“The former prime minister did his homework on formaldehyde and other fascinating byproducts of methanol's industrial process ahead of a speech to open a new methanol power plant in Azerbaijan,” The Guardian reports, commenting on former UK Premier Tony Blair’s visit to Azerbaijan. The source says he was paid £90.000 for a 20-minute speech.

“To be honest, until I looked at the list of what formaldehyde does, I had no idea of how many parts of my life were governed by the existence of this thing. When I go back home, I will tell my nine-year-old boy: 'Stop all other studies and concentrate on formaldehyde and you will be fine!” the daily quotes Blair and wonders “what career opportunities might lay before Leo Blair should he choose to follow his father's advice.”

“But what Blair somehow forgot to mention is that formaldehyde has its downsides,” the Guardian reads, specifying that concentration of formaldehyde in the air causes sensations in the eyes, coughing, nausea and skin irritation.

A.G.