The band won the 1975 World Pipe Band Championship and a further six times under their former identity as the Edinburgh Police.

BBC: Lothian and Borders Police pipe band to disband

That's when all eyes will turn to the 6-foot-high copper chimney erected atop the Sistine Chapel to pipe out puffs of smoke to tell the world if there's a new pope.

NPR: Conclave To Elect Next Pope Opens Amid Uncertainty

Turkmenistan's interest in Afghanistan is predominantly commercial: peace would allow it to pipe its oil southwards to the Indian Ocean and the world market.

ECONOMIST: Afghanistan

It was developed after the second world war when the bombarde was added to the Scottish pipe band that had been imported complete with highland bagpipes, snare drums and a great drum.

ECONOMIST: Celtic music

All over the world, telecoms and cable companies are fighting to provide people's houses with a broadband pipe that can pump in a high-speed Internet feed and the whole digital future.

ECONOMIST: Communications in Britain