In France, President Jacques Chirac admitted last night that the recent youth uprising revealed a “profound malaise” in French society. Chirac vowed to fight the poison of racial discrimination. France has been rocked by 18 nights of rioting and civil disturbances led by young people of Arab and North African descent. Chirac also confirmed that his government would seek to extend the right to invoke emergency laws until mid-February. Under the emergency laws, local governments are allowed to impose curfews and ban public meetings and gatherings. The laws were first put in place 50 years ago to quell the independence movement in Algeria.