pakistan calling for the resignation of the prime minister. we'll have the latest from islamabad in the moment. you're watching al jaseera newshour. 45 peacekeepers were teen in syria in response for u.n. crimes against syrian people. >> australia has agreed to join on airlift of military equipment to the kurds. australia pledges support to an international coalition to tackle the islamic state group.

and hong kong's political future - china says it has the right to choose candidates for the territories next leader. first to pakistan and at least three have died in protests, calling for prime minister nawaz sharif to step down. violence between protestors and police began on saturday, continuing into sunday morning. more than 300 were injured in scuffles on saturday. there's reports 400 police have been deployed to the capital. we go live to kamal hyder. authorities are taking no chances with the protesters, as they try to regroup. >> yes, indeed. but the authorities seems to be having difficulties as well.

it must be remembered 40,000 were dealing in from the punjab province. they are dealing with a few thousands protesters, but despite best attempts, they have not been able to control the protesters. they are in front of parliament. they were a distance, and an emergency situation in the hospitals as hundreds of people who have been injured are brought in, and just a little while ago one. ministers of the government, when in that area, saw the police attacking media. he tried to stop them and almost came under attack himself. he said he was embarrassed by the performance of the police, and we have been told that the prime minister is now on the way to islamabad. he had left the stay before the marchers decided to move to parliament house, prime minister house, i stand corrected.

that is when the security forces opened fire. after that the protesters regrouped and are camped in front of the gate of parliament, the military process protecting the compound. they have been making peace, not entering the building. the next few hours will be crucial in whether the government will stand. all eyes on the military. where do they stand right now. who are they with. >> the military said from day one it was a political crisis to be sorted out amongst the politicians. the government approached saying they wanted mediation between the protesters and the government. after 48 hours, the government backtracked saying they never asked for mediation, but just facilitation. that discouraged the military, who is on the sidelines.

if the situation was to escalate we have reports that the government is taking precautionary measures. they are tightening security. there is a reaction in other provinces. the opposition parties with the government are criticising the brutality of the police. we have been told that a number of tv crews have been wounded. they took a direct attack from the police on several occasions and so the media in pakistan also not very happy with the way they are being treated. the pressure on the government mounting indeed. >> the united nations is negotiating with syrian rebels for the release of 45 peacekeepers. the troops are among hundreds. they are talking to al jazeera. ban ki-moon said they are

worried about the safety, but is opt it can that they'll be freed. >> the matters are going on. they are the armed groups. we tried to use all possible ways and means to talk with them. and we are also trying to get support from the countries, from when they have influence on the groups. so i'm more or less optimistic that they will be released. >> for more on the story, let's speak to mike hanna. negotiations ongoing to secure the release of the specie. but the al nusra front issued a statement on the peacekeepers. what do they say? >> well, indeed, yes, u.n. peacekeepers caught in a

conflict in which they have no part. the al nusra front has released a statement. confirming that it is holding 45 peacekeepers at an unknown location. they have been held because of what it calls u.n. crimes against the syrian people. it claims that the u.n. has been backing the syrian regime. the peacekeepers appear to be coming bargain whying chips. that their function within the golan heights was to be established 40 years ago. comments come after the release of 72 soldiers from the philippines, who were serving as part of the u.n. force in the golan heights. they were trapped by the syrian rebels near the israeli border. do you have details on how they

were able to escape? >> essentially what is happening is the war has spilled over. there have been various u.n. bases. two of these bases there were continge ents of filipino peacekeepers. the one group came under attack in the early hours of yesterday morning. the u.n.'s action force didn't secure a safe corridor from the base, and able to escort the peacekeepers out. another group, another u.n. base came under fire. in the course of the night. a ceasefire was declared. the peacekeepers were able to march,ling up with the forces and were in a major part.

whether there are other isolated bases within the sewn of disengagement. that is not clear. all we know is 45 peacekeepers, and it is in direct negotiation with the particular group. >> thank you for that, mike hanna, in jerusalem. >> the syrian branch of al qaeda released soldiers and a police officer captured, they were among 30 taken hostage by the al nusra front in a lebanese border town. the syrian rebels want to swap the hostageses for prisoners held in lebanon. >> fighting in syria forced 3 million people to leave their homes and seek refuge. turkey is hosting a third of them. many are not registered. bernard smith visited a

turkish-government-funded camp near the border with syria. a makeshift classroom in a neighbour hood sports center. for these syrian children, it's the only education they have ever had. every week at least 25 children are turned away, according to the teachers. there's no room. >> we have seen children who saw their fathers chopped. children who have witnessed massacres, children who have seen skud attacks on aleppo. we noticed psychological problems that we started to treat. >> reporter: there are 67,000 registered refugees, and the children can go to government schools here in istanbul. the language barrier puts them

off. fleeing from war, there's 170,000 more. fleeing from war, they have no documents to prove who they were. one of the challenges is discipline. these children have never been in an environment. as one dacher explained to me, without the schooling, the kids are on the streets, and that's a breeding ground for another generation of fighters. >> in this cramped apartment in another part of the city, there's no money for bus fares. 10 people crammed into two rooms. they have been here for 18 months. the air is foul. akmed mohammed can't find work. the strain of finding for his family is difficult to bear. his children do not know any other life. >> translation: we haven't been able to go home for two years. we feel like strangers, we don't know who is dead and who is

alive. it's been two years since i saw my sister, i don't know anything about her. >> reporter: 40% of syrians in istanbul, are in the same circumstances. since 2007 turkey opened their borders, but no one - including the government - thought they'd be here this long. australia's joining a multinational weapons drop into iraq. the military equipment and humanitarian aid will be sent to the kurdish forces fighting the islamic state group in the north of the country. >> australia has agreed to join an air lift of military equipment to the kurds. we have agreed to join the air lift at the request of the obama administration in the united states. and with the permission. iraqi government, other countries involved in the air lift of military equipment to the kurds include the united states, the u.k., canada, france

and italy. i also can announce that australia has participated in a humanitarian air drop to the besieged town of amma lee in northern iraq. again, we have done so at the request of the obama administration, and with the permission of the iraqi government. meanwhile, u.s. jets and drones have attacked the islamic state group's position near iraq's mosul dam. the pentagon says the latest strikes destroyed a bunker and a vehicle and damaged an islamic state building. the u.s. military says the strikes were in support of iraqi and kurdish security forces. u.s. jets are targetting islamic state group fighters near the town of amorally. the u.n. secretary-general said he raised the issue of three detained journalists with the egyptian president. ban ki-moon emphasised the freedom of people and ensured the safety and security of

journalists. peter greste, mohamed fadel fahmy and baher mohamed have spent 246 days in an egyptian prison, falsely accused of helping the muslim brotherhood. in june peter greste and mohamed fadel fahmy were given 7 years, barder got an extra three because he had a bullet in his possession picked up at a protest. the al jazeera network, demands their release, appeals have been filed. china's leaders insisted they have the right to choose candidates for hong kong's leadership. the former british colony wants free elections, we are go to the chinese capital. adrian brown, the chinese capital is holding a press conference detailing what they announced. what have they been saying? >> yes, it's a marathon press conference. they have said that hong kong

people will not be able to select their next chief executive in a one-man, one-vote election. there'll be no universal suffer im, saying that it will be by a nominating committee that will decide the candidates the people can vote for. this means we'll have an election where there'll be no unpleasant surprises for beijing. pro democracy groups say it's against the spirit of the joint declaration signed between britain and china in 1984. that let to the handover when china promised to hong kong a high degree of the political autonomy and the capitalist way of life would continue. in the agreement there was an understanding there would be an election for the chief executive in 2017. the demand in hong kong had been for the chief executive to be elected in a one-man, one-vote system. china says it will not happen,

it will be done by a nominating committee that will screen the candidates whose names will go on the ballot paper. that is china's definition of what democracy is. what china has done is ultimately remind not just the world, but hong kong, that it is in charge of hong kong. >> thank you very much. let's get the few from hong kong and rob mcbride joins us live. what is the reaction to the announcement from beijing. >> i think there was a sadness. they have been expecting this. it was the decision that everyone feared. i think it can best be described as a seething indignation. there's a press conference in the rool behind me, where -- room behind me where pro-democrat legislators, in addition to the civil society groups who promised to fight

this with civil disobedience. they are holding a press conference. as we expect, they are saying it falls short of democracy. and they are still going to fight and hold out for a true democracy. that's what they want. hong kong's leader is going to hold his news conference in an hour or so. where he is likely to welcome this. this is the first time he will say people in hong kong will have a vote. so far as the democrats are concerned. it doesn't carry much weight. it will be the choice between one pro-beijing conservative candidate or a third. it doesn't matter. it is variations on the same theme. according to democrats here. what we are waiting to see is what farm the civil disobedience campaign will take. rob mcbride with reaction from hong kong. still ahead - reports that

lesotho's deputy prime minister is taking control of what appears to be an attempted military coup. plus... >> i'm out at sea, and i'll report on the victims of libya's conflict as people try to escape the fighting there.

welcome back. the top stories here on al jazeera. thousands of protesters in pakistan are standing their ground, calling for the prime minister to resign. saturday's violence in islamabad

left at least three dead and 300 injured, and the balance continued into sunday. the syrian rebel group al nusra front says it's holding 45 peacekeepers say it's monitoring the area. the u.n. is negotiating over their release. >> australia is to join a multinational weapons drop into iraq, and military equipment. aid will go to the kurdish fighters in the north, who are fighting the islamic state group. now, there are reports that lesotho's deputy prime minister has taken control after what is seen to be a military coup. the military seized police stations and media outlets. the military denied it was trying to oust him. tania page has been covering the order. >> the deputy prime minister of lesotho will take over the reins and run it while the prime

minister is in south africa. he has denied this was an attempted coup. however, the prime minister insists that the military did attempt to launch a coup. the military denies that as well. this is where it started. the police station behind me - this is where the military came, shots were fired. a police officer was killed, three injured, and a soldier injured as well. it seems as if it could have been delivered by an attempt by the government to sack the sitting commander of the military. he has refused to give up his post. so still quite a confused picture, particularly for the people here of maseru and lesotho. we have been talking to some. they say they are afraid this is far from over, and they want a return of the democratically elected coalition government. they do not want to see a repeat of what happened in the 1990s,

where south africa sent troops on the ground when there was a coup and dozens were killed. no suggestion that troops from south africa would be sent here. it is insisted they will not tolerate a coup and it must be resolved. breaking news from somalia, and we are hearing reports of a blast near the national intelligence facility in the capital mogadishu. a blast that comes a day after the african union launched a new offensive against al-shabab fighters in the area. what are you hearing about the blast near the national intelligence facility building? >> well, we are receiving information that it was in the compound of the facility. there was a blast.

there is right now [ inaudible ] the building is south [ inaudible ] we'll leave it there for now, hopefully we'll have more information on the blast reported in somalia's capital. no word on any casualties. as soon as we have new information we'll bring it to you. now, russia and ukraine carried out a swap of captured soldiers, russia returned 63 ukranian soldiers across to russian territory, according to russian newsagencies. ukraine handed over 10 as examples of a russian example. we go to paul in mariupol. how was the swap made possible? >> it's been possible by intense negotiations, and the idea of the paratroopers coming in to

ukraine, russian paratroopers, obviously sparked the international ferure, frank -- furore, frankly, over the involvement of russia. they were taken to kiev, paraded on television, spoke about how they had been lost, didn't intentionally stray into their territory. the return to russian soil will help to calm down the situation, and the change of ukrainians that strayed on to russian soil. that will calm the diplomatic spat between the high echelons of the two countries here. that said, the sanctions and the antagonism between the two countries will continue. there is no evidence of any russian pull-back, and the belief, the strong belief by the western allies of ukraine that

russia is involved in combat on the ground on ukranian soil remains. we saw that in brussels yesterday. >> thank you paul brennan, live from mariupol. there are protests in venezuela over a government plan to combat food holding and smuggling. the measure requires shoppers to be fingerprinted to limit food purchases. it is called a liberating call. supplies of imported foods have been reduced. >> rescuers near nicaragua have been rescuing workers strapped in a mine. saturday 20 miners were rescued. the mine collapsed on thursday. >> israel's prime minister said he will run for another term in office next year. binyamin netanyahu made the announcement during a television interview on saturday. there has been speculation on

saturday about the prime minister's political future. thousands are fleeing the fighting in libya by taking dangerous boat rides. in recent weeks 150 people have been rescued off the coast. we have this report. >> in an empty warehouse in the town, these young men are waiting to be registered. some are from eritrea and somalia. they can claim asylum if they want to. many are working in crimea, a suburb of italy. the fighting surrounded them. >> translation: the first rocket landed. it didn't hit anyone. 20 people were killed. when the third landed. they were scattered. we decided to leave. a tunisian coast guard rescues the dingy after two days at sea.

this is the maritime border. migrants and asylum seekers can't cross by land. tunisia and egypt say they can't let them in. they are forced to make this dangerous journey across the waters. it's the only way out. >> reporter: there are reports that fighters are preparing to battle for libya's border region. the fear is the conflict could spill over into tunisia, sending more migrants out to sea. we are prepared to sewcure the borders. >> the lawlessness has led to this, the red crescent in libya saying it's found 300 bodies off the coast of tripoli since yule. >> and this is why so many people drown.

a fisherman shows us the ripped rubber dingy. on this occasion, it was pulled to the shore, saving the lives of 70 people on board. >> our message is intervene as quickly as possible, and stop the human smugglers sending the poor people into the sea. >> the migrants war whiched about their friends into syria. others are in hiding, waiting to take the next vote. the mediterranean sea remains a barrier to their dreams of a better hive. >> japan's prime minister visited kyoto's tempting, ahead of a summit. india has the third largest economy in asia after china and

japan. indian prime minister is seeking investment to bolster the economy and create jobs for the one million people entering the workforce. narendra modi is expected to lobby japan for a nuclear energy deal. >> protesters in japan are angry about nuclear power plants being brought online. >> since the fukushima disaster, 3.5 years ago, safety concerns outweighed the needs for the site. >> in sweden, riot police fought with neonartsy demonstrators. police say four officers and three civilians were wounded in the struggle. the group wants to stop immigration, and reserve citizenship for those with western jeanettic and cultural

heritage. >> rain has caused flash flooding. residents are dealing with waterlogged homes after storms pushed through the region. up to six inches of rain fell in some areas. there may be no respite. more news on the website, aljazeera.com. it seemingly came from nowhere, swooping under the critics noses and took the big prize, the golden lion on the last night. that is one of the things about the venice film festival. it has the red carpet. the tradition, but beneath the veneer is a fondness for edgy films, cinema that challenges the norms. supporters say it is that variety that makes that festival not 71 years old, but 71 years young.