European leaders ask Obama to allow increased exports of US shale gas

European leaders on Wednesday asked Barack Obama to share the US's shale gas bonanza with Europe by facilitating gas exports to help counter the stranglehold Russia has on the continent's energy needs.

IMF: eurozone in critical danger, ECB should launch QE

The eurozone is in "critical" danger and the European Central Bank should play a bigger role in fighting the debt crisis through more rate cuts, QE and further liquidity provision, the International Monetary Fund has said.