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U.S. Treasury Secretary Vows 'Deterrent' Measures against Hizbullah

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced Wednesday that Washington will take “deterrent” measures against Hizbullah.

Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, Mnuchin said the United States and its allies in the region will discuss a host of measures in the coming period.

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Rare Public Anger at Hizbullah after Crackdown on Street Vendors

A police raid against unlicensed street vendors in Beirut's southern suburbs has caused a rare public expression of anger in a stronghold of Hizbullah.

The raid early Wednesday in the Hay el-Sellom neighborhood was carried out by the Internal Security Forces, which used bulldozers to take down shacks where vendors mainly sold coffee and mobile phones.

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Bassil Says Mashnouq 'Impeding' Elections as Panel Holds Futile Meeting

Foreign Minister and Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Wednesday accused Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq of “impeding” the upcoming parliamentary elections, as a ministerial panel tasked with studying the implementation of the complex electoral law held a futile meeting.

“Three forces are obstructing the electoral law: the one who is impeding the organization of the elections, or the interior minister, those who are accusing us of corruption, theft and shady deals over the issue of voting cards, and those who are demanding the pre-registration of voters,” Bassil said after the ministerial committee's meeting at the Grand Serail.

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Woman Wanted over Spying for Israel Arrested

A Lebanese woman wanted over spying for Israel was arrested on Wednesday, the National News Agency said.

“The General Directorate of State Security has managed to arrest Lebanese woman J.Y. in the Metn area of Sed el-Bauchrieh,” NNA said.

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Lebanon Inquiring about Fate of Three Lebanese Abducted in Iraq

Lebanon's Foreign Ministry said the abduction incident of three Lebanese nationals in Iraq's Baghdad is being followed up closely in a manner that suits the safety of the abductees, the National News Agency reported on Wednesday.

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Gen. Aoun Meets Head of US Central Command in Washington

Army Commander General Joseph Aoun held talks in Washington with the US Army Gen. Joseph Votel, head of US Central Command in the presence of senior military and civil officials, the National News Agency reported on Wednesday.

Votel congratulated General Aoun on the huge victory achieved by the Lebanese army during the Dawn of the Outskirts offensive that led to ousting the Islamic State militants from the area, NNA added.

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Military, Security Delegations in Moscow to Seal 'Quality Arms' Agreements

Lebanese delegations are expected to travel to Russia next week as part of talks initiated by Prime Minister Saad Hariri with the Russian leadership to provide Lebanon's military with “quality weapons”, al-Mustaqbal daily reported on Wednesday.

Russian diplomatic sources told the daily “Russian authorities are preparing to receive a Lebanese security delegation from the ministry of interior, followed by a military delegation from the ministry of defense to start talks on 'quality weapons' that Lebanon needs within the framework of an agreement between Hariri and the Russian leadership.”

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Police Remove Illegal Stands in Beirut Southern Suburb, Owners Burn Tires in Protest

Angry owners of illegal coffee vending vehicles and kiosks in the southern suburb of Hay el-Sellom burned tires on Wednesday protesting the state's removal of their unauthorized structures, the State-run National News Agency reported on Wednesday.

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Ibrahim Tackles Kidnapped File in Syria, Says Ready for Coordination Mission on Refugees

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim will reportedly head to Syria on Wednesday to discuss a number of “pending” files between the two countries, expressing readiness to carry out any “coordination mission” with Damascus mandated to him by the Lebanese cabinet as for the displaced issue, al-Joumhouria daily reported.

Ibrahim is expected to “meet with Syrian officials and conduct a comprehensive review with them on all pending issues between the two countries, especially the security files related to the kidnapped and the extradition of Lebanese detained by Syrian authorities,” said the daily.

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Australia Grants UNICEF $23 Million for Lebanon Education

The U.N. children's agency said Tue that Australia has granted it 30 million Australian dollars, or about $23 million, to boost access to education for vulnerable children in Lebanon over the next three years.

A UNICEF statement said the announcement was made during Australian Governor-General Peter Cosgrove's visit to a Lebanese public school.

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