Europe seeks end to fiscal crisis

BRUSSELS - European officials searched urgently for ways to contain the region's debt crisis on Thursday, amid expectation that a rebound in government bond markets would prove only temporary.

The EU's monetary affairs chief, Olli Rehn, lobbied on Wednesday for further action from the European Central Bank such as government bond purchases to help calm financial markets, a day ahead of a key meeting of the bank's governing council.

Meanwhile, EU regulators loosened rules on bank bailouts for at least another year, while Spain announced additional cutbacks, trying to dispel concerns its economy - regarded as potentially too big to bail out - might falter.