In New England, blue laws in Maine allowed stores to open at midnight while in Massachusetts and Rhode Island stores opened at 12.30 and 1 a.m. respectively.

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American shoppers in search of cheap toys and televisions raced to stores in high numbers after Thanksgiving dinner, signaling that a gambit by big store chains to open at midnight succeeded in drawing more customers.

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In Middle Island, a Wal-Mart remained unofficially open long past midnight to accommodate more than two dozen motorists who were stranded on nearby roads.

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"We want the polling stations to stay open tonight, till midnight if necessary, " Mr. Alvi said.

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Rendering visits even more spookily evocative, the Colosseum is open till midnight on Saturdays from 21 August to the 23 October 2010.

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Drop by for a drink south of the border from 4 pm to midnight every day except for Sunday when its doors open from noon.

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Perrier is trying to be accommodating, keeping his restaurant open an extra hour, until midnight, and serving the full menu in the bar.

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Negotiations to reach a new five-year contract went past the midnight deadline Monday, and the MTA pledged to keep talks open.

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This is not to say that Mr Bush is likely to turn White House meetings into open-ended seminars, like Bill Clinton, or that he is going to waste much midnight oil reading the latest conservative tomes.

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With their voyage complete -- and once the space station's hatches open for them, scheduled for soon after midnight -- they'll have plenty of time to get comfy: They are scheduled to remain on the orbiter for about six months before heading home.

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