united healthcare. >> at union bank, our relationship managers work hard to know your business, offering specialized solutions and capital to help you meet your growth objectives. we offer expertise and tailored solutions for small businesses and major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now "bbc world news." >> hello. you are watching gmt on "bbc world news. i'm george alagiah. greek unions staged another general strike. they're calling it a mass mobilization. taking it tohether the streets will have an effect on the government austerity programs.

protests in bangladesh demanding saved the workplace as the death toll from the factory collapsed factory at400. 400.aches in the niger delta, is there a new class of high living criminals? we will have an update on the world's biggest social network./ >> all eyes on facebook. nearly 700 million of its users access the site on these things. how much money is facebook making from people on the go? >> it's midday in london, 7:00 in the morning in washington, to look like in the afternoon in greece. a familiar scene is being played out. there's another general strike. unions are calling for mass mobilization. but there are signs this latest

day of action may not be as comprehensive as some in the past. demonstrations are planned across greece and police have been placed on alert. for the latest, let's join our correspondent in athens, mark lowen. >> thank you. hello from an unusually quiet square, the main square in central athens. this is the place where the protests have long converged over the last four years. we saw hundreds of thousands out on the streets in clashes with protesters the last time. today this is the scene outside parliament. the protest has ended. it is an extremely unusual development. the union called for mass mobilization. holyhot here and this is week, the greek before creek -- the week before greek orthodox easter, when people slowdown and

return home to be with their families. there were people out on the streets earlier in the day, perhaps 3000 people. they were chanting slogans and waving banners against austerity policies. they feel it is destroying their country. >> it is an opportunity for us to demonstrate against the measures, to act for raises in our income. privileges are only for the rich. think there are no materials for operations. there's nothing. >> [indiscernible] they don't have things for the schools and books and teachers.

>> everything that we hear from the welfare state is now being demolished. we have almost no rights. the minimum wage is 430 euros. no one can live on that. listeninto those voices, there's no question that these their feelings are heartfelt. there have been over 20 strikes uof this kind. as a question of whether the general strike is the way to change policy. -- there is the question. >> i think you're right. over 20 protests since 2009 have failed to stop the march of austerity. is there futility in coming out on the streets? that's possibly why the numbers were down today, along with the fact that it's just before orthodox easter. there's a feeling from the

government that it feels emboldened by this cautious optimism that has come from the european union. no longer are we talking about greece departing from the euro zone. there's a feeling this country has fulfilled a lot of its obligations. more bailout money came this week and there will be more later on this month. still a real struggle for ordinary greeks with unemployment at 27%. and 60% among young people. the real impact of austerity, on health and education. >> briefly, the prime minister has said this is going to be the last year of recession. >> he has said that. he has staked his reputation on that. this is the sixth straight year. he says no. ordinary greeks say that they see little light of the end of the tunnel. let me tell you about a little action elsewhere. there were pretty large rallies

in spain. those are still going on. 17,000 people in russia. there were rallies also in cambodia, the philippines, indonesia. a general labor day movement across the world. this may be the quietest one of greece.e in >> do people understand -- i'm talking about degrees and spain, the people understand their governments were not given a huge amount of choice? spain.reece and >> there's a growing realization that there is very little room for maneuver in these indebted countries of the european south. would berescue funds turned off. in cyprus to the east, that is

the country where i was reporting on during a bailout a couple months ago. cyprus said no to the harsh austerity conditions demanded by brussels and then the creditors came back and said here is an even harsher program that the country had to stomach. so you cannot simply say no to the european union and imf, because they will turn up the heat even more. the cyprus crisis has almost worked in favor of the greek government. >> thank you very much. thece and spain are not only countries where there have been protests marking may day. these pictures that i'm about to show are from cambodia, where thousands of garment factory workers have been out demanding higher wages and better working conditions. in manila, the capital of the philippines, thousands marched, calling for more job protection and workplace rights. in turkey, protesters clashed

with police in istanbul. water cannons and smoke grenades were used on the crowd. there have been demonstrations in japan and france. now than 400 people are confirmed dead after the collapse of a clothing factory building in bangladesh, a week ago. many are still missing. tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of the to markdhaka international workers' day. th are demanding the death penalty for the building owners. we will join our correspondent in dhaka. these protesters, are they aware that there is some concern in the european union about the working conditions in these kinds of factories? >> as my colleague mark lowen said earlier, the users are highlighting the problem. in bangladesh, a garment factory

workers used the opportunity to highlight the safety standards. they're also calling for the death penalty for the owner of the building which collapsed last wednesday a week ago, trapping hundreds of people inside. as of now, we know that the death toll has surpassed more than 400, making it the worst ever industrial disaster in this country. the most important thing is about to your opinion now commenting on labor standards here in bangladesh. first, no sanction will happen immediately withdraw the duty- free access given to the exporters in bangladesh. it will take more than a year. all the member states agree. it sends a message to bangladesh's that from the western retailers now this has been stepped up to a level of the european union, which gives duty-free access to bangladesh's ready-made clothing exporters. that's why bangladesh retain an

advantage over others. so they will be forced probably to improve safety standards. >> is a will listen. the fact of the matter is part of bangladesh's success in this area is to be a low-cost producer, in this respect. >> this has really improved the economy of this country in the last 30 years. it has changed the face of rural bangladesh. 3.6 million people work in the garment sector in bangladesh and most of them are women from rural areas. the improved economy has given top opportunities to people and brought industries in several places. factory owners will have to move from here to the next level. when bangladesh get more orders, at the same time how can they match international standards? after this incident, many people here hope they will address these problems. >> all right.

thanks very much. we're not finished with bangladesh. aaron has more news. >> i have been speaking with one of the senior heads of the international labor organization, ilo, arrived on the ground today in dhaka, pressing the government to make these much needed changes so we don't see this tragic scenes that racino for the past week. let me explain. in the wake of the tragedy that we have been hearing about it, the european union has said it will look into actions to press for improvements and accountability on working conditions. the garment business in bangladesh is very important. its 80% of the country's $24 billion export industry. the international labor organization in dhaka today pressing the government to take action to make sure we don't see images like this any time soon. earlier i spoke with the deputy director general for field operations who told me labor

laws in bangladesh may need to change. law,lking about the labor which now it's up to parliament level that we want to make sure will be adopted quickly. you also have to a look at the freedom of association, the freedom of bargaining to make sure the mostly women working in those factories do have the possibility to really negotiate a better working conditions. >> ok. we will keep across the aisle in bangladesh and bring you any updates. let's turn our attention to this company right here. with over 1 billion users worldwide, facebook will undoubtedly be the number one social media company. since the company went public on the stock market, it has struggled to make money from the subscribers. the networking sites will report the numbers later today,

earnings for the first three months of this year. facebook has moved its strategy to mobile. there are currently 680 million people who use mobile devices to access facebook. that is smartphones and tablets. it's over 2/3 of all facebook users. 84% of the company's revenue at the moment comes from advertising. estimates from revenue and from small ads are expected to be only 26%. so there's room for growth. mobil also means targeted ads. many advertisers are starting 20 wonder if the money is well spent. >> everyone is scared not to be on facebook, but no one says this is really hitting a home run for them in terms of value and effectiveness. when the numbers come out, i will look to see what percentage of their total users monthly -- our monthly and what percentage

of their monthly user's are coming back every day. if both of those numbers are higher than they're worth three months ago or a year ago, that's a sign facebook is keeping the billion users it already has very actively engaged. >> those numbers will come out after the close of the bell in new york, but we will bring them to you as soon as we get them. i will be back in a half-hour talk about the great greek fire sale. >> thank you very much. stay with us on bbc world news. still to come -- refusing to accept the results. lawmakers in venezuela news an alternative method to debate the winner of the recent election. an alternative method. last month, a huge explosion at a fertilizer plant in texas killed 15 people and turned parts of the town of west into rubble. people will have lived in the worst hit areas are starting to return to see what is. to come of their is this report.

what is to come of their homes. >> the plant initially caught fire and then soon afterwards it blew up with such force that it registered a magnitude 2.1 earthquake. 14 people died. 200 were injured and the town was devastated. the blast badly damaged buildings, including a nursing home and a school. now some families in the worst hit areas of west are coming home to survey the damage.. >> look at the ceiling. >> in the house was in the area closest to the blast site. her home has largely been reduced to rubble, a testament to how powerful the explosion was. >> this was our living room.

and this is where we had a lot of fun. >> more painful than the destroyed property, the family is mourning the loss of relative calm a volunteer firefighter died fighting the initial blaze. >> i'm really proud of him. and i know he's in have been looking on us right now. so i'm really proud of what he's done. >> residents are returning to pick up the pieces in the hope of a fresh start. but with the the federal government only just starting to investigate how this happened, there is still a long way to go to restoring the town and still many questions left unanswered. bbc news reporting. i am george alagiah. the top stories. a general strike against ,usterity underway in greece

calling for mass mobilization of protesters. workers in bangladesh are demanding better working conditions. more than 400 people are confirmed dead following the collapse of a factory building last wednesday. almost four years since an amnesty was given to thousands of militants causing havoc in the niger delta. the relative peace has allowed oil production in the reason to soar, but the recent killing of 12 policemen has come as a warning that the peace may not be built on solid ground. our nigeria correspondent will ross reports. militarygerian patrolling the creeks of the niger delta and sending a message we are ready for action. the soldiers have good reason to be on high alert. after an armed gang recently ambushed a police boat, killing 12 officers. state.like attacking the

in order to gain recognition want to attack innocent civilians. >> all appears calm in this delta creek. as a result of an amnesty, 30,000 people have paid a monthly allowance to embrace peace. but a man from the same village in a gang that killed the police said that he knows many former militants who have resorted to crimes including piracy. piracy on ourt streets. they have received money. >> when the militants were causing havoc in the creeks all over the niger delta, co- production dropped significantly. since the amnesty, it has soared and now the government is getting far more revenue, so it can easily afford to pay all the

former militants. but some people are questioning the wisdom of paying people who took up arms. they're wondering what message it sends out to the rest of the country. some of the men who lay down their arms are now living big, and driving through here, you cannot miss big homes like this. this one belongs to a former militant. and this one belongs who to a former military one belongs brought more than 400 fighters out of the creeks with him under the amnesty, he says. >> was he the strongest out of this group? >> he was. >> he was paid by the government to protect the pipelines that his militant brothers once destroyed. they supplied me with

chemicals. in a big will see me mansion in a few years, like the ones you have been seeing. >> the nigerian government for now is buying the peace, but the underlying grievances remain such as poverty, lack of development, and pollution. until they are dealt with, if it will be hard to stop people leaving that crime pays. bbc news, in the niger delta. >> let me bring you a couple other stories. a roadside bomb has killed three british soldiers in afghanistan. their armored vehicle was hit by the explosion during a routine patrol in helmand province on tuesday. their families have been informed. the attack came on the third day of what the taliban has called its spring offensive. it looks as though one of japan's most famous landmarks, mount fuji, could become a world heritage site. an influential cultural

organization has told the japanese government that the snowcapped volcano could be registered as a place of special significance. now, this is what you might expect to look like after a couple rounds in the boxing ring. not a day in politics, but legislators in the venezuelan parliament have been left bruised and bloody after fighting broke out over the recent disputed presidential election. both opposition and pro- government lawmakers are accusing each other of starting a fight. now this report. box and now ballot the national assembly brawl. venezuela's bitterly contested election is still being fought out. widespread frustration turned to a fist fights on the florida chamber. it's not clear who started the violence. it seems to have begun after the opposition unfurled a banner saying parliamentary coup,

referring to a measure just past, denying them the right to speak until they accept the new president. afterwards, the battered politicians emerged. one opposition legislator or describe what happened as a parliamentary coup that had been premeditated, "cowardly and inhumane." another accused government members of provoking the fight. came to where we were seated and without a word hit us on our backs. >> but the new president blamed the opposition for provoking the violence and went on national tv to call for peace, tolerance, and respect for the constitution. the election by a mere 1%. the opposition says it will not stop protesting venezuela's

politics after the death of hugo chavez. after this, there's anxiety over more violent clashes. emily nick cannon, bbc news. -- emily buchanan. greg amanda knox says that she may return to italy to face a retrial. in an interview with diane sawyer of abc news, she described her need for justice and gave a number of details on her arrest and imprisonment. > one happened to me -- what happened to me hit me like a train. and there was nothing i could do to stop it. really afraid. >> what was the first thing you thought when you saw meredith? >> i was putting away my things in the room when she came to my

door. and she introduced herself. she was. immediately very was wow,mediate exchange of, this is someone i can get along with. >> were you ever jealous of her? >> no? >> ever angry? >> no. it bothers me when people suggest that she was not my friend. i was stunned by her death. she was my friend. my friend had been murdered and it could just as easily have been me. in the she had died house where we were living. and it could have been me. >> did you kill meredith? >> no. >> were you there that night? >> no. >> do you know anything you cannot told police that you have not said in this book? no .

i don't. i was not there. >> but you confessed. provided not confessed. >> i did not confess. i was interrogated. they told me that i was wrong, that i did not remember correctly, that i have to remember correctly and if i did not, i would never see my family. i cannot be afraid right now. i have to be ready to fight. >> per parents say they hope someday to see the kerchers when they understand amanda was not involved. amanda knox says that she does not want and to their grief. she hopes someday -- provincial i can have their permission to pay my respects at her grave can have their

permission sunday to pay respects at her grave. >> coming up in the next half- hour on gmt, this will be a groundbreaking election in pakistan. i will be talking to a former pakistani ambassador to the united states. presentation this is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, giving all profits to charity and pursuing the common good for over 30 years, united healthcare, union bank, and fidelity investments. >> your personal economy is made up of the things that matter most, including your career. as those things change, fidelity can help you adjust your retirement plan, rethink how you are invested and refocus

as your career moves forward. wherever you are today, a fidelity ira has a wide range of investment choices that can fit your personal economy. fidelity investments. turn here. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet, los angeles.

u.s. president barack obama has renewed his promise to close the prison at guantanamo bay. he says keeping terrorist suspects there is not sustainable. people across japan want to raise the profile of mt. fuji. some influential advisers suggest it could be listed as a world heritage site. and in a town devastated by the tsunami, a group of local women hope to createrevivalal with seafood. hello and welcome back to "newsline." i'm shery ahn. barack obama says the i