"The style of architecture in the 21st Century will change and these skyscrapers will seem out of date."

- Experts who vetoed the design scheme for a 608.8-metre-tall building in Guangzhou of South China's Guangdong Province. If the plan had been accepted, the building would have been the tallest in the world.

"It could be difficult to find a 2-metre-tall stand-in for me."

- Basketball player Yao Ming answering a question about whether he would turn to show business.

"The stock market in China is like a car and the road and traffic are terrible. The car bumps into a wall when it turns left, it crashes into another wall when turning right and it has to reverse into its original place... What's more serious is that every bump destroys part of the car and kills some people in it."

- Economic analyst Zhang Weixing, who speaks up for individual share owners, describing the stock market in China.

"Men are always wondering: She ought to be at home cooking. She drives her admirers crazy. But she can talk about the numbers of missiles and tanks and the dates of international diplomatic conferences without a moment's hesitation."

- A Russian media comment on Condoleezza Rice, nominee for the secretary of state of the United States, after she first entered the White House.

"There is a satisfaction to be found in taking revenge on modern civilization."

- A Madrid resident after smashing up an old car at a junkyard near the city. This has become a common way to relax in Madrid. For 40 euros, people can shatter waste cars, computers or TV sets at the site with a hammer.

"Foreign newspapers are now permitted to print in China, which could be of advantage to them. Previously, the imported newspapers could not be delivered in the morning and they had to cover huge transportation fees."

- Reported in the Financial News, November 25.

"Those who are willing to help others are becoming ever rarer. I don't want to see the community's indifference to this young 'hero' leading to a further loss of justice among the people. The cost of a life should evoke virtues in people's heart."

- Yang Huili, teacher of Zhang Guoqing, an 18-year-old student from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region who was stabbed to death while fighting against a gangster to rescue a girl in November.

"Remember how expensive a colour TV set, an air-conditioner or a microwave used to be and how bad the service was before? Those prices and service were soon improved after the relevant business sectors were opened up. Medical services and education should be opened up too."

- A netizen commenting on the news, reported by the Information Times, that 48.9 per cent Chinese cannot afford to go to hospital when they are ill.

(Star News)