I believe that what we have witnessed over the past few days are historic seismic shifts in the political landscape in Northern Ireland.
- Tony Blair, of the Stormont talks
Despite the spin, despite the smoke and mirrors, there has been no commitment made by the republican movement to decommission in terms that would be recognised by the unionist community.
- David Trimble, UUP leader
This isn't about guns. This is about those who are against change.
- Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein, responding to Mr Trimble
Quite frankly, it seems as if it is the unionists who are not yet on board.
- US Congressman Peter King assessing the talks deadlock early on Thursday morning
One thing I would say to the unionists is that they can always walk away from this if the [decommissioning] commitments aren't made at a later date . . . They can bring this down at any time by simply walking out if the commitments aren't kept.
- President Clinton
The entire civilised world will not understand if we can't put this together and make it work. They simply won't understand and rightly.
- Mr Blair
When you boil it down the gap is not so monumental that it cannot be bridged.
- Mr Blair's official spokes- man on Thursday afternoon
Black men are here in Ireland, they want to live like leeches by taking advantage of our good-natured Irish personality. Once they get here, they are hard to get out because they all look the same and share passports.
- Part of a letter currently circulating in parts of Dublin warning of the "dangers" of granting asylum to Africans
The President is very upset. To the people who he is very close to, he is expressing how hurt he is and his dismay at the Vice-President. It is not a passing thing.
- An unnamed Clinton aide of presidential candidate Al Gore's attempts to distance himself from the President's behaviour with Monica Lewinsky
The tournament would be a lot better off with the demise of grass.
- John Lloyd, former British Davis Cup player, on the quality of tennis at Wimbledon
There were times when I just took sex by force.
- Musician Eric Clapton, describing how he abused his wife, Patti Boyd, at the height of his heroin and drink addiction
If things had been allowed to go as they were, it is mathematically certain that Greece would have ended up behind the Iron Curtain.
- George Papadopoulos, leader of the Greek colonels' junta, who has died
One of the greatest figures of our time [who] represented all that is best in Britain. His decency, integrity and patriotism were of the highest order and for once the word "indispensable" is not misplaced.
- Baroness Thatcher, of the former Conservative cabinet minister, Lord Whitelaw (81)
The British are the only European nation that like war.
- Henry Kissinger, former US secretary of state
I'm always horrified. I want to vomit. I sweat. I cover my face. I squeeze people's arms.
- Actress Patricia Arquette, of her own films
A man leaves a woman for another woman. But a woman leaves a man for herself.
- Stefanie Powers, former star of Hart to Hart
[He has] murdered thousands of innocent people without regard to babies, children, women or the elderly.
- Judge Turgut Okyay sentencing Kurdish separatist leader Abdullah Ocalan to death