France's parliament has voted to extend the state of emergency until 15 July, after next year's presidential and parliamentary elections, reports RFI.
The vote to extend the special anti-terror move, introduced after the November 2015 Paris attacks, was obligatory because of the change of prime minister following Bernard Cazeneuve's appointment to replace Manuel Valls, who has resigned to seek nomination as Socialist Party presidential candidate.
The security measures, in force since attacks in Paris that killed 130 people in November 2015, were expected to be approved by the Senate on Thursday.
It is the fifth extension of the state of emergency, which gives police extended powers of search and arrest.
The overnight vote in the National Assembly passed by 288 to 32, with only Left Front lawmakers, some ecologists and a handful of centre-right Republicans voting against.