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Kostas Vaxevanis, the editor of Hot Doc, the Greek magazine which published the ‘Lagarde list’ of alleged Greek tax avoiders, faces a new trial on a charge of 
breaching private data. He says that Greek journalism has been compromised by its corrupt owners who have got too close to the politicians it should be exposing
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KT News and Comment:
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a news conference today that he will not allow the creation of another Kurdistan Regional Government in the west of Kurdistan.
Erdogan told a journalist that his government would not allow its authority to be undermined, having already spent around $600 million backing and supplying arms to the Syrian opposition and giving aid for refugees.
His comments are indicative of how the Turkish state still has the arrogant Ataturk mentality, always believing that history is on its side.
The Kurdistan Regional Government in the south of Kurdistan was established, not by a decision of Turkey, but by the will of the Kurdish people.
The people of the west of Kurdistan have similar aspirations and, because of this, they have effectively liberated most of the cities and villages of their region.
KT News and Comment:
A prominent Gorran MP in the Iraqi parliament has accused other Kurdish MPs of wrongly opposing Iraq’s budget because of the ongoing oil dispute.
Latif Mustafa told Awene that, while the Iraq budget ‘belongs’ to ordinary people, the oil dispute between Baghdad and Erbil mainly concerns the corrupt politicians, oil contractors and foreign companies that reap most of the benefits.
He attacked MPs from the ruling KDP and PUK who have opposed the budget and returned to Erbil in protest. Ordinary people could have paid for these theatrics but thankfully the Kurdistan Region Government (KRG) has got a reasonable settlement this year – 17% of the central government budget.
The Iraqi government is still refusing to pay money owed to foreign oil companies working in the south of Kurdistan because, it says, the KRG has kept $10 billion of oil income owed to central government coffers. However, this claim cannot be substantiated.
As the Gorran MP says, Kurdistan’s politicians should confront Baghdad, not over dodgy oil dealings, but over Article 140 and other matters affecting the destiny of our people.
Latif Mustafa is the kind of MP who always speaks his mind, straightforwardly and clearly. Kurdistan needs more MPs like him.
The population of the Republic of Azerbaijan perceives itself as a member separated from Iran, says an article by editor-in-chief of Iran’s Kayhan newspaper Hossein Shariatmadari titled “Baku’s turn.”
According Iran’s news agency Fars, referring to the recent forum of the anti-Iranian South Azerbaijan National Liberation Movement in Baku and the fact that Iran sent a note of protest to Azerbaijan in this connection, the Iranian Supreme Leader’s representative at Kayhan writes, “The Republic of Azerbaijan has a population of around 10 million people, most of which are Shias. The Azerbaijanis have deep cultural ties with the population of Iran’s Atrpatakan Province. The current facts and observations leave no doubt that the population of the Republic of Azerbaijan perceives itself as a member separated from Iran.”
“Iran’s respected governmental officials can propose the Republic of Azerbaijan government hold a referendum on joining the Republic of Azerbaijan with the Iranian Azerbaijan (Iranian provinces of East Azerbaijan and West Azerbaijan),” Kayhan’s editor-in-chief says.
Iran is considered to be one of the best countries for Armenians to live in, visiting spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry Ramin Mehmanparast said on the sidelines of his visit to the Institute of Oriental Studies at the RA National Academy of Sciences on Wednesday, according to Iran’s news agency FARS.
In a meeting with director of the Institute of Oriental Studies Ruben Safrastyan, the spokesman said, in part, “Armenians are respected in Iran and Iran is considered to be one of the best countries for Armenians to live in. Iranian Armenians are part of our country’s population. We will never allow anyone to encroach on the rights of our citizens.”
As part of his visit to Armenia, the spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry has met with Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Shavarsh Kocharyan and visited Yerevan State University.
The spokesman is to meet with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian on Wednesday, Iran’s state-run news agency IRNA said.
Turkey prioritizes neither the Genocide issue, nor Armenian-Turkish reconciliation, political expert Artak Shakaryan said.
“Turks do the utmost to prove that not only Armenians, but also Turks were massacred in 1915. For this reason, memorials to the so-called “Turkish genocide” and to the victims to ASALA operations will be built in Turkey,” the expert said, adding that Turks are seriously concerned about Armenian Genocide 100th anniversary commemoration events.
“Unfortunately, Armenia only responds to Turkish scenarios, rather than initiates new plans,” he said, adding that the frozen state of Armenian-Turkish protocols benefits Ankara.
PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia has no intention to attack Azerbaijan; however, Baku must realize that in case of hostilities against Armenia, Russian forces will be 
protecting Yerevan in accordance with agreements, a Russian expert said.
According to Andrey Yepifantsev, even in the case above, the nature of modern war doesn’t envisage automatic involvement of all available types of forces.
“Azerbaijan and Armenia have no common sea border so the probability of the involvement of naval forces in this case is rather ambiguous,” vesti.az quoted the expert as saying.
NYT Reported;
The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to approve the first-ever treaty to regulate the enormous global trade in conventional weapons, for the first time linking such sales to the human-rights records of the buyers.
The vote on the Arms Trade Treaty came after an attempt to achieve a consensus on the treaty among all 193 member states of the United Nations failed last week, with Iran, Syria and North Korea blocking it. Those three countries, often ostracized as pariahs, contended the treaty was full of deficiencies and had been structured to be unfair to them.
The treaty would require states exporting conventional weapons to develop criteria that would link exports to avoiding human rights abuses, terrorism and organized crime. It would also ban shipments if they were deemed harmful to women and children. Countries that join the treaty would have to report publicly on sales every year, exposing the process to levels of transparency that rights groups hope will severely limit illicit weapons deals.
16:38, 2 April, 2013
YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENRPESS. Clashes between the governmental forces and armed rebels flared up in Aleppo during the recent days. The Press Secretary of the 
Armenian National Prelacy of Aleppo Jirair Reisian stated this in a conversation with “Armenpress”. In addition he stressed that the clashes mainly take place in Sheikh Makhsood district, which is very close to the Armenian regions. The district is mostly populated with the Kurds, along with a small number of Armenians. The local Armenians moved to other regions for the security reasons. The Aleppo-Armenian emergency unit tries to take care of them as much as possible.
Among other things Reisian noted that the rebels tried to intrude the Armenian districts and a number of bombs exploded in the Armenian districts. Several Armenians were wounded in the explosions. Fortunately, their injuries are not serious. There is a danger that the Armenian districts may become arena for clashes.
The Press Secretary of the Armenian National Prelacy of Aleppo Jirair Reisian also stated that the city has been deprived of electricity for 4-5 days.
In accordance with the UN data clashes lasting for already two years in Syria caused death of over 70 thousand people, including more than five dozens Armenians.
The Georgian authorities are considering possibilities of developing military cooperation with Turkey and Azerbaijan, Georgia Online reported, citing the country’s minister of defense.
“We now have a trilateral relationship format, and we intend to expand it for conducting new joint military drills,” said Irakli Alasania.
The Georgian official noted that they had earlier organized exercises for command headquarters, adding that the upcoming event will be intended for battalions.
“Negotiations are now under way, with no planning going on. But the prospects are positive,” Alasania said.
In the meantime, the minister did not rule out the possibility of regional allies and the United States’ participation in the training.
The previous drills conducted in a trilateral format were aimed at ensuring the security of oil pipelines.