(AP) --- The voting was over and almost all ballots were counted. News outlets on Nov. 7, 2020, had called the presidential race for Democrat Joe Biden. But the leader of the Oath Keepers extremist group was just beginning to fight.

Convinced the White House had been stolen from Republican Donald Trump, Stewart Rhodes exhorted his followers to action, suggesting they emulate a popular uprising that brought down Yugoslavia’s president two decades earlier. He published a version of his appeal online, headlined, “What We The People Must Do.”

WASHINGTON (AP) — The way President Joe Biden sees it, the overturning of Roe vs. Wade was not just about whether a woman has a right to obtain an abortion.

“It’s about freedom,” Biden said at a private fundraiser in New York this past week.

Vice President Kamala Harris takes an even bolder approach when she talks about abortion. “Extremist, so-called leaders trumpet the rhetoric of freedom while they take away freedoms,” she told voters in Illinois this month.

24 Sep 2022; MEMO: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez surprised observers after he ignored the Moroccan autonomy proposal to solve the Saharawi issue and concentrated on the United Nations (UN) resolutions regarding the case. In his speech before the 77th session of the General Assembly, he took a step forward in courting Algeria.

23 Sep 2022; MEMO: Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has denounced US warnings to impose sanctions on Turkish banks over using the Russian MIR transaction payment system, Anadolu Agency reported.

WASHINGTON (AP) — How do American leaders and their allies intend to respond if President Vladimir Putin seeks to escalate his way out of a bad situation on Ukraine’s battlefields, and makes good on renewed threats of annexing territory or even using nuclear weapons?

At least to start with, by trying to double down on the same tactics that have helped put Russia in a corner in Ukraine, U.S. and European leaders have made clear: more financial penalties and international isolation for Russia, more arms and other backing for Ukraine.

DUBAI, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Iran on Saturday criticised a U.S. move to make exceptions to sanctions in order to help provide internet to Iranians during nationwide protests, state media reported. 

It said this was in line with Washington's hostile stance towards Tehran. 

"By reducing the severity of a number of communications sanctions - while maintaining maximum pressure - the U.S. is seeking to advance its goals against Iran," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani was quoted by state media as saying.

NEW YORK (AP) — The tears come quickly to Masih Alinejad when she talks about the messages she’s received in recent days from women in Iran protesting against their government after a young woman died in police custody over a violation of the country’s strict religious dress code.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused the United States of "playing with fire" around Taiwan on Saturday in a speech sharply critical of Washington at the annual gathering at the United Nations.

The United States was now trying to "subjugate" Asian areas, Lavrov said in an address to the United Nations General Assembly, criticizing Washington's formation of "closed format" country groupings in the Indo-Pacific.

"They're playing with fire around Taiwan. On top of that, they're promising military support to Taiwan," Lavrov said.

MOSCOW, September 24. /TASS/: Official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova noted that the number of meetings with the Russian delegation on the sidelines of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly eliminates all hints of Moscow's isolation.

NAHR EL-BARED, Lebanon (AP) — Thousands of Palestinians held prayers on a small soccer field in a refugee camp in northern Lebanon on Saturday, to mourn one of the scores of migrants who died after their boat sank off Syria’s coast this week, even as others vowed to undertake the same perilous voyage.

MOSCOW, Sept 24 (Reuters) - More than 730 people were detained across Russia at protests against a mobilisation order on Saturday, a rights group said, three days after President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's first military draft since World War Two for the conflict in Ukraine.

The independent OVD-Info protest monitoring group said it was aware of detentions in 32 different cities, from St Petersburg to Siberia.

Unsanctioned rallies are illegal under Russian law, which also forbids any activity considered to defame the armed forces.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem was returning from an official appearance in Rapid City in 2019 when she faced a decision: Overnight in the capital of Pierre, where another trip would start the next day, or head home and see her son attend his high school prom?

The Republican governor chose the latter, a decision that eventually cost taxpayers some $3,700 when the state airplane dropped her off near her home and then returned the next day to pick her up.