French civil unrest has burnt itself out Paris - Urban violence in France has fallen to normal levels after three weeks of rioting in run-down suburbs, allowing the government to begin mapping out plans to tackle the problems that sparked the unrest. A total of 98 vehicles were set ablaze overnight on Wednesday, a sharp drop from the peak of the violence when 1 400 vehicles were torched in one night by youths who say they are excluded from mainstream French society. "The situation has returned to normal because about 100 vehicles are set on fire each night in France," a police spokesperson said. France's worst civil unrest in almost 40 years has receded since the government adopted emergency measures last week, although few areas have used the special powers, which include house-to-house searches and curfews. About 9 000 vehicles have been set on fire and 3 000 people detained during the unrest. President Jacques Chirac has been criticised for saying little during the crisis, which began on October 27 after the accidental deaths of two youths who were electrocuted as they hid in a power substation while apparently fleeing the police. But he raised his profile on Monday by addressing the "poison" of discrimination in a nationwide television address and announcing plans to create a voluntary task force to train youngsters and break down their sense of exclusion. And Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has announced he would restore €100-million (about R780-million) in axed credits to local associations, outlined new plans to create jobs and said he would lower to 14 the age for apprenticeships.- Reuters This article was originally published on page 4 of The Star on November 18, 2005 Published on the Web by IOL on 2005-11-18 08:47:00 © Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on the information it contains.