Would a man get a flexible schedule if he stated he needed to be home at 5:00 p.m. to cook for the kids?

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Mr Abbas, who has been notably flexible since taking on Yasser Arafat's mantle since the old man died five years ago, has lousy cards to play.

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France, and other European farm protectionists, may prove more flexible than they currently imply: this is hardly the first time they have promised to man the barricades shortly before striking a deal.

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