Syria's Assad wins a fourth term in predictable landslide

SYRIAN President Bashar Assad was re-elected in a landslide, officials have said, ushering in a fourth seven-year term in the war-torn country following an election described as illegitimate and a sham by the West and his opposition.

Assad’s win was not in doubt, in an election where officials said 18 million were eligible to vote. But in the country ravaged by the 10-year-old conflict, areas controlled by rebels or Kurdish-led troops did not hold the vote. At least 8 million, mostly displaced, live in those areas in northwest and northeast Syria. Over 5 million refugees, mostly living in neighbouring countries, have largely refrained from casting their ballots.