She has arrived at the Palace of Westminster amid much pageantry to perform the ceremony of the state opening of parliament in the House of Lords.

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The State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, adopted the bill on its third reading, the state-run RAPSI news agency reported.

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In Russia, the State Duma (lower house of parliament) features a spoof draft law submitted by deputy Sergei Ivanov, in which he proposes banning the consumption of garlic - popular among Russians - in public places.

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On this day in 1605 Fawkes, a disgruntled English Catholic rebel, attempted to take down the entire English government king, ministers, parliament and all by blowing up the House of Lords during the State Opening of Parliament.

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Before his good performance in the presidential election he won a seat in the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, for the city of Tula, south of Moscow.

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Since legislation adopted in 2004 forced Russians to vote for parties and not individual candidates, the ardently pro-Putin United Russiaparty dominates the lower house of parliament, known as the State Duma.

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At the state opening of Parliament on December 3rd, the doors of the House of Commons were slammed in the face of Black Rod an official who summons MPs to hear the Queen's Speech to symbolise the Commons' independence, a principle the civil war was fought to affirm.

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The Queen plays a central ceremonial role in the state opening of Parliament, when she travels by ornate horse-drawn coach to the House of Lords to read out a speech prepared by ministers unveiling details of their legislative plans.

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Egypt's upper house of parliament is receiving 90 new members Sunday morning, according to state-run Nile TV.

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