France thwarts ‘imminent’ terror attack

French counterterrorism officers arrested two suspects planning an “imminent attack” just days before voting in the country’s presidential election begins. The two men, born in 1987 and 1993, are described as suspected Islamic radicals. They had the same type of guns and explosives used in previous terror attacks in France and Belgium, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. Investigators have not said what the intended target might have been or whether it had any connection to the election. But the arrests could have a potential effect at the polls, with far-right candidate Marine Le Pen using the news to bolster calls for tighter security and a crackdown on immigrants. She has pledged to draft an army of reservists to close the country’s borders if she’s elected. Centrist Emmanuel Macron urged the country to come together and called for increased intelligence efforts to track potential terrorists. Le Pen and Macron are two of the four candidates mostly likely to advance to the May 7 runoff between the top two finishers in Sunday’s first round of voting.