World News Roundup: Thai police clash with protesters near Government House; UK PM Johnson reverses plan to skip quarantine after COVID exposure and more

The U-turn comes a day after health minister Sajid Javid said he had tested positive for COVID-19 and at a time when the government's coronavirus response is under intense scrutiny. 'The government is losing ground' residents say as gangs take territory in Venezuela's capital "Leave the area!

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Thai police clash with protesters near Government House

Thai police used tear gas, water cannon, and rubber bullets on Sunday as they tried to stop protesters from marching on the office of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha calling for him to resign. More than 1,000 protesters took part in the demonstration, which police had so far not dispersed.

UK PM Johnson reverses plan to skip quarantine after COVID exposure

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and finance minister Rishi Sunak will both self-isolate in line with national guidance, abandoning heavily criticized plans to take part in a pilot scheme that would have allowed them to continue working. The U-turn comes a day after health minister Sajid Javid said he had tested positive for COVID-19 and at a time when the government's coronavirus response is under intense scrutiny.

'The government is losing ground' residents say as gangs take territory in Venezuela's capital

"Leave the area! Get the kids out!" screamed gang members walking through western Caracas' El Cementerio barrio with megaphones the morning of Thursday, July 8. The warning told residents in Venezuela's capital shooting would not soon stop. By then barrio residents had already been sheltering in place for more than half a day, whole families prone on the floor to avoid unrelenting gunfire. But for the next 48 hours, El Cementerio and five nearby neighborhoods were paralyzed by an unprecedented display of firepower by gangs, known by neighbors as "the boys."

Jewish visits, opposed by Palestinians, spark clashes at Jerusalem holy site

Brief clashes erupted on Sunday between Israeli police and Palestinians at Al Aqsa mosque over visits by Jews to the compound revered in Judaism as the site of two destroyed Biblical temples. No serious injuries were reported in what police described as stone-throwing early in the day by several Palestinian youngsters who it said were then dispersed.

Flash floods batter Bavaria as European death toll rises to 184

Flash floods hit southern Germany on Sunday, killing at least one person, turning roads into rivers, and adding to the flooding devastation that has claimed the lives of more than 180 people across Europe in recent days. Some vehicles were swept away and swathes of land were buried under thick mud as the Berchtesgadener Land district of Bavaria became the latest region to be hit by record rainfall and floods.

Germany's Merkel pledges fast help in 'terrifying' record floods

German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised fast financial aid on Sunday after visiting one of the areas worst affected by record floods that have killed at least 157 people in the country over past days. "We are by your side," Merkel told residents of the small town Adenau in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, calling the situation there "terrifying".

Iran insists prisoner swap deal was agreed with U.S., says ready to proceed 'today'

Iran insisted on Sunday that a prisoner swap deal has been agreed with the United States, the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman said, a day after Washington denied such an agreement had been reached. "'Outrageous' = the US denying the simple fact that there IS an agreed deal on the matter of the detainees. Even on how to announce it," Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a tweet.

Reuters journalist killed covering clash between Afghan forces, Taliban

Reuters journalist Danish Siddiqui was killed on Friday while covering a clash between Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters near a border crossing with Pakistan, an Afghan commander said. Afghan special forces had been fighting to retake the main market area of Spin Boldak when Siddiqui and a senior Afghan officer were killed in what they described as Taliban crossfire, the official told Reuters.

After war with Israel, a grieving Gaza marks Eid Al-Adha holiday

For Palestinians who lost loved ones in the fighting between Gaza militants and Israel two months ago, there is little cause for celebration during the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha. Known as the Feast of Sacrifice, it commemorates for the faithful the prophet Ibrahim's readiness to sacrifice his son to show his dedication to God.

Turkey condemns EU court ruling on headscarf ban as violation of freedoms

Turkey on Sunday slammed a ruling by a top European Union court allowing the banning of headscarves under certain conditions as a "clear violation of religious freedoms", adding the move would exacerbate prejudices against Muslim women in Europe. The Luxembourg-based EU Court of Justice (CJEU) ruled on Thursday that companies in the bloc can ban employees from wearing a headscarf under certain conditions, if they need to do so to project an image of neutrality to customers.