Following explosions at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant, Europe re-assesses its nuclear energy future. Meanwhile, France continues its pressure on allies to enact a no-fly zone over Libya, after the Arab League passed a resolution supporting such a measure.

HEADLINES:

European Press Review: ‘There is no zero risk’ (Deutsche Welle)

As Japan struggles in the aftermath of the massive earthquake and tsunami, many European newspaper commentators speculated about the future of nuclear energy following radiation leaks from Japanese nuclear reactors.

Germany to suspend nuclear extension plan: sources (Reuters)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will suspend on Monday a deeply unpopular agreement to delay closing the nation’s nuclear power stations, due to the crisis at a Japanese plant, sources in her coalition said.

Europeans are liberal, anxious and don’t trust politicians, poll reveals (The Guardian)

Guardian/ICM survey in five EU countries shows people see a bleak economic future and don’t think their leaders will deliver

EU leaders boost bailout fund, agree on euro pact (EurActiv)

Eurozone leaders today (12 March) gave in to fresh demands from Brussels and Germany to sign up to a competitiveness pact that will prompt countries to further coordinate their economic policies, as a quid pro quo for increasing German-backed bailouts to rescue debt-laden countries.

France’s Sarkozy sacks diversity head Dahmane (BBC News)

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has sacked his diversity adviser after he called on Muslims not to support the governing UMP party, reports say.

Arab decision boosts prospect of EU military action in Libya (EUobserver)

The Arab League has given the green light for Western powers to impose a no-fly zone in Libya, prompting France to step up its campaign for military action.

The 22-member league in a resolution on Saturday (12 March) called for the UN Security Council to quickly issue a mandate for a no-fly zone in Libya following a meeting at its office in Tahrir Square in Cairo, the main stage of last month’s revolution in Egypt.

Moscow and Oslo a step away from ironing out decades-long dispute (RT)

A Russian-Norwegian agreement on delimitation of maritime space will put an end to the 40-year-long territorial dispute between the countries and a moratorium on the extraction of hydrocarbons, according to Russia’s plenipotentiary ambassador.

EDITORIALS AND COLUMNS:

Germany needs to resist the euro’s sweet-smelling poison (The Guardian)

The only EU competition is a race to take the most. We should break away from the free-spending southern eurozone states

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