Syrian election

Syrians are voting in a presidential election which the incumbent Bashar al-Assad is widely expected to win. Voting is only taking place in government-controlled territories, meaning those displaced by fighting or living in rebel-held areas will not be able to take part. The opposition has dismissed the vote as a "farce"that will prolong the country's three-year conflict. The vote excludes regime opponents from running. Today's controversial vote is Syria's first election in nearly 50 years, with Assad and his father renewing their mandates in successive referendums. Online to tell us what's happening on the ground is Hannah Smith, a freelance journalist who is currrently in Antakya, on the border with Turkey and Syria, near the Bab Al-Hawa border crossing, which is a rebel held area. Hanna has worked on a number of high-profile investigations for Channel 4 and BBC. She is also a regular correspondent for the Middle Eastern daily newspaper Asharq al Aswat.