LIVE: Lankan Prez Gotabaya Rajapaksa headed to Saudi Arabia, says report

Live news upedates: Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is headed to Saudi Arabia via Singapore

Live news updates: Sri Lanka's anti-government demonstrators on Thursday decided to vacate some of the iconic administrative buildings, including the President's House and the Prime Minister's Office, they have been occupying since April 9 demanding president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation. On July 9, protesters occupied President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's presidential palace and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private house. The Prime Minister's Office was overrun on Wednesday.

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak extended his lead in the UK prime ministerial race on Wednesday with the highest number of votes at 88 in the first round of voting by Conservative Party MPs, which narrowed down the race from eight to six candidates on the shortlist. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky blamed Russia for causing unrest in Sri Lanka as well as around the world due to the blocking of food products during the invasion of Ukraine. 

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the Novavax Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine in individuals 18 years of age and older. The Novavax vaccine will be available as two-dose primary series for adults, three weeks apart, Xinhua news agency reported.