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A pair of explosions and a fire, apparently sparked by leaking ‌gas, ripped through a nursing home ‍near Philadelphia, killing a female employee and a resident, and injuring 20 people, officials said.All residents and ⁠staff of the Silver Lake Nursing ⁠Home in Bristol Township, about 33km northeast of Philadelphia, have now been accounted ‍for and the injured taken to local hospitals, police chief Charles Winik said.Winik said people had been feared missing for a number of hours as flames and blasts gutted the nursing home. Fire Marshal Kevin Dippolito said numerous patients and staff were initially trapped inside a demolished portion of the building.Dippolito said the first firefighters arriving on the scene, some from a fire-and-rescue station across the street, encountered "a major structural collapse," with part of the building's first floor crumbling into the basement below.He ‍said numerous victims were extricated ⁠from debris, blocked stairwells ‌and stuck elevators, while firefighters ventured into the collapsed basement zone and pulled at least two more people to safety before retreating amid lingering gas fumes."We got everyone out that we could, that we could find, that we could see, and we exited the building," Dippolito said. "Within approximately 15 to 30 seconds of us exiting the building, knowing there was a heavy odour of natural gas around us, there was another explosion and fire.”The front of the structure appeared to have been blasted away from the inside, but the majority of the facility remained standing, though most of its windows were shattered, according to a ​Reuters photographer on the scene.News footage ‌from WPVI-TV, an ABC News affiliate, showed roaring flames and smoke billowing from the crippled building shortly after the first ⁠explosion.The precise number of patients ‍and staff inside at the time was not immediately known. The nursing home is certified for up to 174 beds, according to an official Medicare provider site.More than 50 patients, ranging in age from 50 to 95, are typically in the building at any one time, WCAU-TV reported, citing a nurse employed by the facility who arrived on the ​scene after the blast. About five hours later, nursing home officials had informed authorities that all patients had been accounted for, Dippolito said. 

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said there are no plans to conduct nuclear explosions, despite a directive by President Donald Trump to resume nuclear testing. In an interview with Fox News, Wright clarified that tests under discussion involve tests on systems rather than nuclear explosions.He added that the goal was to develop alternative nuclear weapons, noting that President Trump was concerned about the US remaining the strongest militarily. The energy secretary, whose department is responsible for testing US nuclear weapons, said the tests include "all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the appropriate geometry, and they set up the nuclear explosion."Wright's remarks come as the first clarification from the US administration since Trump announced last week via social media that he had instructed the Department of War to begin testing US nuclear weapons on par with other countries, after a 33-year hiatus.Trump's announcement came just before his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday, in a move that appeared to be a message to rival nuclear powers Russia and China.In response to the US president's remarks, Russia said that if any country abandons its commitment to halt nuclear testing, it will act accordingly, while China called on the US to abide by the global ban on nuclear testing.

The Global Sumud Flotilla, aiming to break the Israeli siege on Gaza, announced Sunday that it is now approximately 825 kilometers from the Gaza Strip. The flotilla, comprising over 50 boats carrying more than 500 activists from around 45 countries — including 54 French and 15 Belgian participants, along with prominent activists and medical personnel such as Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, has faced drone attacks believed to be carried out by Israel. The strikes caused explosions and communication disruptions but resulted in no casualties. A short video posted on the flotilla's account by an activist aboard the Alma boat showed two drones flying at low altitude over the vessels overnight without carrying out any attacks. Activists reaffirmed that they are continuing toward Gaza despite Israeli threats. The flotilla includes the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the Global Gaza Movement, the Sumud Convoy, and Malaysia's Sumud Nusantara. European governments have stepped in to provide protection: Italy and Spain announced the deployment of naval vessels to escort the flotilla. Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto condemned the drone attacks and confirmed a second naval ship would assist the flotilla, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced a naval vessel would accompany the ships to anticipate potential attacks. The convoy first departed from Barcelona in late August, carrying humanitarian aid including medical supplies, followed by additional boats from Genoa, Italy, in early September, and vessels from Morocco and Tunisia. This marks the first time that dozens of ships have sailed together in a collective effort to break the Israeli siege on Gaza, after previous flotillas were intercepted and their activists deported by Israeli forces.