The following are some quotes from the ongoing World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos:

"We have to face the fact that our economic approach benefits a few, but doesn't bring any benefits for the masses."

-- Philip J. Jennings, general secretary, UNI Global Union, Switzerland

"We are fighting against terrorism but also to make Afghanistan more confident. That's why our soldiers are there working to keep their people safe and confident."

-- Bernard Kouchner, French foreign minister

"Free market fundamentalism was a mistake. To go to the other extreme would also be a mistake."

-- Ken Rosen, chairman, Fisher Center for Real Estate and Urban Economics and Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley, the United States.

"We are not happy with US$40 a barrel or even US$50. This is not enough to permit our member countries to invest and if they don't invest now, there will not be enough capacity to meet the increased demand when the economy recovers."

-- Abdalla Salem El Badri, OPEC secretary-general.

(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2009)