Nikahang Kowsar's announcer for State news agency IRIB declares, "Important news: The West's new scenario -- creating instability along Syria's borders. The death of one person from poverty in France. Zionists concerned by the meeting of...." Meanwhile, in the corner, a dead child and wailing mother in "Azerbaijan", the province hit by Saturday's earthquakes.
0500 GMT: The exact toll from Saturday's two earthquakes in northwestern Iran is far from certain this mornings. Provincial officials had said Sunday that 300 people had died, with more than 2600 injured. However, late in the evening, Minister of Interior Mostafa Mohammad Najjar gave the figures of 227 killed with 1380 wounded.
As the situation moved from rescue to relief operations, questions grew over the handling of the disaster by Government and media. Local MPs criticised the slow response and lack of resources to help the injured and homeless, compounded by years of failure to provide adequate health care facilities. State broadcaster IRIB and some press outlets were bitterly criticised, including by other conservative publications, for their failure to mention the earthquakes and their aftermath.
This morning Press TV continues to put the news in its "Society" section, while headlining its "Iran" section with the story that a recently-free Iranian will sue the US over her five-year detention. State news agency IRNA's top article is on President Ahmadinejad's visit to Saudi Arabia for the summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Fars, which had given a great deal of attention to the earthquakes, now features Ahmadinejad as well as the Supreme Leader's address to academics and researchers.
That address did not refer to the disaster and the deaths; instead, Ayatollah Khamenei dwelt on Iran leading an Islamic Awakening which was surpassing the "infertile" West. Later in the day, his office put out a statement of blessing for the dead and injured and calling for patience.
Posted via email from lissping
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