[JURIST] French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy [official profile; BBC profile] presented the country's anti-terrorism bill to the Cabinet Wednesday, rejecting claims that the provisions of the bill would infringe on civil rights and create a police state. The bill, proposed in response to the London bombings [JURIST news archive], is intended to fill gaps in France's earlier anti-terror laws by making flight passenger lists and identification information accessible to counterterrorism officials, placing cameras in train stations, subways and airports, and increasing the prison sentences for "criminal association with a terrorist enterprise" from 20 to 30 years. The bill will also require telephone operators to keep extensive records and allow greater government access to e-communications [JURIST report]. In the private sector, it will allow increased surveillance by facilities and individuals that could be targets of terrorism and will require internet cafes to retain detailed information about their clientele. The government intends to have the bill pass through parliament by the end of the year. AP has more. From Paris, Le Monde has local coverage and an overview of the proposed legislation (in French).