41.   The problem has worsened in recent months after Thailand was forced to devalue its currency, the baht, which came under speculative attack in early July.

42.   The rates were raised to attract foreign capital, preventing a speculative attack on the Brazilian real during a sharp slide in local stock markets.

43.   The real also strengthened in the futures market on optimism that rates are coming down and danger of a speculative attack is ebbing.

44.   The problems in Thailand, and the speculative attacks on national currencies, spread to the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.

45.   The Philippine central bank tightened rules on banks selling currency derivatives to foreigners, its latest bid to shield the peso from speculative attack.

46.   The speculative attacks, they said, were destabilizing Hong Kong and fraying consumer confidence.

47.   The Taiwan central bank uses its foreign reserves to protect its local currency from speculative attacks.

48.   They said Menem would convert Argentina into a dollar economy by emergency decree should the peso come under a severe speculative attack.

49.   Turmoil in Asian markets sparked concern that ballooning current account and public deficits could make its currency the next target of a speculative attack.

50.   Traders said the central bank would have to be more active in defending the Finnish currency if it was to stave off speculative attack.