51.   Earlier, in Japan, the dollar gained on the yen after Japanese Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa told reporters that he hopes the yen will weaken.

52.   EVEN though the Japanese yen weakened to a new low against the greenback, it was largely unchanged against the ringgit last week.

53.   In currency dealings, the yen weakened against the greenback after the resignation Friday of a top Japanese government spokesman over scandals.

54.   In currency dealings, the yen weakened against the dollar amid the fall in the Nikkei.

55.   In currency dealings, the yen weakened against the greenback amid speculation that interest rates in Japan may remain at record lows for the time being.

56.   In New York overnight, the yen weakened on the continued outflow of investment money from Japan, reflecting the search for higher-yielding opportunities.

57.   In Tokyo, the yen weakened and share prices slid due to pessimism about the domestic economy.

58.   In the same report, the central bank said the yen has weakened recently because of lower interest rates in Japan than the United States.

59.   Its yen weakened against the dollar and its stock market fared poorly.

60.   Japanese officials, though, have warned that the yen may have weakened excessively against the dollar, suggesting possible yen-buying intervention.