Mass arrests after Iranian riots

There have been a large number of arrests in north-western Iran following riots in protest at a decision to bar a reformist from being elected to parliament.

Iranian state television said forty people were detained in the town of Khalkhal where crowds went on the rampage on Thursday night attacking government offices.

Earlier the country's top election supervisory body, the Council of Guardians, annulled the election in February of a supporter of President Mohammed Khatami as Khalkhal's member of parliament.

Today there have been peaceful protests in Damavand near Tehran after the Council blocked the election of another reformer.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service