home again. nine men held hostage by syrian rebels for more than a year arrived in lebanon. >> in return, two turkish airlines pilots kidnapped in beirut are freed. >> however, questions remain over the third piece of puzzle. a group of women prisoners held in syria. you're watching world news live from al jazeera. also coming up - a change in the weather could bring bad news to australia, where bushfires are out of control.

>> a record fine in store for the u.s. bank jp morgan. and why this violin was brought for a titanic $1.4 million. two-thirds of the deal it appears done. the nine lebanese men held hostage in syria for more than a year returned home, part of a deal between rebels, syria, turkey and the regime of bashar al-assad. two turkish pilots were freed, but no word on dozens of women's held in syrian gaols. andrew simmons reports. >> 530 days after their capture a chaotic, emotional home coming for nine weary men who thought

they would never get out of syria alive. nothing like a formal handover. a woman is overcome and collapses. lebanese security couldn't hold back the rush of people wanting to embrace their loved ones. some of the freed hostages didn't have to walk. >> the relatives are in the crush. they waited since may for the breakthrough. there has been false alarms. this is a reality now. >> this woman, with a bunch of red roses searches for her father in the confusion. he's outside on the shoulders of his son and another family member, addressing the crowds, saying they had been on the religious visit to a shia shrine in iran, and that protected their lives. . >> we visited the shrine and with his protection our lives were saved. >> another freed hostage tried to describe his sense of relief.

>> translation: i thank god because i felt that i would never see my family again in my life, particularly in recent weeks when there were raging battles taking place around us. in the beginning they treated us well. then it was really bad. in the last few months they imprisoned us in a room where the temperature would reach 50 degrees. the doors were constantly closed. >> in istanbul the two turkish airlines pilots kidnapped in a reprisal two months ago were reunited with their families. no chaotic scenes, but emotion and gratitude for negotiations brokered by qatar, enabling their release. one of the pilots says they were not abused by their captors. >> even treated badly, i can say that clearly. we were not exposed to violence. if that had been the case, you

an be assured we wouldn't have arrived home. >> back in beirut, celebrations in the districts of the city where the nine men set out a year and a half ago. questions remain about the identities of the armed group that kidnapped the turkish pilots. also, there's uncertainty about how, if or when assad's regime is releasing women prisoners. the demand made by opposition fighters that held the lebanese. >> so this is essentially a 3-way prisoner swap deal. on the one side we have the nine shi'a muslims from lebanon captured in syria by sunni rebels. they were suspected of being hezbollah fighters, something they deny. in retaliation the two turkish airline pilots were abdoubted in beirut. why turkish - they back the syrian rebels.

>> the third, more than 100 female prisoners held by the government to be released. a concession to the rebels. the syrian opposition activist believes lebanese officers were not pilgrims, but foreign fighters. >> the supposed pilgrims were in no shape or form incident pilgrims that happened to be in syria on the front lines of the war. more than likely they were lebanese hezbollah operatives working on behalf of the iranian revolutionary guard. there's no definitive proof. we have to look at the circumstances, and the historical context, where the iranian revolutionary guards and hezbollah used operatives previously under the guise of pilgrims. first in the midst of a war between the syrian revolutionary forces and the assad regime and its allies. the fact that supposed individuals happen to be on a pilgrimage to undisclosed holy

sites in northern syria. it's an incredible fantastical sight, one that defies belief and logic. >> the u.s. bank jp morgan chase is to pay a record fine to settle in relation to bad mortgage loans, according to negotiations with the u.s. justice department. the sale of overvalued mortgage bonds was a cause of the 2008 crisis. >> up to now people were saying the obama administration was being too soft to the bank and they were to fail literally. we are still not seeing these high ranking employees going to gaol. at least we are seeing a penalty for the crimes that are committed. $13 billion is a significant amount.

it's not making sense and doesn't create incentive for the banks to change the way they are doing things. the crisis led by those risky investments that the big banks made with money that didn't belong to them. there are several other people that up to now receive, you know, humongous bonuses, and nobody is saying anything about that. people want to see wall street being responsible. and they should be criminally prosecuted. >> two convicted murdersers who got themselves out of prison using fake documents are back in custody in the united states. joseph jenkins and charles walker had been freed from different sales in florida. prison officials were fooled by false papers. the men were arrested again. >> in the maldives the police stopped a re-run of the

election. former president mohamed nasheed has been leading rallies in male. the police commander said they intervened because of a supreme court ruling. it was the second attempt to hold an election in the last six weeks >> firefighters tackling bushfires in australia are worried changing weather could make things worse. forecasters are predicting stronger winds and higher temperatures in coming days. more than 200 homes have been destroyed in the worst-hit state of new south wales. andrew thomas has the latest from the blue mountains, west of sydney. >> there has been hope that the weather might improve. there was a forecast on saturday suggesting a sprinkling of rain would come across the blue mountains. the latest forecasts say it will not happen. if anything temperatures will rise and wind speeds will pick up. 60, 70 maybe 100 k/hr,

conditions that caused the damage on thursday. 208 houses is the latest number of those destroyed in those fires. it looks as though there may be more destruction to come. people are being warned. they are getting text messages telling them to grab what they can and get out. go to families and evacuation centres. it was at one of those centres that i met daniel. this was your house destroyed in thursday's fires. did you get anything out? >> we pretty much lost everything. we managed to save a few things that are important to us. >> one of them? >> yes, a violin crafted in 1942. very much sentimental value. >> how did it get out? >> well, i'm indebted to a firefighter that took the initiative to just kick through the door - just like that. >> that's where the door was there? >> yes, right there.

and looked for anything that may have certain value, and my violin was something that was spotted. just on time. the piano was here and the violin case was sitting atop of it. he must have seen it and chucked it on the lawn. and threw it on the lawn. that's why it's not ashes today. >> obviously big sentimental value. glimmers of good news stories among the ruins here. what everybody is hoping is that other people will not have to go through a similar experience to daniel. the loss of life has been limited - just one life loft your in connection with -- lost in the connection with the fires. the concern is for property as well, and hundreds of homes may be threatened as the weather deteriorates, temperatures ride and wind speed micks up. >> myanmar's opposition calls on the european union to support

her push to change the country's constitution before 2015. aung san suy kyi met the european commission president in brussels. myanmar's constitution blocks aung san suy kyi from becoming were the, it blocks anyone whose children or family are foreign nationals. >> a 15-year-old girl deported during a school trip can return to france, says president francis hollande. her family can't come back. >> he belongs the ethnic roma community and will not go back without her family. >> leonarda dibrani won her battle to return to france, but she is still not happy with the offer from president francis hollande, a man she described as partners. onward leonarda dibrani, and not her family would be allowed back from kosovo >> translation: to, i don't want to go -- no, i don't want

to go without my family, especially her. we are tied together, my dear sister. i can't leave her behind here. >> during the week her case brought thousands of protesting students out on to the streets, appalled at the way her case was handled. now the president admits it was heavy-handed to detain leonarda dibrani in front of her friends. the expulsion itself was legal. >> translation: if she requests so and wants to continue her education in france, she'll be welcome. france is a republic, it needs firmness and humanity in laws and procedures. >> president francis hollande's difficulties are not over yet. the leader of his socialist party says the entire family, with the exception of the father, should be allowed back. the interior minister is reported as saying that he will

quit if leonarda dibrani is allowed to return to france. >> president francis hollande is caught between two camps - those outraged at the treatment of some asylum seekers, and others demanding tougher immigration laws. >> in just a moment on al jazeera, we have the weather with richard. when we come back... ..the nij earian children poiched by led in -- poisoned by led in the rush to gold. >> islamic schools in the philippines try to catch up - against the odds.

>> the top stories on al jazeera. nine lebanese men held hostage by syrian rebels for more than a year have returned home. two turkish pilots kidnapped in retaliation were freed as part of a complex deal. there's no word on the release of dozen of women's in syrian government gaols. >> u.s. bank jp morgan will pay a record $13 billion fine to settle bad mortgage securities. it was linked in part to the 2008 financial crisis. >> firefighters in australia attacking some of the worst bushfires are worried that changing weather will make their job more difficult. more than 200 homes have been destroyed in the worst-hit area.

>> led poisoning affects thousands every year, particularly children. the wortion world health organization says there are ways to reduce the rick. led exposure is to contribute to hundreds of thousands of cases of children with intellectual conditions. children are at the highest risk, particularly the young and poor. we have this from nigeria's zamfara state where hundreds of children are affected by lead poisoning. >> this is a 4-year-old girl with lead poisoning. she's among many who regularly come to this clinic for treatment. her mother has lost two children already. >> translation: she has

seizures and has a fever. every time it gets worse. memories of my two dead children come back. i'm afraid of losing fatima as well. all five children have symptoms. >> surrounding villages sit on gold reserves. in the rush to extract the metals. unskilled miners came home wearing clothing contaminated with lead, polluting households. it took three years to act. a u.s. company came in. they eliminated risk of contamination, and allowed for the treatment of affected children. doctors without borders for medicines front air treated 1,600 children in aid villages. hundreds of children are not as lucky. this village lost about 200. life here is getting back to normal after the clean-up.

doctors from medicines frontiere are left with a huge task of treating over 1,000 cases. the problem is bigger than originally thought. >> there are more villages in this area affected. and, yes, we don't have the capacity to take care of all villages. there are 30 villages identified in which msf is not working, which suffers from lead poisoning. treatment for these children is expensive and takes time. doctors say it could take up to five years of visits, medication and laboratory testing. for karima and other mothers the discovery of gold in their communities is a curse. their concern now is nursing their children back to health. with so much activities, there's a chance the situation will only

get worse. >> pakistan's prime minister nawaz sharif is on his way to washington for talks with barack obama after the u.s. released $1.6 billion in military and economic aid for his country. the relationship between the two countries has been tense. pakistan outraged by a raid killing osama bin laden, and the killing of pakistani soldiers by u.s. air strikes made matters worse. >> anti-austerity protests turned violent on the streets of roam. demonstrators fought with police. they object to economic policies and freeze on public sector wages. sonia gallego reports. >> a showdown between demonstrators and police in rome. they appeared from within the crowd of protesters, charging at security and setting off smoke bombs and fireworks. many of the protesters fled the

area when the trouble kicked off. earlier in the day the march had started peacefully. they came from all over the country. tens of thousands of protesters, many younger people descending upon the capital. they came to show anger at the government's austerity drive and frustration at increasing unemployment. conditions, they say, which are guaranteeing fewer opportunities for future generations. >> translation: we need a change. enough of the political theatre. people can't stomach the crisis any more. they want challenge. >> translation: it's hard for us now. i had to sell my belongings. i don't have my wedding ring. i'm not complaining, there are worse situations. i can't live like this any more. >> also present at the march, immigrant groups urging italian politicians to ensure protection of their rights and asylum for those escaping conflict. along the march there was a

heavy police presence. around 4,000 officers were deployed. >> the square in central rome is where the protest count up. now they are trying to set up a tent city in the square. they don't have permission to do that. now the government's reaction will be that it will stick to its plan to bring italy out of recession. many believe there's little benefit for italians. the government, a shaky left has a fight to persuade people they are on the right track. it could be a political battle that could cost its survival. >> protests in portugal. thousands marching in lisbon and porto. barnaby phillips is there. >> the portuguese government says light is shining through the gloom. the hints of economic growth are showing after years of recession. >> in porto, it's hard to find signs of it. >> so the latest austerity

measures brought thousands out on to the streets. in a march organised by the trade unions. >> many of the people are angry with the portuguese government's latest government which raises taxes on people earning as little as 600 euros a month. they are pinning their hopes on the country's constitutional court, which rejected some of the government's austerity measures. >> the yun yn members tend to be older workers. the young are casual and have higher levels of unemployment. in a porto backstreet i met pedro a nurse in the state hospital. like many of his colleagues, he's on strike this week. >> translation: we have a bigger workload and no increase in salary. this means at the end of the month we work more hours with less money. >> nearby i met mario in his

bar, where he makes his cocktails and worries about how few customers walk through the door. >> reinvest in another business or improve our business. it's impossible. you have to fire some people. get cuts from two years now. next year is the same. it's been a struggle for us. >> in the capital lisbon there were protests. workers drove hundreds of buses over the river after the government said crowds would not be allowed to march on the bridge because of safety concerns. >> back in porto they filed through the city center. the sign says, "enough", meaning we can take no more. >> right now the portuguese don't quite know where to look for the signs of recovery that the government says is on the horizon. the self-proclaimed philippines sultan whose

followers invaded saba died. he was 75 and died of organ failure in manila. he described himself as the sultan of sulu after a group of islands in the sarn philippines -- southern philippines. his ancestors ruled over the philippines and malaysia. >> there's one lessen missing in the schools of the philippines, the lesson of religious equality, believing their children are missing out. jalelah ahmed explains. >> this woman comes to teach with a renewed sense of purpose. this, despite getting paid $18 a month. she left a higher paying job to teach arabic language to the poor filipino kids, but says the job is more rewarding.

>> >> translation: i'm willing to teach for free and share my knowledge. i choose to teach because i see the children here need me the post. >> there are around 17 muslim, philippino children that go to school. they are taught the government-required curriculum. almost all the islamic schools rely on private destinations. orphans from filipino government. the funding is barely enough to pay for the teachers and develop the facilities. >> the population is around 5 million. there are only about 40 islamic schools across the country. the majority are like this - poorly funded, in need of government support. >> the philippines is the capit capitalise m. more than 85% are roman

catholics. dissent is the norm. there has been decades of rebellion against a government they say ignored their cries for equality and justice. despite the steps the president made to the lives of muslims those say the government needs to start with education. >> it's for the government to support the muslim children. because, you know, muslim community living in a christian environment. >> marginalisation has been a reality children have grown to accept. many hope that education will help the children rise above their situation. >> australia most faimous landmark the sydney opera house celebrated its 40th birthday. thousands were there attending a ceremony to mark the occasion. the opera house was designed by

danish architects. it took more than 14 years to build. the original cost about $100 million. more than 1 million pieces of tiles coat the xror, made apparently from clay and stone. >> a violin believed to have been played on the "titanic" as it sank has been sold at option for $1.5 million. the instrument was owned by the band leader among the 15-00 vision tips of the -- victims of the disaster. >> corroded by the ocean and no longer playable, it's what the violin represents that makes of it huge value. these initials stand for hart. he was the band -- wallace hartley. he was the band leader. hartley and his bandmates played to comfort passengers as the ship went down. it's thought this was the

instrument he used. >> it represents bravery in human nature, the way this young man and his colleagues, and all the people on the ship fulfilled their duty. >> it also represents a substantial investment for a collector, after going under the hammer at auction. >> going. (clapping) >> 100,000 british pounds. $1.4 million, more than four times the expected value. >> it's not about the cash, it's what it is. it's the most iconic there is. it's history, it's a brave man. the money is secondary. it is a very valuable item, there's no doubt about that. >> the violin was discovered in an english attic in 2006. there has been debate about hits authenticity. hartley strapped to to his body

in a leather case before becoming one of the "titanic"'s 1500 victims. there's no word on who the buyer is yet, but it's hoped the instrument will remain on public display. >> keep up to date with all the news and more. log on to aljazeera.com. that's aljazeera.com. the issues and the national implications. you are watching "inside story" from washington. hello every one i'm david david shuster. election day is one month away. in tar