Inhalation of asbestos, which was widely used as a building material from the 1950s until 2000, can cause cancer and other serious diseases which the Health and Safety Executive says is responsible for about 4, 000 deaths a year.

BBC: Marks & Spencer fined ?1m over asbestos risk

They still bar building material such as concrete, steel and pipes, as well as industrial equipment.

ECONOMIST: The Gaza Strip

In Iraq, UNESCO is supporting the two Ministries of Education in planning, curriculum revision and material development, as well as mobilizing and building the capacity of civil society organizations who are delivering much of the literacy programming.

UNESCO: MEDIA SERVICES

The 36-year-old professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology is the intellectual ringleader of a cadre of "synthetic biologists" who are building useful devices out of genetic material, much as bits of mortar or silicon are used to erect complex objects.

FORBES: Drew Endy aims to reinvent the biotechnology industry.

The fact that wood is the most eco-friendly building material is an obvious reason for its use, but as Kantonen explains its aesthetic qualities are being rediscovered and appreciated again.

CNN: Spectacular forms in wood

And the strength, lightness, high melting point and ability to resist corrosion of titanium make it an ideal material for building aircraft parts, supercars and medical implants but it can cost 50 times as much as steel.

FORBES: What On Earth Is The Economist Talking About Here?