"The Chinese philosophy holds balance as relative, while imbalance is absolute. According to the theory, the existence of economic imbalance in the world, which can be adjusted by market mechanisms, is no strange thing."

Zhou Xiaochuan, Governor of the People's Bank of China, on world economic imbalance at a media briefing during the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington, D.C. on October 8

"Although half of China's backward production capacity will be eliminated during the five years from 2006 to 2010, there is still a long way to go before our conventional industries can be upgraded."

Li Yizhong, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, in an interview with Xinhua News Agency. Li said China was expected to achieve its target of a 20-percent cut in energy use per 10,000 yuan ($1,500) of GDP during the same five-year period

"Since it was not a natural disaster, but manmade, it won't be the taxpayer who foots the bill, but those who caused the damage."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, telling lawmakers on October 11 the government was moving to place MAL Hungarian Aluminium Production & Trade Zrt. under state control and freeze its assets after its dam burst on October 4, causing the country's worst-ever chemical accident

"Before they are heroes, they are victims. These people who are coming out of the mine are different people."

Sergio Gonzalez, psychologist at the University of Santiago, on the extreme challenges the 33 Chilean miners will face after more than two months deep underground. The final stage of the rescue operation completed on October 13

"The Afghan civilians used to think of this anniversary as a day that they got their freedom from a cruel government. But day by day...the people have stopped believing that."

Mohammad Saber Fahim, an Afghan journalist, on October 7, the ninth anniversary of the start of U.S.-led war in Afghanistan

"The index for hunger in the world remains at a level characterized as 'serious.'"

The annual Global Hunger Index report, published by the International Food Policy Research Institute and other aid groups, which says 29 countries show alarming levels of hunger and more than a billion people were hungry in 2009

"I never was one, even on the basis of the earthly definition of a saint as a sinner who keeps trying."

Former South African President Nelson Mandela refusing the label of "saint" in his new memoir Conversations with Myself