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'Condoms' and 'Playboy magazines': Zarazir decries being given 'filthy' parliament office

MP Cynthia Zarazir of the ‘change’ bloc on Tuesday decried the “disrespect” and “bullying” she has faced ever since entering parliament’s building for the first time.

“Ever since I entered parliament, I have not been shown any respect that suggests that those whom I will be present with for four years are firstly humans and secondly respectable people,” Zarazir said on her official Twitter and Facebook accounts, shortly after she faced several bullying and name-calling instances in parliament.

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Circus in parliament: Berri insults Qaaqour, MP slams 'roaches', Khazen rejects use of 'patriarchal'

Slurs flew as parliament witnessed several heated exchanges between MPs during Tuesday’s legislative session.

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President Aoun meets U.N. Special Coordinator

President Michel Aoun on Tuesday told U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka that Lebanon is committed to Resolution 1701, while Israel is constantly violating the Lebanese sovereignty by land, sea and air.

Aoun stressed the importance of the collaboration between the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese Army, as he affirmed his willingness to carry out reforms and resume the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

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Parliament approves $150 mn World Bank Wheat loan

Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil suggested Tuesday a parliamentary recommendation to lift subsidies amid a recurring wheat crisis forcing Lebanese to queue in front of bakeries to get their flat Arabic bread.

The suggestion was welcomed by Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati but rejected by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri who said that the government must take such decisions and that the lifting of subsidies is not within the Parliament's duties.

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Gantz accuses Hezbollah of hindering border negotiations

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Tuesday that Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is getting in the way of reaching a solution regarding the border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel.

"Nasrallah is obstructing the attempt to reach a solution," Gantz said, as he accused Hezbollah's chief of "harming the Lebanese and the energy sector."

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Hochstein to visit Lebanon by the end of the week

Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab confirmed Tuesday ahead of a parliament session that U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein will visit Lebanon by the end of the week.

The MPs will discuss in their first legislative session today the maritime border demarcation with Israel.

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Parliament convenes in first legislative session

Parliament convened Tuesday, in its first legislative session, to vote on 40 draft laws, including a reformed bank secrecy law and a wheat loan from the World Bank, in the presence of U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea who attended the session.

Parliament's approval of a reformed bank secrecy law is required by the International Monetary Fund to financially support Lebanon. The aim is to fight corruption and detect and investigate financial crimes.

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New U.S. coast guard cutters visit Lebanon for 1st Middle East stop

Two U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutters have arrived in Beirut, Lebanon for a scheduled port visit, marking their arrival to the Middle East after departing the United States and transiting the Mediterranean Sea.

Fast response cutters USCGC John Scheuerman (WPC 1146) and USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr. (WPC 1147) are the newest additions to a slate of Coast Guard ships supporting U.S. 5th Fleet from Bahrain, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.

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Nasrallah renews warning to Israel, says Hezbollah not behind al-Hajj's case

Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel anew on Monday that it would not be able to extract gas from the Karish field without a sea border agreement with Lebanon.

“If the extraction of oil and gas from Karish begins in September before Lebanon obtains its right, we would be heading to ‘a problem’ and we'll do anything to achieve our objective,” Nasrallah said in an interview on al-Mayadeen TV.

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Ibrahim distances General Security from al-Hajj case

General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim on Monday stressed that the General Security agency implemented the judiciary’s instructions when it interrogated Archbishop Moussa al-Hajj and searched his luggage for at least eight hours at the Naqoura border crossing.

“Archbishop Moussa al-Hajj did not face any insult from the General Security agents and he had 20 travel suitcases which required eight hours to be searched,” Ibrahim told al-Jadeed TV.

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