Wednesday Morning Briefing: J&J's own expert, working for the FDA, found asbestos in Baby Powder

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Ever since J&J disclosed that a government test found asbestos in its Baby Powder, the company has attacked the validity of the result. In challenging the FDA’s finding, the healthcare giant is casting doubt on one of its own experts.

Reuters reporters took a step back from the Hong Kong protests to spend time in a working-class housing estate on Kowloon side far from the glittering skyscrapers, exploring the political divisions as a microcosm of the city today.

A senior White House official testified he was so alarmed by hearing President Trump ask Ukraine’s president to investigate a political rival, Democrat Joe Biden, that he reported the matter to a White House lawyer. Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman became the first current White House staff member to testify in the Democratic-led House of Representatives inquiry into whether to impeach Trump.

Divide and conquer: The phoney war is over. After months of rehearsing his election strategy, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is poised to run a high-risk campaign designed to exploit divisions over Brexit despite his public appeals for national unity. Central to the election campaign will be the message that only Johnson can finish the job of leaving the EU, two sources close to the campaign said.

Business

Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot owner PSA are in talks over a potential tie-up that could create a $50 billion giant better placed to tackle a host of costly technological and regulatory challenges facing the global auto industry. The two groups said in separate statements they were holding discussions aimed at creating one of the world’s leading auto makers.

U.S. economic growth slowed less than expected in the third quarter as declining business investment was offset by resilient consumer spending and a rebound in exports, which could further allay financial market fears of a recession.

The rapid rise of crash-avoidance technology has set carmakers and repair shops on course for a collision that could determine who controls the $800 billion auto aftermarket in the digital age. Given the unprecedented sophistication of the systems many automakers say only parts and repairs from their authorized dealers can ensure safety. This has drawn fire from the independent repair shops and suppliers that currently dominate the aftermarket.

World

Major roads reopen in Lebanon after prime minister resigns

Some major highways in Lebanon reopened, after the army urged protesters to lift roadblocks so that activities could return to normal following 13 days of demonstrations that paralyzed the country and forced the prime minister to resign.

2 min read

In Vietnam’s ‘Billionaire Village’, migrant cash can buy a palace

Vietnam’s “Billionaire Village” doesn’t sound like a place people would want to leave, but at least three of the 39 victims found in the back of a truck in Britain last week set off from there in search of their fortunes.

5 Min Read

Turkey says 'largely' reached agreement with Russia in Syria talks

Talks between Turkish and Russian officials on developments in northeast Syria have concluded and the two delegations have “largely” reached an agreement, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar was quoted as saying by state media.

1 min read

Yugoslavia's brutalist relics fascinate the Instagram generation

Genex Tower is unmissable on the highway from Belgrade airport to the centre of the city. Its two soaring blocks, connected by an aerial bridge and topped with a long-closed rotating restaurant resembling a space capsule, are such an unusual sight, the 1977-build tower has become a magnet for tourists despite years of neglect. The tower is one of the most significant examples of brutalism - an architectural style popular in the 1950s and 1960s, based on crude, block-like forms cast from concrete.

6 min read

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HBO orders new 'Game of Thrones' spin-off series

Facebook sues Israeli firm over alleged WhatsApp hack