach. here's the story. >> reporter: george king was tired of being alone on christmas. he was feeling a bit depressed, and he decided to do something about it, so he put up wanted signs looking for that someone special. >> i am looking for a friend or a girlfriend between ages of 23 and 45. >> reporter: putting up 22 signs around joplin with a phone number and hoped for the best. >> really tickled to death for a

friend. >> reporter: he had a tough life and health issues. >> two heart attacks, six strokes. last year, i had a heart attack, fell, broke both legs. >> reporter: carol king saw the sign. >> i couldn't believe what i saw, somebody is advertising for a girlfriend. >> reporter: she was feeling a bit sad this holiday season, missing her dad who passed away. she took a chance, and she called the number. >> it really fascinated me, and she took time to care. >> reporter: carol asked for the man's name and was shocked to hear his answer. >> when he said his name was george king, and that's my dear dad's name, it was suddenly christmas imagine ig.

we had to do something to help. >> reporter: that christmas magic works in mysterious ways. >> it was a god thing. i felt i was the one to see the sign for a reason, and that was my sign. >> reporter: since george does so much walking during the day, carol got him a new pair of shoes, and she also made a new friend. >> we're on earth to help each other, and we are supposed to help each other, so me and carol are just helping each other. >> see that, you don't need tindr or craig's list. just write a flier, post it on a pole. >> old fashioned way. >> on the electric pole and good to go. >> who needs mistletoe? get a hug easily. >> cool he has the same name as her father. what a coincidence. >> it is freaky. don't miss updates on facebook at wnnfans.com. this is abc's "world news now" informing insomniacs for two decades. orld news now" informing insomniacs for

making news in america this morning, deadly blast. an explosion at a fireworks market triggering a chain reaction. fire and smoke visible for miles and people scrambling to safety. new details from witnesses on that scene. a massive manhunt is under way in berlin for the killer and christmas market attack. isis is now claiming responsibility. hear why authorities released a man they originally had in custody. >> deadly crash. a plane comes down shortly after takeoff. it is all caught on camera. what went wrong? and yet again it's a busy morning here. good morning. the investigation is under way into what caused that deadly chain reaction explosion that