France's parliament is debating a three-month extension of a state of emergency President Francois Holland declared after Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris. Prime Minister Manuel Valls, arguing for the extension, raised the specter of chemical and biological weapons. "We must not rule anything out," he told parliament. "I say it with all the precautions needed. But we know and bear in mind that there is also a risk of chemical or bacteriological weapons.... The macabre imagination of the masterminds is limitless."
The state of emergency gives France's government special powers to stop and search people, place suspected extremists under house arrest, and prohibit large gatherings in public spaces. The National Assembly, or lower house, passed the three-month extension on Thursday, and the Senate is scheduled to vote on Friday. If passed, the extension begins Nov. 26.
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