World News Roundup: Spanish floods claim sixth victim; Congo police detain former health minister in Ebola probe

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Foreign leaders, supporters bid farewell to Zimbabwe's Mugabe

Foreign leaders, supporters and ordinary citizens were attending the state funeral on Saturday of Zimbabwe's founder Robert Mugabe, after a week of disputes over his burial that threatened to embarrass his successor President Emmerson Mnangagwa. Mugabe led Zimbabwe for 37 years, from independence until he was ousted by the army in November 2017. He died in a Singapore hospital on Sept. 6 aged 95.

Houthi drones hit two Aramco plants, Saudis say fires contained

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group on Saturday attacked two Saudi Aramco plants, including the world's biggest oil processing facility, sparking fires in the latest flare up of violence in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia said it had brought the blazes under control, without specifying whether oil production or exports were affected. State television said exports were continuing.

Turkey says OIC to convene after Netanyahu annexation plans

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold an extraordinary meeting on Sunday to discuss Israel's announcement of its intention to annex areas of the West Bank, the Turkish foreign ministry said on Saturday. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday he would annex the Jordan Valley, a large swathe of the occupied West Bank that Israel captured in 1967 and which Palestinians want as part of a future state.

In push for race and religion, Malaysian opposition formalizes pact

Malaysia's two oldest political parties signed a charter of formal cooperation on Saturday, presenting arguably the largest political platform for the majority Malay-Muslims at a time of simmering racial and religious tensions. Southeast Asia's third-largest economy has seen a string of racial flare-ups over the past year and a half, as Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's nascent government grapples with an increasingly unhappy majority that fears it is losing its special privileges.

Afghan Taliban send team to Russia after U.S. talks collapse

The Taliban have sent a delegation to Russia to discuss prospects for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan following the collapse of talks with the United States this month, officials from the insurgent group said. The move, days after U.S. President Donald Trump canceled a planned meeting with Taliban leaders at his Camp David retreat, came as the movement looks to bolster regional support, with visits also planned for China, Iran and Central Asian states.

Turkey orders arrest of 223 military personnel over suspected Gulen links: state media

Turkey has ordered the arrest of 223 serving military personnel across the country and in the breakaway state of Northern Cyprus over suspected links to a network Ankara accuses of organizing an attempted coup in 2016, state media said on Saturday. Authorities are seeking the suspects across 49 provinces in Turkey and in Northern Cyprus, state broadcaster TRT Haber said. It said 100 of those facing arrest were from the army, while 41 from the air force and 32 from the navy.

Hong Kong police break up scattered clashes between rival protesters

Baton-wielding Hong Kong police moved in to break up scuffles on Saturday between pro-China protesters and those denouncing perceived Chinese meddling in the Asian financial hub, the latest in months of sometimes violent clashes. The pro-China demonstrators chanted "Support the police" and "China, add oil" at a shopping mall, adapting a line used by anti-Hong Kong government protesters and loosely meaning: "China, keep your strength up".

Spanish floods claim sixth victim

A 41-year-old man was found dead in southeastern Spain on Saturday, the local government said, bringing to at least six the death toll inflicted over the past two days by record-breaking rain. More than 1,100 military personnel have been deployed to the regions of Murcia and Valencia to help rescue people isolated by the deluge and evacuate thousands to safety after a river burst its banks and cascades of water submerged highways.

In break with past, Rome lets charity ship head to Italian port

Italy's new government allowed a French charity ship to bring ashore 82 migrants on Saturday in an apparent reversal of the uncompromising, closed-door policy of the previous administration. However, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, who heads the 5-Star Movement in the governing coalition, said the Ocean Viking was only being given access to the southern island of Lampedusa because other European states had agreed to take in many of those on board.

Congo police detain former health minister in Ebola probe

A former Congolese health minister was taken into custody on Saturday over alleged mismanagement of funds for the country's response to the Ebola epidemic, police said. Oly Ilunga oversaw Democratic Republic of Congo's handling of the outbreak, the second deadliest in history, for nearly a year. He was stripped by the presidency of that responsibility in July and resigned from the government days later.

Also Read: UPDATE 2-Former Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe dead at 95