COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado funeral home where 189 decaying bodies were discovered this month appears to have fabricated cremation records and may have given families fake ashes, according to information gathered by The Associated Press from customers and crematories.

The families that did business with Return to Nature Funeral Home fear their loved ones weren’t cremated at all and instead could be among the yet unidentified corpses authorities discovered after responding to a report of an “ abhorrent smell.”

SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The United States has made "intentional nuclear war provocations" due to "internal troubles and external woes" as its nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortress bomber made a first-ever landing in South Korea, and indicated a possible preemptive nuclear strike on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a commentary on Friday.

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel said Friday it does not plan to take long-term control over the Gaza Strip after an expected ground offensive to root out Hamas militants that rule the territory. The Israeli military punished Gaza with airstrikes, authorities inched closer to bringing aid to desperate families and hospitals, and Muslims around the world protested in solidarity with Palestinians.

YANGON, Oct 20 (NNN-MNA) – Two people were killed in a firework explosion, in eastern Myanmar’s Shan State, an official from the Fire Services Department of Langkho said, yesterday.

The blast occurred around 8:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday, in Langkho township.

A man started a motorcycle sidecar, which leaked oil, causing the engine to heat up. Meanwhile, the sidecar, loaded with fireworks, caught fire and resulted in an explosion.

19 October 2023; MEMO: The Israeli occupying forces, this morning, imposed a raid and a military blockade around the Nour Shams refugee camp, located east of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarm.

According to a Wafa correspondent, the military conducted home searches and used bulldozers to clear streets before imposing the blockade, severely restricting Palestinian residents’ movement.

Oct 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Army has charged Private Travis King with crimes ranging from desertion for running into North Korea in July to assault against fellow soldiers and solicitation of child pornography, according to documents obtained by Reuters.

The Army's case against King, which has not been previously reported, includes eight distinct charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, setting up a substantial legal battle for the 23-year-old soldier after his release from North Korean custody in September.

20 October 2023; AA: Canada has pulled 41 diplomats from India after New Delhi threatened to strip them of diplomatic immunity “tomorrow,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced at a press conference, on Thursday.  

Joly said having their “immunity stripped” by India on the stated deadline of Friday, Oct. 20 would put the Canadian diplomats at risk. 

TEHRAN, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Attaf have discussed the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, denouncing Israeli attacks "against defenseless Palestinians" there.

In a phone call on Thursday night, the two foreign ministers also exchanged views on bilateral relations and other recent regional developments, according to a statement published on the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website on Friday.

MOSCOW, October 20./TASS/:  Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov discussed the activity of the 3+3 consultative regional platform on the South Caucasus during a telephone call, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"The foreign ministers discussed key issues of bilateral relations, along with the regional and international agenda," the Foreign Ministry said. The two diplomats also "got on the same page regarding the activities of the 3+3 consultative regional platform," it added.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fifty years after the 1973 Arab oil embargo, the current crisis in the Middle East has the potential to disrupt global oil supplies and push prices higher. But don’t expect a repeat of the catastrophic price hikes and long lines at the gasoline pump, experts say.

The Israel-Hamas war is “definitely not good news” for oil markets already stretched by cutbacks in oil production from Saudi Arabia and Russia and expected stronger demand from China, the head of the International Energy Agency said.

BUENOS AIRES, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Argentina may be about to leap into the political unknown.

The South American country, the region's No.2 economy after Brazil, will vote in presidential elections on Sunday with a radical outsider, libertarian Javier Milei, in pole position to win, though he will likely face a second round run-off.

The wild-haired, chainsaw-wielding economist - who has risen from relative obscurity over the last year - came top in an August open primary and leads all opinion polls ahead of economy minister Sergio Massa and conservative Patricia Bullrich.

Pasadena, Calif (AP) —CVS Health is pulling from its shelves some cough-and-cold treatments that contain an ingredient that has been deemed ineffective by doctors and researchers.

The drug store chain said it will remove a small number of oral decongestants that contain phenylephrine as the only active ingredient. CVS also said it will still sell “many other oral cough and cold products to meet consumer needs.”

A company spokeswoman declined to elaborate on how many products will be removed when contacted by The Associated Press Friday morning.