31.   In Australia, share prices also closed weaker in lackluster trading in the absence of any direction from overseas markets.

32.   Industrial production also was weaker in January than the Fed previously thought.

33.   The Commerce Department also said Friday that sales activity was much weaker in the August-October period than previously reported.

34.   The currency was weaker in the absence of major buying incentive in early Tokyo trading, traders said.

35.   The impact of rising inequality on poverty reduction has been especially strong in urban areas and weaker in rural areas.

36.   The latest report also showed that starts were weaker in January than first thought.

37.   The scandal around Skuratov has hurt Yeltsin, whose grip on power has grown weaker in recent months because of frequent illnesses.

38.   The ruble was slightly weaker in trading early Monday.

39.   The ruble was weaker in trading early Monday, but had fallen only a few cents on the dollar.

40.   The Thai currency was also much weaker in the swap market where investors make agreements to buy and sell baht at fixed prices at fixed times in the future.