French gov’t OKs new lone wolf legislation

PARIS

The French government has given its approval to new measures against terrorism following deadly shootings by an alleged Islamic extremist in southern France last month.

President Nicolas Sarkozy’s Cabinet yesterday authorized a bill to make it illegal to travel abroad to terrorist indoctrination and training camps, or regularly visit Web sites that incite or praise terrorism. Parliament will now take up the matter. Justice Minister Michel Mercier said the moves aim to prevent “lone wolf” terrorism. Alleged gunman Mohammed Merah killed three soldiers and four Jews in a killing spree in southern France last month. Critics say France’s legal arsenal against terrorism is strong enough and accuse Sarkozy of playing politics ahead of the looming presidential election.

Sarkozy still losing in the second round: poll

French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s narrow lead over challenger François Hollande is steady or shrinking for the April 22 first round and he is still trailing in the May 6 runoff, the latest opinion polls showed.
Sarkozy saw his lead for the first ballot slip to half a percentage point from 2 points a week ago in a poll by Ipsos Logica, with 29 percent support to Hollande’s 28.5 percent. The same poll showed Hollande retaining a 10-point lead in voting intentions for the May 6 runoff with 55 percent to Sarkozy’s 45 percent, unchanged from a week earlier. All three polls indicated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen had strengthened her position in third place, ahead of hard left candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon in fourth.