21.   Share prices maintained their firm tone for most of the day on continued buying suppport for blue-chips mainly by foreign and institutional investors, brokers said.

22.   Share prices retained their firm tone throughout the day on active buying following the better than expected outcome of the auction for the Shiodome district, brokers said.

23.   Share prices surged in Europe on Monday following a firm tone on Wall Street and a rise of the dollar.

24.   Strong gains overnight on Wall Street and on the US Treasury market, which pushed European bond prices higher, lent a firm tone to equities.

25.   The dollar maintained its firm tone against the yen and mark amid speculation of a rate cut at a German Bundesbank meeting later in the day, dealers said.

26.   The dollar moved slightly higher in Tokyo Tuesday, extending its broadly firm tone in overnight trade on gains in US stocks and bonds, dealers said.

27.   The dollar retained its firm tone in mid-afternoon Tokyo trading on the back of modest buying by securities houses and trust banks, dealers said.

28.   The firm tone is the same when the team questions the manager of the local airport.

29.   The dollar was slightly higher against the yen here Tuesday, with the US unit retaining its firm tone despite some light profit-taking, dealers said.

30.   The dollar generally maintained a firm tone against the mark as well, mainly due to developments in the dollar-yen trading, dealers said.