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/ 11 June 2004

Presidents with too much staying power

The concept of amending Constitutions so that national leaders can remain in office for extended periods of time has come under increasing criticism in recent years. This did not prevent Chadian legislators from voting last month to allow President Idriss Deby to run for a third five-year term in 2006, however. Now there are concerns that this vote might encourage the proponents of similar constitutional reform in Benin.

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/ 11 June 2004

Blooming freedom

The day on which James Joyce’s <i>Ulysses</i> is set, June 16, is celebrated as "Bloomsday" in Dublin. As the novel nears its centenary, Stephen Gray winkles out hitherto-unnoted South African connections.

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/ 11 June 2004

You are feeling very sleepy…

In fading light, the murmur of a cool stream soothes your jangled nerves. Your back is slowly massaged, stretching muscles exhausted from the long commute home. Before you know it, you’re fast asleep. It sounds like treatment you might get at an exotic resort. But a Japanese company has developed a sleep machine system it says will deliver a full eight hours of z’s in your own bedroom.