"We are very well aware of our responsibility for Greece and the Greek people. As I have always said, we can help, but we can't put money into a bottomless pit."– German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble
"I don't accept insults to my country by Mr Schäuble . . . Who is Mr Schäuble to ridicule Greece? Who are the Dutch? Who are the Finns? We always had the pride to defend not just our own freedom, not just our own country, but the freedom of all of Europe."– Greek president Karolos Papoulias
"Despite the best efforts of church leaders and politicians to convince us that religion is still an important part of our national life, these results demonstrate that it is largely irrelevant, even to those who still label themselves Christian."– Scientist Richard Dawkins on poll showing 54 per cent in Britain identify themselves as Christians. In 2001, it was 72 per cent
"We are so afraid – and rightly so – of going backwards . . . to the bad days when religion was imposed on people by despotic regimes that we have got to the stage where aggressive secularism is being imposed by stealth, leaving us with the ironic situation where, to stave off intolerance against minorities, we end up being intolerant towards religion itself."– British cabinet minister Sayeeda Warsi
"An Ireland that ensures older people are not marginalised by ageist attitudes, and that respects the young and combines wisdom and energy, is a rich society."– President Michael D Higgins at an Older and Bolder seminar