From Washington, this is VOA news. I'm David DeForest reporting. A suicide bomber sets off an explosion at a checkpoint outside the Prophet's Mosque in the Saudi city of Medina.

The Saudi Interior Ministry says four security officers were killed and five wounded when they moved to prevent the attacker from entering the facility.

The mosque is the burial site of Muhammad, the founder of Islam.

Earlier Monday, the Saudi Interior Ministry said a suicide bomber blew himself up near the U.S. consulate. In the city of Jeddah in the predominantly Shiite city of Qatif, residents say a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a mosque.

The attacks come as the month-long Islamic observance of Ramadan comes to a close.

The death toll from Sunday's suicide bombing in Baghdad is rising as bodies are recovered from the blast rubble.

Iraqi officials said Monday at least 151 people were killed.

Investigators are questioning some of the hostages who were rescued from last week's attack on a restaurant in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka.

The attack left 20 patrons and two police officers dead.

Officials say five of the 13 hostages rescued are being held by authorities. It was not clear if the five are suspects or if they are being questioned simply because they could provide information.

More than two weeks of torrential rain and flooding in southern and eastern China has left more than 200 people missing or dead. Authorities are reporting extensive property damage and more than $7 billion in crop losses.

China's official Xinhua news agency says 17 million people in Hubei and Anhui provinces have been affected by the deluge.

This is VOA news.

The Xinhua news agency says a former Chinese presidential aide has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes, illegally obtaining state secrets and abusing his authority.

Ling Jihua said he would not appeal the decision.

Ling once led the ruling Communist Party's General Office under former President Hu Jintao, a position comparable to the U.S. president's chief of staff.

The body of a University of Wisconsin student who went missing shortly after he arrived in Italy for a student exchange program was recovered Monday. The boy of 19-year-old Beau Solomon was found in the Tiber River.

An autopsy will be carried out to determine cause of death.

Police are not ruling out homicide.

The head of the U.K. Independence Party, Nigel Farage, resigned on Monday. Farage has been one of the most outspoken and effective campaigners against British membership in the European Union.

Following the recent Brexit vote, Farage says he wants his life back after years of political activity. He hinted that we haven't heard the last from him.

"I will continue to support the party, I will support the new leader, I will watch the renegotiation process in Brussels like a hawk and perhaps comment in the European Parliament from time to time."

Farage is keeping his seat in the European Parliament.

It's France's President Fran?ois Hollande and he is saying that Britain's decision to leave the European Union will not threaten the future enlargement of the bloc.

The French leader spoke after a meeting in Paris with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the leaders of Balkan states hoping to gain EU membership.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vu?i? had expressed disappointment about an EU decision last week to delay further membership talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Uganda to begin a tour of sub-Saharan Africa. The tour marks the 1976 hostage rescue mission in Uganda, in which his brother was killed.

Mr. Netanyahu landed at Entebbe Airport, where Israeli commandos rescued more than 100 passengers and crew of a hijacked plane in 1976.

The Israeli prime minister's four-day trip includes stops in Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda.

"Africa is a continent on the rise. Israel looks forward to strengthening ties with all its countries." :Benjamin Netanyahu.

Millions of Americans are celebrating their country's 240th anniversary of independence from Britain. Celebrations include traditional fireworks displays, parades, concerts and barbecues.

Security has been enhanced in Washington, New York City and Chicago, where hundreds of thousands of people gather annually to watch fireworks, listen to music and have picnics.

From the VOA news center in Washington, I'm David DeForest.

That's the latest world news from VOA.