Egypt, Russia discuss industrial zone, nuclear plant in high-level talks    Finance Ministry presents three new investor facilitation packages to PM to boost investment climate    Egypt, Bahrain explore deeper cooperation on water resource management    Egypt condemns Israeli offensive in Gaza City, warns of grave regional consequences    Cairo University, Roche Diagnostics inaugurate automated lab at Qasr El-Ainy    Egypt expands medical, humanitarian support for Gaza patients    Egypt investigates disappearance of ancient bracelet from Egyptian Museum in Tahrir    Egypt launches international architecture academy with UNESCO, European partners    African trade ministers meet in Cairo to push forward with AfCFTA    Egypt's President, Pakistan's PM condemn Israeli attack on Qatar    Egypt signs MoUs with 3 European universities to advance architecture, urban studies    Madrid trade talks focus on TikTok as US and China seek agreement    Egypt wins Aga Khan Award for Architecture for Esna revival project    Egypt's Sisi, Qatar's Emir condemn Israeli strikes, call for Gaza ceasefire    Egypt condemns terrorist attack in northwest Pakistan    Egypt advances plans to upgrade historic Cairo with Azbakeya, Ataba projects    Egyptian pound ends week lower against US dollar – CBE    Egypt hosts G20 meeting for 1st time outside member states    Egypt to tighten waste rules, cut rice straw fees to curb pollution    Egypt seeks Indian expertise to boost pharmaceutical industry    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



France presents new security bill amid extremist threats
Published in Ahram Online on 22 - 06 - 2017

French President Emmanuel Macron's new government presented a security bill Thursday to beef up police powers amid extremist threats to Europe.
Macron insists the bill discussed at a Cabinet meeting won't infringe on freedoms, but rights groups fear France is heading for a permanent state of emergency.
His government is seeking to extend France's existing state of emergency through Nov. 1, the time it will take the new security bill to pass through parliament.
The current expiration date for the state of emergency is July 15. It would be the sixth extension of the measure since deadly attacks by extremists in Paris in November 2015.
The move Thursday comes days after an attacker drove a car carrying explosives into a police convoy on Paris' busy Champs-Elysees avenue, the latest of several small-scale attacks on European cities.
"The threat is long-lasting," Macron told several European newspapers in interviews published Thursday. "So we must organize ourselves for the long-term" instead of relying on emergency security measures.
The bill would allow authorities to place people posing "a particularly serious threat" under house arrest. They would still be allowed to move within a specific area, so they could have a family and a job.
The draft law would also ease conditions for state authorities to conduct counterterror raids on condition they are authorized and supervised by a judge.
Authorities could decide to close places of worship for up to six months if comments deemed to incite terrorism are made from those places. The bill also includes measures to ensure better security at big sports and cultural events.
"This is not a permanent state of emergency," Interior Minister Gerard Collomb, who is in charge of the bill, said on Europe 1 radio. "Every time we try to take precautions so that individual freedoms are respected."
Some human rights organizations had called on the government to drop the bill because of concerns over civil liberties.
New tensions, meanwhile, arose Thursday with Macron's office on media access.
Press photographers covering the Cabinet meeting refused to take pictures of the ministers entering the Elysee presidential palace, one day after a government reshuffling, to protest restrictions on their access to the new government's official photo.
They were finally allowed to go to the site but no video camera was authorized.
The Elysee press office says it doesn't want any picture of the backstage to be made.
At the end of the Cabinet meeting, writers were banned from the Elysee courtyard — only video journalists and photographers were allowed. Government spokesman Christophe Castaner said "that's only this week, we wanted to make images."
He suggested the press would be allowed to attend the end of future Cabinet meetings and question ministers in the Elysee courtyard starting next week.
After the first Cabinet meeting following Macron's election last month, more than 20 French media organizations signed an open letter to the French president to express their concerns about restrictions on coverage.


Clic here to read the story from its source.