The Guardian headline:
Iranian interior ministry bans opposition protest rally.
The NY Times:
Iran Bans Opposition Rally as Critics Are Detained.
Iranian protesters call off rally.
Iran's defeated moderate candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has cancelled a big rally amid unrest over President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election.
The interior ministry had declared planned protests illegal.
The BBC understands that Mr Mousavi called off the rally after being warned that militias policing it would be equipped with live rounds.
He didn't have much choice then really, did he?
A minor difference in emphasis, perhaps – but these things matter.
Update: the Beeb piece now headlines "Iran protesters 'defy ban'". Not sure what the inverted commas round 'defy ban' are supposed to signify.
Update 2: the latest from BBC reporter Jon Leyne:
I just came away from the protest. It was an incredible sight. A huge crowd, hundreds of thousands of people maybe even millions of people there in defiance of open threats from the government that they should not assemble.
While I was at the demonstration the security forces were staying well away from it. We were even able to film and usually the secret police come in straight away and stop you. But the crowds were so enormous they were stepping back. As we drove out we saw rows of riot police stationed on the highway.
If they have opened fire, that is going to really ratchet up this, it could be frankly a huge political mistake for those running this country.
Mick Hartley 
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