Verbatim

‘Our protests will be peaceful, but if anybody tries to make it violent we will retaliate with the same kind of actions.’
BABURAM BHATTARAI, deputy leader of Nepal’s Maoist rebels, calling for demonstrations against the monarchy after the group withdrew from the government, jeopardizing the peace process that ended Nepal’s 10-year civil war

‘We have to prepare for the worst, and the worst is war.’
BERNARD KOUCHNER, French Foreign Minister, pressing for tougher sanctions against Iran’s nuclear program. Kouchner has since accused the media of distorting his statement

‘[He’s] the cockiest guy I have ever met in my life.’
VICENTE FOX, former President of Mexico, who makes a number of unflattering comments about U.S. President George W. Bush in his new book, Revolution of Hope

‘There’s no Belgian nation. There’s no Belgian anything.’
FILIP DEWINTER, leader of the far-right Flemish nationalist Vlaams Belang party, on a plan to redivide Belgium into Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia, the two regions that united to form the country in 1830. Polls show as many as 40% of Belgians support the plan

‘I want to live indefinitely.’
TOMOJI TANABE, of Japan, the world’s oldest man, who celebrated his 112th birthday on Sept. 18 and told reporters the key to longevity is avoiding alcohol

‘You Americans are wonderfully generous people. You’re a lot of other things as well — some good, some bad.’
HELEN MIRREN, British actress, while accepting an Emmy Award for her performance in the TV miniseries Prime Suspect