MON SIX

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 4 (Reuters) - South Africa's Democratic ​Alliance leader John ‌Steenhuisen told a press conference ‌on Wednesday that he would not seek re-election as the party's ⁠leader ‌in April.

Steenhuisen has led the pro-business ‍DA since 2019 and is currently agriculture minister in ​President Cyril Ramaphosa's ‌cabinet.

"For the rest of this term of office, I will focus all of my time ⁠and energy ​as Minister ​of Agriculture on defeating the most devastating ‍foot ⁠and mouth disease outbreak our country has ⁠ever seen," he said.

(Reporting by ‌Sfundo Parakozov;Editing by ‌Alexander Winning)

By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Pesha Magid

Palestinian patients, accompanied by relatives, make their way back to their homes in Khan Younis

CAIRO/JERUSALEM, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Israeli tank shelling and airstrikes killed 18 people, including four children, in Gaza on Wednesday, and Israel halted the passage of patients through the Rafah ​border crossing, Palestinian officials said.

The Israeli military said tanks had fired on Gaza and airstrikes had been ‌launched after a gunman shot at Israeli soldiers and seriously injured a reservist.

The strikes targeted Gaza City and the southern city of Khan Younis. ‌A Gazan health official told Reuters that Israel had also halted the passage of patients through the Rafah border crossing to Egypt, two days after it had reopened, allowing a trickle of Palestinians to cross for the first time in months.

A spokesperson for the Red Crescent said patients had arrived at a hospital in Khan Younis in preparation for crossing Rafah for treatment, ⁠only to be informed that Israel had ‌postponed the evacuations.

"They called the patients and said today there is no travel at all, the crossing is closed," Raja'a Abu Teir, a Palestinian patient who was set to be evacuated, ‍told Reuters at the hospital, where several patients were waiting in ambulances.

The Israeli agency that controls access to Gaza, COGAT, said in a statement on Wednesday that Rafah crossing remained open, but they had not received the necessary coordination details from the World Health Organization ​to facilitate the crossing.

The WHO did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

REOPENING CROSSING PART OF TRUMP ‌PLAN

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Reopening the crossing was one of the requirements under the October ceasefire that set out the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to stop fighting between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants.

Sixteen patients from Gaza and 40 of their escorts crossed into Egypt on Tuesday, Gazan medics told Reuters.

A Hamas police source told Reuters that at least 40 people crossed from Egypt to Gaza late on Tuesday.

In January, Trump declared the start of the second phase of the ceasefire ⁠where the sides would negotiate the shattered enclave's future governance and ​reconstruction.

Key issues like the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the over 50% ​of Gaza they currently occupy and the disarmament of Hamas remain unresolved, while the fragile ceasefire has been marked by near-daily violence.

Since the start of the ceasefire, Israeli fire has killed at least ‍530 people, most of them ⁠civilians, according to Gaza health officials. Palestinian militants have killed four Israeli soldiers in the same period, according to Israeli authorities.

Israel's two-year offensive on the Gaza Strip killed more than 71,000 Palestinians, according to Gazan health ⁠authorities, displaced most of its population, and left much of the strip in ruins.

The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that triggered the war killed ‌around 1,200 people in Israel, according to Israeli tallies.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo. Additional reporting by ‌Tala Ramadan; Writing by Pesha Magid; Editing by Ros Russell)

By Saleem Ahmed and Asif Shahzad

QUETTA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Pakistan's security forces used drones and helicopters to wrest control of a southwestern town from separatist insurgents after a three-day battle, police said on Wednesday, as the death toll in the weekend's ​violence rose to 58.

Saturday's wave of coordinated attacks by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army brought Pakistan's largest province to a near ‌standstill as security forces exchanged fire with insurgents in more than a dozen places, killing 197 militants.

"I thought the roof and walls of my house were going to blow up," ‌said Robina Ali, a housewife living near the main administrative building in the fortified provincial capital of Quetta, where a powerful morning blast rocked the area.

Fighters of the BLA, the region's strongest insurgent group, stormed schools, banks, markets and security installations across Balochistan in one of their largest operations ever, killing more than 22 security officials and 36 civilians.

Police officials gave details of the situation on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to ⁠the media.

In the desert town of Nushki, home ‌to about 50,000, the insurgents seized control of the police station and other security installations, triggering a three-day standoff.

Police said seven officers were killed in the fighting before they regained control of the town late on Monday, while ‍operations against the BLA continue elsewhere in the province.

"More troops were sent to Nushki," said one security official. "Helicopters and drones were used against the militants."

Pakistan's interior ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

LATE NIGHT ATTACKS

Pakistan's largest and poorest province, mineral-rich Balochistan borders Iran and Afghanistan and is home to Beijing's investment ​in the Gwadar deepwater port and other projects.

It has grappled with a decades-long insurgency led by ethnic Baloch separatists seeking greater autonomy and ‌a larger share of its natural resources.

The BLA, which has urged people of the province to support the movement, said on Tuesday it had killed 280 soldiers during its Operation "Herof", Black Storm, but gave no evidence.

Security officials said the weekend attacks began at 4 a.m. on Saturday with suicide blasts in Nushki and the fishing port of Pasni and gun and grenade attacks in 11 more places, including Quetta.

The insurgents seized at least six district administration offices during the siege and had advanced at one point to within 1 km (3,300 ft) of the provincial chief minister's office in ⁠Quetta, the police officials said.

EVOLVING INSURGENCY

Pakistan has blamed India for the attacks, without furnishing ​evidence for charges that could escalate hostilities between the nuclear-powered neighbours who fought their ​worst armed conflict in decades in May.

India's foreign ministry has rejected the charges, saying Islamabad should instead tackle the "long-standing demands of its people in the region".

Retired Lt. General Amir Riaz, who led the military in Balochistan from 2015 to 2017, ‍said the insurgency had evolved over ⁠the last decade.

He added that it gained strength as the BLA received Indian support and used Afghanistan as a staging ground for its attacks, a charge the Taliban government has denied.

Riaz said the conflict would oscillate between stalemate and periods of heightened violence.

"It has ⁠escalated. The response will be decisive, leading to serious capacity degradation of BLA," he said, denying that the Pakistani military has used excessive force in Balochistan.

"However, ultimately the issues ‌are only resolved through political process and governance."

(Reporting by Saleem Ahmed in Quetta and Asif Shahzad in Islamabad; Additional reporting by ‌Ariba Shahid in Karachi; Writing by Saad Sayeed; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Collin Gillespie scored a career-high 30 points, Mark Williams had 24 points and 12 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns bounced back from a slow start for a 130-125 win over the reeling Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.

Grayson Allen also scored 24 points on 11-of-14 shooting and Jordan Goodwin had 16 points and 10 rebounds on a night when the Suns played without leading scorer Devin Booker (25.4 points per game), who was out with a right ankle sprain. Jalen Green was also out of the Suns' lineup.

Gillespie tied a career high with eight made 3-pointers and also had 10 assists.

Jerami Grant had 23 points to lead Portland, which lost its sixth straight game. Donovan Clingan had 14 points and 15 rebounds. Shaedon Sharpe added 19 points for Portland.

The Trail Blazers also played without their leading scorer and second-leading rebounder, Deni Avdija (25.5 points per game), who has a lower back strain and was just named to his first All-Star game.

Vit Krejci had five points in his Portland debut after being acquired in a trade with Atlanta.

Portland jumped to a 41-30 lead after one quarter but Phoenix pulled within 72-67 at halftime. The Suns took control by outscoring the Blazers 34-22 in the third quarter.

Williams' layup with 3:55 left in the third quarter put the Suns ahead for good at 88-87.

The Trail Blazers turned the ball over 17 times, six more times than the Suns.

Suns: Return home to play Golden State on Thursday night.

Trail Blazers: Host Memphis on Friday night.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided byData Skriveand data fromSportradar.

NEW DELHI (AP) — The Twenty20 World Cup gets underway in India and Sri Lanka on Saturday. The smash-and-bash nature of this cricket format makes it very likely to unearth a few stars of the future.

India New Zealand Cricket

Here are five names to watch out for:

Abhishek Sharma, India

The opening batter is already setting T20 alight with his powerful hitting from ball one. Sharma has the highest strike-rate in T20s – 194.74 – and is currently the No. 1-ranked T20 batter in the world.

Despite only playing cricket's shortest, sharpest format at international level,Sharma has quickly climbed the ladder for India. In 38 matches, he averages 37.05 and has already hit two hundreds and eight half-centuries – that's a 50-plus score once every four times he goes to the crease. It sends a very clear warning to the opposition bowlers.

Sharma was player of the tournament in the 2025 Asia Cup – where he finished with a strike-rate of 200 and three successive half-centuries. It was his first taste of a multi-team tournament, beyond the Indian Premier League (IPL).

He first hit headlines matching Australia's Travis Head stroke-for-stroke in the 2024 season, and has already climbed up the charts – fans line up to watch him bat. Undoubtedly, he holds the key to India's ambition of defending its 2024 title.

Jacob Bethell, England

The 22-year-old allrounder got a taste of the fan experience during his time with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier League last year. He played only two matches, but scored 55 off 33 balls on debut against Southern rivals Chennai Super Kings. Bengaluru won the game by two runs and Bethell has a big fan following in India now.

He proved his worth in the test arena with 154 against Australia in the Ashes series finale in Sydney – an innings that tied him to England's short-term future across formats.

Bethellis suited to Indian conditions, owing to his attacking stroke play against spin and his ability to bowl decent left-arm spin. In England's last match before the World Cup, he picked up 4-11 in 3.3 overs against Sri Lanka.

Dewald Brevis, South Africa

A quintessential franchise product,Breviswas signed by Mumbai Indians immediately after the 2022 Under-19 World Cup after he led the scoring for the Proteas. However, it wasn't an IPL only deal.

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Brevis was embedded within the MI ecosystem and went on to feature for the franchise across the world, gaining valuable experience. Later, he also became part of the MI Cape Town (SA20) and MI New York (MLC) franchises. In October 2022, at age 19, Brevis scored the highest T20 score in South Africa – 162 off 57 balls – and was nicknamed 'Baby AB' after ex-Proteas star AB de Villiers.

All of it proved too much for Brevis, though, and his development was stunted. So much so, MI dropped him from the IPL squad ahead of the 2025 auction. He returned to South Africa's domestic cricket scene, focused on the basics of scoring runs and fought his way back to prominence.

Chennai Super Kings took a gamble on him during the 2025 IPL as an injury replacement. He hit 57 off 23 balls, including five sixes, against Gujarat Titans and was player of the match. It cemented his spot in the Chennai squad for the near future, and cricket fans await his return to action at this T20 World Cup.

Noor Ahmad, Afghanistan

Following in the footsteps of compatriot Rashid Khan, the left-arm wrist spinner is already in high demand across T20 leagues. Along with representing Afghanistanat the international level, he has also featured in T20 leagues in India, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, the U.S., Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Australia, England and the West Indies – all before his turning 22.

With nearly 200 T20s behind him, Ahmad will be a handful in spin-friendly conditions both in India and Sri Lanka. His exposure to batters across the world can also be a handicap, but the left-arm angle and his mystery wrist spin is often difficult to read.

For this reason, Chennai Super Kings had paid around US$1.2 million to secure his services. Small evidence to his growing stature is the fact that Ahmad has out-bowled even Rashid Khan in the IPL for the past two seasons – he picked 32 wickets to Khan's 17. Together, the duo is certain to cause trouble for Afghanistan's opponents at this T20 World Cup.

Finn Allen, New Zealand

At the start of his career, Allen struggled with consistency. It is tough for an explosive batter in the T20 arena. With time, though, he has got on top of this aspect. It resulted in the third-highest tally ofsixes in a T20 international innings– 16 against Pakistan in 2024 — as Allen scored 137 off 62 balls.

That knock re-calibrated Allen's career – he has since gone on to feature in various T20 leagues across the world. Most recently, he amassed 466 runs for Perth Scorchers in Australia's Big Bash League at strike-rate 184 and powered them to a record sixth title.

Days later, he landed in India and played in the fifth T20 for New Zealand, smashing 80 off 36 balls with six sixes. New Zealand lost that game but Allen set his path straight for the upcoming world tournament. For the Black Caps to win a first T20 title, Allen's hitting prowess will be key.

AP cricket:https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

NEW YORK (AP) — Austin Reaves was bored. He would lift weights during the day, but all he could do during games was watch his Los Angeles Lakers from the bench.

"I think all I did for a month and a half was yell at the refs. So that's no fun," Reaves said. "It's better to yell at them on the court."

He finally got back on the floor Tuesday night for the first time since Christmas, helping theLakers beat the Brooklyn Nets 125-109.

Reaves had missed the previous 19 games with a left calf strain. He came off the bench and scored 15 points in 21 minutes. The Lakers had the game well under control by the time he entered late in the first quarter, perhaps getting extra energy knowing that one of their best players was rejoining a team that has faced frequent absences.

"It was just a boost for all of us, especially at the end of a road trip, to get a guy like that back," LeBron James said. "Obviously his rhythm is a little off but he still made an impact and just happy to have him back."

Reaves was off to a terrific start to the season before he was sidelined. He missed three games with the injury in December, then was in just his second game back when he was hurt again against Houston on Dec. 25.

He came into Tuesday averaging 26.6 points, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds, and coach JJ Redick said before the game the Lakers have missed the guard in every facet of the game.

"He's an All-Star-level player and of course you're going to miss him in a number of ways," Redick said.

Reaves was listed as questionable to play Sunday against the Knicks and wanted to so he could play at Madison Square Garden, but just didn't feel ready. He said he woke up feeling better Tuesday and decided he would join the Lakers in the final game of their eight-game trip.

Redick said the Lakers have had their full complement of players only twice this season, and James said after the loss to the Knicks that Reaves' absence made it difficult to evaluate the team's potential.

"Unfortunately our All-Star 2-guard has been out for a minute and that's a big piece of our team," James said. "So it's kind of hard to see what we can really, truly be."

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

LolaVie/Instagram (2)

It's pretty clever to haveJennifer Aniston, a TV and movie actress known for her lustrous hair, working as a hairstylist.

A new spot for LolaVie, the formerFriendsstar's haircare brand, has her doing just that for her friendJason Bateman, after he shows up at her home unexpectedly.

"I hear you're doing hair now," Bateman tells the woman responsible for popularizing the Rachel hairstyle, although she wasn't a fan.

TheOzarkstar says the internet was his source that styling from Aniston was available.

Aniston looks confused, but she agrees to fix up her costar in comedies such asThe Switch(2010),Horrible Bosses(2011) and its 2014 sequel, as well as 2016'sOffice Christmas Party.

But Bateman was perhaps a littletoocomfortable in Aniston's home salon, because after declaring it's his "me time," the actor complains.

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"First of all, I don't even have a smock on," Bateman says in a tone that we heard when he played Michael Bluth onArrested Development. "I don't know what your rates are, but they should be low."

Aniston assured him that her services were free, and she moved on to the styling.

"After I apply the paste to your beautiful head of extraordinary hair, envied by every man, really, that I know," said Aniston, who also noted, "This is a dream."

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At one point, Bateman joked that he looked like Conan, before doing a quick impression of comedian Conan O'Brien.

Then, it was time for Aniston to blow-dry Bateman's mane.

He was a fan of the result.

"I'm Lolavie'd, and I'm camera ready," Bateman said, after Aniston prompted him to say how good he looked. "Thanks, Aunt Jen!"

Bateman has said that his entire family, including his wife Amanda and his two teenage daughters, is close to Aniston.

Kevin Mazur/WireImage

"Aunts you might not see all the time," Bateman toldInStylein August 2025. "She's almost closer to a co-mom with Amanda. She's been a part of their lives from the moment they were born."

Aniston captioned the clip of her and her friend's hair session, "I guess I'm doing here now. Wonder who's next …."

In the captions, at least one of her famous friends, Reese Witherspoon, her current costar on Apple TV'sThe Morning Show, volunteered.

"I'd like to book an appointment, please," Witherspoon commented.

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