CAIRO (AP) — The Israeli military is quietly but quickly building a giant earthen barrier separating the over 50% of the Gaza Strip it controls from the rest of the territory, according to satellite imagery, further entrenching the division of the tiny Palestinian enclave.

More than 23 kilometers (14 miles) have been constructed in recent months, running through Palestinian communities demolished by the military. That is equivalent to more than half the length of the coastal strip, which is some 40 kilometers (25 miles) long and 11 kilometers (7 miles) wide, and home to over 2 million Palestinians.

When presented with the satellite images, Israel’s military confirmed to The Associated Press it has built a physical barrier in the area of the so-called yellow line, the boundary to which Israeli troops withdrew under the October ceasefire deal with Hamas. The line was envisioned in the U.S.-backed agreement as a temporary division of the territory pending a fuller Israeli withdrawal.

But as the truce stagnates, it appears Israel is digging in, heightening Palestinian fears that the line is morphing into a border. Neither U.S. Central Command, which is tasked with monitoring the ceasefire, nor the Board of Peace, the body led by U.S. President Donald Trump meant to eventually oversee Gaza, would comment on the barrier.

Along with the barrier, the military told AP it has developed a “security zone” around the line, equipped with intelligence and technological assets. It declined to give details on the route of the barrier when asked how far it would be extended. It said the barrier aimed to prevent infiltration and protect Israeli troops and Israeli communities near Gaza.

Since the ceasefire deal took hold, Palestinians in Gaza have feared Israel would not return the area of Gaza it controls. But few appear to be aware of the berms now being built around them — because of the danger of even approaching that area.

A portion of the berm network in southern Gaza was extended by more than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) in two weeks this month, according to the satellite images provided by Planet Labs PBC.

The berm was about 500 meters (0.3 miles) long on July 1. By July 15, it was about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles), splicing the Israel-controlled ruins of the city of Rafah from Muwasi, site of some of the largest Palestinian tent camps.

If construction continues in its current direction, it will join up with the longest stretch of the barrier, which runs nearly unbroken for around 17 kilometers (10 miles) from the southern city of Khan Younis to near Gaza City, in the north.

Construction began on that stretch in February, and it appears work to extend it further south is continuing, according to the satellite images. More than a kilometer (0.6 miles) was added between June 21 and July 7, running close to an Israeli military base built on the ruins of the town of Bani Suheila, near Khan Younis.

In the far north of Gaza, several unconnected stretches of berms run just outside the largely leveled town of Beit Lahia.

The height of the berms in each place remains unclear. In some places, the barriers appear to run outside the yellow line.

Gaza’s population has been crowded into the coastal area west of the yellow line, most living in squalid tent camps and dependent on aid.

On the other side of the line, satellite imagery shows that Israeli forces have leveled the vast majority of buildings using bulldozers and explosives, virtually erasing several towns and Rafah, once home to more than a quarter million people.

They have carved new road networks and erected new bases on the ruins of Palestinian towns. Agricultural land has also been destroyed. The Israeli military says it is demolishing infrastructure used by Hamas.

The yellow line was never precisely defined, whether in the ceasefire deal or by Israeli or U.S. officials, and it has been inconsistently marked on the ground. The military told AP it is working to clearly mark the route of the yellow line to “reduce friction and prevent harm to uninvolved individuals.”

Israeli forces have killed Palestinians who came close to the line or crossed it. The Israeli military says it fires on those believed to be militants threatening its troops. But those killed have included children and other civilians seemingly unaware of the line. Some soldiers have said they don’t always know who they are firing on and have orders to kill anyone crossing the boundary.

Israeli forces have killed more than 1,100 Palestinians since the ceasefire began, most in airstrikes and drone strikes around Gaza. The Israeli military says it is targeting militants. Militant attacks have killed five Israeli soldiers in the same period.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel is eventually supposed to withdraw its troops further to the very edges of Gaza, to be replaced by an international security force. But implementation of the deal has been stalled for months.

A former U.N. diplomat now in charge of coordinating the ceasefire has blamed Hamas’ failure to disarm. Sporadic talks to reach a formula for decommissioning its weapons appear to have made little progress, and Hamas accuses Israel in turn of violating the ceasefire.

The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage. Israel responded with a punishing military offensive that has killed more than 73,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The ministry, which was part of the recently dissolved Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.

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Frankel reported from Jerusalem.

BUTHA-BUTHE, Lesotho (AP) — One may not expect thousands to flock each winter to Lesotho but for many ski enthusiasts from across southern Africa, the small, landlocked mountain kingdom has become the go-to place in recent years.

Lesotho’s high elevation and mountainous terrain combine to make it the coldest country on the continent, with temperatures in the highlands typically plunging to minus 8 degrees Celsius (about 18 degrees Fahrenheit) between June and August.

The Afriski Mountain Resort, some 3,200 meters (10,499 feet) above sea level, nestled in the northern Maluti Mountains, is Lesotho’s single fully operational ski resort — and the only one in sub-Saharan Africa.

The majestic snow-covered landscape is ideal for skiing, and both seasoned and new visitors enjoy the slopes that are spread over 17 hectares (42 acres) surrounding the resort — about the size of 24 standard soccer pitches. The resort opened 25 years ago, a short bus or car ride from the nearest major town of Butha-Buthe, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) away.

Last year, tourism contributed about 7% to Lesotho’s annual GDP of some $2.6 billion. For its part, Afriski provides a chunk of needed cash in a country cited by the World Bank as one of the poorest in the world — and its artificial snow machines ensure it stays open throughout the Southern Hemisphere’s winter.

U.S. President Donald Trump may have joked in 2025 about Lesotho being a country that “nobody has ever heard of” but just a year earlier, the kingdom, bordered on all sides by South Africa and with a population of 2.3 million, celebrated 200 years of the founding of the Basotho nation and 58 years of independence from British rule.

Located in its entirety at and over 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level, Lesotho sees a lot of snow — and skiing is growing in popularity here from a rare sport previously mainly associated with North America and the European Alps.

Most people drive into Lesotho from neighboring South Africa but international visitors can also fly in to the airport in Maseru, the country’s capital.

Afriski’s CEO, Theo Ferreira, says almost 70% of the visitors come from South Africa; the rest are mostly from Lesotho or elsewhere in southern Africa. The resort now has 227 full-time and seasonal employees, nearly all Lesotho nationals, with about 30 South Africans, working mainly as skiing instructors, he said.

While the resort has rooms for 420 overnight guests, the nearby Butha-Buthe and Mohlokong towns can offer extra accommodations in peak season. The busiest day so far this year saw over 1,400 visitors while in 2025, the record was over 1,600 day visitors and those staying overnight or longer, Ferreira said.

Because unreliable weather patterns can make natural snow scarce, the resort relies on artificial snow to make skiing possible all winter long.

The resort has played role in helping ski tourism emerge as another attraction in southern Africa, known for its wildlife and scenic coastlines along the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

For many visitors, Afriski is where they had their first ski lessons, braving falls and dusting themselves off before having another try, and another — until making that first, full glide down without falling.

Janko Smits, a student from Cape Town, South Africa, describes it as “an amazing slope to learn on.”

“At the start it was a little discouraging because you fall, and you fall hard,” he said. “But the people here, they gave me one lesson and after an hour, honestly, I felt confident.”

“When you think of the African continent, you don’t think of snow. You think about … the sun and the Sahara (Desert),” said Thato Ramaphoko, a first-timer at the resort from Pretoria, South Africa’s capital. “But that you can actually go to all that and also come here and it also snows at the same time, it is just mind-blowing, so I just had to see it for myself.”

Visitors at Afriski can also sample a taste of Lesotho in the form of traditional sausage rolls and Maluti Lager, the country’s proudly home-brewed beer.

As for a souvenir to take home, try the colorful Basotho blanket, which comes in vibrant colors and patterns that also pop up in local garments and are creatively integrated into various skiing jackets and gear.

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For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s president will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday to wrap up a four-day visit to Washington, in a bid to bring about long-term calm in the war-torn country after months of war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

Joseph Aoun’s landmark meeting with Trump comes as Lebanon and Israel continue to hold rare direct talks mediated by Washington. Lebanon hopes they will result in Israeli troops withdrawing from large swaths of southern Lebanon that they currently occupy, and for the Lebanese military to receive support to assert full control in areas where Hezbollah militants had held sway.

Lebanon and Israel announced a “framework agreement” on June 26, setting a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon as well as the disarmament of Hezbollah, which for decades had a strong presence in the area. It also lays out steps toward an eventual peace agreement between both countries, which have never held formal diplomatic ties and have been nominally in a state of war for nearly 80 years after Israel’s establishment.

The U.S. State Department announced Monday that operations in three villages deemed part of a “pilot zone” had begun, without giving details on what that entailed. The three villages, Froun, Srifa and Zawtar al-Gharbieh, are not under Israeli military control. Neither Lebanon’s nor Israel’s militaries and political leadership immediately issued statements following the announcement.

Aoun met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday, who said Washington will continue to endorse the Lebanese agreement and support the agreement’s full implementation. Rubio described the meeting as “very positive” and warned that Lebanon will “never be fully at peace” as long as the Hezbollah issue is not resolved.

“How do you replace Hezbollah? You defeat and replace them with a government that is strong enough to be the sole force of arms in the country,” Rubio said after the meeting. Skeptics in Lebanon fear that a military confrontation with Hezbollah could lead to a civil war, as government officials have also urged for investment into the country’s battered infrastructure to empower the weakened state, which Rubio echoed.

“This is not just about military stuff,” he added. “This is about how can we attract more U.S. and international investment into Lebanon.”

The Lebanese military last week increased its presence in some of the areas expected to be included in the pilot zone, including the three villages, with troops patrolling and setting up checkpoints. Though recent talks in Rome have signaled that the agreement’s implementation will begin soon, Israeli troops have not withdrawn from the areas under control.

Israeli officials, meanwhile, have said they plan to keep forces long term in a “security zone” in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has dismissed the direct talks brokered by the United States and instead backed Washington’s talks with their key ally and patron Iran to end their war, which also includes ending the war in Lebanon as a condition to bring back calm.

Lebanon’s government came to power on a reformist platform in early 2025, vowing to disarm all non-state groups including Hezbollah. It blames Hezbollah for dragging the country into another war with Israel in March when the militant group fired several rockets toward northern Israel after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.

Beirut’s leadership, however, has been critical of Israel’s subsequent ground invasion and massive aerial campaign in the country, which killed over 4,000 people and displaced 1.2 million others. While grappling with stark political opposition from Hezbollah and allies within the deeply divided country, Lebanon’s leadership insists that Israeli withdrawal and international financial support for Lebanon’s cash-strapped army is crucial for a sustainable security solution.

LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) – Andy Burnham will set out his first measures as Britain’s new prime minister on Tuesday in an attempt to deliver on his promises to ease a cost-of-living crisis, improve lives and end a decade of political instability.

After appointing a top ministerial team which he hopes will be more agile than that of his predecessor Keir Starmer, Burnham wants to move quickly to show Britain politics can work and improve living standards after years of stagnation.

Alongside meeting his cabinet of ministers, he will also kick off a programme he believes can turn Britain around, hoping a bolder agenda can win back voters to the governing Labour Party and fight a challenge from the populist Reform UK.

“I can do something to give people some breathing space now, some help with the cost of living,” he said in a speech after becoming Britain’s seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday.

“And I will set out some of those measures starting tomorrow, including how we pay for them.”

There is a lot at stake.

Dubbed the ‘King of the North’ for his dogged defence of the northwestern English area of Greater Manchester when mayor, Burnham is the most popular leader of Britain’s main political parties and has overwhelming support in Labour.

But Britain’s revolving door of leaders over the past decade has underlined how quickly parties can move against leaders who are not seen as delivering for voters, and Burnham will have to move quickly to stamp his authority on the government.

He wants to hit the ground running. 

In his first speech as prime minister, Burnham said his first ambition was to end rough sleeping in Britain, but also that he wanted people to feel the change in government in their pockets quickly.

On Monday, he said he was finalising the details of those measures, which could include ways of capping bus fares – something Burnham did in Manchester – or possibly looking at ways to reduce energy costs.

He would not be drawn on details, but told reporters it would go some way to backing up his assertion that “I will put the care of people at the heart of everything I do”.

“It won’t solve everything, it won’t take all of the pressure off,” he told reporters. “But it just shows the direction of travel and … about helping them out.”

Markets will be listening keenly to how Burnham and his unexpected pick for finance minister, the former defence minister John Healey, plan to finance their plans, after borrowing costs rose on Monday, pushing 30-year gilt yields to a two-month high.

Some investors were unsettled by Burnham’s remarks that he planned to use “any flexibility” within existing fiscal rules.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; additional reporting by David Milliken; Editing by Kate Holton and Alexandra Hudson)

By Cassell Bryan-Low

FARNBOROUGH, England, July 21 (Reuters) – As Russia deploys growing numbers of faster jet-propelled versions of its Shahed attack drone, some defence companies are racing to develop a new generation of faster interceptors.

Among them is SkyFall, a major Ukrainian drone manufacturer, which unveiled a new high-speed interceptor on Monday at the UK’s Farnborough Airshow, one of the world’s largest airshows.

The drone, named the P1-SUN Jetkiller, is a faster version of the company’s existing interceptor that has been deployed in Ukraine since late last year. 

Drones are a key focus at this year’s air show, as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East expose the limits of traditional defence systems against mass-produced threats. European missile manufacturer MBDA is ‌launching an interceptor to counter attacks by large numbers of low-cost munitions such as drones, while Lockheed Martin (LMT.N) announced a lower-cost Patriot interceptor on Monday. 

Shaheds are the pioneering low-cost, long-range Iran-designed attack drones that have become the scourge of Ukraine, with Russia unleashing thousands of them on its enemy every month. Moscow has adapted the design of the Shahed, which it calls the Geran, to include new features, including jet-engines, which it is using to penetrate deeper into Ukraine, including Kyiv. 

The jet-powered Shaheds can travel at speeds of up to 500 kph (311 mph). That reduces the time Ukraine has to detect them and deploy countermeasures, and those speeds are much faster than most current interceptors can fly. 

SkyFall says its new high-speed interceptor can reach 370 kph, versus the original model’s speeds of up to 310 kph. A SkyFall spokesperson told Reuters that they started working on the new version about three months ago, that it has been tested on the battlefield and has downed more than a dozen jet-powered Shaheds. He added the company plans to start mass production in August. 

The regular P1-SUN has hit more than 5,500 Shaheds since its launch in November 2025, according to the spokesperson. The company says it has the capacity to produce 50,000 units a month. 

Reuters was not immediately able to independently verify the battlefield claims.

SHAHEDS INCREASINGLY POWERED BY JET ENGINES

Russia’s use of jet-powered Shaheds has increased sharply over recent months, specialists say. About 15-20% of the Shaheds sent by Russia are powered by jet engines, rather than the usual propeller ones, according to Yuriy Cherevashenko, a senior commander in Ukraine’s air force, as Reuters reported in April.

Another Ukrainian drone maker called General Cherry says it is also working on a faster version of its existing Bullet interceptor that is designed specifically to combat jet-powered Shaheds. 

Company spokesperson Marko Kushnir said the new version, which is in the final stages of development, can reach speeds of more than 400 kph, and the company is hoping to increase that to 500 kph. 

One key matter to be resolved is how it will be powered, said Kushnir, with the company still trying both electric and small turbo-jet engine propulsion. The aim is to conduct front-line testing at the start of August with a view to starting mass production in September. 

However, the main challenge is keeping costs down, Kushnir said, adding the aim was to keep the price point close to the existing Bullet, which costs about $2,000 or less. 

He said the existing Bullet had destroyed more than 1,000 regular Russian Shaheds since last November.

JET-POWERED INTERCEPTOR

Also looking to tackle high-speed Shaheds is a British-Ukrainian company called Firebolt Engineering that says it has developed a jet-powered interceptor. 

Firebolt’s jet-powered Griffen interceptor drone can currently reach speeds of up to 350 kph, said Chief Executive Mykola, who asked to be identified only by his first name for security reasons. It intercepted its first Russian Shahed in May, a non-jet propelled one, and the company is working to scale up production, Mykola said, speaking to Reuters by phone on Sunday.

Firebolt is currently working on a new engine with a British company called Dynamic Propulsion that they hope will increase speeds to up to about 400 kph. 

Dynamic Propulsion CEO Gus Gingel also said keeping costs down was a key issue. “It’s about the compromise on materials in order to be able to produce something that is disposable rather than expensive.” 

The price point for the jet-powered interceptor is under $10,000 for Ukraine, according to Tomasz Wozniak, a partner at Grenadyr, which invests in defence technology including Firebolt Engineering and Dynamic Propulsion. That is several times more expensive than existing non-jet powered interceptors.

(Cassell Bryan-Low; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

BEIJING, July 21 (Reuters) – Beijing said it summoned the Philippine ambassador to China on Tuesday over an encounter a day earlier between the two countries in the Second Thomas Shoal, according to a statement from its foreign ministry.

China and the Philippines traded accusations on Monday after an encounter between their vessels in contested South China Sea waters, with Manila saying one of its navy personnel was struck on the head and Beijing saying Manila provoked the incident.

“The Philippine side provoked the incident first, yet has turned around and made counter-accusations, distorted the facts and engaged in malicious hype,” the Chinese foreign ministry said.

The China Coast Guard (CCG) said on Monday two rubber boats sent by the Philippines’ grounded vessel BRP Sierra Madre rammed into a Chinese patrol boat in the South China Sea and the Philippine personnel initiated “malicious attacks” against Chinese law enforcement officers by using oars and long sticks.

China’s foreign ministry called the actions taken by the Philippines “egregious in nature.”

Manila previously accused Beijing of aggressively striking one of its navy staff on the head with a wooden baton during Monday’s encounter and said one navy rubber boat was damaged.

In a separate statement on Tuesday, the CCG said China permitted the Philippine side to transfer the injured personnel through small shuttle boats from the grounded Philippine warship “out of humanitarian consideration.”

“The CCG inquired and verified the Philippine boats, and monitored the whole process,” CCG spokesperson Jiang Lue said, adding China will continue to carry out “rights-protection and law-enforcement operations” in waters near the Second Thomas Shoal, the contested area.

The Philippines embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the CCG and Chinese foreign ministry statements.

The Philippine military on Tuesday called China’s claims “false and misleading”, saying its personnel did not initiate any confrontation.

(Reporting by Beijing Newsroom; Additional reporting by Karen Lema in Manila; Editing by Tom Hogue)

By Saurabh Sharma, Francis Mascarenhas and Aftab Ahmed

NEW DELHI, July 21 (Reuters) – India’s youth-led “cockroach” movement said on Tuesday it would continue its protest but will not march again, a day after scores of supporters were injured in clashes with police who tried to stop their march on parliament.

Delhi Police said nearly 180 people, including 118 security and police personnel, and 60 protesters, were injured on Monday when they clashed in central Delhi.

Thousands of protesters from Delhi and nearby cities and towns gathered to march on parliament on Monday, joining a movement that began as an online satire but has turned out to become the biggest challenge for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his third term. 

The months-old movement by the self-named Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has drawn the support of millions of young, Gen Z Indians who are demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over examination paper leaks that affected more than 2 million students in May. 

Seventy protesters had been detained and legal action would be initiated against them, police said in a statement late on Monday.

Early on Tuesday, about 150-200 protesters gathered at the protest site of Jantar Mantar in central Delhi, chanting slogans amid a mild drizzle. Security remained tight with paramilitary personnel patrolling parts of central Delhi and barricades slowing traffic.

“We had to call off the protest yesterday because we did not want more youth to be injured,” CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke told a press conference.

“We will not march again because the police will hurt the youth again,” he said, adding that more than 150 protesters were undergoing treatment in hospital.

Reuters could not independently verify that number.

(Reporting by Aftab Ahmed, Saurabh Sharma, Francis Mascarenhas, Sakshi Dayal and Hritam Mukherjee, writing by Tanvi Mehta and YP Rajesh; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

By Poppy McPherson

BANGKOK, July 21 (Reuters) – Scam gangs defrauded Asia-Pacific residents of at least $88 billion in 2025, a United Nations office said on Tuesday, with transnational crime groups rapidly evolving tactics to stay ahead of law enforcement.

Criminals in Southeast Asia, an epicentre for cyberfraud by mostly Chinese-origin syndicates, are outpacing crackdowns, diversifying revenue streams, exploiting corruption and harnessing artificial intelligence, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a new report.

The report estimated scam losses across East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand between $88.3 billion and $114.1 billion for 2025, a figure larger than the GDP of several of the nations in the region.

Networks that once operated within specific territories or illicit trades are increasingly expanding across multiple illegal markets while using shared services, said Delphine Schantz, UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

“Their operating model looks like corporate franchising: imagine specialized departments for laundering money, trafficking people, smuggling migrants, and harvesting data, all plugged into the same, service-based interconnected network,” she said.

Scam centres in Southeast Asia run illegal online schemes that defraud people worldwide, generating billions of dollars of annual revenue. Many facilities are staffed by trafficked foreign nationals, confined in oppressive environments.

People from at least 80 countries and territories have been identified in scam compounds across the region, with recruitment networks using transit hubs in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, according to UNODC.

AGENTIC AI

Scam operators are increasingly seeking recruits from outside Asia as they expand into new markets, UNODC said.

Recruitment advertisements linked to the industry’s communication channels have targeted people with German, Polish, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, French, Swedish, Norwegian and English language skills, it said.

Recent pressure from law enforcement in the region has displaced but not dismantled operations, UNODC said, with gangs relocating from countries like Myanmar and Laos to East Timor, Pacific Island states, and parts of Africa.

Syndicates engage in “jurisdiction shopping” to find places with weak governance and regulation, the report said, adding that corruption was the “primary enabler” of tech-driven organised crime in the region.

Beyond using generative AI to create content, criminal groups are expected to adopt agentic AI systems to more autonomously identify victims, conduct social-engineering campaigns and facilitate cryptocurrency theft and laundering, the report said.

The scam sector’s rapid growth has fuelled an ecosystem of ancillary criminal services, including money laundering, underground banking and data trading, it said.

“The scale and complexity of this expanding organised crime economy are outpacing existing responses, which were not structured to address such sophisticated criminal activity,” said Inshik Sim, a lead analyst at UNODC.

(Reporting by Poppy McPherson in Bangkok; Editing by Michael Perry)

BEIJING (AP) — China’s leading technology companies showcased hundreds of cutting-edge products at the World AI Conference in Shanghai — from advanced robotics to artificial intelligence systems.

The nation’s annual flagship AI event, which was held from July 17 to 20, took place against the backdrop of a heated U.S.-China tech rivalry. More than 1,100 companies participated.

Chinese companies have developed more than 400 humanoid robot products, more than half the world’s total, state media said. Open-source AI models from China are increasingly challenging leading American ones as they are more widely adopted globally.

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This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

SYDNEY, July 21 (Reuters) – New Zealand and the Philippines have formed a comprehensive partnership, New Zealand foreign minister Winston Peters said on Tuesday.

“New Zealand and the Philippines are close friends and trusted partners on the world stage – and today we turn this friendship into concrete action,” Peters said.

The partnership will deepen collaboration across four areas: political engagement; defence, security, and maritime cooperation; trade and economic ties; and people-to-people links, he said.

(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Christopher Cushing)