Iran news headlines on Saturday include Iran's Leader joining Facebook, Iran's Foreign ministry spokesman expressing condolences on US shooting, Ahmadinejad visiting Turkey on Dec. 17, Russian Minister of Culture decision on running cultural week in Tehran, increasing amount of South Korea’s imports of oil from Iran in Nov. , Iran holding first official press conference on presidential elections.
 
Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei joins Facebook
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei has joined Facebook. Having already amassed thousands of followers on Twitter and Instagram, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, continues to experiment with new technology - he recently joined Facebook, the social networking site.

 
Iran sympathises tragic US shooting
Iran was quick on Saturday to express condolences after the "tragic" shooting rampage that left 26 people dead, including 20 small children, at an elementary school in the United States. Foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast condemned the "tragic incident" and expressed sympathy with the families of the victims.

 
Ahmadinejad to visit Turkey amid tension
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will visit Turkey on Dec. 17 upon an invitation from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, but the visit comes increased tension due to the two countries’ differences over Syria, as well as difficulties stemming from sanctions against Tehran.

 
Moscow to run cultural week in Tehran
In the meeting Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Husseini asserted that vast cultural potentials in Iran and Russia should be tackled in order to promote relations between the two countries. During the meeting, a protocol was signed by Tehran and Moscow to hold the Russian cultural week in Iran in 2013. Husseini marked Russian former culture minister’s visit from Iran in 2010 in which it was agreed that Iran’s cultural week would be held in Russia in 2012.

 
South Korea’s imports of Iranian crude climb in November
South Korea’s imports of oil from Iran increased 2.9 percent in November from October, when it resumed shipments from the Persian Gulf nation. Purchases last month were 814,797 metric tons, equivalent to 5.97 million barrels, compared with 791,582 tons in October, according to data posted on the Korea Customs Service’s website today. Volumes dropped from 1.2 million tons a year earlier, the data showed.

 
Iran holds first official press conference on presidential elections
Iran has held country's first official press conference regarding the upcoming presidential elections, that will be held on June 14, 2013. Country's Intelligence Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, speaking at the press conference, said that the registration of the presidential candidates will be held on May 7-12. Najjar also said that simultaneously with presidential elections, Iran will hold the City and Village Councils' elections on the same day.

 

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