Scientists have finally solved the mystery of the birthplace of humpback whales around Irish waters, after discovering they make a mammoth journey here from Africa of nearly 3,000 kilometres.

A County Limerick priest is warning the public of an email scam doing the rounds in his name.

Debenhams goes out of Africa with a new selection of textiles from their Savanna range, inspired by tribal prints.

Irish exploration company United Oil and Gas is closing in on a number of asset acquisitions on the back of landing a first licence in Africa.

This week we leave Ireland’s rocky shores and expand this series to take in global islands where Irish people have had a strong influence, whether malign or benign, writes Dan MacCarthy.

Today, adventurer Tomás Mac an tSaoir advances into Tanzania on his epic charity cycle down through continental Africa. A journey that began in Cairo will finish in South Africa later this spring. He’s run the gauntlet of street gangs and escalating ethnic conflict, he’s suffered at the business end of Kenya’s crazy drivers, he’s endured the Sudanese desert, and had a few tough personal moments along the way. But the west Kerry man is still pedalling. Stephen Barry spoke to him this week.

Accumulated losses at the ethical clothing company controlled by Bono and Ali Hewson rose to $86.4m (€76.5m) last year.

Tommy Fleming has launched a charity single after making a 20,000km round-trip to record it.

Now this looks like some craic.

Gardaí have raided 15 homes in five counties as part of a multi-million euro fraud investigation.

A Chinese tourist has died after he was attacked by a hippo as he was taking pictures on the shores of Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley, Kenya's wildlife authority said.

Tlaleng Mofokeng laments the global gag rule, which means US aid is conditional on the absence of any mention of abortion in reproductive health literature.

Animal rights groups say that donkeys from Africa, Australia and South America, are being stolen for their skin which is central to a Chinese health fad.

French billionaire Vincent Bollore has been detained for questioning in an investigation into alleged corruption during lucrative port deals in Africa.

The way Cape Town has neared disaster has lessons for an era in which catastrophic climatic events are more frequent and long-term planning less so, says William Saunderson-Meyer.

The 55-nation African Union appears to have decided to react diplomatically and strategically to US president Donald Trump's alleged vulgar remarks about the continent.

ZSL London Zoo has confirmed the death of one of its aardvarks. Here is what we know about the creatures:

Simon Coveney highlighted the need for greater political engagement between the EU and Africa as he began a three-day visit to the Horn of Africa region.

Europe needs to find a new way of working with Africa to prevent famines and other crises repeatedly occurring, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said.

Kenya has become the first country in Africa to introduce a generic version of the current drug of choice for people living with HIV, officials said.

In a west African country where militant and terrorist attacks are “entirely unpredictable”, Irish soldiers are helping to train the Malian army to enforce the rule of law.

South Africa offers an up close and personal look at nature. Just don’t get too close to the cheetahs, writes Paul McCarthy.

One of the last dinosaurs living in Africa before their extinction 66m years ago has been discovered in a phosphate mine in northern Morocco.

Damien Enright gives us a run down of his latest adventures in Namibia.

The leaders of Guinea and Mauritania have arrived in Gambia's capital in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to get defeated president Yahya Jammeh to cede power.

China has said it will shut down its ivory trade at the end of 2017 in a move designed to curb the mass slaughter of African elephants.

A 71-year-old British pilot attempting to fly a 1940s plane the length of Africa has been found after going missing for the second time.

African governments must start making smart choices and investments to tackle malnutrition on the continent, says Adebimpe Adebiyi.

The Government is to provide an additional €3.9m in aid for countries in Central and West Africa.

An Irish adventurer dubbed the ‘lawnmower man’ has become the first person to fly from Ireland to Africa by paramotor.

An Irish adventurer dubbed the 'lawnmower man' has become the first to fly from Ireland to Africa by paramotor writes Eoin English.

Africa's savanna elephants could be wiped out, with their numbers falling rapidly, as ivory trades drive poaching across the continent, a study says.