0:00:01 > 0:00:03Hi, I'm Leah with your Newsround update.
0:00:03 > 0:00:07Coming up, why England should watch out for Neymar in Brazil.
0:00:07 > 0:00:13And the bear caught chilling in a hammock.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15First this morning.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19People in Syria are voting in a presidential election today.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23It comes as the country is locked in a civil war, which has been going
0:00:23 > 0:00:26on for three years.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29President Assad's forces are fighting opposition groups who don't
0:00:30 > 0:00:34want him in power any more but he is widely expected to be
0:00:34 > 0:00:35voted in again.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38The BBC's Jeremy Bowen is in the Syrian capital of Damascus
0:00:38 > 0:00:39and has sent this report.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43This is the heart of the old city of Damascus, and wherever you look
0:00:43 > 0:00:47at the moment, there are images of President Bashar al-Assad.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52There are thousands, literally, and that is because of the election.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56There are a couple of ways of looking at this election.
0:00:56 > 0:01:01There is the view you get from the opposition, and from Western
0:01:01 > 0:01:04countries and critics of the regime.
0:01:04 > 0:01:10And that is that it is a sham, but it is a bad joke.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14The question asked is, how can you hope to have a fair election in a
0:01:14 > 0:01:16country that is having a Civil War?
0:01:16 > 0:01:22There is a defence against the arguments you hear in Damascus.
0:01:22 > 0:01:39And it is that this election is a beginning, the first time since the
0:01:39 > 0:01:4250s where there have been three faces on the ballot paper, not just
0:01:42 > 0:01:43one.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46The regime here thinks it is on the way to winning the war.
0:01:46 > 0:01:50And it is giving off much more confidence than it used to as a
0:01:50 > 0:01:52result of that feeling that it has.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55The clean up has begun after a huge sandstorm caused
0:01:55 > 0:01:57by record winds damaged large parts of Iran's capital city.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00At least four people have been killed after the unusual weather
0:02:00 > 0:02:01struck Tehran yesterday.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03Tens of thousands of people were left without electricity
0:02:03 > 0:02:05as power lines were knocked down.
0:02:05 > 0:02:09The fire department is now helping to clean up the damage left
0:02:09 > 0:02:09by the storm.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Next to the amazing story of the US soldier, held hostage in Afghanistan
0:02:13 > 0:02:15for nearly five years, who has been freed.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl was released at the weekend in exchange
0:02:18 > 0:02:21for five senior Taliban members who were being held as prisoners
0:02:21 > 0:02:22by the American government.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Bowe now has to begin his life as a free man but how do you deal
0:02:26 > 0:02:28with such an extreme experience?
0:02:28 > 0:02:29Ricky has the story.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31Sergeant Bowe has missed birthdays, holidays and simple moments with
0:02:31 > 0:02:32family and friends.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37But while he was gone, he was never forgotten.
0:02:37 > 0:02:42Yellow ribbons decorate the streets of Hayley in Idaho, Bowe
0:02:42 > 0:02:47Bergdahl's hometown, placed there by residents to show the world that
0:02:47 > 0:02:50he was in their thoughts every day.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53This weekend they have been replaced by balloons to celebrate
0:02:53 > 0:02:53his release.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56He had been working as a soldier in the US Army during
0:02:56 > 0:02:59the Afghanistan war when he was captured on June 30th, 2009.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02He was held hostage for five years.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Being placed in a stressful situation, over such a
0:03:05 > 0:03:08long time, can have a huge effect.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11One man who understands what he's going through is Terry Waite.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14He was held hostage for five years by militants
0:03:14 > 0:03:18in Lebanon 25 years ago.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23It will be a strange experience to come back
0:03:23 > 0:03:26into a world that has changed, and being reunited eventually with his
0:03:26 > 0:03:29family who will also have changed.
0:03:29 > 0:03:35He's going to need time to come to terms with that.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38Bowe Bergdahl cannot go straight home with his family just yet.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42After such a traumatic experience, he needs medical help to deal with
0:03:42 > 0:03:43what has happened.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Right now, he's staying at a military hospital.
0:03:46 > 0:03:52It is very wise to be able to talk to a trained listener when you come
0:03:52 > 0:03:55out, to be able to manage it rather than the experience managing you.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57That is the secret.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01Get on it right away.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03And then you will be fine.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05The family will never forget this weekend, but
0:04:05 > 0:04:09as the US soldier walks away from a life held captive, a tough
0:04:09 > 0:04:14journey of recovery lies ahead.
0:04:14 > 0:04:18We all know how England don't like penalties.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Let's hope they don't end up facing a shoot-out against Brazil
0:04:21 > 0:04:22and Neymar.
0:04:22 > 0:04:23Take a look at this.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26The Barcelona star sends the keeper the wrong way in training
0:04:26 > 0:04:28with this little bit of magic.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29Let's have another look.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32Somehow I don't think Roy Hodgson will be instructing his England
0:04:32 > 0:04:33players to try the same.
0:04:33 > 0:04:35And now to the wild bear caught relaxing
0:04:35 > 0:04:37in a hammock in Florida in America.
0:04:37 > 0:04:46The black bear was spotted relaxing for at least 20 minutes.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49After the chill out session, it went and wondered off.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51It's thought the creature was in the neighbourhood searching for food.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54Since then local people have removed their trash bins.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55That's all from me.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57Newsround's back at 4.20 this afternoon.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00Don't forget to check out the website where we're asking what
0:05:00 > 0:05:00your favourite book is.