France to extend state of emergency to cover Euro 2016 football tournament

[PARIS] France plans to extend the state of emergency put in place after the November 2015 militant Islamist attacks on Paris for a further two months to ensure security at the Euro 2016 soccer tournament, Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Wednesday.

"Faced with an event this big... which must take place in conditions of security and which at the same time should be a celebration.... we have to ensure security," he said on France Info radio. "The state of emergency cannot be permanent but on the occasion of these big events... we have decided to prolong."

The current state of emergency giving extra powers to police and security forces runs until May 26. The month-long Euro 2016 soccer tournament hosted by France starts on June 10.

REUTERS