Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking to supporters after claiming victory in the French elections

"If Sarkozy lives up to his promises, this could be the beginning of long overdue

structural reforms for the French economy."

Eric Chaney, Chief European Economist for Morgan Stanley and a former French Finance Ministry forecaster

"It's a low premium to pay to reduce the risk of majorclimate damage."

Bill Hare, a Greenpeace adviser, speaking to Reuters after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report on May 4 stating that limiting warming to 2 degrees Celsius only required an affordable cost of 0.12 percent of annual global gross domestic product

"We can't say there is noinflationary pressure, but it was not very unexpected."

Zhou Xiaochuan, Central Banker of China, explaining in Basel, Switzerland on May 6 that the quickest acceleration in China's inflation in two years is "normal" because prices of primary goods have increased substantially and labor costs have risen

"It is crystal clear that NATO's strategy is about reconstruction, nation building and development."

NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, stressing that military force alone won't defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan and reconstruction is the key to durable peace during a May 8 visit to the Pakistani capital, Islamabad

"From the depths of my heart, I believe Northern Ireland has come to a time of peace, a time when hate will no longer rule."

Northern Ireland's First Minister Ian Paisley, after his Democratic Unionist Party formed

a power-sharing administration on May 8 with Sinn Fein, a long-time foe, to take control of the territory's government departments from Britain

"If you want to play a role, you'll have to gain market share."

Wim Zwanenburg, who helps oversee 27 billion euros ($36.7 billion) at Bank Degroof Group, including Microsoft shares, commenting on an alleged Microsoft-Yahoo combination that would triple Microsoft's share of the U.S. search market to 38.4 percent, rivaling Google's 48.3 percent