French lawmakers vote to extend state of emergency
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
France's lower house of parliament voted Tuesday to extend a state of emergency for three months, after the government said that the extra powers are still needed to end the country's worst civil unrest in four decades.
The National Assembly voted 346-148 for the extension. The opposition Socialist Party opposed an extension, saying emergency measures were no longer needed because rioting is abating. But the extension passed with support from President Jacques Chirac's governing conservatives backed by centrist lawmakers. The Senate examines the measure on Wednesday.