Syria's Assad to stand again for president

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has registered to stand in next month's presidential election, which he is widely expected to win, parliament speaker Mohammed al-Lahham said on Monday.

Syria will hold elections that are expected to return President Bashar al-Assad to office. (AAP)

The June 3 vote will be held despite a raging war that began with peaceful anti-government protests and morphed into an insurgency after Assad's regime unleashed a massive crackdown against dissent.

The conflict is estimated to have killed more than 150,000 people.