Nouakchott, Mauritania - The former governor of the Central Bank of Mauritania, Sid`El Moctar Ould Nagui, was arrested in the capital Nouakchott on corruption charges, officials said Saturday, alleging he misused or stole some 95 million dollars.

Some of the money was said to come from aid and development funds, according to officials close to the investigation which was now at an "advanced stage."

Nouakchott  - A Mauritanian army officer on Monday said soldiers had arrested seven armed men suspected of being members of the North African branch of al-Qaeda.

The men were arrested in the remote Limaghiti region, some 1,100 kilometres north-east of the capital, Nouakchott.

They were "active members of al-Qaeda," a source in the Mauritanian military told the German Press Agency dpa, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Paris  - A suicide bomber killed himself in front of the French embassy of Mauritania Saturday evening, injuring two diplomatic security guards, the French radio broadcaster France Info reported.

The guards, who were slightly injured, had night watch in the northern African country's capital Nouakchott as the attacker blew himself up. (dpa)

Nouakchott  - Mauritania's former military leader Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz on Sunday appeared headed for victory in Saturday's presidential poll.

Abdel Aziz held 52 per cent of the vote when 45 per cent of it had been counted, officials said in the north-west African Islamic republic.

If that percentage is confirmed, it would give him an unexpectedly strong victory and make a second round of voting unnecessary.

Four opposition candidates, however, alleged fraud and said the results were not valid.

Nouakchott  - Mauritanians went to polls Saturday in presidential elections meant to restore political stability and the country's international legitimacy after a 2008 military coup.

Coup leader Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz was tipped to win, though he was not expected to get an absolute majority, and could face a single challenger on a second election round in the north-west African Islamic country.

Nouakchott - Mauritania's first democratically-elected president formally stepped aside Saturday, ten months after being deposed in a coup, clearing the way for July 18 elections.

Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi signed the agreement paving the way for the elections. Negotiations had been mediated by the African Union, European Union, Arab League and United Nations. An interim regime will now be set up to guide the nation until the elections.

Nouakchott - Mauritanians on Wednesday welcomed an agreement by the country's main political factions to postpone the elections scheduled for Saturday to July
18.

A large crowd welcomed the negotiators at Nouakchott airport as they arrived in the early morning hours from the Senegalese capital Dakar, where they had agreed to form a transitional government.

The African Union, European Union, Arab League and United Nations had been mediating in the negotiations aimed at persuading the opposition to participate in the elections.

Nouakchott - Mauritanian negotiators were Saturday racing against the clock to reach an agreement to postpone presidential elections scheduled for June 6 which were being boycotted by major opposition parties in the north-west African Islamic desert country.

The African Union, European Union, Arab League and United Nations have been mediating between the Mauritanian authorities and the opposition, which sees the elections as a charade to sweep former junta leader Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz to power.

Madrid - A Spanish refugee support organization on Thursday called for the closure of a detention centre for undocumented immigrants in Mauritania, describing it as a "little Guantanamo."

The centre was founded in a former school near Nouadhibou in 2006 with Spanish funding. It houses would-be migrants who have been arrested when attempting to reach Spain, or who have been expelled by Spain.

Nouakchott, Mauritania - Mauritanian presidential elections will take place as planned on June 6, Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi said Thursday after talks there as current African Union head.

Gaddafi arrived in Mauritania Monday seeking a deal to end the political crisis that has gripped the county since the military deposed in an August 6 coup President Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.

Nouakchott, Mauritania  - Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi arrived in Mauritania on Monday seeking a deal to end the political crisis that has gripped the county since Mauritanian military officers deposed the president six months ago.

Gaddafi, acting in his capacity as president of the African Union, became the highest-ranking official to seek an end to the political stalemate in Mauritania since a junta led by General Mohammed Ould Abdel-Aziz launched a successful coup against Sidi Mohammed Ould Sheikh Abdallahi in August.

Nouakchott, Mauritania - The African country of Mauritania on Monday recalled its ambassador to Israel in protest at the Israel's ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip, Mauritanian Foreign Ministry announced.

The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is one of the few Muslim countries with diplomatic relations with Israel, and since the Gaza offensive several parties in the north-western African country have repeated demands for a complete break of relations with Israel. (dpa)

Nouakchott, Mauritania  - Members of the al-Qaeda terrorist group attacked an army patrol in the north of Mauritania, an official report released early Tuesday said.

"A patrol from our security forces resisted an attack in Tourine, 850 kilometres north of Nouakchott in the northern region of Tiris Zemmour," the report said, without stating the number of casualties.

"The assault was conducted by the extremist Salafite Group of Preaching and Combat affiliated with the al-Qaeda organization.

"The terrorist group was planning a massive attack north of the country," said the statement, exclusively released by the Mauritanian news agency.

Brussels - The European Union's top foreign-policy official on Wednesday condemned the formation of a new government by coup leaders in Mauritania, saying that it was an illegitimate move.

EU High Representative Javier Solana "condemned the formation of a new government by the military junta" on Monday and said that the move "cannot be considered as legitimate," a statement released in Brussels said.

Nouakchott, Mauritania  - The Mauritanian military junta which took power on August 6 on Monday announced the formation of a new government, the Mauritanian news agency AMI reported.

The government is headed by Moulaye Ould Mohammed Laghdaf, the former ambassador of the north-west African desert country to Brussels.

Most of the 22 ministers were regarded as backers of the coup.

Nouakchott, Mauritania - The military junta that seized power in the north-western African nation of Mauritania promised "free and transparent" presidential elections Thursday, a day after its coup.

A date for the elections was not mentioned in a junta statement carried by the Mauritanian press agency AMI.

A "state council" under the leadership of presidential guard commander Mohammed Ould Abdel Aziz seized power Wednesday after the arrests of President Sidi Ould Cheikh and Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed Waghf.

The coup came after the president sacked top military officers.

Nouakchott, Mauritania - Mauritanian security guards accidentally shot and wounded a French citizen early Friday in the capital Nouakchott, the local news agency ANI reported.

The French advisor to the Mauritanian army had driven past the guards' base near the presidential palace, breaking the security rules and prompting the guards to open fire, a spokesman for the security forces said.

Other guards heard the shots and responded. The exchange of fire was not believed to have injured anyone but the Frenchman, whose condition was not serious.

Nouakchott, Mauritania  - Mauritanian security forces Tuesday launched grenades on a house where Islamist radicals had escaped to after clashing with police and soldiers on Monday, the local news agency ANI reported.

The extremists had, however, fled before police arrived at the house in the north of the capital Nouakchott.

The attack on the house followed street clashes in which one Islamist and one police officer were killed and at least eight people, most of them members of of the security forces, were injured.