BBC News with Stewart Macintosh

Financial markets around the world have responded

positively

after five leading central banks said they are taking new steps to tackle the financial crisis. The banks will provide extra loans in US dollars to commercial banks to make sure they have enough funds to repay debts on time. More from our economics correspondent Andrew Walker.

Shares in New York have gained for the fourth

consecutive

day, and earlier European markets also rose. The euro has made gains as well. A series of developments have given investors some

reassurance

about Europe. Leading central banks have indicated they'll supply extra dollars to the commercial banks. Investors also took some comfort earlier from the French and German leaders insisting that Greece is an

integral

part of the euro area. But there's still the risk of serious losses, if there were a wave of government defaults. The challenge of dealing with Europe's sovereign debt and banking crisis remains a

daunt

ing one.

Syrians campaigning against President Bashar al-Assad say they've formed a single body to represent the opposition. It was announced at a meeting in Turkey exactly six months after the start of the protests. Jonathan Head reports from Istanbul.

After several failed attempts, President Assad's opponents have finally created a single body, the Syrian National Council. Organisers say they've