While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, March 26 edition

An Iraqi soldier stands guard at the Old City of Mosul during the government forces' ongoing offensive to retake the city from ISIS. PHOTO: AFP

US confirms air strike in Mosul district where dozens of civilians killed, UN stunned

The US military confirmed on Saturday (March 25) that US warplanes had hit an ISIS-held area of the besieged Iraqi city of Mosul where residents and officials say dozens of civilians have been killed as result of an air strike.

The incident occurred on March 17 but what exactly happened is still unclear as ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) militants fight to defend the areas of the city they still control.

Iraqi government forces paused in their push to recapture western Mosul on Saturday because of the high rate of civilian casualties, a security forces spokesman said, a move apparently motivated by the incident.

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Thousands march in London against looming Brexit, as PM May skips EU anniversary fest

Tens of thousands of pro-EU protesters took to London's streets on Saturday (March 25), in defiance of the terror threat, to mark the bloc's 60th anniversary just days before Brexit begins.

Organisers said around 80,000 people had joined the march calling for Britain to stay in the European Union, even as Prime Minister Theresa May prepares to start the withdrawal process on Wednesday.

A sea of blue EU flags stretched down Piccadilly and past Trafalgar Square, interspersed by signs saying "I am European" and "I'm 15 - I want my future back!"

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US President Donald Trump, stung by defeat, vows 'great' plan to replace Obamacare

US President Donald Trump on Saturday declared that Obamacare will fall apart and vowed to develop a "great" new health care plan for Americans to take its place.

"ObamaCare will explode and we will all get together and piece together a great healthcare plan for THE PEOPLE. Do not worry!" the Republican said on Twitter.

The message came one day after the president suffered the biggest defeat yet in his short White House tenure, when his bill to repeal Obamacare died at the hands of rebel lawmakers of his own Republican party.

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Uber suspends self-driving car programme after Arizona crash

Uber Technologies Inc suspended its pilot programme for driverless cars on Saturday after a vehicle equipped with the nascent technology crashed on an Arizona roadway, the ride-hailing company and local police said.

The accident, the latest involving a self-driving vehicle operated by one of several companies experimenting with autonomous vehicles, caused no serious injuries, Uber said.

Even so, the company said it was grounding driverless cars involved in a pilot program in Arizona, Pittsburgh and San Francisco pending the outcome of investigation into the crash on Friday evening in Tempe.

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Brazil hails victory as China, Chile and Egypt resume meat imports

Brazil won a major victory Saturday in the fight to restore credibility amid a tainted meat scandal, with key markets China, Egypt and Chile lifting their bans on its products.

The announcement of the reopening of the Chinese market to Brazilian meat imports did not come from Beijing, but from Brazilian agriculture minister Blairo Maggi who said the decision "attests to the rigor and quality of the Brazilian sanitary system".

Though the minister said China had "fully reopened" its market, he also noted China would maintain import restrictions on meat from 21 Brazilian processing plants under investigation.

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