One Week Before The Olympics

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Correio Braziliense, July 29th

Friday's edition of the Correio Braziliense daily features images of final preparations for the Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, which are now just one week away.

As the Games near, concerns about security and logistics are rising. The country is still reeling from a series of political and economic crises, and Brazilians remain unsure about the country's overall readiness to handle security for an event on the scale of the Games.

Several series of actions aimed at neutralizing suspected terrorists and reassuring the public that Rio's streets will be safe have taken place in the last few weeks. Correio Braziliense, the leading daily in the capital of Brasilia, featured photos of locals simulating rescue procedures in case of terrorist attacks.

Moreover, the waters of Rio's bay remain so polluted they could pose a health risk to competitors. Health experts say Rio's waters are much more contaminated than previously thought. Already, some athletes who are there to prepare for the Games and other competitions have been suffering from gastrointestinal illness, including members of the Spanish and Austrian sailing teams.

CORREIO BRAZILIENSE

Correio Braziliense is a daily newspaper from Brazil that was created in 1960 and is headquartered in BrasÃlia.

CORREIO BRAZILIENSE

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FOCUS: Israel-Palestine War

ceasefire

Why Netanyahu Has Little Choice But To Extend The Ceasefire

The Israeli government has declared it is opposed to any ceasefire with Hamas. But one of its key objectives — and the top priority for Israelis — is to recover hostages. And only the ceasefire can achieve that...

photo of people marching with the sign Bring Them Home Now

A march in London in support of bringing home to Israel the hostages held in Gaza.

Vuk Valcic/ZUMA

Pierre Haski

-Analysis-

PARIS — Monday marks the fourth and final day of the ceasefire agreed upon between Israel and Hamas. Does that mean the war resumes Tuesday in Gaza? Probably not, and here is why...

During the first three days of the ceasefire, 40 Israeli hostages, mostly women and children, were returned to the Jewish state. According to the terms of the agreement, three times as many Palestinian prisoners were released. Additionally, 35 Thai nationals and one Filipino, also kidnapped on Oct. 7, were released separately, as part of a negotiation that went through Iran. And one Russian citizen, according to Hamas, "in response to the efforts of Russian President [Vladimir] Putin and in appreciation of the Russian position in support of the Palestinian cause."

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A fourth exchange is scheduled for Monday. Meanwhile, over these same past three days, hundreds of aid trucks have been able to enter Gaza, where humanitarian conditions are catastrophic.

What will happen Tuesday, considering that Hamas still holds more than 180 hostages? All communication channels have been hard at work for the past 24 hours, to extend this ceasefire and facilitate the release of more hostages and prisoners.

Qatar has been leading the negotiation efforts. An envoy from Doha arrived in Israel on a special flight on Saturday — something worth noting, given that the two countries have no diplomatic relations. The United States is also very active, with President Joe Biden personally intervening on Saturday, when the agreement showed signs of impending collapse.