"Over the last few years our research has shown that the main purpose of saving among both urban and rural citizens is education, exceeding even housing and pensions. This is not normal."

- Li Peilin, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explaining how over the past decade unauthorized charges by educational institutions had reached 200 billion yuan (US$24 billion) nationwide.

"This name will attract instant attention and make people remember."

- An Indian father gave his new-born son, who survived the Indian Ocean tsunami only six days after he was born, the name "Tsunami".

"Whether you believe it or not, the one thing that scares me most is silence - I feel it's the silence before the storm comes."

- an Iraqi resident.

"They took away our heart - Aristide. We are lying on the operating table, waiting to be transplanted with a new heart, but we are not injected with any anesthetic during the process."

- A Haitian complaining that the economy of the country had worsened since its former president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was driven from office in February last year.

"I look into the mirror and I like the person in it. I think, other people also like me more now."

- Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi admitting to having had plastic surgery.

"We cannot ensure that we are going to hire you forever, but we will try to get you employed all your life."

- Cao Laijing, the vice-CEO and director of Human Resources of NEC.

"Let's not start out by discussing the principles we have worked out regarding the Taiwan issue. Let's just consider relations between neighbours. China and Japan live next to each other and we all know how important it is not to do anything to upset your neighbours or show them disrespect. Lee Teng-hui is looked down upon by the Chinese, while Japan opens its gate to him. That is not a wise act and the Chinese cannot understand it."

- China's Ambassador to Japan Wang Yi commenting on Japan's decision to let Lee make a trip to the country recently.

"If the whole community has become used to marriages arranged by parents while you yourself appeal to the freedom of love, you will be opposed."

- Che Hongsheng, a professor, commenting on the failure of schools in Nanjing of East China's Jiangsu Province to promote "quality" education. Nanjing's system paid more attention to the comprehensive quality of a student rather than test scores. The city did not do well in the college entrance examinations.

"Families can start a new life if they receive a donation worth US$14."

- A disaster volunteer in India describing a modest goal.

"We keep collecting the corpses but there are still so many of them here and there. It seems that it will never end."

- An Indonesian volunteer describes the tsunami aftermath. So far, about

30,000 corpses have been properly disposed of. A corpse-collecting team, consisting of 500 soldiers and volunteers, is removing 4,000 to 6,000 corpses every week from Banda Aceh. The disaster has taken the lives of some 100,000 citizens in the city, one-fourth of its total population.

"My father led people to overcome poverty and I will lead people to live a rich life."

- Jiao Yuejin, head of Qixian County in Central China's Henan Province. His father, Jiao Yulu, was a national model of the "hard-working cadre," who died in the 1960s.

"As long as it benefits Taiwan people, we will do it."

- He Shizhong, official of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, on the plan to help Taiwanese residing on the Chinese mainland charter airplanes to fly directly back to Taiwan. Last year, they had to transfer in Hong Kong or Macao.