News stories by IPS Correspondents, page 19

, 00 (IPS) -

, 00 (IPS) -

, 00 (IPS) -

, 00 (IPS) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Jan 19 (IPS) - The Provisional Electoral Council, charged with organising parliamentary, municipal and local administrative elections, says that its task is being held up due to lack of funds and logistic resources.

MANILA, Jan 19 (IPS) - China's frosty ties with the Vatican may have thawed somewhat when Chinese Catholics prayed with Pope John Paul II in the Philippines, but the road to healing the decades- old rift remains fraught with political potholes.

BUDAPEST, Jan 19 (IPS) - The collapse of a multi-million dollar deal in which a U.S. company attempted to take over Hungary's last state-owned hotel chain, is likely to harm future attempts to lure foreign investment to Budapest.

STOCKHOLM, Jan 19 (IPS) - Norway is poised to embark on a far- reaching overhaul of its foreign aid policy in an attempt to promote greater accountability among recipient nations and clamp down on inefficiency.

MOSCOW, Jan 19 (IPS) - The IMF is setting tough conditions on Russia in a draft memorandum which will outline specific measures for economic reforms before a 6.4 billion dollar standby loan is released, according to Russian press reports here Thursday.

PARIS, Jan 19 (IPS) - Human rights organisations, repelled by the perverse impacts of French severe immigration laws are contemplating seeking justice in international courts.