Three held in France for planning attacks

Seven people with links to terrorist networks, at least three of whom were planning attacks, have been arrested in France this month, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said yesterday.

Cazeneuve said at a press conference that French police had arrested as many people for terror links in the first half of 2016 as for the whole of last year. He gave no details of the latest arrests, however.

France has cancelled several major cultural and sporting events after a series of attacks on security grounds.

Officials yesterday said Islamist attacks, strikes and floods kept foreign tourists away from the French capital in the first half of the year and cost the Paris region tourism industry some 750 million euros ($849.38 million) in lost revenue.

Germany urges its citizens to stockpile food

Meanwhile, German government is planning to tell citizens to stockpile food and water in their homes in case of a terror attack or catastrophe.

The "Concept for Civil Defence," which has not been released, will require the population to stockpile enough food for ten days, according to Frankfurter Allgemmeine Sonntagszeitung (FAZ) newspaper.

Germany is currently on high alert after two Islamist attacks and a shooting rampage in Munich by a mentally unstable teenager in July. Germany's Defence Minister said earlier this month the country was in the "crosshairs of terrorism" and called for the military to train closer with police in preparation for potential large-scale militant attacks.