A Nouakchott court sentenced former president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz to five years in prison for abusing his position to amass an illicit fortune, convicting him of illicit enrichment and money laundering

Nouakchott is experiencing a cement shortage, according to local press, that has disrupted construction works, leaving workers without work for days; Though reasons are unknown, traders speculate it may be electricity shortages affecting cement plants

The Mauritanian coast guard rescued 161 migrants from a distressed, exhausted vessel north of Nouakchott on 27 August; The passengers, including 17 children from The Gambia, Guinea, and Senegal, were bound for Spain's Canary Islands

Tourism is slowly revamping, after Mauritania battled armed groups linked to al-Qaeda that began attacks in the mid-2000; two decades of security measures have halted them and the country is enjoying a slow revival as a little-known travel destination

35 Mauritanian citizens released after nearly three weeks in detention in Mali have landed at Nema Airport, capital of Hodh Chargui Wilaya, with a Mauritania Airlines flight