German Chancellor Angela Merkel has added her voice to calls to bolster the European Investment Bank and to use EU infrastructure funds more flexibly.

Oil prices fell to near $101 a barrel on Monday in Asia amid investor concern over the outcome of a meeting between the leaders of Germany and France.

European leaders were confronted this week by the ugly prospect of a second recession in three years.

Positive sentiment is being driven by a new measure by the ECB to pump liquidity into the markets, analysts say.

British opposition leader Ed Miliband has urged Prime Minister David Cameron to show leadership over the international economic crisis.

Experts say Europe is digging an ever-deeper hole as it vows to resolve the euro zone crisis.

The EU has agreed that banks must be strengthened after July stress tests found a "systemic" crisis in sovereign debt threatened a credit crunch.

A mass anti-austerity protest, called by unions, has taken to the streets, as EU ministers cut short talks on the euro zone debt crisis.

The eurozone’s leaders need to show markets they are taking responsibility for its debt crisis, says US President Barack Obama.

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos has announced budget cuts totalling around €2-billion in exchange for a rescue package.

The exit of Juergen Stark could hardly have come at a worse time for euro zone policymakers as they grope for a way out of their financial crisis.

Vague pledges and a lack of action by G7 countries underscored differences between Europe and the US and a lack of room to manoeuvre.

Former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has called for the creation of a "United States of Europe", saying the bloc needed a common government.

Angela Merkel faces the biggest challenge to her leadership with traditionally loyal allies openly criticising her approach to the euro zone crisis.

Financial market pressure on the euro zone eased a little this week as Italy’s borrowing costs fell and bank shares stabilised.