BRUSSELS — European leaders convened here Thursday for a two-day summit, with 27 nations scrambling to bridge deep differences over how to combat the region’s 21 / 2-year-old debt crisis. The summit — the 19th held thus far in the region's elusive attempt to resolve its economic woes — was shaping up as a showdown between hard-line German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her allies, including the Netherlands and Finland, and the leaders of southern European countries who are looking for more aggressive, short-term action. Read full article >>