1.   Bergsten is concerned that if America does not act now, a sharper fall is decidedly possible.

2.   Other Japanese banks suffered even sharper falls in capital, prompting the Finance Ministry to lift a ban on ordinary commercial banks selling subordinated bonds.

3.   Regional economies with floating exchange rates have seen sharper falls in their asset values.

4.   Retail discounts accounted for the sharper fall in prices in the period, the statement said.

5.   The decline in industrial production in November continued to ease from sharper falls in earlier months.

6.   The regional currency crisis triggered even sharper falls on the regional stock markets.

7.   The stock market correction was healthy as it will help avoid a sharper fall later, said ING Barings research head Laksono Widodo.