Syria to hold June presidential poll

The speaker of Syria's parliament has announced that the country will hold a presidential election on 3 June. Mohammed al-Lahham said candidates could register to run from Tuesday. Bashar al-Assad is expected to seek a third seven-year term, despite an uprising against his rule that has left an estimated 150,000 people dead and forced 9 million from their homes. World powers who support the opposition have denounced the plans for an election as a "parody of democracy," according to BBC.