ISLAMABAD (AP) — A gas cylinder explosion early Sunday after a wedding reception at a home in Pakistan’s capital killed at least eight people, including the bride and groom, police and officials said.
The blast occurred as guests who had gathered to celebrate the couple were sleeping at the house, causing part of the house to collapse, according to the Islamabad police. Seven people were injured.
In a statement, police said the explosion occurred in a residential area in the heart of the city. A government administrator, Sahibzada Yousaf, said authorities were alerted about the blast early Sunday and officers are still investigating. He said some nearby homes were also damaged.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement from his office. He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered a full investigation.
Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks. Police said investigations were ongoing.
Government officials survey the damage of a home caused by a gas cylinder explosion hours after a wedding reception, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Ehsan Shahzad)
VADODARA, India (AP) — India captain Shubman Gill won the coin toss and opted to field first against New Zealand in the first one-day international cricket match on Sunday.
The Baroda Cricket Association is hosting its first-ever men’s ODI. Rajkot (Jan. 14) and Indore (Jan. 18) will host the second and third games of this three-match series.
Gill returned to the helm after missing the ODI series against South Africa in December.
India has opted for six bowlers – three pacers and two spin all-rounders along with wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Star batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also return to the international fold, after playing domestic List-A cricket.
Shreyas Iyer has recovered from a spleen injury sustained against Australia in October. He returns to the side after a two-month hiatus and will bat at number four.
Wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the series with an abdominal strain he sustained whilst playing for Delhi in domestic List-A cricket. Dhruv Jurel has been called up as his replacement.
For New Zealand, medium pacer Kristian Clarker makes his ODI debut, while 23-year-old wrist spinner Adithya Ashok is its lead spin bowler.
The Black Caps come into this series on the back of some good form – not losing a single ODI in 2025.
The pitch for the first-ever international game at the BCA Stadium should suit batters. It is a black soil pitch which could exhibit variable bounce through the day. Evening dew will aid the chasing side.
Line ups:
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay, Michael Bracewell (captain), Zakary Foulkes, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Adithya Ashok.
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
New Zealand's captan Michael Bracewell gestures during practice session ahead of first One Day International cricket match against India in Vadodara, India, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
India's captain Shubman Gill during a practice session ahead of the first One Day International cricket match against New Zealand in Vadodara, India, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
