Indeed, are not Mr Blair's putative strengths as a war leader simply the obverse of his known defects as a peace leader?

ECONOMIST: Bagehot

Further safety reports into derailments reveal concerns over how soon and how well Network Rail actually repairs known track defects.

BBC: Train crash in Cumbria

To minimize the chances of harming the fetus, doctors avoid medications known to cause birth defects and those too new to be declared safe during pregnancy.

CNN: Pregnant with cancer

These have been well known for years to be crucial gene defects in many common tumors.

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Risk factors for epilepsy such as birth defects and poor nutrition are known to be more common among deprived groups.

BBC: Brain image

Fumonisin also interferes with the cellular uptake of folic acid, a vitamin that is known to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in developing fetuses.

FORBES: Bittman of the 'New York Times': Always Out To Lunch

The group also found that folic acid, a vitamin known to help reduce the chances of birth defects, did not decrease that risk among heavier women.

CNN: Study links obesity in pregnancy to birth defects

It was put on the market in1982 and its known side effects include increased sensitivity to sunlight and birth defects.

BBC: Acne drug in suicide claim

The drug, known generically as thalidomide, became infamous for causing birth defects five decades ago when it was used to treat morning sickness.

FORBES: Thalomid Fuels Celgene's Rise

The work has revealed hundreds of new genes and over 30 medical disorders are now known to be influenced by the chromosome, including heart defects, cancers and schizophrenia.

BBC: Book of life: Chapter one

They use a multimillion-dollar machine known as the Meisterbock gauge that laser-scans the entire surface of the vehicle for defects as small as a few millimeters.

WSJ: New Chrysler Battling Old Defects