No vote held in areas of worn-torn country controlled by rebels where at least 8 million displaced civilians live; 5 million refugees in neighboring countries refrain from voting

On eve of election, US, Britain, France, Germany and Italy say poll 'neither free nor fair'; fragmented opposition calls it a 'farce'

Vote in government-held areas has been decried as a sham by observers and Western countries, with no supervision and just 2 unknown figures running against president

Incumbent Bashar Assad all but guaranteed a fourth term in office; vote held in shadow of a decade of civil war that has displaced half the country's population

Damascus accused of failing to answer key questions after watchdog probe found its air force bombed Lataminah village with sarin and chlorine in 2017

Parliament speaker announces that the vote, likely to keep dictator Assad in power, will be held on May 26

Under Netanyahu's leadership, the Jewish state survived the difficult early years to come out on top as Iran and jihadists are on the defensive

Probe by global watchdog concludes Assad's air force used the chlorine in strike on town of Saraqib; Syria continues to deny use of chemical weapons

The pandemic has been a major challenge for Syria's healthcare sector, already depleted by 10 years of conflict; Syrian media reports that ICUs in Damascus hospitals full

Unable to return home, activists from Daraa who set aside their lives to join marches in the streets continue to support a cause that they hope can still prevail