French press review 5 August 2016

Prime Minister Manuel Valls defends the government's anti-terrorism measures in a letter published today while the Rio Olympics opens under a cloud of political instability in Brazil.

Firstly to left wing Libération which carries a letter from the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on its front page vowing that the government would "do all it can to counter terrorism".

Vall's missive is a reply to an open letter published in the paper on Thursday by the writer Edouard Louis and philosopher Geoffrey de Lagasnerie who called on the government to address the social roots of violence.

"Two left-wing intellectuals writing in a leftist newspaper, deserve a clear answer", prods the Prime Minister. Firstly, he adds, because by denying that all is being done to fight terrorism, the authors have fuelled fears in the French public - as well as doubt and scepticism.

PM accuses critics of "blindness" on terrorist menace

Secondly he says they have cast doubt on the collective response to the terrorist challenge - that taken by security forces, the military, schools, hospitals and town halls - and by doing so he concludes they have shown a blindness to the problem. "A blindness as to the government action". And a blindness about what he calls the "deep roots of the menace".

Everything, he said, is being done to track down terrorists, prevent further attacks, and adapt what he calls the "legal arsenal" to the evolving threat.

French air forces, he adds, have hit at Daesh strongholds in Iraq and Syria, while in France, the government is responding with boosted security force staff and resources, with two anti-terrorism laws, two laws on national security intelligence, a law on criminal proceedings and thorough reform of the state emergency system.

Depressed political mood looms over Olympics

"The Olympics open in a depressed Brazil" is the headline of Le Monde. Few heads of state confirmed their attendance at the opening, having been "stung" by the context of political instability in Brazil claims the paper - adding the general unease could "invade the Maracana" sporting stadium.

But for the acting president Michel Temer - in power since the removal from office of left wing President, Dilma Roussef, against whom proceedings of impeachment began on May 12 - "Temer fears neither ostracism nor boos" from the crowds judges Le Monde.

Considered illegitimate by supporters of the left wing Workers' Party - and accused by a section of the population of plotting an institutional coup to seize power, the unpopular Michel Temer says he is "convinced" that the Olympics will enable Brazil to reconcile.

Shame on Australia over immigrants

In another report, Le Monde declares "Amnesty considers Australia cruel to an extreme" when it comes to asylum seekers. According to the paper, two officials from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch managed to spend twelve days on the island of Nauru in July. The South Pacific Ocean island has an area of just 21 square km. It is one of the smallest states in the world and home to Australia's immigration detention and offshore asylum processing centre.

"It's also one of the most secret," islands says Le Monde - a visa is rarely granted to journalists and costs the equivalent of 7200 euros.

Only two members of the media have managed to visit since January 2014 - while Amnesty has had six failed visa requests.

Representatives of two human rights organisations thus decided to enter the island incognito without revealing their function, reports Le Monde.

In a report based on the visit, the Research Director of Amnesty International, Anna Neistat, denounced Australia's policy for asylum seekers saying "Few countries went so far to deliberately inflict suffering on people seeking safety and peace". The message has been spread on Twitter, with a video of a refugee showing the deplorable living conditions in his room.

Melanie Trump quizzed over work record

And finally right wing Le Figaro reports that Melania Trump has denied claims that she worked illegally in the United States.

Grilled over the past few days by some media, the wife of Republican candidate Donald Trump bit back saying she has always complied with US immigration laws.