Syria's Assad ready to stand in new election: Russian MP

MOSCOW: Syria's President Bashar al-Assad is ready to stand in a new presidential election, a Russian lawmaker told AFP from Damascus on Sunday. "He is ready to conduct elections with the participation of all political forces who want Syria to prosper," Russian lawmaker Alexander Yushchenko said by phone after meeting Assad in the Syrian capital. Assad said he was ready to take part in the polls "if the people are not against it," Yushchenko added. -TOI