*** "WHEN THE MASS MEDIA in some foreign countries serve as megaphones for the rhetoric of their government, the result is ludicrous propaganda. When the mass media in our country serves as megaphones for the rhetoric of the US government, the result is responsible journalism."

(Excerpt from an online web site 'Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting' on the role of media in developing and developed countries)

*** "SINCE I BELIEVE I have not done much in the field, I could not make up my mind whether to place my consent for the prestigious award or not."

(Fourty-year-old winner of this year's Ramon Megsaysay award for 'the uplift of the poor and the underprivileged in India', Sandeep Pandey, saying that he received the award rather early in life and still has long way to go. After much mulling, however, he decided to accept the honour)

*** "... shall we persist in rendering all-out support for America's war against declared rogue states with which the Philippines has no quarrel and with which we have friendly and diplomatic ties?"

(Philippines legislator Imee Marcos expressing concerns about an agreement to be signed in Washington with the US will not entail the permanent basing of US troops in the country)

*** "NEGATIVE ATTITUDES about U.S. policy are also pervasive in frontline states in the war on terrorism and among our closest allies."

(Excerpt from report compiled by Council on Foreign Relations task force saying that the US is suffering from global image problem. It urged President Bush to launch a worldwide diplomatic offensive to better its image)

*** "I AM NOT SOMEBODY just to walk away. If I had been hard-pressed, I would have stayed (but) there seems to have been strong resistance from just one country."

(Outgoing UN human rights chief Mary Robinson saying that she was ready to continue her job but Washington wanted her out of the job because of her firm resolve to protect human rights amidst US' war against terrorism)

*** "MANGOES ARE SENT to a number of world leaders every year. This has been going on for more than 25 years."

(A Foreign Office spokesman commenting on sending of several boxes of mangoes by President Pervez Musharraf to Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee as a good-will gesture)

*** "SUCH A STRIKE is against international law... It is no secret anymore that UN observers, who should have been neutral, were used by American and British secret services."

(Former UN assistant secretary general Hans Von Sponeck calling proposed US strikes on Iraq as totally unjustified)

*** "I NEVER ENVISIONED the purpose of life as taking a piece of metal and pushing it toward a hole. People ought to be pushing children out of poverty."

(US Consumer Rights activist and advocate, Ralph Nader, asked if he were ever going to slow down and play golf for instance?)

*** "$ 144,000"

(Amount owned to the New York City in parking fines by Pakistani consulate and UN mission. The Mayor of fiscally troubled city, Michael Bloomberg, issued an ultimatum to the diplomats of some 189 countries to pay their outstanding dues or face impounding of their vehicles)

*** "WE BELIEVE OBSERVING means whiteman coming and observing what the native is doing... They are not going to teach us a lesson."

(Indian Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyngdoh rejecting US proposal for the presence of international observers at the controversial polls in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir scheduled from September 16)

(Number of tigers killed in India every month according to a recent study)

*** "WE NOW HAVE OUR OWN WATER."

(Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong taking swig of water recycled from waste as a signal to Malaysia that the country can survive without buying water from it)