Thailand, Syria, Somalia.

Today's three stories you should know.

Thailand

Thailand’s Move Forward party has taken a surprise lead as votes are counted after what many are calling a pivotal general election today. If it was to emerge as the biggest party, it would be a stunning result for the youth-led progressive movement. Coming in just behind was the Pheu Thai party, led by the daughter of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, which had been considered the frontrunner. Thailand has seen a dozen military coups in recent years and anti-military parties have been buoyed by young voters who say they want to break that cycle. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who led a coup in 2014, has been lagging in opinion polls.

More from Al Jazeera here.

Syria

Syria has given the UN permission to use two border crossings into rebel-held territory for another three months so that it can continue to deliver aid to areas affected by February’s massive earthquake. "This decision is based on Syria's keenness on enhancing stability and improving the living and humanitarian situation of all Syrians,” Bassam Sabbagh, Syria's UN ambassador, tweeted. Syria’s civil war is in stalemate with the government back in control of the vast majority of the country.

More from Reuters here.

Somalia

Thousands of people in central Somalia’s Beledweyne have been forced to flee their homes after the River Shabelle burst its banks. "We fled from the flash floods that submerged the city like so many others," local resident Abdihafid Mohamed Yusuf told the AFP news agency. "People ran out of the city to safety. For four days, the floods poured massively into the city." Deputy Governor of the Hiran Region Hassan Ibrahim Abdulle said almost the entire populations of some areas have had to leave their towns and villages. The flooding comes after months of drought that killed many and pushed hundreds of thousands of people to the brink of starvation.

More from Africa News here.