While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Sept 20 edition

US bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami nabbed in New Jersey after shoot-out

The man believed to be responsible for the explosion in Manhattan Saturday night and an earlier bombing in New Jersey, Ahmad Khan Rahami, was taken into custody Monday after he was wounded by gunfire in an encounter with police, according to law enforcement officials.

The dramatic shootout on a rain soaked street in Linden, New Jersey, came after police issued a cellphone alert to millions of residents in the area telling them to be on the lookout for the suspect, who was described as "armed and dangerous".

A law enforcement source told Reuters that Rahami will be charged with five counts of attempted murder and on two gun charges.

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Mobile phone alerts helped in apprehension of US bombing suspect

As millions of Americans around New York and New Jersey began their commutes Monday, their cellphones abruptly alerted them to a manhunt for a suspect in weekend bombings in the area.

"WANTED: Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28-yr-old male. See media for pic. Call 9-1-1 if seen." It was the first time the national Wireless Emergency Alert system was used in the search for a criminal or terror suspect, according to media reports.

The system, managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is usually used to warn about dangerous weather or missing children. Monday's use amounted effectively to an "electronic wanted poster," as the New York Times put it.

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Syrian army declares 'end' of ceasefire

Syria's armed forces on Monday announced an end to the week-long ceasefire brokered by the United States and Russia, blaming rebel groups for its failure.

"Syria's army announces the end of the freeze on fighting that began at 7pm (1600 GMT) on September 12, 2016 in accordance with the US-Russia agreement," the statement carried by state news agency SANA said.

The truce "was supposed to be a real chance to stop the bloodshed, but the armed terrorist groups flouted this agreement," the statement said.

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New British PM Theresa May calls for tougher stance on migrants at United Nations

British Prime Minister Theresa May called Monday for greater scrutiny of migrants and defended each country's right to defend its borders as she made her first UN appearance.

Addressing a UN summit on refugees, May highlighted Britain's commitment to international aid but called for a "more effective policy approach" toward massive migration from war-torn Syria and elsewhere.

"We must also be clear that this crisis has been exacerbated by unprecedented levels of uncontrolled migration," May told the summit. "Because it is not only refugees who are moving in large numbers, it is also those seeking greater economic opportunities."

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Twitter eases 140-character limit on tweets

Twitter announced Monday it was easing its 140-character limit on tweets, implementing a policy announced in May to no longer factor certain add-ons including pictures into a message's length.

"Say more about what's happening! Rolling out now: photos, videos, GIFs, polls, and Quote Tweets no longer count toward your 140 characters," said an official tweet from the social network, which is seeking to broaden its appeal.

The new policy exempts media attachments such as photos, videos and polls from the character limit, as well as tweets that are quoted in a retweet.

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