The central banks of the world's biggest developed economies have taken
pre-emptive
action to prevent a domino effect of banks collapsing
in the event that
these banks find themselves unable to borrow the major currencies they need. Now in recent weeks, there's been evidence that big eurozone banks have found it harder and more expensive to borrow dollars. Investors do seem impressed. Share prices - especially the share prices of banks - have risen sharply in markets across the world on the perception that there's been a fall in the risk of a return to conditions of unbearable stress in banking markets.
Trade unions in Britain have staged the biggest public sector strike in decades. Up to two million workers are opposing pension reforms that may lead to later retirement and higher contributions. Tens of thousands of protesters marched in London, Manchester and Edinburgh. Here's our political correspondent Rob Watson.
Trade union leaders - among them, Mark Serwotka - accused the government of trying to balance the heavily indebted books on the backs of public sector workers.
"Yesterday the chancellor gave us more
unremitting
gloom where he made it clear that working people would be targeted. So today is the opportunity for millions to say no. We're not paying the price for this. We didn't cause it, and what you're doing is
making the situation worse
."
Although the strike closed many schools, the government claimed the disruption was not as widespread as feared. In parliament, the Prime Minister David Cameron described the strike as "something of a damp squib".