fleeing into west berlin, as 3 1/2 million did before the wall was erected. if the guards with their guns were unsuccessful in keeping people fleeing, there was a barbed wire. if they crossed that, there was the wall. if they reached the top, there was the broken glass. over 100 have been killed trying to cross. in june, 96 succeeded, three were killed. all escape routes were reinforced reinforced. the eastern guards had ordered to shoot at each other if one tried to escape. in areas where windows overlooked west berlin and people had jumped to freedom, the windows had been sealed with bricks. the wall separated more than a city. it separated the world. on one side lived people who were free to be christians or muslims, buddhists, hindus, jews or confucians. on the other side lived people whose expression of any religion was discouraged or taken away. on june 26th, a short distance from the wall and overlooking the east, the people of west berlin welcomed a visitor, the president of the united states of america. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> kennedy! kennedy! kennedy! ken

>> 1500 american soldiers arrived in west berlin after a 110-mile road trip across east germany. erson radio described the forces as a challenging military act. >> the berliners know that western strength is their only protection. >> there are all sorts of people who say send the tanks in, knock the damn wall down. and kennedy, no. he understands this solves his problem. will khrushchev try to take over the rest of berlin if he's putting up a wall? will he risk a war with us? no. the wall saves us from that kind of conflict. >> after the berlin crisis, khrushchev tests the largest nuclear device ever. he basically is going to say to the americans, you can't scare me. i'm going to scare you. >> the west has nuclear jitters. people worry about fallout, about war. khrushchev has turned testing into a weapon of terror. >> there was tremendous anxiety and fear that if you got into a nuclear war it was going to mean the devastation of civilization. it was the apocalypse. >> let us face without panic the reality of our times. the fact that atom bombs may some day be dropped on our cities

. >> the berlin wall had separated east and west since august 13, 1961. as the wall came down on november 9, 1989 senate minority leader bob dole republican from kansas, and senate majority leader george mitchell, democrat from maine took to the senate floor to voice their thoughts. >> according to news reports, the east german government just announced the opening of its borders to all of its citizens to include the right to free passage of the berlin wall. it appears that the berlin wall and all it represents are crumbling, even as the communist state which built it crumbles too. with breadth of speed, the people of east germany sought to take their up destiny into their own hands. by the hundreds of thousands shall they have taken to the streets, asking only two things, freedom and opportunity. by the tens of thousands, they have fled their homeland seeking only two things, freedom and opportunity. decades of communist rule lie in shambles. the government resides one day the communist politburo the next and now we have today's dramatic announcement. th

the west berlin had a wall around it entirely. of course because all of berlin is an island inside east germany. this made west berlin the only city in the world with an exact outline viz able to astronauts but a the wall is fully lit along the entire helping at all hours of darkness. so west berlin's outline was visible frontal outer space. to go into east berlin or jest germany you had to do to a check point. those are the little dots. the key border crossing that night was this checkpoint ryan here, the northernmost inner berlin check opinion. why that checkpoint? the other ones were in more design locations and the party had generally given the real estate nearby to secret agents, military officers, loyalists, people who wouldn't storm the wall. but the street is in a bad neighborhood, because there are lot of dissidents, actually where ziggy, the man who made the video footage, lived. he and his friend were among the first to go to the check point. when i interviewed his friends, other dissidents about the moment when they hea

the west berlin had a wall around it entirely. of course because all of berlin is an island inside east germany. this made west berlin the only city in the world with an exact outline viz able to astronauts but a the wall is fully lit along the entire helping at all hours of darkness. so west berlin's outline was visible frontal outer space. to go into east berlin or jest germany you had to do to a check point. those are the little dots. the key border crossing that night was this checkpoint ryan here, the northernmost inner berlin check opinion. why that checkpoint? the other ones were in more design locations and the party had generally given the real estate nearby to secret agents, military officers, loyalists, people who wouldn't storm the wall. but the street is in a bad neighborhood, because there are lot of dissidents, actually where ziggy, the man who made the video footage, lived. he and his friend were among the first to go to the check point. when i interviewed his friends, other dissidents about the moment when they hea

to open berlin still further to all europe, east and west, let us find ways of making commercial air service to berlin more convenient, more comfortable and more economic. we look to the day when west berlin can become one of the chief aviation hubs in all central europe. with our french and british partners, the united states is prepared to help bring international meetings to berlin. it would be only fitting for berlin to serve as the site of united nations meetings or world conferences on human rights and arms control, or other issues that call for international cooperati cooperation. there is no better way to establish hope for the future than to enlighten young minds. and we would be honored to sponsor summer youth exchanges, culture events, and other programs for young berliners from the east. our french and british friends, i'm certain, will do the same. and it is my hope that an authority can be found at east berlin to sponsor visits from young people of the western sectors. one final proposal, one close to my heart. sport represents a source of enjoyment and ennoblement. and

>> it's possible, because as you will understand, more and more people have tried to visit west berlin and might come out that the existing checkpoints will not be enough and that's possible. but you might have also heard that all fortifications, barricades, which have existed up till now will also be removed, have been announced by the minister of interior of the german democratic party. >> the entire wall itself will be torn down? >> um, we should have no illusions and not beaten by euphoria. the berlin wall is not simply dividing line between a city. the berlin wall is -- has been and is marking a borderline between states and even more, between the two most powerful military alliances. the wall as it existed up to now will disappear, but the border between gdr and federal republic of germany will continue to exist and obviously, with a regime which is applicable under such circumstances, as with any other countries. be no difference with regards to the regime at the border as applied at borders between any other country in this world. will the wall physically disappear? >> physical

over 20 tons of candy were also delivered to the grateful citizens and children of west berlin. halvorsen) the berlin airlift was the healing balm on the wounds of war. it spawned nato. the marshall plan was hand in glove with it. such a powerful force of america and england, great britain doing what they could to help. (narrator) the success of the berlin airlift was undeniable, but it came with a cost. (gail halvorsen) thirty-one of my air force buddies, and 39 of my british comrades gave their lives for an enemy to become a friend. that's how much the feeling changed, how important it was in the minds of, why? because of gratitude, going back to gratitude again. when people are so grateful and their lives are on the line, we accept it. (narrator) colonel halvorsen remained in the air force, and in 1970 returned to berlin to serve as commander of tempelhof airfield. over the years, he continues to tell his story of the airlift and "operation little vittles." his love for people, especially children, is as clear now as it was 65 years ago. (gail halvorsen) when we went back in 1

on june 26th, a short distance from the wall and overlooking the east -- the people of west berlin welcomed a visitor, the president of the united states of america. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> kennedy! kennedy! kennedy! kennedy! kennedy! >> thank you. there are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the communist world. let them come to berlin! there are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. let them come to berlin! and there are even a few who say that it's true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. [ speaking german ] let them come to berlin. freedom has many difficulties, and democracy is not perfect. but we have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in. to prevent them from leaving us. to prevent them from leavin us. to prevent them from leaving us. while the wall is the most obvious and vivid demonstration of the failures of the communist system, for all the world to see, we take no satisfaction in it, for it is, as your mayor has said, an offen

the west berlin police have suggested they move back saying the situation is already complicated enough but it doesn't seem to make any difference. the people are here to celebrate freedom for the east germans, freedom to travel a primary right for people anywhere in the world. >> that's an amazing moment. two things. it's the first time i've ever been interviewed by someone who i first saw on a sonogram. >> there you go. >> tim came to me and said i'm going to have a son and here is the proof of that. it was a thrilling moment for everybody and i'm so proud of how luke has continued the legacy of his dad and with his mother maureen. he's become a cherished not only surrogate nephew but also a great, great journalist. i'm thrilled to be on the stage with him. i know that tim is looking down and says to us go get them tonight. >> yes, indeed. thank you. [ applause ] >> a couple of things about that at the beginning. shah bow ski didn't know what he was talking about it turns out. he had been given this note at end of a news conference and the politburo on the other side had a lot of rest

. >> khrushchev calls west berlin a cancerous sore. >> lines are now drawn. >> 25 russian ships en route what may be a collision course. >> no way of knowing whether western civilization will live or die.

will open up the third was traveling to the north by keeping mind of a problem of flooding of 37 west berlinorleans but slow right to the scene of the closure metics about toward software one uc unusual crowding high-risk 87 heading out toward center fell. >> : bulgaria was scary for a lot of folks will offer you how was it >> : as a case severances got up and held a third owner on for a little bit. there are sailing in find a safe flight >> : people actually some paulus of deep pot calling from nevada >> : at the station carried the that the blair witch not kidding you like we're doing flashlights and telephones only it knocked out power. a hundred thousand people including kron san francisco a dozen customers without power >> : i came from o'clock news less and light saw that rug flashlight holding the flashlight we go through the dark hall is finally do everything was off with no matter how are left we were done >> : is very dramatically exciting >> : and funny as removing to beautiful moon facilities and as a last day 7 law last it was memorable. >> : nevertheless into several stories 18

a barrier separating the soviet controlled east berlin from the west which was controlled by the americans the years hundreds of germans died trying to cross from one side to the other, many killed by armed guards. >> mr. gorbechov tear down that wall. >> reporter: but those words were considered so -- that the president was asked not to use them at all. >> he said i'm the president right. yes you're the president. he says i get to decide whether that line stays in. and we say yes mr. president. he said, well it stays in. >> reporter: his reform policies brought down communism. today gorbechov and former president bush were honored by the former parliament. >> people always ask me who was the hero bush. i always say, the real heros were the people. >> it was a real sight, as dahli had painted it. then the realizization of what we were seeing. the dam had been breeched and water was cascading over the wall. >>> and while many people may think communist east germany is a good thing to forget, as chris burns reported, others take pleasure at returns to familiar things from the past. >> report

berlin was a divided city east and west in the cold war with east and west germany outspending the othern concert halls and orchestras. >> when germany was union need, the city was unified as well, and all of a sudden there was basically two sometimes even three if you look at the opera houses of everything. >> this woman's company promote the careers of young artist who is come to berlin. she said it's the ideal place for them to grow as musicians. >> you have the study, you have the hiver educations, and the acts of orchestra, and you still have ability to find comparatively cheap space to live. if you compare to london, paris and new york. [♪ singing ] >> rachel fenlon, the german capitol is like what was said of new york. if you can make it here, you can probably make it anywhere. nick spicer, al jazeera berlin. >> adults can buy recreational marijuana legally in colorado today, and reformers hope it's the beginning of a wave that will sweep across america. but in places like louisiana in the southern united states, legalization is off the agenda. the state has the countr

berlin was a divided city, east and west in the cold war.out spending the other on concert halls and orchestras. ♪ ♪ >> when germany was unified in 19 nineties the city was unified as well and all of a sudden there was basically two or sometimes even three, if you look at the opera houses of everything. >> reporter: this women's company promotes the careers of young artists who come to berlin, she says it's the ideal place for them to grow as musicians. >> you have to study, -- you have the study higher education, academies of orchestras and the possibility to still find comparatively cheap space to live if you compare to london, for example paris or new york. ♪ ♪ >> reporter: rachel is hoping for a breakthrough at auditions here. for opera singers and classical musicians, the german capital is like what was said of new york if you make it here, you can probably make it anywhere. nick spicer, al jazerra berlin. >>> and a quick reminder, too that you can always keep up-to-date with all the latest news and analysis, features on our website tha

that tree is like a glittering berlin wall preventing any movement from east to west. mr. claus, tear down that tree. (applause) but it's one thing for protestor, it's one thing for protestors to do violence to our city streets and traffic. it is quite another for them to use excessive force against christmas. >> it is creating havoc. we've got two weeks before christmas. do you think this is going to have some impact-- i mean who wants to go shopping at macy's when this is going on. >> protestors preventing people from shopping at macy's. i hope these shoppers shall overcome. now that's-- yes, i can't buy-- yes, yes, black friday matters. it does. the protest have even spilled over into professional sports. >> athletes donning t-shirts expressing a desire for justice. last time i checked, t-shirts don't block traffic. they don't prevent from you shopping at macy's. they should be a perfectly acceptable way to express one's feelings about political issues. >> i wondered to myself, what if lebron james instead had a shirt be a better father to your dad. i mean be a better f

berlin was a divided city east and west in the cold war with east and west germany outspending each other on concert halls and orchestras. >> when germany was unified in 1990, the city was unified as well. all of a sudden there was basically two sometimes even three, if you look at the opera houses of everything. >> this woman's company promotes the careers of young artist who is come to berlin. she said it's the ideal place for them to grow as musicians. >> you have to study. you have to have higher education. you have the academies of orchestras and you have the ability to find comparatively cheap space to live compared to london, paris or new york. [♪ singing ] >> rachel fenlon is hoping for a breakthrough in auditions here. the german capitol is like what was said of new york, if you can make it here, you can probably make it anywhere. nick spicer, al jazeera, berlin. >> lovely. stay with us on al jazeera. more news straight ahead. >> syria agrees to negotiations about restarting peace talks in moscow. the fighting rages on. hello, watching al jazeera live from london. also coming up,

berlin was a divided city - east and west in the cold war, with east and west germany outspending thewhen germany was unified in 1990, the city was unified. there was basically two or sometimes three, if you look at the opera houses of everything. >> this woman's company promotes the career of the young artists, saying it's an ideal place to grow. it's the study, the higher education, the academies of orchestras and the possibility to find comparatively cheap space to live if you compare to london paris or new york. [ singing ] rachel finland is hoping for a break through at the musician. the german capital is hike the set of new york. if you can make it here you can probably make it anywhere >>> stay with us here there's another full bulletin of news straight ahead. it's per cent oigsz >>> families fear the worst after an air asia plane is missing over the java sea, with 162 people on board >>> from al jazeera's headquarters in doha also ahead n.a.t.o.'s mission in afghanistan comes to an end. we look at what has changed on the ground. the government pledges more than $100 million to

berlin was a decided city east and west. general academy outspending the others. >> when germany was unified and all of a sudden there was two or three if you look at the opera houses. it's the ideal place to grow as musicians. you have the study. higher education, and the possibility of finding it comparatively cheap space to live if you compare to london. paris or new york. >> rachel is hoping for a break through at auditions. for opera and classingal musicians. if you make it here. you can make it anywhere. >> three german cities are on the united nations list of creative spots. tomorrow on al jazeera america the disappearance of the missing airasia - we'll have reports from the region and talk to aviation experts. tomorrow on al jazeera, beginning at 7am. this is a live look at the airport in singapore, where families of the passengers have left for the night. remember to stay with us. in two minutes the team in doha have the latest on that search. thank you for spending sunday morning with us at al jazeera. i'm morgan r

that it will be between the east and west, between russia and the united states. as i said, i was in berlin with kissinger and baker, and kissinger said we could have anticipated what would happen in the satellite states. we could have anticipated even the rise of someone like putin. we didn't see what was going to hap in in the middle east, and what we have in the middle east, now, of course, is not just asymmetrical warfare where we have these highly trained, extraordinarily motivated ra radical islamic forces that are moving easily, too easily in my jum judgment, across that part of the world. they all came out of ort financial states, states designed after world war i. the tribal culture is what defines them. it's faith based in most instances and goes very deep and it's been there for a long time. when you're there with them, and it's not just with the militia but with the people in the streets, of the various cities, that's the first thing they refer to. and the one place that they close up on, you can be talking to a shia or a sunni, and they'll have extraordinarily stark differences

berlin wall. dy some research today. you were the only network news anchor there -- the only broadcast. the west germans didn't have time to get set up live. amazing back story about how all of that happened. but you took it upon yourself to go over there, while there were mid-term elections going on, because the belief this could be the bigger story. and you went to a press conference where the propaganda ambassador said some things. i want to play that and we'll go into the question. >> do i understand you correctly, citizens of the gdr can go through any check point they use for personal reasons. they no longer have to go through a third country? >> they are not further forces to leave [ inaudible ] by transit to another country. >> it is possible for them to go through the wall at some point? >> it is possible for them to go through the border. >> freedom of travel? >> yes, of course. >> good evening, life from the berlin wall on the most historic night in this wall's history. what you see behind me is a celebration of a new policy announced today by the east german government that now, for

. >> perhaps that is why there is still so much that he has to say about this berlin wall going up again, the westrying to encoach all the time on their borders. >> absolutely. we expected that he would say something new about the relationship with the west. the other point which i think is very interesting is when there was a question referring to elites. so how he would build his relationship with the national elite. what mr. putin said was farmers are the elite. the farmers are the elite. brokers are the elite. that shows that he works -- and his words are for a very certain constituency in russia. he makes sure that that constituency supports him. >> they might like the sound of that, but to a certain extent, it's skirting around the question. thanks very much indeed. president putin is still talking. in fact, we can listen back in to what he has to say. just got one question from a journalist here. >> translator: she's not saying the right things. never violated any constitution. you lied shamelessly. i was not stopping you from asking your question. >> well, we've just got caught up in what

berlin was a divided city east and west in the cold war with east and west germany out spending the otherts cert halls and orchestras. when germany was unified in 1990, the city was unified as well and all the sudden, there was basically 2 or sometimes tlooeven if you look at the opera houses of everything. >> this woman's company promotes the careers of young artists who come to berlin. she says it's the ideal place for them to grow as musicians. >> you have the study. you arehave the higher education, the academies of orchestras and the possibility to find comparatively cheap space to live if you compare to london, for example, paris or new york. ♪ >> rachel finlon is hoping for a break through at auditions here for opera singers and classical musicians, the german capitol is like what was said of new york. if you can make it here you can probably make it anywhere. nick spicer al jazeera, berlin. >> i am richelle carry. fault lines is next. before we go we want to show awe picture of what the empire state building looks like right now. you can see it is blue and white there. if you look

west over ukraine. >> thank you for much for breaking that down for us. >>> to berlin now, where the german chancellor been delivering her state of the union address. she said western sanctions against russia would remain. >> translator: we want to face the challenges posed to international security, but we cannot travel this path alone. it is up to russia to accept our offer of dialogue on the basis of the valuess of lasting peace in europe. as long as we have not achieved this goal, sanctions will remain unavoidable. >> reporter: she was speaking ahead of ta today's summit in brussels. simon is standing by for us in the belgium capitol. >> shiulie, i think what we're going to hear today is they will take no public delight in the current state of crisis of the russian economy, to which, i think president putin feels the e.u. sanctions are contributing, but they are not going to lift the boot from the russian neck so far as you have seen, as we expected. another tranche of e.u. sanctions targeting particularly russian attempts to exploit oil and gas in crimea and the black seacoast off of crimea have

berlin, this is your world news. click it's good to have you with us. -- >> it's good to have you with us. israel and the west bank are 10 after the death of palestinian cabinet -- our are tense after the death of palestinian cabinet member. >> and the eu's latest scandal involves the government of luxembourg and top companies like walt disney, microsoft, and skype. collects welcome to the program. the european union and the united nations are calling for a transparent investigationinto the death of the palestinian authority minister during a west bank protest. he is the first palestinian cabinet members to die during a protest and his death is likely to stoke simmering temp -- tension over jerusalem and the west bank. >> seen here in the brown coat shortly before his death. this footage captures just before is security forces grabbed him and make chokehold. moments do, he keeled over. the altercation took lace after israeli soldiers fired tear gas at demonstrators protesting israeli settlements. he was filming the is really soldiers, accusing them of using excessive force. this is an occupation of terror, he

west, a colder chance at 31 degrees, right at the freezing mark for westchester. phoenix, 33 degrees. freezing right now in chester springs just below that. and in downingtown and berlin. it's a cold morning and a blustery day. watch the radar screen. should stay dry for today. for now, all the wet weather is staying to the south. to the south and to the southwest, that had snow moving through missouri. and the rain and some snow in parts of tennessee and into kentucky. the high pressure is in charge, and we are going to stay dry. you can see, it keeps all the clouds to our south. this is friday evening when a storm system is coming together with rain in the deep south. it's expected to move to the north and eventually some snow will be forming. saturday afternoon, it is well clear of our area, we'll see sunshine and even into sunday. now, it looks like that's going to stay to the south. and we will stay dry over the weekend. partly sunny skies today breezy and cold. highs in the 40s. a little below normal with winds that feel like the 30s today. ed seven-day forecast, tomorrow morning, brisk and breezy. 42 the high. we'll see more sunshine on friday and sunshine to s

we're celebrating the 50th anniversary of "the suicide of the west," also the 25th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall. and efforts by governments to regulate the information economy have proven thus far not to be thatting. that successful. that could change, but that is at least a source for us to be optimistic that western values not only are growing around the world, but that they will remain and become even more triumphant a generation from now than they were a generation ago. thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much for that most interesting and stimulating panel. now, we're open with the time that remains -- we do have some time for questions, and maybe i could just start and then you could also pitch in. [laughter] to this discussion. i had a number of questions, but i guess one that i wanted to ask was, um, i think it was adams who said there was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. [laughter] and he goes on to say that all forms of government are subject to the same vulnerabilities because of human frailty. his comment, nevertheless, it certainly resonates with me, and

west and the ruble is around 66. but the currency collapse has put the president vladimir putin on the defensive. hans nichols joins us from berlin to start with you. useda seems to have emergency measures to stop the ruble. it seems to be working right now. holdill hold -- putin will a press, samara. one of the expecting him tuesday? >> able take a very combative stance -- he will take a very combative stance and say that russia is defending its interests. but of course, ordinary russians are looking for reinsurance -- reassurance and there is a moment of dread the moment. i don't know whether putin will be able to achieve that. hans nichols, german companies have always been worried about their exposure to the russian market. what companies in germany are most scared right now? now, you would have to put adidas, and siemens in that market. -- that basket. but it's not all bad. the companies mostly in frankfurt, which banks have exposure to russian bonds? inn they did these scenarios october, they never included a collapse of oil and a class of euro. but the a big question, luxury auto space, porsche sales for example in russia,