Ahmadinejad flies out to attend security summit

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has arrived in Russia to attend a regional security summit at a time when controversy over his victory in elections has drawn huge protests at home.

Iran is an observer in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and Mr Ahmadinejad attended today's session of the group in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg.

Mr Ahmadinejad had been expected to arrive yesterday and meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on the sidelines of the summit.

He postponed the trip for one day amid street protests in Iran following his re-election in a bitterly disputed vote on Friday.

No reason was given for the postponement.