Best quotes from around the world over the past week:
A SCREW-UP
"This was a screw-up that could have been disastrous. We dodged a bullet, but just barely. It was averted by brave individuals, not because the system worked."
-- US President Barack Obama dressing down the chiefs of US security and intelligence agencies over the failure to prevent an attempt to blow up a US airliner on Christmas day, as reported by a White House official.
SHOW ME THE MONEY
"It's real easy, just show up with the money and you can have it. But nobody's shown up with the money so we're in wind-down mode here."
-- GM chairman and chief executive officer Ed Whitacre on why Swedish mark Saab will be shut down despite several attempts at a sale.
OVERCOMING HURDLES
"I absolutely loved having bigger boobs."
-- Australian star hurdler Jana Rawlinson after having breast implants removed to boost her chances of a medal at the London 2012 Olympics.
ON THE BORDERLINE
"This border, it is a border of friendship and love and peace, and a border of collaboration, where there is economic trade totalling five billion dollars every year."
-- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchhr Mottaki, speaking in Iraq of the border between the two predominantly Shiite Muslim countries.
A GREAT NAME
"Today the United Arab Emirates achieves the tallest building ever created by the hand of man... and this great project deserves to carry the name of a great man. Today I inaugurate Burj Khalifa."
-- Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum speaking at the inauguration of the world's biggest skyscraper, which is named after United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, ruler of Abu Dhabi, the UAE emirate which bailed out Dubai with 10 billion dollars
STORM IN A FROZEN TEACUP
"This is a bit of a storm in a teacup. We are actually dealing with real storms at the moment."
-- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, speaking of the challenge to his leadership of the Labour Party by two ex-ministers as Britain also confronts major winter snow storms.
A SCREW-UP
"This was a screw-up that could have been disastrous. We dodged a bullet, but just barely. It was averted by brave individuals, not because the system worked."
-- US President Barack Obama dressing down the chiefs of US security and intelligence agencies over the failure to prevent an attempt to blow up a US airliner on Christmas day, as reported by a White House official.
SHOW ME THE MONEY
"It's real easy, just show up with the money and you can have it. But nobody's shown up with the money so we're in wind-down mode here."
-- GM chairman and chief executive officer Ed Whitacre on why Swedish mark Saab will be shut down despite several attempts at a sale.
OVERCOMING HURDLES
"I absolutely loved having bigger boobs."
-- Australian star hurdler Jana Rawlinson after having breast implants removed to boost her chances of a medal at the London 2012 Olympics.
ON THE BORDERLINE
"This border, it is a border of friendship and love and peace, and a border of collaboration, where there is economic trade totalling five billion dollars every year."
-- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchhr Mottaki, speaking in Iraq of the border between the two predominantly Shiite Muslim countries.
A GREAT NAME
"Today the United Arab Emirates achieves the tallest building ever created by the hand of man... and this great project deserves to carry the name of a great man. Today I inaugurate Burj Khalifa."
-- Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum speaking at the inauguration of the world's biggest skyscraper, which is named after United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan, ruler of Abu Dhabi, the UAE emirate which bailed out Dubai with 10 billion dollars
STORM IN A FROZEN TEACUP
"This is a bit of a storm in a teacup. We are actually dealing with real storms at the moment."
-- British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, speaking of the challenge to his leadership of the Labour Party by two ex-ministers as Britain also confronts major winter snow storms.
