"The key to solving the present difficulties is for the Japanese leader to make an early resolution on removing the political barrier of the visits to the [war-related] Yasukuni Shrine, and bringing bilateral relations back on track."

Qin Gang, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, called on newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to make efforts to improve bilateral relations

"Either we live side by side in a spirit of brotherhood, not separated by ethnic or sectarian identities, or Iraq becomes a battlefield for different groups to settle their scores."

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki urge peace in his war-ravaged country after the fasting month of Ramadan started amid insurgent attacks and explosions

"There have been questions that Cabinet members in the previous government abused their authority to benefit from approvals of some projects…. The investigation is needed because those actions have caused severe loss to the nation.''

Army Chief Sondhi Boonyarataglin, who heads the National Administrative Reform Council that now runs Thailand under martial law, announced its decision to set up a commission to probe graft allegations against ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his allies

"I had a very strong conversation with the [Pakistani] intelligence chief. I told him that for Americans this was a black or white issue. Pakistan was either with us or against us."

Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage denied that Washington had threatened to bomb Pakistan "back to the Stone Age" after the September 11 attacks and said a Pakistani official might have distorted U.S. resolve to press Islamabad for help

"For the first time, Forbes magazine's list of the 400 richest Americans consists exclusively of people worth $1 billion or more. As a group, the people who made the rankings released September 21 are worth a record $1.25 trillion, compared with $1.13 trillion last year."

Vinnee Tong, AP Business Writer