>> >> >> >> clsz >> this is al jazeera america live from new york city. i'm jonathan betz. a suicide bombing in southern russia kills and ipp jurs doze -- injures dozens weeks before the winter olympics. >> an assassinated minister is buried in beirut. >> a race car driver is in a coma after a skiing accident. >> the 125th rose bowl parade honours a special group of women - those that flew military planes during world war ii. >> a suicide bomber staged a deadly attack at a train station

in russia. at least 15 died, 34 were hurt after a bomber detonated explosives while approaching a security checkpoint. it happened in volgograd, 600 miles south of moscow, and more than 700 miles from sochi, the home of the 2014 winter olympics. the blast comes six weeks before the games. the u.s. condemns the bombing, saying the stance on solidarity against russia with any terror attack. peter sharp has the latest. >> the chaotic aftermath of an attack at a railway station in volgograd, a body on the street. a woman set off explosives near metal detectors near the main train station. the blast was captured on camera. the station was packed with thousands leaving on christmas holidays. >> translation: everything was covered in smoke. after 10 minutes i was able to

see and there were boddize everywhere. inside the train station everything was destroyed. >> the attack killed hundreds of people. >> according to preliminary information the power of this explosion was the equivalent of 10 kilograms of tnt. there would have been more victims if it weren't for the guarding system at the train station, preventing the suicide bomber getting through to the waiting hall where at the time there were lots of people. >> in the same southern city in october several died in a suicide bombing on a bus. the latest killings raise security concerns ahead of february's winter olympics at the black sea resort. 400km from the republics of chechnya and dagestan. >> putin offered support to the families and relatives of those killed in the attack. security at the winter olympics will continue to be an overriding concern for the

kremlin. it has employed more than 30,000 troops and security personnel into the region in an attempt to lock down these winter olympic. >> in an internet video earlier this year doku umarov urged supporters to use maximum force to disrupt the sochi games, and said he was cancelling his moratorium. his group claimed responsibility including the 2010 moscow underground attack that killed 40 people. two days ago a car bomb killed two people in the southern russian city of volgograd. ordinarily russians may well wonder where the next attack will come. >> here is background on the violence in russia. for nearly two decades, the government has been fighting an insurgency in the north

caucasus, including chechnya and dagestan. including the host city of sochi. there has been 15 attacks since 1995, many involving check nian fighters, leaving 1300 dead, including hundreds of children. >> al jazeera's correspondent takes a look at check nian violence. >> violence is no stranger to vladimir putin's russia, stemming from decades of conflict. in 1999 the russian army invaded chechnya under orders that vladimir putin described as an anti-terrorism operation. the conflict lasted nine years. 50,000 civilians died and 5,000 russians. in 2001 a pro-moscow regime was installed, the conflict declared over. separatist groups spread through the northern caucasus, still the

center of an islamist insurgency. >> before large events, and the sochi winter olympics is the biggest, but prior to federal elections and large events there has been these sorts of attacks. i think what they want to do, first and foremost is remind the kremlin that they are here and are a force to be reckoned with. >> doku umarov called on people to strike russia. >> there is a question as to whether more attacks would follow and where? >> the national impact could be to pull off an attack in the moscow capital. moscow is more difficult to penetrate than volgograd. here you have a kniption of a city -- combination of a city that is relatively sizeable. it has to be that much easier to get into than moscow. >> easier than the winter olympics themselves. a security zone around sochi

extends 60 miles along the black sea coast and 30 miles inland. troops are monitoring traffic in and out of the city. russians outside the zone may not be getting the same level of protection. >> more on this attack in russia. and the impact on the olympics later in this hour. >> the protest in ukraine got personal. demonstrators marched to his home as 13,000 rallied in kiev's independence square. jennifer glasses has more. >> hundreds of ukrainians took the protests to the streets, marching to viktor yanukovych's house. for weeks they have called on him to resign. they have gone unanswered. >> translation: we are not here for money for privileges. we are at square where are for our -- we are at independence

square for ourselves and our families. >> viktor yanukovych refused a deal with the european union. then the numbers of protestors was hundreds of thousands. the numbers have waned. the new tactic to attack the minister and president. >> translation: the government doesn't listen to people. they use force only. they simply ignore us. it makes us and people around very angry. >> with hundreds of riot police blocking the road to the president's house, the demonstration was peaceful. the question is what is next the the demonstrations seem to have run their course. opposition leaders are relying on a civil society movement to take the momentum and turn it into change in cities and regions. >> 7-time world champion race time driver michael schumacher is in critical condition after a skiing accident. the formula 1 legend was taken

to a hospital after falling and hitting a rock whilst skiing. he suffered a serious head injury, even though he was wearing a helmet. his speakingsman said: le -- spokesman said: >> a hospital representative spoke to the media today. >> translation: i can confirm that mr michael schumacher is in the hospital since 1330, 7:30am eastern time. he is being examined and his press attache will publish a statement soon. >> a lot of people around the world concerned about the athlete. >> he's one of the greatest sportsmen in the history of civilisation. if you look at what he did in formula 1 throughout europe and around the world. he's the tiger woods or roger federer of his sport, winning seven titles, that's a record in formula 1 racing, and won 91 separate races. he started racing with

benna tonne in 1991. then he moved to ferrari, and he won five consecutive titles in 2000, to 2004. he became a high-paid athlete. he retired from racing in 2006, but stayed on with ferrari was a consultant. midway through 2009 they asked him to come back due to an injury suffered by another driver. he wasn't able to do it. he caught the bug in 2010. he came back with a 3-year contract. e didn't have the same success, but a legend in the sport. a lot of racing fans may be struggling with the story as the information unfolds. we were told from different n s newsagency sis that it was not as severe. since getting to the hospital a coma has been involved, and that's where the worry is

concerning his condition going forward, if he's in a coma. >> especially since he comes from a dangerous sport. formula 1 racing is dangerous. he gets hurt in a skiing accident. >> he's been injured racing and riding a motorcycle. he's an avid skier. his family lives in switzerland. he was not skiing alone. they were not skiing on a marked run. they were going back country skiing. there was the two of them out there. the snow was not as packed as traditional i, but he is an experienced skier, but the accident did not happen on a controlled run. in 2005 he was the first billionaire athlete in the world. the first ever to earn more than a billion. one point his yearly sally was $100,000. >> a major salary. >> a ferry caught fire in the

north sea a few miles from the british coast. six in the hospital. two arrested for starting the fire. we have more. >> these shots were taken by britain's royal air force, showing the moment helicopters airlifted people off a ferry after a fire on board. four passengers and two crew members were evacuated and taken to be treated for snow inhalation. 23 others were treated on board the m.s. king see ways, not far off the north-east coast. >> we have a lot of smoke in the areas. passengers are shown listening to safety announcements and waiting by life boats. they didn't have to use them. once they were on dry land passengers paid tribute to the crew. >> everyone was quite and patient and easy, so it's good and stewards take good care of us with food and drinks. no problem at all.

>> we stay calm. there was a lot of smoke we could smell. the english people - they were annoying. fighting and they were rude. >> when they announced they were going to holland, it was okay. they said they were going back to newcastle, a couple of guys were arrested. >> two men were arrested, including a 26-year-old passenger suspected of starting the fire in his kab jip. it's not -- cabin. it's not clear if it was an accident. some tried to get on flights. the operating company said there's limited damage to the ferry and it's safe to travel. >> an assassinated lebanese minister was laid to rest. a car bomb killed mohamad chatah and seven others in beirut. we have more. [ singing ] >> an honoree medal for mohamad chatah from the lebanese president. other dignitaries lined up beside the mosque for a final

farewell for the former government minister and ambassador. security was tight. central beirut as mourners gathered. >> the body of mohamad chatah, and his body guard were laid to rest next to the ban also a victim of a car bombing eight years ago. these people said they'd remain defiant in the face of attacks >> translation: i came to participate in his funeral and show that we do exist. and if they think they can kill us all, we are here. as long as we are standing, we will stay here. >> translation: we want the lebanese government, not a political party. we don't want hezbollah or anyone else. we want a real government. >> among the people, anger at the assassination, and despair that there's little they can do

to stop similar assassinations in the future. >> former prime minister, a leading figure in the march 14th alliance told the crowd that the way that things were before the assassination of mohamad chatah would not be the same after his death. >> translation: we have a date for you at the square, for diplomatic action. we have decided to liberate our country from the occupation of arms. >> he was referring to the weapons held by the pro-syrian movement. >> the march 14th alliance wants to channel anger into support that doesn't include hezbollah, and wants to pressure the group to give up its arms. assassinations polarized lebanon, the turn out for the funeral was modest. a reflection of the challenges facing the march 14th camp to get supporters on the streets.

whether protesters take to the streets, war-weary lebanese are bracing for more trouble in the coming weeks. >> saudi arabia promised to give the lebanon army millions of money. it will allow the lebanon military to buy french weapons. france's president said they must remain united. >> a militia 12,000 strong are said to be on the run. government forces clashed with the white army, made up of thousands of youth aligned with the former vice president, who is in a power struggle with the president over control of the country. fighting has displaced thousands of civilians. >> reports reaching us from bor indicate that some of the white army militias, thousands of them

who have been marching to the town of bor with a view of taking it from the government defense forces have disbanded. the government minister said they had disbanded. other sources say there were aerial bombardments, and they were to serve as a warning to the militias not to advantage to the tonne. what we can confirm is that some of the militias are marching to the town of bor. government defense forces are taking up positions in and around the up to of bor to defend the town from the approaching militias. the white army brings its name from the members of this

militia, applying on their face to protect themselves. they are from a subtribe of the tribe of nuer, which also former vice president riek machar belongs to. >> there is much more ahead on al jazeera america, including an uncertain future of passengers of a ship stranded in antarctica. the latest on the rescues. >> several states reporting a high number of cases of flu -

next. >> a russian ship has been stuck in ice for more than a week. they vice-president waiting for rescue since december 24th. it's uncertain whether an australian vessel will be able to meet them. i spoke with professor chris turney on board the ship and

spoke to me from a shelter on the ship's deck, describing what it is like. >> as you can hear, the weather has got worse today. we have gusts of winds of 30-40 knots. there's been a lot of snow. we knew this was forecast, and that it was coming. it's forecast to drop out later this morning or early afternoon. so it's just something we are having to deal with. as a result we had to set up the tent. it sounds worse than it is. everyone else, i reassure you is safe and comfortable below decks where they are supposed to have a cup of tea or coffee. we heard from the "aurora australis" early hours of the this morning, around 2 o'clock. it was making good progress. we have been keeping in regular contact. i was at the bridge. it's somewhere around 80 nautical miles, making good progress - four to five knots. and we suggested based on our

observations yesterday the ship may have been better to come in from the east or south-east. there's a real possibility that the vessel may not reach us. it looks like from the latest information that not only do we have bad winds, but it's a break-out of ice from the glacier where we are working. some is old. hence why it's so thick. yes, we have enough food and water. everyone is very warm. we have plenty of fuel on board. we have shy of two weeks worth of fresh food. after that if it gets desperate we have weeks and weeks of dehydrated food in package. i'll be a little worried about mar article at that point. >> earlier we spoke to lisa martin with the australian maritime safety authority, which is leading the rescue efforts. >> the "aurora australis" is around 20 nautical miles east of

the russian ship at the moment. it is making way, but very slowly, due to the ice and the weather conditions. there are snow showers and there is poor visibility. it is a complex situation and incident that we are dealing with - the area and the terrain and that sort of thing. at this stage we are waiting and seeing how it progresses with the weather conditions. and with the ice conditions as well. the next plan is to use the helicopter on the chinese vessel which the rescue coordination centre tasked to stay in the area. at this stage we are aware that some of the russian crew will stay with the vessel. all the expedition passengers will be taken off by helicopter. there's always risks with being

in the antarctica. from all reports they are doing well. we heard yesterday the ice conditions improved, and some of the ice was breaking up, which will possibly make it easier for the "aurora australis" to get through. we are waiting to see how she tracks through the ice as she gets closer. we have been advised in the short term conditions will deteriorate but later in the day they are expected to improve. we'll wait through the course of the day to see how the "aurora australis" tracks towards there and we'll look at making a decision later in the day to see what we will do next, if we will keep the "aurora australis" on track, if she's capable of keeping towards the russian ship or if we need to get the helicopter in. >> still trapped in the ice, a lot of people in the united states probably feel like they are in antarctica. there's bad temperatures to

the north. it's a storm here causing so many problems. today is a major travel day for a lot of people finishing their christmas before new year's. you can see how fast the storm made its way to the eastern sea board, starting as rain, and now we are getting the mix of precipitation to new england. if you are on highway 95 as well as 93, problems across vermont, new hampshire and main. the rain here is beginning to end. you can see it there. we'll see some better conditions, but unfortunately it's not being picked up at the airports. we are seeing major delays at j.f.k., newark, arrival, and laguardia at 30 minutes. next time i see you at 8 o'clock, i expect we'll see better postings here on the

board. ohair, you are seeing delays due to gate congestion as plans are coming in. this is what we expect to see. rain across the i-95 corridor. it's snow to the north. we expect to see eight to 10 inches of accumulation. mostly for new hampshire. they'll see a lot of snow. if you are travelling for new years, and you are going skiing, you'll be well-off there. we expect to see winter storm warnings. that will last all the way until tomorrow. temperatures now look like this. new york at 42, boston 49. it is up here that the temperatures will drop off. the snow that has fallen will stay on the ground. here from new york, if you travel for the big new year's celebrations, notice the high temperature here. wednesday, 31.

that's the max. it is not midnight. at midnight the temperatures coming back to 27 or 28. if you are in times square, bundle up. temperatures a little windy. >> cold out there, kevin. thanks. it is cold, and that means flue season is coming on strong. reporting widespread cases. one is texas, where the flu killed more than a dozen people in houston. we have more on the outbreak. >> doctors across the houston area are seeing more patients than unusual with flu symptoms. >> most definitely this year we see an uptake in patient volumes. >> doctors and neighbours say they are seeing 50% more patients than usual suffering with the flu. houston's department of health says most of the cases have been caused by the h1-n1 strain.

>> 80% of positive spectrums were h1-n 1. >> nearly 400,000 americans last year had to go to hospital. the best defense is a flu shot, protecting more than the person who gets it. >> it can save the health of your family and others also. >> fewer than half of americans had flu shots this season. but it's not too late. doctors say anyone six months and older who hasn't. should get one now. >> and still ahead on al jazeera america, one of the most anticipated mixed martial arts fight ends with a gruesome injury last night. plus... . >> it's really nice. better than germany. >> comparing it to germie and boosting iran's image - tourists

he heading to iran.

>> welcome back to al jazeera

america. here is a look at the top stories this half hour. saudi arabia offered $3 billion to the lebanese army to allow them to buy weapons and fight violence spreading across the border from syria. france pledged support. 7-time world champion race car driver michael schumacher is in critical condition. his agent said he suffered head trauma and is in a coma. a suicide attack in russia killed 15 people. another 34 hurt, happening in a southern city of volgograd. >> i sat down earlier with kimberley marten to better understand the motive behind the attack. >> it's not a hierarchical organised group, but the man behind it, doku umarov, asked supporters to carry out attacks to discarriage people coming to the sochi winter olympics. >> what do we know about the man

behind the group? >> they are islamist extremists. he in particular has been fighting the wars in chechnya. he was the leader of chechnya. there was disagreements about the way the chechens would go and is supported to some extent by al qaeda. >> what is he focused on? >> he's focussed on the north caucasus as a hold. check na is to the north. >> let's talk about volgograd, the city where the attack happened. as we mentioned it was the second attack in two months. the first one was a suicide bomber. why that city? >> this region, the southern federal district is controlled by a man in his network. the man who controls it is the brother-in-law of the man who

controls oil in russia. they are closely connected. the man who is in charge of this district has the background as the justice minister in russia. he has written a book about combatting terrorism. it's a way of sending a message to vladimir putin that he is week, not as strong as he thinks he is. is sochi protected? >> i think it is, that is where russia is concentrating its security forces. the olympics takes place in a limited amount of time and in a limited place. they have to protect sochi and st. petersburg, where people are likely to come in. if you are a terrorist, you attack big population center. do you think the attacks in the other cities have been held because they cannot reach sochi. >> they cannot take effective action because of the gigantic security presence. >> you think this is related to

the olympics. >> no question. it's related to a call back in june by doku umarov to go after russia and show that it is fighting a civil war against the north caucasus. >> thank you for your insight, kimberley marten. >> on the ground in syria, activists say 20 are dead after an air strike in aleppo. it was carried out by government forces who dropped barrels on civilians. >> ira glass hosts "this american life" and this week he speaks with david shuster about how the show tries to set itself apart. >> we did an hour on guantanamo. we went in trying to achieve all sorts of thinks. when we did that hour, i can remember 300 people have been

released from guantanamo. the u.s. had interrogated the guys saying you never were a threat to the united states. it was a mistake to pick you up. we realised 200, 300 people were released and no one interviewed them in american broadcast journalism. they had not been an tv or radio. it was, like, we can do that. we got translators, people from other countries and tried to get people on the air, "how were you treated. do you want to kill someone. how are you feeling about that experience. just asking normal things that anyone would ask. >> the packaging of that show. we felt like people did not want to hear an hour. even i, if there was a big head,

guantanamo, an hour, that will be heavy. i know what i think, i have an opinion. i feel like i think it's incumbent on all of us, all broadcasters, you have to be gunning about how to bring this up, in that people want to watch the second minute of your show, and because it's radio, we can back into it, start a story, and it will turn out to be about guantanamo. >> be sure to catch the rest of that discussion at the top of the hour here on al jazeera america. >> turning to sports. michael eaves is here. there was a nasty injury at the mixed martial arts fight. >> to one of the best. sport and injuries go hand in hand. sometimes they are severe. to career and life threatening. mma produced a gruesome injury when former middle wait champion

anderson silver faced chris weidman. it ended with anderson silver breaking his left leg with a kick checked by anderson silver's left knee. he fell to the ground in agni. he went to hospital. the injury could end anderson silver's career. >> joining me from yahoo sports is kevin. you were at the fight last night. was it apparent inside the arena that silver broke his leg on the kick? >> it was immediate. as soon as he landed you could see that he came down and collapsed to the ground. it was obvious to everyone in the building what happened. thankfully chris weidman recognise the it and the referee did. there was an eerie quite that came over the place. it was festive and significantly there was a gasp and an eerie

quiet while people looked to see did what i think just happened happen. >> everyone is calling this a freak injury. how rare is this type of injury in mma fighting? >> the uf c, and this was a u.f.c. fight. they celebrated their 20th anniversary. this is the second injury in their history. it's happened a couple of time in minor mma promotion, and in kickboxing. it's a rare injury, one that you don't see every five to 10 years. >> the last time it happened in 2008, cory hill, he was able to come back from his injury. a different situation for sil va. >> yes, very different. anderson silver is 38, and will be 39 in april. rew silva is 38 39 in april. >> you are looking at a year

off. and will he come back. having been the champion, for 6-plus years, setting all the u.f.c. records and getting recognition, does he need to rehab from an injury and come back and prove he's still championship material in i find it unlikely that he will do that. >> do you think the injury will have a negative impact on the ffc or the uma's image as a hole. >> i don't think so. the injuries happened in sport, basketball. if it was a brain injury, yes. this was a contact injury. his life is not threatened, he'll be fine, he'll recover. the surgery ended at 3am los angeles time. it went well. so i don't think it will have a long-term impact on the sport, but i think it will have an impact in the fact that it may end the career of one of the

greatest athletes in the sport. >> you mentioned successful surgery. after the surgery the u.f.c. released a statement saying: >> i think they are trying to be optimistic with the recovering of such an injury. you wrote for yahoo sports that you think the injury may end his career. if it does, what does it say about andrew silva's career, and is he the best mma fighter pound for pound at all times? >> i think it is, it will be himmar fator, and i think andrew silva, because he did it in the

highest level of the u.f.c. over a longer period of time. that makes him the best ever. there were a lot of great challenges. he was awesome at light heavyweight. he bet stefan bonner. i think he's done enough, won in spectacular fashion. he doesn't have to do another thing, and he'll go into the hall of name as the greatest fighter who ever lived. >> thank you so much for the insight. >> that is not to be - not an overstatement. he is by far one of the most accomplished fighters in the history of the sport, and the u.s. >> what a way to end the career. >> last two phytes, losses. >> the university of texas is looking for a head coach. whoever comes in has big shoes

to fill since matt brown was really a ceo of a multi-million organization. >> texas long horn football is a cash cow. according to forbes the university of texas leads all schools in merchandise sales and tv revenue and is the only college football team to bring in more than $100 million a year, and that happened in the last two. all this with a team that has not played so well lately. 30 win, 20 losses. according to patrick rooesh, who runs a research firm, the team rides high on more than just wins. >> even though there has been a lull the last few years, you have a situation where they built the brand and the state of texas is so rich and saturated with high school football talent, people are crazy about the sport in the state of texas, and the university of texas long

horns are the college football team of the state. current students miss the glory days when the long horns won the title. from a popularity standpoint texas is on top. >> you go into walmart and texas, where that is supposed to be like texas tech and there's still long horn merchandise. >> according to forbes the texas long horns brought in there 189 million, $82 million was profit, from ticket sales, royalty and donors. >> everything is big in texas, there's a lot of wealthy individuals and alumni. >> the two men credited with making texas football what it is today is the retired director, who held the position for 32 years, and outgoing coach matt brown. their expertise generated massive amounts of money.

texas is a huge brand known around the world. >> jason, who runs the texas team store at the stadium is not surprised by the texas football number one revenue ranking. and on game days? >> it's a mad house. it's tonnes of people, nonstop. >> you can go to jeremy and through a hook and side and someone will know what it is. >> that passion for texas football led to staggering financial results, as the program tries to regain its footing on the field. >> i'll say. all that money - no winning. >> the election of iranian president hassan rouhani has brought a big change to that company. iran is welcoming foreign tourists, and they are coming in droves. soraya lennie has more on how one sport is pumping up the globe. >> it's a pristine ski field. dizin is 3,600 metres up, and a

major attraction. locals know it. foreigners are catching on too. >> i think it is nice. so much better than in germany. there's sun and the snow is good. >> the location is great because of the mountain, and we are astonished because the mountains are high and know quality is great. >> iran's president is hoping to attract 10 million tourists, an increase of 4 million, comprising rel imous and medical. >> now you know china's developed fast and people's living standard is go high. most chinese want to go abroad, have a visit to other countries, such as iran. >> in order to handle more people, the country needs investment, including on the ski

fields. >> translation: the equipment is old. over the past 37 to 58 years it has remained the same. three new facilities have been added. but the ski field has potential. the whole mountain can be used. and i hope investors in the country invest more and make it bigger and bigger, introducing it to the world, securing its future and making money. >> it's not hard to see why dizin is one of the best places for skiing and snow boarding not just for the middle east and throughout the world. more than 2,000 people come here every week, iranians and foreigners. iran's national teams for skiing and snow boarding use the slopes for training. >> iranians long had the country's best sites to them themselves. with more tourists arriving. they are learning to share them for the benefits of everyone.

>> still ahead on al jazeera america, we have a first international tv interview with pakistan's former ruler musharraf. why he says a personal vendetta is behind his trial. the 125th rose bowl is on the way. we speak to a female pilot from world war ii who is receiving special recognition.

>> pervez musharraf, the 74-year-old former army chief is the first military ruler it face charges of trees job in that country. the court hearing will take place on january 1st.

pervez musharraf spoke to our correspondent. >> after four years in self-imposed exile pervez musharraf returned to pakistan to, in his own words, save the country by running in the general election. since then it would appear his challenge has been to save himself. the former military ruler has been named in a number of criminal cases stemming from the time he was in power. the charges include allegations he was involved in the assassination of former prime minister benna zee bhutto. still the most serious charge facing pervez musharraf is treason, and will see him in full court on january the 1st. it stems from the state of emergency imposed in 2007. during that time he suspended the constitution and detained the chief justice, sparking widespread protests.

if convicted pervez musharraf faces life in prison or death. he told us he didn't believe he'd get a fair trial in a country run by nouri al-maliki -- run by nawaz sharif. >> he is in government. i don't expect justice from the courts. >> you say nawaz sharif has a vendetta against you. >> from all the action, he is being vined ict if. all that was happening. it was buying done by him or the ex-chief justice, and they were being vindictive. if you see the case that is you are -- see all the cases that you are talking about, including this article 6, all of them smack of injustice, and some

force behind the scene influencing justice. >> general pervez musharraf says the military expressed concern over his treatment by the government and the courts since his return to pakistan. >> they are alarmed and worried. they are in my favour. the feedback within the army of the serving officers, many even is that they are extremely positively disposed towards me. they are very worried. >> what are they worried about? >> about whatever is happening to me and they don't like it. >> pervez musharraf's legal troubles are far from over, he is determined to fight until his name is cleared. >> the 125th rose ball parade honours a special group of women - those that flew military planes during world war ii. they are known as the women airforce service pilots. brian rooney sat down with one of them. >> her hands are not as steady

as they once were. her eyes not as sharp, but in her heart she is still a pilot. it's what florabelle reece always wanted to be. >> i used to tell my father that that's what i wanted to do. he'd always say, "not something girls usually do florabelle reece, but if you figure out how, more power to you", so i was never discouraged by him. >> there was not much hope for a woman who wanted to fly. until this attack. florabelle reece saw an ad seeking women pilots. she went for training in texas. >> i was excited. i was going get to fly. we could see the airplane on the film. >> the military was forming what was known as the women airforce service pilots. the wasps, they shuttled goods around the country. when they started flying was a men's world. even the suits were men. >> you just picked one out.

some were too long in the legs, too big in the women, you just rolled them. >> training was difficult. >> one of the things we had to do was they would blindfold us and get you to name an instrument. you had to touch it and tell what it read, and what you would do if it malfunctioned and why it was important it was in the airplane. >> it turned out women could fly. she learned on the 86 trainer. >> i did the wheel verse, the spins, everything i could think of that we had been taught to do. it was just a beautiful airplane to do it. >> she ended up as a transport pilot and flying a b26 bomber in live-fire exercises. >> it never occurred to me about it would be dangerous. >> it was dangerous. of over 1,000 women who became pilots, 38 were killed in

accidents. after the war she had a family and never flue again. but florabelle reece will be in this parade wearing her wings. >> i will we are my wings and my staff. those two things show who i am. >> this is her moment, the moment of recognition for her and seven other women who will ride in the parade and all the wasps that are gone now. >> this is a big deal, and the appreciation this people need to know we were there i'm living proof of that, that women did flay. >> new year's day, she'll fly high once more. >> flying high indeed. that is great. still ahead. looking ahead to the new year, how it's not just the unemployed, but the underemployed who are struggling to turn their lives around.

>> >> it's been over 8 years since hurricane katrina flooded houses. many are struggling to get back on their feet.

we look at one woman's flight near new orleans. >> matilda thomas lived a comfortable lifestyle. she was a home owner earning $52,000 in her dream job. >> teaching is my calling. i was teaching in the new orleans parish for eight years. i taught elementary and some middle school. >> everything changed in 2005 when hurricane katrina struck. >> i got laid off because of katrina. they shut down the school system. some people were forced to retire. they had years since they were supposed to retire. unfortunately i didn't have the years, nor the age, so i was just cut out. >> the terminated teachers got unemployment benefits, matilda received additional aid from programs developed to help in recovery. still... >> it changes your lifestyle, you know, your salary decreased. i was getting $250 a week in

unemployment benefits. it was only for about two years, then they extended the benefits. under that i had a mortgage for $800, home owner's insurance and other expenses. >> with help she held on to her home, with its $800 a month mortgage. barely. >> unemployment stuff - the mortgage people was contacted. i got approved for the making homes affordable program. where i paid $5 a months and i took advantage of that for a whole year. if not for that i would have lost my home. >> it was all about timing. when matilda lost her job and almost her home there was a wealth of support. today that same safety net is waning. >> i applied for more, and got a

rejection. >> matilda works two jobs, earning less than she did - about $25,000. >> i work was a teacher at mcmillan's, a child-care centre. the pay is not like the school system. i make, like, half of what i was making. i took op a part-time job. i work at salvation army as a house monitor on weekends to make ends meet. >> that's the new reality for matilda who cannot find a path back to the middle class. >> and finally tonight many people in colorado are recovering from devastating floods in september. residents are getting a little help from an unlikely survivor, and are calling it flood rum because it sad in two feet of mud and muck. it's packaged as flood bum rum. proceeds to help build a new

fire station. >> "talk to al jazeera" is next on al jazeera america. >> this is al jazeera america live from new york. i'm jonathan betz with a quick look at the headlines. a suicide attack at a train station in russia killed 15. another 34 have been hurt. it happened in volgograd, about 600 miles south of moscow. officials say the bomber detonated explosives near the station's metal detector. the protests in ukraine got special as demonstrators marched to the president's home. protests have been taken place for six weeks against a decision to seek closer ties with russia rather than europe. >> lebanon's former finance minier