1.   And big oil stocks like Exxon, Royal Dutch Petroleum and Chevron all declined despite another rise in spot oil prices.

2.   Prices declined despite a Commerce Department report that factory orders were weaker than expected in December.

3.   Opponents of the death penalty, including human rights groups and some lawyers, say the crime rate has not declined despite the restoration of the death penalty.

4.   After opening lower, the dollar kept declining despite intervention from the Bank of Japan.

5.   Blue chips also declined despite their reputation for being havens in bearish markets.

6.   But he has been faulted for failing to check inflation and improve living standards, which continue to decline despite a construction boom.

7.   Corn prices declined despite a smaller-than-expected improvement in crop ratings.

8.   Dealers said Japanese institutional investors were buying the dollar when it declined, despite a general lack of investor interest ahead of the long holiday.

9.   Despite the February decline in orders for durable goods, the manufacturing sector still is considered healthy.

10.   In releasing the figures, the ministry said it expects the surplus will likely continue to decline in the future despite the recent weakness of the Japanese yen.