The only thing I cannot do is to change my principles against my conscience for a political convenience.
- Rocco Buttiglione, the Italian justice commissioner-designate, says that he still plans to take up the post despite the controversy caused by his remarks on gays and women
She is one of those slender people with a spine of steel.
- Felicity Arbuthnot, a friend of the Irish-born aid worker, Margaret Hassan, who was taken hostage in Iraq
Mr President, look behind you - there's no one there.
- John Kerry attacks President Bush on the question of leadership, as the rivals go on the offensive in the swing state of Iowa
The minister wouldn't ask them, so how could I do it and people 50 years there?
- A west of Ireland publican explains why she would not request older customers to refrain from smoking on the premises
The country is on the verge of becoming an environmental disaster area.
- Mark Dearey of Friends of the Earth Ireland says the Republic is the "dirty man of Europe"
In these kinds of situations you have two wars going on. You have war for the minds and hearts of the people, as well as trying to bring down the violence, and the two have to go on together.
- Kofi Annan, UN Secretary General, is confident that January elections will take place in Iraq if the international community focuses on stabilising the country
I would like to see more Malaya and less Vietnam. Might is not always right and in this case I think it might even turn out to be counterproductive.
- Col Tim Collins, famous for his rousing speech on the eve of battle last year, says that the request for assistance from British troops in Iraq is a sign that the US army reserve units have "bitten off more than they can chew"
I've never been No 1 anywhere, except Iceland, and I think they say that to everyone.
- Stephen Duffy, Robbie Williams's new songwriter, whose single for the singer, Radio, is top of the charts
Empowerment of women is the secret weapon of development in Africa. The trouble is that you [ men] beat them up.
- The President of the World Bank, James Wolfensohn, addresses UN conference in Addis Ababa
They were let down by system failure, in particular management failure, which is something from which lessons must be learned.
- Dermot O'Donnell, president of the Garda Representative Association, says officers were not properly briefed before the Reclaim The Streets protest at which violence occurred two years ago.
It looks like our estimates of the demand for houses are too low. The consensus about population growth and the impact of immigration appears to be wrong.
- Dan McLaughlin, chief economist, Bank of Ireland group treasury as house price inflation continues to defy predictions
Unless the staff and management . . . demonstrate clearly that the Abbey is not a "black hole", that it is well managed and that staff and management are highly professional and competent, it will be hard to persuade the Arts Council and Government to meet the immediate and pressing needs of the company.
- ICTU economic adviser, Paul Sweeney, who has delivered an independent assessment of the Abbey Theatre's financial position