US President George W Bush is considered to have suffered a political setback after the US Senate gave final approval to only a five-week extension of the controversial USA Patriot Act which expires in a week's time.
The Bush Administration had been looking for a permanent extension of the counter-terrorism law which allows for extensive phone tapping amongst other measures.
The Senate decision came after the US House of Representatives scaled back a six-month extension initially passed by the upper house on Wednesday night.
The full and official title of the act is 'Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001'.
It was initially passed after the 11 September attacks in 2001.
