[JURIST] France's National Assembly [official website], the lower house of parliament, on Tuesday voted to extend emergency powers [legislative materials] originally granted for 12 days on November 8 [JURIST report] to combat the civil unrest that started in late October. The extension of emergency powers, approved by the French cabinet Monday [JURIST report] will go to the Senate for a vote on Wednesday; if approved, the measures would take effect on midnight November 21. The state of emergency [PDF decree], which would be extended for three months but could be lifted sooner, allows regional officials to impose curfews and permits police searches without warrants and has been opposed by French immigrants and human rights groups [JURIST report]. Although the violence erupted when two immigrant teens were electrocuted while fleeing from police, commentators have suggested that the tension in the ghettos is related to larger racial and religious issues in France, including last year's banning of religious dress in schools [JURIST report]. AP has more. Le Monde has local coverage, in French.