This Week They Said

This is an act of ethnic cleansing

This is an act of ethnic cleansing. - Maj Gen Benjamin Mixon, commander of American forces in northern Iraq, after 250 Iraqis living in a Kurdish region died in suicide bomb attacks.

We are convinced that any attempts to resolve global and regional problems alone are useless.

- Russian president Vladimir Putin in remarks that have been interpreted as criticism of US unilateralism.

This is the strongest earthquake I've ever felt. When the quake struck, I thought it would never end.

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- Maria Pilar Mena, of Lima, after a tremor rocks Peru close to the country's capital, killing hundreds.

We're genuinely worried. He's got a nasty cut on his cheekbone and we're worried that there might be a fracture there.

- Ireland rugby coach Eddie O'Sullivan as captain Brian O'Driscoll suffers a serious facial injury in a practice game. The injury was not as serious as feared.

Bond is an imperialist and a misogynist who kills people and laughs about it, and drinks martinis and cracks jokes.

- Matt Damon, star of spy thriller the Bourne Ultimatum, is not impressed by the rival James Bond franchise.

Rehab is a cop-out.

- Singer Amy Winehouse, who collapsed after consuming a cocktail of heroin, ecstasy and cocaine. Having been released from hospital she checked into a hotel.

I just think it's time.

- Karl Rove is standing down as George Bush's political adviser.

In the true sense, we will have freedom and independence only when we get rid of poverty.

- Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh as the country celebrates 60 years of independence.

These so-called big stars are people we are supposed to be looking up to. Well they are weak and soft. Priorities have changed for footballers and they are being dictated to by their wives and girlfriends.

- Roy Keane, manager of English football team Sunderland, says players are increasingly under the thumb of fashion-mad wives and girlfriends.

No change is no longer an option.

- Scotland's first minister, Alex Salmond of the Scottish National Party, outlining plans for an independence referendum.

I doubt there is any country on this planet with a democracy more alive than the one we enjoy in Venezuela today.

- Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, unveils plans to change the country's constitution to permit him to stand for office indefinitely.

There is always the hope that markets will recover, but the losses are quite substantial.

- Noel Collins, of investment consultants Mercer, as uncertainties in the US markets wipe seven per cent off the value of Irish pension funds.