Al-Assad family

Almost 2000 people lost their lives in air attacks in Aleppo committed by government forces in 2014, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) argues.

As many as 283 woman and 567 children are included in the death toll, the organization reports as quoted by Al Jazeera.

Iran said Friday that next week's presidential election in Syria, branded a farce by Western governments, will boost the legitimacy of its ally Bashar al-Assad.
      
"God willing, the elections in Syria will be carried out without a hitch," said Ali Akbar Velayati, the senior foreign policy adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
      

The European Union said Thursday it was renewing economic sanctions against Syria, including an oil embargo and asset freezes against allies of President Bashar al-Assad, for another year.
      

The death toll from Syrian air raids on rebel-held areas in the northern city of Aleppo has topped 40 over a 24-hour period, a monitoring group said Wednesday.
      
Barrel bombs killed 22 people Tuesday in the eastern districts of Hay Qataneh, Tariq al-Bab, Bustan al-Qasr, Bani Zeid, Mghayer and Lairamoun, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
      

A twin suicide attack in Syria's province of Hama took the lives of at least 18 people, 11 of which children, according to state media reports.

The two explosions, which were described as "terrorist"-originated, were in villages which are presently under government control, as the BBC reports.

Syria is to hold presidential elections on June 3, its Parliament Speaker announced.

Voting for Syrians outside the country, whose number has considerably increased amid an ongoing civil war, will be on May 28, according to Al Jazeera English.