  A semi-classical approximation has been a powerful tool in understanding the
dynamics of low-energy heavy-ion reactions. Here we discuss two topics in this
regard, for which Mahir Hussein was a world leading pioneer. The first topic is
heavy-ion fusion reactions of neutron-rich nuclei, in which the breakup process
of the projectile nucleus plays a crucial role. The second is rainbow and glory
scattering, for which characteristic oscillatory patterns in differential cross
sections can be well understood in terms of intereferences among several
semi-classical trajectories.
