Category: 2. World

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

READ MORE

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Frank Caprio, a retired municipal judge in Rhode Island who found online fame as a caring jurist and host of “ Caught in Providence,” has died. He was 88.

His official social media accounts said Wednesday that he “passed away peacefully” after “a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.”

Caprio billed his courtroom as a place “where people and cases are met with kindness and compassion.” He was known for dismissing tickets or showing kindness even when he handed out justice.

Last week, Caprio posted a short video on Facebook about how he had “a setback,” was back in the hospital and was asking that people “remember me in your prayers.”

Caprio’s show was filmed in his courtroom and featured his folksy humor and compassion. Clips from the show have had more than 1 billion views on social media.

During his time on the bench, Caprio developed a persona at odds with many TV judges — more sympathetic and less confrontational and judgmental.

In his bite-sized segments on YouTube, Caprio is often seen empathizing with those in his courtroom. Many of the infractions are also relatively minor, from failing to use a turn signal to a citation for a loud party.

Caprio also used his fame to address issues like unequal access to the judicial system.

“The phrase, ‘With liberty and justice for all’ represents the idea that justice should be accessible to everyone. However it is not,” Caprio said in one video. “Almost 90% of low-income Americans are forced to battle civil issues like health care, unjust evictions, veterans benefits and, yes, even traffic violations, alone.”

Caprio’s upbeat take on the job of a judge drew him millions of views. His most popular videos have been those where he calls children to the bench to help pass judgment on their parents. One shows him listening sympathetically to a woman whose son was killed and then dismissing her tickets and fines of $400.

In another clip, after dismissing a red-light violation for a bartender who was making $3.84 per hour, Caprio urged those watching the video not to duck out on their bills.

“If anyone’s watching I want them to know you better not eat and run because you’re going to get caught and the poor people who are working hard all day for three bucks an hour are going to have to pay your bill,” he said.

His fame reached as far as China, where clips of his show have been uploaded to social media in recent years. Some fans there posted about his death, recalling and praising the humanity he showed in his rulings.

His family described Caprio “as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend.”

“Beloved for his compassion, humility, and unwavering belief in the goodness of people, Judge Caprio touched the lives of millions through his work in the courtroom and beyond,” the family wrote online. “His warmth, humor, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him.”

State and local politicians mourned his passing and celebrated his life.

“Judge Caprio not only served the public well, but he connected with them in a meaningful way, and people could not help but respond to his warmth and compassion,” Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee said in a statement. “He was more than a jurist — he was a symbol of empathy on the bench, showing us what is possible when justice is tempered with humanity.”

Robert Leonard, who co-owned a restaurant with Caprio, said he was “going to be sorely missed” and was “all around wonderful.”

“There is nothing he wouldn’t do for you if he could do it,” Leonard said.

Caprio retired from Providence Municipal Court in 2023 after nearly four decades on the bench.

According to his biography, Caprio came from humble beginnings, the second of three boys growing up in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence, Rhode Island.

“I hope that people will take away that the institutions of government can function very well by exercising kindness, fairness, and compassion in their deliberations. We live in a very contentious society,” he said in 2017. “I would hope that people will see that we can dispense justice without being oppressive.”

___

LeBlanc, an Associated Press journalist who retired in January, was the primary writer of this obituary. Associated Press writers Michael Casey in Boston, Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu and Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed.

US celebrity judge and social media star Frank Caprio has died aged 88, his family has said.

His death following a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer was announced on his official Instagram account, where he was remembered for his “warmth” and “unwavering belief in the goodness of people”.

David Caprio, his son, thanked fans for their love and support and urged people to “spread a little kindness” in his father’s memory.

Beloved for his compassion and humour in the courtroom, videos of Judge Caprio presiding over cases on his hit show Caught in Providence have had billions of views on social media, earning him the title the “nicest judge in the world”.

In an the Instagram statement to his 3.4 million followers, Judge Caprio was remembered for the “countless acts of kindness he inspired”.

“His warmth, humour, and kindness left an indelible mark on all who knew him,” the statement said.

Judge Caprio had presided over thousands of cases in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island before embarking on a TV career.

The company behind Caught in Providence, Debmar-Mercury, paid tribute to Judge Caprio’s “unique brand of compassion and common sense approach”.

“We will miss him dearly,” co-presidents Mort Marcus and Ira Bernstein said in a statement.

During its run, Caught in Providence was nominated for three Daytime Emmys, with Judge Caprio earning two of his own nominations last year.

His signature courtroom style produced viral clips ranging from him inviting children to sit with him behind the bench during cases, to announcing a “mini-judge” plushie of himself.

A TikTok video showcasing his morning routine – brushing his teeth, signing his book and watching videos of his own show – has had more than 5m views.

In an 2019 interview, Judge Caprio said his courtroom proceedings “show a slice of life of Rhode Island that is very interesting, and it reflects the same issues people are experiencing nationwide”.

After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2023, Judge Caprio said he was “fully prepared to fight as hard I can” and thanked followers for their support.

In one of his last social media posts, Judge Caprio announced he was back in hospital after suffering a “setback” in his treatment and asked his followers for their prayers.

Judge Caprio is survived by his wife, Joyce Caprio, of almost 60 years, their five children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Back in January, India’s richest man and his wife were in Washington, attending a pre-inauguration dinner thrown for Donald Trump. In a photograph of the event shared by Reliance Industries Ltd., all three beam for the camera.

Seven months on, the US President is locked in a bitter trade skirmish with India, and Reliance boss Mukesh Ambani is caught in the crossfire.

NEW DELHI: India’s state-run refiners Indian Oil and Bharat Petroleum have bought Russian oil for September and October delivery, resuming purchases after discounts widened, two company officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

The resumption in Russian oil imports by Indian state refiners could reduce supplies for top buyer China which had stepped up purchases during their absence.

The refiners halted purchases in July due to narrower discounts and after India was criticised by Washington for its purchases of Russian oil. President Donald Trump also threatened an additional 25% levy on Indian goods, effective August 27, to penalize New Delhi for its continued buying of the oil.

Discounts for Russian flagship Urals crude have widened to about $3 per barrel, making the oil attractive for Indian refiners, while China has stepped up purchases, the officials said.

In addition to Urals, IOC has also bought other Russian crude oil grades including Varandey and Siberian Light, they said.

Indian companies do not comment on their crude imports.

On Monday, IOC, the country’s top refiner, told analysts that it would continue to buy Russian oil depending on economics.

In recent weeks, Chinese refineries bought 15 cargoes of Russian oil for October and November delivery, according to two analysts and one trader.

On the other hand, Russia also expects to continue supplying oil to India despite warnings from the United States, Russian embassy officials in New Delhi said on Wednesday, adding that Moscow hopes trilateral talks will soon take place with India and China.

“I want to highlight that despite the political situation, we can predict the same level of oil import (by India),” Roman Babushkin, the charge d’affaires at the Russian embassy in India, told a press briefing.

He predicted India and Russia would find ways to overcome Trump’s latest tariffs in their “national interests”.

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said separately that Russia saw scope for supplies of liquefied natural gas to India.

“We continue to ship fuel, including crude oil and oil products, thermal and coking coal. We see potential for the export of Russian LNG,” Manturov was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

He also said, according to the RIA news agency, that Russia was counting on expanding nuclear energy cooperation with India.

Trade talks between India and the U.S. broke down over the opening up of India’s vast farm and dairy sectors, as well as its purchases of Russian oil. The total tariff announced on Indian goods entering the U.S. is 50%.

The Indian foreign ministry did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.

It has previously said the U.S. decision to single out India for Russian purchases was “extremely unfortunate”.

Russia’s Deputy Trade Commissioner Evgeny Griva on Wednesday said buying oil from Russia is “very profitable” for India, which will not want to change its supplier.

On average Russia gives a 5%-7% discount to Indian buyers, he said, adding that Russia has a “very, very special mechanism” to continue oil supplies to India.

In addition, he said Russia had started accepting Indian rupee payments for its goods after the resolution of issues that had trapped billions of dollars worth of funds in Indian banks.

As tensions between Washington and New Delhi rise, high-profile visits from New Delhi and Beijing in recent weeks have raised hopes on the part of the Asian neighbours that ties damaged by a 2020 border clash can be repaired.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to visit China for the first time in over seven years later this month.

The planned visit was reported by Reuters last week, even as other high profile exchanges, including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s two-day visit to New Delhi, concluded.

At the same time, Russia is trying to revive long-standing plans for a trilateral meeting with India and China to help them forge a “greater Eurasian partnership”.

“As far as the trilateral is concerned, we are quite hopeful that this format will be resumed sooner rather than later because its importance is not questioned,” Babushkin said.

“This is closely linked to the Russian initiative of the establishment of the greater Eurasian partnership,” Babushkin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet Modi in New Delhi by the end of year, he said. Putin, Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are also expected to all attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation starting August 31.

As the longest-serving Israeli prime minister (17 years), Benjamin Netanyahu is famous for his political wizardry and survival skills. But he is also a highly controversial figure with questionable moral standards and legacy.

His latest term in office, beginning in late 2022, has been particularly challenging, thanks to the far-right radical elements of his governing coalition and the unprecedented national disaster Israel experienced at the hands of Hamas on October 7 2023.

Yet, Netanyahu has managed to neutralise almost all immediate domestic threats to his power. At times, he has done this by manoeuvring rivals and partners into postponing moves that could topple his government. Other times, he has reshuffled his Likud Party ranks or realigned with bitter foes.

Netanyahu is also facing increased criticism from the Israeli public, with hundreds of thousands of people taking part in marches in support of a hostage deal, as well as from former senior politicians and ex-security officials.

And he has clashed with Eyal Zamir, the Israel Defence Force’s (IDF) chief of staff, who argued against the plan to expand the war into Gaza City. Zamir received clear messages to fold or resign, and chose to stay.

Yet, Netanyahu chooses to ignore all of this noise, sending his entourage and loyalists to attack anyone with dissenting views. This week’s spray at Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is just one example.

As a long term political survivor, he does all of this with an eye on the next Israeli elections, due at the end of 2026.

Propping up his far-right coalition

Over the past two and a half years, Israel has faced unprecedented crises that have left society deeply divided.

Under Netanyahu’s leadership, the government introduced a highly controversial judicial reform plan in early 2023, clashing with the Supreme Court and attorney general. This resulted in mass street protests against it.

Then came the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, which triggered an ongoing multi-front war with severe long-term social, economic and humanitarian consequences.

Netanyahu has claimed credit for successes during this time, such as the 12-day war against Iran in June, while deflecting responsibility for any failures.

Though stretched in many directions, Netanyahu is at his best in such conditions, pitting the conflicting sides around him against each other and playing them.

His coalition relies on hard-right partners, especially National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Despite the massive protests to agree to a hostage deal and international demands to end the war, Netanyahu has chosen to prioritise ensuring the stability of his coalition.

He has acceded to Ben Gvir and Smotrich’s demands to reject ceasefire agreements with Hamas, and instead ordered increased military action against the terrorist group to try to achieve what he has called a “total victory”.

Netanyahu has also indulged Ben Gvir and Smotrich’s talk of resettling Gaza and has enabled their moves to gradually expand Israeli settlements deeper into the West Bank and block any geographically feasible Palestinian state.

Proving Henry Kissinger’s famous observation that “Israel has no foreign policy, only domestic politics,” Netanyahu has also angrily rebuked the wave of Western countries recognising, or preparing to recognise, a Palestinian state.

His defiant letters to French President Emmanuel Macron and social media outbursts about Albanese are aimed less at diplomacy and more at cultivating his image as “a strong leader for Israel” among his base.

Supported by the Trump administration’s sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), Netanayhu has also felt confident attacking it for issuing warrants against him.

Neutralising challenges from ultra-religious parties

The government’s biggest domestic challenge has been passing a draft law addressing the decades-long exemption of tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) men from army service.

Following a Supreme Court ruling that the previous exemptions could not continue, religious parties in Netanyahu’s coalition demanded a bill to formally exempt the men from army service or they would bring down the government.

In response, Netanyahu enticed old rival Gideon Sa’ar from the opposition into joining his government, shoring up the coalition’s previously tiny majority.

Since then, he has bought time through broken promises, successfully persuading the ultra-Orthodox parties to wait until parliament’s return in October of this year. Meanwhile, he replaced Yuli Edelstein, the committee chair who had sought a strong bill with personal sanctions for draft evaders, with a more pliant loyalist, Boaz Bismuth.

Eyes on re-election

Now Netanyahu has his eye on the next general elections, officially set for late 2026 — though he would prefer they take place before the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks.

For two years, polls have consistently predicted his defeat. As such, he is working to reshape his image. He wants Israelis to forget his central role in the October 7 catastrophe, as well as the questions surrounding the war’s management.

He also hopes to continue diverting attention from his ongoing trial on bribery and breach of trust charges.

But Netanyahu faces a dramatic dilemma over the war. On the one hand, he may decide to sign a ceasefire deal with Hamas and secure the release of the hostages. This would win the cheers of most Israelis, but risk the loss of his government, given the far-right ministers’ threats to dissolve the coalition if he accepts any deal without fully conquering the strip.

On the other hand, he could proceed with the military operation in Gaza City, which may well result in the killing of the remaining hostages – either by Hamas or as a consequence of IDF attacks.

A third option would be to continue negotiations while escalating preparations for the attack, in the hope of achieving a better deal. We will soon know what direction he will take – and what it will mean for his political future.

India has successfully test-fired an indigenously developed intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead deep into the territory of its geopolitical rival, China, just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for his first visit there in years.

The Agni-5 was launched in India’s eastern Odisha state and “validated all operational and technical parameters,” the country’s defense ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The missile has a range of more than 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles), according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies Missile Defense Project. That puts India’s rivals like China and Pakistan well within range of the weapon.

India and China are locked in a fierce battle for influence across the Asia-Pacific. Both have navigated a frosty relationship after deadly clashes at their shared Himalayan border in 2020 pushed the two further apart than at any time in decades.

India is playing catch-up as the People’s Liberation Army expands its arsenal and tensions continue to simmer along their disputed border. A report published in June by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimates that China now has around 600 nuclear warheads, while India has 180.

The Agni-5 test comes on the heels of a visit to New Delhi by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, a trip that set the stage for Modi’s own late-August visit to China for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) a security grouping that includes Russia and Pakistan.

Ties have shown signs of warming since Modi met Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia last October.

India and China have agreed to resume direct commercial flights cancelled in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic, Beijing recently agreed to reopen two pilgrimage sites in western Tibet to Indians for the first time in five years, and both started re-issuing tourist visas for each other’s citizens.

“Stable, predictable, constructive ties between India and China will contribute significantly to regional as well as global peace and prosperity,” Modi said in a statement Tuesday after his meeting with Wang. He also acknowledged his impending trip for the SCO summit in Tianjin.

India’s relationship with the US, meanwhile, has been strained after President Donald Trump threatened New Delhi with 50% tariffs as punishment for its purchases of Russian oil.

Washington, which has been courting India as a strategic counterweight to China, is inadvertently pushing the two Asian giants closer together with its economic policies, analysts say.

The Agni-5 missile is also part of India’s defense strategy against nuclear-armed rival Pakistan.

The two neighbors engaged in a brief but deadly conflict earlier this year – their worst in decades – with both sides striking deep into the other’s territory. The conflict sparked an international diplomatic scramble to stop hostilities between two nuclear armed powers escalating further.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also expected to be in Tianjin for the SCO meeting. China and Pakistan have deepened ties in recent decades, with Islamabad participating in Xi’s signature infrastructure project, the Belt and Road initiative.

China is also a major supplier of weapons to Pakistan, providing the nation with 81% of its imported weapons, according to data from SIPRI.

PodcastPodcast, The Take

Israel pushes into Gaza City as Hamas accepts a ceasefire. What does this reveal about Israel’s broader Gaza plan?

Israel’s ground push into Gaza City comes as Hamas accepts a ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar. Palestinians are being forced south in the Gaza Strip, where tent camps are rising and aid remains scarce. What does this move reveal about Israel’s broader plan?

In this episode: 

• Jeremy Scahill (@jeremyscahill), investigative journalist and cofounder, Drop Site News

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker, Sonia Bhagat and Marcos Bartolome, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Farhan Rafid, and guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Kylene Kiang, Amy Walters and Sari el-Khalili. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is the Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.