51.   Harumi Asao, a spokesman for the Hokkaido Development Bureau, acknowledged that with new obstacles, the pace of work had again slowed.

52.   In Cairo, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak raised a new obstacle Friday, saying Arabs and Muslims must have a role in protecting the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

53.   In three months of negotiations, there have been repeated predictions that agreement was near, only to be dashed by new obstacles.

54.   In three months of negotiations, there have been repeated predictions that agreement was near, only to be proven wrong when new obstacles emerged in the negotiations.

55.   Israeli-PLO negotiations on expanding Palestinian self-rule entered a fourth day Wednesday facing a new obstacle over Israeli troop redeployment maps that caused an angry walkout by Palestinians.

56.   Israel-PLO negotiations on expanding Palestinian self-rule faced a new obstacle Wednesday, a dispute over Israeli troop redeployment maps that caused an angry walkout by Palestinians.

57.   Russia raised a new potential obstacle by insisting that Russian federal authorities take sole responsibility for distributing any U.N. relief goods.

58.   The new rules would create new obstacles for development affecting wetlands in floodplains.

59.   The rebels have kept presenting new obstacles to the airlift.

60.   The shelling demolishes empty buildings, creating new hideouts for the Chechens in the rubble and new obstacles for the Russian troops.