31.   Robinson softened his position Sunday, saying Duchesne was just one of a number of players guilty of making mistakes on the goal that cost the Kings the game.

32.   Since then, the government and the rebels appear to have softened their positions.

33.   Softening his position on legalized gambling, House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran said Monday building a casino in Boston might be a good idea.

34.   Some NATO diplomats portrayed them as a sign that Bush was softening his position that extended peacekeeping in the Balkans should be left to European forces.

35.   Still, for the first time this year, the Republican governor and the Democratic Assembly leader seemed to soften their positions.

36.   Sunday, as Adams stuck to the IRA hard line, Trimble made comments that appeared to soften his position, slightly.

37.   The U.S., which helps patrol the no-fly zone, yesterday softened its position on the flights.

38.   Yet, in the face of public support for consumer protections, the leadership may be softening its position.

39.   According to local reports, a breakthrough came when the IMF softened its position and accepted a South Korean plan for dealing with its debt-burdened merchant banks.

40.   Accounts in the Israeli press afterward suggested Clinton had cannily used sheer fatigue to wear down the parties and get them to soften their positions.