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Eight people including 6 children missing as heavy rains trigger flooding in Sri Lanka

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Eight people including 6 children missing as heavy rains trigger flooding in Sri Lanka

Eight people, including six children who were returning from school, have gone missing in Sri Lanka when the farm tractor they were traveling on was swept away by floods triggered by heavy rains, police said Wednesday.

Sri Lanka has experienced heavy downpours and strong winds over the past two days that have flooded homes, fields and roads and forced authorities to suspend train services in tea-growing mountain areas.

In the worst incident, a farm tractor carrying 11 school children was swept away Tuesday evening in the eastern region of the country, police said.

Five children were rescued while six other children along with the driver and another adult are still missing in the incident near the town of Karaitivu. A search operation is underway, police said in a statement.

Separately, a woman died when a brick wall collapsed on her in the mountainous region of Badulla in the central part of the country. Eight people were injured in various other weather-related incidents, the Disaster Management Center said.

As of Wednesday, over 3,000 people had been moved to evacuation centers and nearly 600 homes were damaged,

Army and navy troops were deployed to rescue victims and provide food and other essentials to those affected.

The Meteorology Department attributed the severe weather to a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal and warned it is likely to move closer to Sri Lanka and intensify into a cyclonic storm on Thursday.

Sri Lanka has been grappling with severe weather since May, mostly caused by heavy monsoon rains. In June, 16 people died due to floods and mudslides.

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Politics

APC Southeast hails successful State Assembly primaries

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…Commends Uzodimma’s leadership

The Southeast Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has expressed deep appreciation to the party’s elected officials, stakeholders, and members for their unwavering support that made the State Houses of Assembly Primary Election a resounding success.

Speaking on behalf of the Southeast Executive Committee, the party’s National Vice Chairman, Southeast, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, specifically thanked Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma, who serves as the leader of the party in the region, for his guidance.

He commended the governor for his consistent support that guaranteed peaceful and successful primaries, and noted that his leadership provided the necessary framework for harmony, encouraging all participants to prioritize collective progress over individual interests.

Dr. Arodiogbu further congratulated all winners of the primaries, urging them to embrace humility in victory.

He emphasized the importance of remaining grounded as the party works to consolidate its achievements and prepare effectively for the 2027 general elections.

He also reiterated APC’s commitment to inclusive participation and strategic planning across the Southeast and said that with these successful primaries, the party signals readiness to build on its foundation, delivering impactful representation and addressing the needs of citizens in the zone.

The primaries held smoothly across the five states of the Southeast geopolitical zone on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, reflecting strong unity and commitment within the party ranks.

This achievement underscored the growing strength of the APC in the region, where diligent coordination and collective efforts translated into orderly processes free from major disruptions.

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Politics

FEDERAL HIGH COURT STOPS INEC FROM RESTRICTING DEFECTION TO ANOTHER PARTY AFTER CONTESTING PRIMARY

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Here is the judgement from the Federal High Court, Abuja today

1. INEC can only monitor 2027 primaries but cannot fix timetable for when a political party should conduct its primaries for this election

2. INEC cannot give a shorter timeframe or abridge the period in which a political party can provide information of their candidates for 2027 election

3. INEC cannot give a shorter timeframe to political parties as regards withdrawal or replacement of candidates (Placeholders)

4. INEC cannot publish any final list of candidates for 2027 elections before 60 days to election.

5. INEC cannot fix 2027 campaigns to end 2 days to elections.

6. This is AN ORDER nullifying and setting aside the timeframes imposed by INEC for 2027 General Election for:

– the conduct of primary elections by political parties for the 2027 general elections

– the submission of personal particulars of candidates by their political parties for the 2027 general elections

– the withdrawal and replacement of candidates by political parties

– the publication of the final list of candidates for the 2027 general elections and campaigning.

Is this a trap or a game changer for some aspirants???

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Politics

Fubara To Contest Rivers Governorship Seat Under NDC

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A Rivers State politician, Blessing Fubara, has declared his intention to contest the 2027 governorship election in Rivers State under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

The politician has already obtained both the nomination and expression of interest forms needed to participate in the governorship race ahead of the 2027 election.

Blessing Fubara shares the same surname and local government area with the current Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

Both men are from Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area. However, there has been no confirmation that they are family members.

The Chairman of the NDC in Rivers State, Success Jack, confirmed that Blessing Fubara is among those seeking the party’s governorship ticket.

He also stated that he could not confirm whether the governorship aspirant is related to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

According to him, the party is preparing seriously for the 2027 general elections and hopes to win not only the governorship seat but other elective positions in Rivers State.

The development comes weeks after Blessing Fubara left the All Progressives Congress and joined the NDC.

Following his defection in Abuja, he was received by former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, alongside other leaders and members of the party.

After joining the NDC, Blessing Fubara said his decision was taken for the interest of Rivers people.

He also stated that the future of the state must be protected ahead of the next general election, expressing confidence that the state would experience positive changes after the 2027 polls.

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