hello. i'm geeta guru-murthy with bbc world news. our top stories. pakistan's state tv channel is back on air and under army protection after antigovernment protestors briefly shut it down. ukraine moves to boost the defense against separatist rebels. the country's president accuses russia of direct and open aggression in the east of the country. pro democracy campaigners in hong kong disrupt a speech by a chinese official after china rules there will be no open nominations for 2017 elections.

and what impact could these stunning solar flares on the surface of the sun have for all of us here on earth? hello. pakistan's national television channel is back on air after security forces removed antigovernment protestors from its headquarters. these are the latest pictures we've been getting of protestors storming the building in central islamabad where they've reported to have smashed equipment. this is the announcement made by the presenter as the demonstrators entered the studio before the station was taken off air. >> well this just in as we said earlier. protestors managed to barge their way into ptv headquarters

and even made their way to newsrooms. they're armed with sticks. the important thing is we remain calm now. there's no reason to panic. we'll update you with more news as it comes in. >> that was the announcement just a short time ago. the building is now back under army protection. it's occupation followed renewed crashes with riot police. the opposition leader appealed for calm. he renewed the appeal for the prime minister to quit. >> translator: we say to sharif he should step down now. protestors will come out causing damage to people's property because he has no moral ground to continue as prime minister. >> khan there. >> i asked whether the violence

was predictable after weeks of protests. >> reporter: it was always possible. we saw quite a bit confrontation saturday night and yesterday as well. police retreated and protestors were able to go on blockades. many got near the prime minister's house. young man with sticks managed to get into the headquarters of state tv pakistan television. they went through the recording studios, cut cable wires, smashed equipment. they were there for a good while until the pakistani army started arriving outside pakistan television. as soon as the army got there and ordered them to leave peacefully, they obliged. they shouted in favor of the army. the anger is aimed at the prime

minister, his government and police. they are strongly in favor of pakistan pakistani army. >> we're getting condemnation from this protest. where do you think this is heading? where is this protest heading now because they're putting pressure on the army? does hit look like the army will have to step up and take a more active role as we've seen so many times in history? >> reporter: the pressure is on the government, the prime minister. the army issued a statement last night urging the government to resolve this politically and not use force. that is why i think we saw police did not retaliate, did not fight back. that's why marchers were allowed to go on a rampage. this whole situation has brought the government to stand still during the last two weeks.

everyone is ready for it to settle in a way it doesn't derail pakistan's democracy. >> how willing is sharif now? >> reporter: the prime minister is adamant he will not resign. he believes he was elected in election last year. the election was widely seen as credible, accepted by others. he's supported by parliament and opposition parties. they don't want to see him resign or this government collapse. the ukrainian president pet row poroshenko has accused russia of direct and open aggression in eastern ukraine which he says has change ad the battlefield. reinforcement are sent to mariupol to help defend against pro russian rebels who have taken a nearby town.

the russian foreign minister lavrov insist there had would be no russian military intervention in eastern ukraine and said peace talks due later in the capital must focus on immediate ceasefire. russia's president vladimir putin on the weekend said the question of state hood for eastern ukraine must be part of the negotiations. his spokesman was quick to clarify the president was not talking about an actual independent state. this comes as the eu threatens further sanctions against russia and key senators including john mccain have called to send weapons to help ukraine fight what they say is russian invasion. we have the late frst from the y of mariupol where there are fears a rebel assault is imminent. >> reporter: it's quiet here. we've seen this new front open by the pro russian separatists.

it's believed russian troops who moved across the coast here towards mariupol taking an important town on the way. since then, they have not moved further. however, there have been serious fighting in other parts of donetsk and luhansk region here in the southeast of ukraine with the rebels apparently claiming they have taken quite a lot of ground back from ukrainian army. there are several fronts. the conflict goes on. it can intensify here. the question is what is going to be the next move of the rebels. will they move on this city mariupol which is a very important city or will they hold tight for the time being? >> we've seen pictures last few days of how ordinary people are finding it. what is daily life like for those not involved themselves personally? >> well, you know we're in one of the main squares here in

mariupol. people are going to work. certainly the people we've spoken to, there is sense of fear. they're worried about what's going to happen, whether there will be an assault on this city. we know that quite a few people have left. this is a city of more than 400,000 people. we understand thousands have left. of course the majority of the city do remain here. one person we've been told, when she's been going to work the past few days, colleagues have been coming in with bags packed ready to go in case there's some kind of attack. people are on edge, however clearly the ukrainian military has been bringing in reinforcement, forsay identifying positions around the city in case there's an assault. in hong kong, police used pepper spray to stop pro

democracy activists. they're in the city on a charm offensive to persuade citizens to support controversial rules on democratic reforms. the chinese president ruled out open elections in 2017 giving beijing control over the choice of candidates. our report from hong kong contains flash photography. >> a day after china's senior leadership unveiled tough rules on selection of the next chief executive, protestors have journeyed south. a group of uninvited guests protested against their president chanting they had lost faith in the central government. after regaining composure, top

chinese official explained the the reasoning behind one of the most controversial new requirements for the 2017 chief executive election. >> the goal of the nomination committee is to reduce the risks involved in universal suffrage. one, it reduces the risk of political confrontation. two, it cuts the risks of a constitutional crisis. three, it minimizes the risks of populari popularism. >> outside the venue, the chinese's position all gain more than half of the nominating committee has already created confrontation. democracy activists from a group tried to forcefully enter the stage. they were pepper sprayed by police. with other groups planning their

own protest activities in response to beijing's announcement, it's clear political risks in hong kong has become more serious. the u.n. says militants from the islamic state group are committing atrocitities amounting to crimes against humanity. this comes as the human rights council meets in geneva to discuss calls for emergency missions to iraq. this is what the deputy chief had to say. >> it appears that they're intention areally committed widespread and systematic prosecution of ethnic and religious groups depriving them of fundamental rights including right to life and freedom to religion denying them of a dent thety and compelling many to wander in fear in dangerous areas. these inhumane offenses constitute a serious attack on

human dignity and rights and likely amount to a crime against humanity. the warning comes as more countries join the effort to provide aid to fight the militants in iraq. germany has become the latest country to say it are will send weapons to kurdish forces fighting in iraq. they're joining u.s., uk, france, canada, italy, australia in the effort. kurdish fighters were part of the latest offensive by iraq government forces. they managed to break the siege around the town of amer areli saturday. i spoke to a former joint chief of staff of the u.s. armed forces and asked how serious a threat the islamic state militants are now posing. isis is a great threat not only to the western allies but

also to the middle east. i think when you get right down to it, this is a terrific threat that must be addressed with a strategic plan in more than just the coalition of the willing. i think we need to pull together the nato forces, eu, everyone that has an interest to include our allies in the middle east and have a strategic plan to go out to isis and kill it once and for all. let's not forget, isis is not a nation state. it's a group of extremists to the far right that are opposed to all principles to which most of us would like to have prevalent. >> can america defeat isis with air strikes or does it need allies to have troops on the ground in iraq and syria? is that where this conflict is heading? >> yes. no, i do not feel america can defeat isis with just air

strikes. that's why i'm saying it needs to be a strategic plan using tools available not only to america but no nato, eu et cetera. we need to look at moderates in the middle east. people from the nek have a plan for iran as example. by the way i think we need to be skeptical even though they claim they try to assist now. they had their own agenda. if there's one friend isis has, i think you'd say it's the greatest terrorist exporting station in the world, iran. >> what should they be doing? you say we need a strategy. do you have a sense of what that should be? look at saudi and individual countries donating. this is complex isn't it? is it possible to get that kind of appliance? >> i think it is possible to get that kind of alliance. if you look back at the role the united states played when we

used part of nato for the first time to defeat the serbs when they defeated kosovo. we need everyone to participate to limits of their ability realizing differences of what each can contribute. each can contribute with one of the tools i mentioned. that's the type of strategy to defeat isis. not air strikes by itself. you will not defeat isis with just air strikes. >> a former joint chief of staff for the u.s. military. stay with us here on bbc world news. the british couple that removed their seriously ill son from the hospital against advice and took him to spain shall appear before a judge in madrid. ♪

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this is bbc world news. i'm geeta guru-murthy with the

top story this is hour. pakistan's main tv station has been briefly taken off air by antigovernment protestors. activists calling for the recognition of the prime minister were removed from the studios by the army. the president accuses russia of direct and open aggression. now t the parents of a young boy with brain cancer who's disappearance from a british hospital triggered an international search last week will appear in court. the 5-year-old was taken out of the hospital against doctor's advice. parents have told bbc they just wanted the best treatment for their son. >> reporter: the second time in less than 24 hours the king's are appearing in a spanish court. the question for the judge, whether to extradite the couple back to the uk.

>> mr. and mrs. king, bbc, how you doing? >> the best treatment. the best treatment. >> as they were bundled into a police car in handcuffs, they said they wanted the best medical treatment for their son. he's still? a hospital. their eldest son has posted a new video online saying his 5-year-old brother had been well looked after when he was remove ed from the hospital in south hampton. doctors said his life would be in danger. >> we did not change foods in any way. same food. we had this power court which is what a his feeding line was on in the car. he was not starve aing in the c. >> his parents took him out of the hospital last week. they claimed the doctors would not agree to the treatment. the hospital insists it was trying to help the family explore different options.

>> i want to get on with his treatment. i'm not coming back to england if i cannot give him the treatment i want. >> hamp shir police denied they'd be heavy handing and doing nothing was not an option. >> if he didn't get the care he needed, there was a threat to his life. da faced with those circumstances, i make no apologies to find him and make sure he gets the help he needs. >> what happens next is in the hands of spanish courts. it's not clear when he will be reunited with his parents and whether or not the family will be coming back to uk. >> alice is here with the latest business stories. looking at ukraine sanctions because pressure is kept up. >> absolutely right geeta. the story continues doesn't it? as the fighting mounts in eastern ukraine, vladimir putin has calmed for talks on the

state hood of southeast ukraine. the provocative line of heightened fears moscow is seeking to petition the country. this comes as europe leaders plan to impose tougher sanctions on russia this week. eu will begin drawing up a comprehensive blacklist of people involved in the conflict of the country. there's still disagreement amongst european leaders. britain, france, germany want measures against the financial and energy sectors by the end of the week. many feel a trade war with moscow could cripple economies. they're looking at talk as between the prime minister modi and japan's leader abe. they're taking place today. this comes as part of the india's leader five day trip to japan hoping to strengthen ties with the third largest economy in the world. high on the agenda,

concentration on nuclear energy and hoping to collaborate with japan on defense deals. in the speech to leaders, modi promised trade and investment. i'll see you later. >> thanks very much. now there are signs of a shake-up in german politic, first time in the party's one seat german state assembly. the results show they'll win the votes in the country. >> celebrate paying break through, this is the first time the party has won seats in the economy. the seats for afd have come forth in the eastern state. >> we are very satisfied with the results.

it shows the afd is a steady member of the political scene and citizens gave us a lot of confidence. >> chancellor merkel christian democrats won element 40% of the vote with the left and social democrats in second and third place. the afd won 10%, enough to enter parliame parliament. this is big news in a country support for the eu have been strong. the alternative for germany formed in february 2013 as a protest movement against the bailouts. the party says antieuro rather than antieurope. it wants the break up of the eurozone. it also wants limits on eu powerer and tighter immigration controls. critics say it attracts right wing extremists. it appeals to some conservative

voter who is thinks merkel has moved too far to the center. >> to christian democrat state premiere needs to find a new coalition partner after the free democrats failed to win any seats. he has ruled out coalition with the afd. the results will reignite a debate in the cdu over cooperations with the newcomer. the afd wants seven seats at european elections in may and next two weeks could see more scenes like this. the party is likely to win seats in two more state elections. it's on the brink of establishing itself as a force in german politics. emily thomas, bbc news. the u.s. space agency nasa released pictures showing a series of powerful solar flares. more than half a dozen such eruptions on the sun in the last week. some warns this explosion of

energy might have a serious impact here on earth. tim explains. >> for the sun, it's been a pretty busy week cosmically speaking. enhanced pictures from solar dynamic observatory proving the point. you can see on the left, a huge explosion of radioactive material, a solar flare. over the last few days, there have been more than half a dozen similar eruptions. look at this image. particles of super heated energy shooting thousands of kill lo meters into space. it's not just pretty pictures. these can reach us here on earth. it's warned satellite communication, power grids, even air travel could be affected if flares are strong. at the least you may see a wonderful display like the

aurora. this is what happens when the flares hit the earth's atmosphere. the late aest don't seem to be in our direction so we can breathe easier. they are an extraordinary site nonetheless. we wonder if that's going to affect the weather back here for us. we'll see you soon. thanks for watching. (vo) ours is a world of passengers. the red-eyes. (daughter) i'm really tired. (vo) the transfers. well, that's kid number three. (vo) the co-pilots. all sitting... ...trusting...

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our top stories. pakistan's state tv channel is back on air after antigovernment protestors who stormed the station were removed by security forces. as ukraine moves to boost its defense against separatist rebels, the country's president accuses russia of launching direct and open aggression in the east of the country. pro democracy campaigners in hong kong disrupt a speech by officials after they said no

open elections for the next election. what could the effects of the solar flares on the sun have for all of us here on earth? hello. welcome. pakistan's national television channel is back on air after security forces removed antigovernment protestors from its headquarters. they not only stormed the building in islamabad, but they've said to have barged into recording studios and smashed equipment. demonstrators gained entry before the station was taken off air. >> well this just in as we said earlier. protestors managed to barge their way into headquarters even

made their way to newsrooms. they're armed with sticks. the important thing is we remain calm now. there's no need to panic. we'll update you with news as it comes in. >> the ptv building is under army protection. clashes with riot police as protestors demanded the residence ignition of sharif. the opposition leader khan appealed for calm and renewed his appeal for the prime minister to step down. >> translator: we say to sharif he should step down now because protestors will come out across pakistan causing damage to people's property because he has no moral grounds to continue as prime minister. >> i asked our correspondent whether the violent was predictable after weeks of

protests. >> reporter: it was always possible. we saw quite a bit of confrontation saturday night and yesterday as well. what happened today didn't make sense to a lot of people. police retreated, and marchers were allowed to go on rampage. hundreds managed to get near the prime minister's house. angry young men carry aing stic managed to get into the headquarters of state tv. they went to recording studio, cut cable wires, smashed equipment. they were there for a good while until the pakistani army started arriving outside pakistan television. as soon as the army got there and ordered them to leave peacefully, they obliged. they were shout slogans in favor of the pakistani army. anger is aimed at the government and police.

they are strongly in favor of pakistani army. >> of course we're getting condemnation from leaders of this protest. where do you think this is heading. where is the sense of this set of protests heading now? they are putting a lot of pressure on the army. does it look as though the army is effectively going to have to step up and take a more active role as we've seen so many times in pakistan's history? >> the pressure is on the government, on the prime minister. the army issued a statement last night in which it urged the government to resolve this politically and not use force. that is why i think we saw police did not retaliate. police did not fight back. that's why marchers were allowed to go on rampage. this whole situation has brought the government to stand still during the last two weeks or so. everybody is keen for it to

settle until a way that doesn't derail democracy. >> how is sharif now? >> reporter: he is adamant he will not resign. he believes he was elected because of election last year. despite irregularities was widely seen as credible. it was accepted by others. he's supported by parliament as well as opposition parties. they don't want to see him resign or see the government collapse. the ukrainian president poroshenko has accused russia of direct aggression which he says has changed the balance on the battlefield. ukraine is sending reinforcement to the city of mariupol to defend against pro russians that have taken the nearby town. speaking earlier, lavrov

insisted there would be no russian military intervention in eastern ukraine. he said peace talks due later in the capital must focus on immediate ceasefire. russia's president vladimir putin speaking at the weekend said the question of state hood for eastern ukraine must be part of the talks. his spokesman has been quick to clarify the president was not talking about actual independent state. while this all comes, the eu threatens further sanctions. key party members including john mccain have called for weapons sent to the fighters to help in the invasion. there are fears a rebel assault could be imminent. >> it's quiet here. we obviously over the past few days have seen this new front open up by the pro russian separatists with believed russian troops who moved across

the coast here toward as mariupol taking an important town on the way. since then, they have not moved further. however, there has been serious fighting in other parts of donetsk and luhansk region here in the southeast of ukraine with the rebels apparently claiming they have taken quite a lot of ground back from ukrainian army. so there are several fronts. the conflict goes on and has intensified here. i think the question is what is going to be the next move of the rebels? will they move on the city mariupol which is a very important city or will they hold tight for the time being? >> again, we've seen pictures last few days of how ordinary people are finding it. what is daily life like for those not involved themselves personal will l personally? >> we're in one of the main squares here. people are going to work.

certainly people we've spoken to, there is sense of fear. they're worried about what's going to happen, whether there will be an assault on this city. we know that quite a few people have already left. this is a city of more than 400,000 people. we understand that thousands have left. of course the majority of the city do remain here. one anecdote though we've been told, one person when she's been going to work in the past few days, colleagues have been coming in with bags packed ready to go in case there's an attack. people are on edge however clearly the ukrainian military has been bringing in reinforc m reinforcements around the city to try and defend it in the case there's an assault in the coming days. now in hong kong, police have used pepper spray to stop pro democracy activists that

tried to storm the event by chinese i shachi chinese warning. just a warning, this does have flash photography. >> a day after china's senior leadership in beijing unveiled tough rules on selection of hong kong's next chief executive. officials have journeyed south to justify their decision to the general public. this was the unexpected welcome that they received. invited guests including high profile pro democracy protests chanted against their prime minister. after regaining composure, top chinese official explained the reasoning behind one of the most controversial new requirements

for the 2017 chief executive election. >> the goal of the nomination committee is to reduce the risks involved in universal suffrage. one, it reduces the risks of political confrontation. two, it cuts the risks of a constitutional crisis and three, it minimizes the risks of populari popularism. >> outside the venue, the chinese government's position that all candidates gain the support of more than half the nominating committee has already created confrontation. here democracy activists from a group called civic passion tried to forcefully enter the main stage. they were pepper sprayed by police. with many other groups planning their own protests activities in response to beijing's announcement, it's clear that political risks in hong kong has

become more serious. >> with me now from the bbc chinese service. d do we know in hong kong where the support is, for the mainland or this pro democracy movement? >> we can see the divided supporters for each of the camps. some are anti. there's pro democracy. there are antibeijing essential governments. they're asking for more true democracy. what happened yesterday is that the central government is just set the limits about how they should elect their chief executive in 2017. >> those mean what? >> basically means that the beijing company was screening candidates who can be potentially next chief executive. the pro democracy campaigns said we need one person one vote.

we like to choose what we like. beijing government said no. we have been nominating committee. we are staffed 1,200. they can choose three candidates to run. that's what they're not happy about. they feel betrayed. >> what will it mean if this change happens that china wants? >> people feel they are obliged, the universal sufficient faj at the time. beijing says it is universe tal suffrage. it's how the candidates come through. >> hong kong complete under chinese control if i can put it like that, what would that mean for day willy life?

>> for some of them they think maybe better choice to go to beijing's option. it keeps the hong kong stability needed because hong kong financial center. they can see the beijing will not back off. they set the limit. they realize how powerful central government is, how strong position is. for some of them they prefer we keep this hong kong at financial center where our state is from. we go to the political turmoil we suffer more. other side says this is our rise promised which makes hong kong different. >> very interesting. very quickly, the pro democracy supporters going to give up quickly or go on? >> i think it's a show down. in the near future obviously. we just talked to the opposition and they said we will not back off. they will go ahead. if not immediately, it will happen soon.

>> more on this to come. thanks very much. stay with us on bbc world news. much more to come. the british couple that removed their seriously ill son from the hospital against medical advice and took him to spain shall appear before a judge today. you two had been through everything together. two boyfriends. three jobs. you're like "nothing can replace brad!" then liberty mutual calls. and you break into your happy dance. if you sign up for better car replacement, we'll pay for a car that's a model year newer with 15,000 fewer miles than your old one. see car insurance in a whole new light. liberty mutual insurance. wouldn't it be great if hiring plumbers, shopping online is as easy as it gets. carpenters and even piano tuners were just as simple? thanks to angie's list, now it is. start shopping online from a list of top-rated providers. visit angieslist.com today.

i'm geeta guru-murthy with the top story this is hour. pakistan's main tv station has been briefly taken off air by antigovernment protestors. the activists who are calling for resignation of the prime minister were removed from the studios by security forces. ukraine bolsters the defense in the east of the country, the president accuses russia of direct and open a aggression. now the u.n. says militants from the islamic state group are committing atrocities amounting to crimes against humanity. the warning comes as the human

rights council meets in geneva to discuss calls for an emergency mission to iraq. this is what the deputy chief had to say. >> it appears they intentionally committed prosecution of this ethnic and religious kbrogroups depriving them of right to life and religion denying of dignity and compeling many to wander in fear in desolate and dangerous areas. these inhuman and odious offenses constitute serious and deliberate attack on human dignity and human rights and likely amount to a crime against humanity. >> the parents of a young boy triggered an international search last week are appearing in court. he was taken out of an english

hospital against doctor's advice. the parents said they just wanted the best treatment for their son. >> reporter: the second time in less than 24 hours, the king's are appearing in a spanish court. the question for the judge whether to extradite the couple back to the uk. >> mr. and mrs. king, bbc news. what's your message? >> best treatment. the best treatment. >> last night as they were bundled into a police car in handcuffs, they said they wanted the best medical treatment for their son. he's still in a hospital. their eldest son has posted a new video online saying his 5-year-old brother had been well looked after when he was removed from the hospital in south hampton. doctors said asher's life would have been in danger. >> we did not change his foods

in any way. we had this power cord which his feeding line was on in the car. he was not starving. >> ashya is suffering from brain cancer. his parents took him out of the hospital last week claiming the doctors wouldn't agree to a treatment called proton b therapy. the the hospital insists it was trying to help the family explore different options. >> i want to get on with his treatment. i'm not coming back to england if i cannot give him the treatment i want. >> hamp shir police deny they've been heavy handed. doing nothing they said wasn't an option. >> experts said if he didn't get the care he needed there was fear for his life. faced with those circumstances i make no apology for being as proactive as we possibly can to find ashya and insure he gets the help he needed. >> what happens next is in the hands of spanish courts. it's not clear when he will be

reunited with his parents and whether or not the family will be coming back to uk. there's signs of a shakeup in german politics. the preliminary results show the alternative germany party is set to beat all forecasts winning 10% of the vote in the east country. emily has more. >> reporter: celebrating a break through, this is the first time an antieuro party won seats in the german state assembly. preliminary results show afd have come forth in the eastern state. >> translator: we are very satisfied with the results. it shows afd is now a steady member of the german political scene and the citizens gave us a lot of confidence.

>> chancellor merkel's christian democrat won almost 40% of the vote with the left and social democrats in second and third place. the afd won 10%, enough to enter parliament. this is big news in a country where support for the eu have tradition areally been strong. the alternative for germany isn't even two years old, formed in february 2013 as a protest movement against the eurozone bail out. the party is antieuro rather than antieurope. it wants the break up of eurozone. it wants limits on eu power, tighter immigration controls. critics say it attracts right wingers. some say angela merkel has moved too far to the center. christian democrat state premiere needs to find a new coalition party after the free democrats failed to win any

seats. he has ruled out coalition with afd. the results will reignite a debate in the cdu over cooperation with the newcomer. afd wants seven seats in may. the next two weeks could see more scenes like this. the party is likely to win seats in two more state elections. it's on the brink of brink of establishing itself in german politics. now over the next four days here on the bbc, we're going to focus on people around the world living with a disable. in the first of our series, ukraine's top para olympics and what it's like to train for top flight competition surrounded by conflict. the 27-year-old is from donetsk. here's his story. >> translator: i'm from ukraine.

i am a pair olympic swimmer. i live in donetsk near the airport and railway station. it's very tense in donetsk at the moment. people are worried. i'm worried. we're worried for our lives and our homes because apart from that city, people don't have anywhere to go. it's the same for me. i've lived in donetsk all my life. i used to go outside a lot but since the fighting started i only go out when i have to train. i make up my mind depending on where i hear the shots coming from. if they're close, i stay in. if they're far a way, i go out and i'm not scared. well, it's still a bit scary.

training for me became 100 times more difficult because it was scary to go outside or train in the swimming pool that was shaking. now when i hear noise or rustling, i think oh no, something is going to happen. and then the swimming pool where i used to train was hit. the water had to be drained out, so now there's nowhere for me to swim. i can only do general physical exercise like sit-ups. in donetsk it's really difficult to prepare for competition. i feel supported by everybody. lots of people say i should leave the city. this is my home. this is where my family is. i'm not going anywhere. i have a great coach who understands and supports me.

the u.s. space agency nasa released new footage showing a series of powerful solar flares. more than half a dozen eruptions on the surface of the sun in the last week. some warn this explosion of energy might have serious impact here on earth. tim explains. >> for the sun, it's been a pretty busy week. cosmically speaking. enhanced picture there is nasa's solar dynamic observatory proving the point. you can see here on the left, a huge explosion of radioactive material, a solar flare. over the last few days, there have been more than half a dozen similar eruptions. look at this this image. particles of super heated energy shooting thousands of kilometers in space. solar winds travel and can reach

us here on earth. it's warned satellite emissions, air travel could be affected. at the least you may get to see a display like the aurora on solar lights. this is what happens when solar winds hit the earth's atmosphere. these latest don't appear to be aimed at our direction. we can breathe a little easy. they are an extraordinary night nonetheless. >> we're going to leave you a reminder of our top story. pakistan television channel back on air after demonstrators are removed from the station. antigovernment protestors led by khan and others for the prime minister to resign. they've been clashing with police in islamabad. the prime minister has been meeting with the powerful army chief general. a lot of rumors about what was

in that meeting. he is now meeting with other political leaders. we'll update you here on bbc news. thanks for watching. i'm back tomorrow if you can join me. i'm geeta guru-murthy. see you soon. ♪ the last four hours have seen... one child fail to get to the air sickness bag in time. another left his shoes on the plane... his shoes! and a third simply doesn't want to be here. ♪ until now... until right booking now. ♪ planet earth's number one accomodation site booking.com booking.yeah!

hello. you're watching "gmt" here on bbc world news. pro russian rebels advanced in eastern ukraine and major battle rages at the international airport in luhansk. the ukrainian army has pulled back. further south, ukrainian reinforcements roll into the port city of mariupol to try and defend it against the possible attack by separatist rebels. antigovernment protestors in pakistan forced their way to headquarters of state tv to be evicted hours later. detergents, car tires and