>> this is "bbc world news." funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. shell. and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to understand the industry you operate in, working to nurture new ventures and help provide capital for key strategic decisions. we offer expertise and tailored solutions in a wide range of industries. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news." >> leading economic forecasters said the euro zone troubles will

be deeper and last longer than expected. the biggest threat to the global economy, there's a prediction contractions' this year and calls for more measures to boost growth in the euro zone. -- the oecd predictis. hello and welcome to gmt. i am george alagiah. the former military commander and architect of the controversial military victory over the tamil tigers says that he has nothing to hide. >> i will answer for any allegations. [unintelligible] >> high altitude, high ambition. we are at a kenyan olympic training camp to learn the secret of long distance success.

it's midday in london, 7:00 a.m. in washington, a 1:00 in the afternoon in paris, where the oecd, the organization that represents the world's most developed countries, has issued its starkest warning yet about the global economy. its chief economist effectively says the euro zone troubles could drag the rest of the world down with it. he said that a contraction in the euro zone is the biggest single threat to the global economy. reports. oxley repor >> teachers prepare for a strike against austerity in spain. throughout europe, this is a familiar scene now with a yet to be answered question -- how to keep schools up to standards and balance the books? >> the cuts are terrible. they not only affect the quality of education, everything is going to deteriorate. >> what should europeans do?

the latest institution and to way into the debate is the 34- member oecd. the consequences -- >> the most significant single area of risk in the global economy has moved away from the edge. of the edge things and begun to deteriorate again recently. we cannot not rule out the development of a downside scenario which, if ignited, could lead to serious repercussions worldwide. >> further interest-rate cuts needed at the european central bank. confidence and restored it in banks and governments. and for that there needed to be changes in the way things were done. it is high time to go structural. structural reforms are not only the best short-term remedy left, but they also offer multiple dividends. >> but with the left gaining

ground, technocratic pragmatism is coming face-to-face with democratic politics. greece is the test case. one populist leader arguing for policies that, in the eyes of many economists, simply don't make sense. >> your presence gives us strength for the fight that we fight, because we are fighting for everyone in europe. we are going to win all together. >> the euro crisis is global. with a warning now from the international monetary fund, trouble could impact on others. in effect the u.k. through many channels. growth is too slow and unemployment is too high, including youth and employment. >> spain today on schools and protests about other protests in other places are expected to gather pace as europe decides

whether voters or the markets are best to determine its future. abc news reporting. >> let's catch up on the business news and stay with the global economy. a pretty gloomy picture in that report. then you have the international labor organization talking about youth unemployment. >> yes, an economy cannot produce jobs. what is it all about really? i think this is the most worrisome. i was thinking about the importance of youth unemployment. it's not just another section of society. you and i would have our careers if we lost our jobs. we are journalists and could get a job in the future. but somebody who just come out of secondary education and does not get a job, what are they? they are nothing. they don't 7 identity. this has profound psychological effects, very profound social

effects. at the international labor organization, they gave us a bit more from a macro economic point of view. >> the large share of young people are detached from the labor market and also at risk of dropping out of education systems. it's very important that young people, especially at the bottom of the labor market, have an opportunity to either train, educate, or find a proper job. >> the point of it is even over the long term, unemployed people for that time in their lives very often never managed to pin down a stable job in the future if. >> in beverly catch up. -- they never really catch up. they suggested america is doing somewhat better. housing figures are coming out today in america. i wonder what we can expect.

>> housing has traditionally been a bedrock for america. as house prices are rising, then people had to borrow and consume and consumption is a big part of the american economy, and a fundamental to economic growth. order, if there was the massive housing collapse, some people say the worst housing bubble in history ever. what we are seeing at the moment and what we're likely to see later on is slight rises, but really nothing very convincing. even with this kind of stability within the housing market, it seems that those people simply are not doing anything. robert schuller, the founder of acacia index, this is what he had to say. >> they're not in the mood. they're not feeling secure enough, even though interest rates are very low and prices

have come down a lot, so houses are affordable, they just have not got the message yet. >> the question is when? some people feel so much damage has been done that it affect the psychology of the american consumer and that it's not going to revert to the kind of growth and borrowing and consumption that we had before. so there are profound things going on. but some might say that's a good thing, but we will not get into that now. thanks very much. let's take a look at some other stories making headlines around the world today. sri lanka must cooperate with an international investigation into alleged war crimes. that is what the former army chief sarath fonseka has told the bbc a day after his release from jail. the former general, led the army to victory over the tamil tigers in 2009, denied thousands of

civilians had been killed. he spoke to the bbc's charles haviland. >> people ask me the same question, if i could do behind bars what i could do without, what do you feel about it? >> what about the terms of your released? are you forbid infrom re- entering politics? >> i have completed my prison sentence. i can do politics. [unintelligible] exactly b ow [unintelligible] >> would you like to challenge mahinda rajapaksa for the presidency again? >> it's not like i want to become the president of the country or something. my agenda is not to do that. i have an agenda to change the

corrupt political culture in this country. >> the u.s.-sponsored resolution in march at the u.n. human rights council critical on sri lanka human-rights, saying it should do more on reconciliation and accountability for alleged war crimes. that resolution was passed. did you welcome back? >> yes. the reconciliation is a must. but the war crimes, there are differing opinions. we will argue it out so that at sowho are pointing out issues -- that those who are pointing out issues, so we can clarify. some people hiding their faces need to come to war crimes interrogation.

[unintelligible] that's my position. >> sri lanka's former army chief speaking to bbc. congressional committee in washington says more than 1 million suspected cancer counterfeit parts are being used in u.s. military war systems and it could compromise national security. the report follows a two-year investigation by the senate armed forces committee and found many of the parts, electronic chips, or present in intruders controlling -- founpresent in computers controlling aircraft missiles. anwar ibrahim has pleaded not guilty to violations. he faces criminal charges for his role in a large anti- government rally last month attended by tens of thousands of people in malaysia. if convicted, he could be

qualified from running in elections which are expected to take place soon. if the describes the charge as politically motivated. the american company spacex has lost the first commercial rocket to a supply the international space station. the falcon 9 craft blasted up from cape canaveral in florida following an aborted first attempt on saturday and. the rocket is expected to take two days to reach the station. in the future, nasa hopes to attract privat companies to ferry provisions to the international space station. egyptians are getting ready to elect a president, the first leadership vote since the toppling of former president hosni mubarak. his rule was brought to an end by a wave of protests last year. lyse doucet has been checking the mood among voters. >> this is the square that made history in egypt and around the world. tahrir square. the traffic is backed and

protesters and police are gone. but egypt is a different country. tahrir square brought egypt where it is today for these historic presidential elections. >> outside the elections maybe if we do anything wrong to let the president [unintelligible] >> tahrir square will come back as a place to protest if there's not a good president? >> yes. >> everywhere you go in cairo, ee big billboards. how interested are cairo residents? we went to find out. this man backed candidates who calls himself a liberal islamist. i believe that he will get me a shop, he says.

why are you voting for the former prime minister? >> he has knowledge from outside. many things. >> your not schuring who to vote for -- you're not sure who to vote for? >> i have not seen them. >> what do you want from your president? i need one who has vision. >> these are the numbers that matter. this is the stock exchange in cairo, the measure of a country 's economic activity. for many egyptians, that is what matters in this election. since the events of last year, the economy has taken a nosedive. unemployment is up, tourism is down. this trader tells me political

events are what influences the market now. if the election runs smoothly, it will have a big impact on the economy. indeed, these first open polls will determine what happens next for the future of egypt. bbc news, cairo. >> still to come on gmt, on the road to london. we will be with the olympic flame for the latest leg of its torch relay. nato leaders have racked up the alliance's summit in chicago, promising their full support for a chemist and while promising to withdraw troops by 2014. -- have wrapped up their summit. u.s. president barack obama says that his strategic partnership with president karzai means an agreement is possible to maintain a long-term relationship with afghanistan.

our defense correspondent has been following developments in chicago. crux of nato is deeming at the summit a success, not surprisingly. in afghanistan, the transitionxs stand up on their own. the communique said the afghan forces will be in the lead of security by the middle of 2013. that should allow time for them to be strong. on the side of nato, it is not managed to reach a deal with pakistan on opening supply routes to the south. there is 122,000 shipping

containers and 72,000 armored vehicles that will have to go back home after the conflict is over. president zardari says that he will stress the deal should be made. the g-8 is probably relatively satisfied after their meeting. >> this is gmt from bbc world news. i am george alagiah. stark warnings from the organization task with assisting governments with their economy. the euro zone risks falling into severe recession. the former sri lanka army to lead a campaign against the

tamil tigers says his country must now cooperate with an international war crimes probe. the olympic torch is arriving in the english city of bristol later today as part of a store around the united kingdom. that is ahead of the 2012 games in london. athletes, including the world renowned long distance runners, will be placing themselves in the city to prepare for the competition. moment we will find out just what makes the kenyan runners so exceptional. we will be with our correspondent at a high altitude training camp. first, losing hawkins is in bristol waiting for the torch to arrive -- lucy hawkins. >> what a magnificent day for the arrival of the olympic torch. there's a real sense of

excitement in the air as i stand here. in about six hours' time, the olympic torch will live on a boat. there will be a paralympian with the british teen. -- team. there are expecting a thousand people to attend. just one of two venues for the celebration in bristol for the arrival of the torch. with me are two very excited low-cost. -- excited locals. a 15-year-old athlete and her principal at the international academy in bristol. how are you feeling before you get to hold the torch? >> i cannot believe it. it's inspirational to do something so close to the olympics. i cannot wait. >> how did you get chosen? rex people nominated me in the

local area. i won the bronze this year and i am third in europe. and for my volunteering in the community. >> what does it mean to you and your friends that the olympics are being held here? >> it is amazing. it's all what we hoped for. we all hoped to build in the future. it is amazing to see what we could be doing in the future. >> you must be a very broad principle if. >> she is a great inspiration to everybody in the academy. >> how have you been building up to the olympics? >> i think there's been a general buildup. a general buildup in the country. what we look forward to in the city of bristol is the link up to the relay, everybody holding hands from the south of the through scotland and london. there's a great deal of sport with olympic themes. >> there's a real sense of

excitement in the city. >> everyone. i was just walking and people were waving and beeping at me. everyone is so excited about the olympics. >> i look for to seeing you both later. thanks very much. there's a unique partnership that's happening between kenya and the city of bristol. all the kenyans are coming here to train before the olympics. the city is not only watching their activities, but their own athletes. what is happening? >> yes, thanks very much. some of the top british long distance runners come to this high-altitude training center in east end. just a couple hundred yards from here we have the raining world marathon champion who lives here.

we have been thousand meter world champion. canada produces a lot of champions. a lot of them come from this part of the country. you get a sense of why that is when you go down to the track in the morning. i was there this morning where i saw the raining london marathon champion running with dozens of other local runners. some of them elite runners. others just people who want to be champions themselves. even school kids are running with them. one of the australians said to me he would get more laps here. people want to escape from poverty. they see this is a good way to do it, by becoming a world and olympic champion. they cannot all make it, but they all want to. so you get a real sense of a city where success breeds success and we're high altitude has brought people from around the world to try to share in the success. >> that sounds exciting.

certainly everyone in bristol feels a duty connection with the people in kenya, the ones i have been speaking to. follow us throughout the day. we will be talking to some other torchbearers and for some closeups and to some headline acts that will be aired tonight. they are joining us. stay with us throughout the day for continuing coverage. and you can follow me on twitter. and we're covering the torch relay extensively on line at bbc.com/porchrelent. >> untold damage to the environment. scientists have come up with an unusual solution to a problem and it comes in the shape of a robotic fish. >> on patrol for hidden pollution, this is the robotic fish. several of being put to the test in this harbor today. they are the latest high-tech attempt to keep our water is

clean. >> this might be inspired by nature, but it can do much more. it has sensors and uses artificial intelligence to hunt down contamination and reported back to. shore and real to once it is in, the robot can work alone. that's without any control from the researchers. just like a real fish, it can maneuver easily through the water. >> if you want to get the pollution readings in york harbor, you have to get drivers to go down and take samples. but these fish can work autonomously. the benefit happens in that they can find a leak strip away in real time and track down the source of that pollution so we can put a stop to it straightaway and reduce pollution. >> for the moment, these prototypes cost $30,000 apiece. the next challenge for the team is to cut those costs of the fish could become a permanent presence in our waters. bbc news, the bay of biscayne.

>> a controversial painting that shows the south african president jacob zuma with his genitals exposed is being defaced at an art gallery in johannesburg. the attacker told the bbc benny's near the picture with paint because he thought it was disrespectful. our correspondent has been to the gallery. >> we are in the goodman gallery in johannesburg. that painting depicted president jacob zuma with his genitals exposed, had been the subject of a huge controversy in south africa in the last few days. this morning two men walked into this gallery with small cans of paint and began. defacing the portraits that have just now been arrested, but the anc president jacob zuma's political party has taken this gallery to court to try to force them to remove the

paintings from the wall and from the newspaper pages. bbc news, johannesburg. >> a reminder of our top story on gmt. europe has come under mounting pressure to boost growth amid fears the euro zone crisis could drag the rest of the. world down the its the oecd, the organization that represents the world's most developed countries, said a contraction in the euro zone is the biggest single threat to the global economy. speaking in london, the imf chief christine lagarde said the euro zone has made a series of improvements in dealing with its crisis but more needs to be done to support growth. stay with us on bbc world news. there's plenty more to come.

>> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> this is kim -- at union bank our relationship managers use their expertise to guide you through the business opportunities of international commerce. we put our extended global network to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? "bbc world news was presented by kcet los angeles