It's going to be a hard year, and we need to keep working hard at it. - Taoiseach Bertie Ahern warns choppy waters lie ahead for the economy.
Stop exercising double standards on human rights issues and wrongly meddling in the internal affairs of other countries. - Qin Gang, China's foreign ministry spokesman, reacting to a US report which described Beijing as an authoritarian regime.
Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. - Geraldine Ferraro, a former US congresswoman and prominent backer of Hillary Clinton, defends her comment that Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama is only winning the race for presidential nominee because he's African American.
There are many other sins that are perhaps much more grave that don't have anything to do with sex. - Fr Antonio Pelayo of the Vatican, which has added drugs, pollution and genetic manipulation to a new list of sinful behaviours.
We are bound together in the spirit of democracy. - Asif Ali Zardari, the widower of assassinated Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, who has agreed to a coalition government with Nawaz Sharif.
I wasn't sitting at the negotiating table but the role I played was instrumental. - Hillary Clinton, the US presidential hopeful, says she played a key role in the Northern Ireland peace process.
Oh yes I am a convicted criminal, yes I know that, but not a convicted armed robber, not a convicted hitman, you know. - Gerard Hutch, referred to in the media as The Monk, denies becoming a millionaire from the proceeds of crime.
The moats that I've seen circled the castle and allowed you to protect yourself, and that's kind of what we're looking at here. - Yuma county sheriff Ralph Ogden. The Arizona city is to build a moat to keep out migrants.
Childbirth is one of the most painful events that a woman is likely to experience. - Researchers at Newcastle University in Britain say women aren't adequately warned that childbirth is extremely painful.
Our proposal is equitable, fair and technically sound - we will not change it. - EU Commission president José Manuel Barroso says Ireland will not be able to alter its climate change targets because it can afford the cost of cutting C02 emissions.
We don't like saying 'I told you so', but we warned of the consequences of the 13 per cent rise in spending last year. - ESRI senior researcher Alan Barrett suggests the increase in public spending last year may not have been prudent in light of present uncertainties.
I had to face some very difficult spending decisions and I've had to conduct sensitive diplomacy. That's called planning for a wedding. - US president George Bush jokes about the forthcoming wedding of daughter Jenna.