I’ve lived in a tent in South Sudan for a year and spent hours at checkpoints in Iraq, but nothing prepared me for what ebola is doing in western Africa, writes Save the Children worker Sarah Murphy

Even in a world with more than enough tragedy and hurt, even in a world where our future is in jeopardy because of our persistent and suicidal refusal to use the Earth’s resources is a sustainable way; even in a world trying to come to terms with resurgent Russian, soviet-style imperialism, and, yes, even in a world where the disease from all our nightmares — ebola — is claiming ever more lives in western Africa it is impossible to imagine a more disheartening example of man’s unending inhumanity to man than the atrocities unfolding in Gaza.

Tullow Oil is confident the Dutch-based International Arbitration Court will overturn a ruling by the Ugandan Tax Appeal Tribunal saying it owes a further $260m in unpaid tax regarding the 2012 farm-out of assets.

Fear, panic and denial are the lethal hallmarks of the response to the worst Ebola outbreak in decades. Without global action,its deadly march could even reach Europe, writes Michael Clifford.

The greatest number of people believed to have been trafficked into Ireland for the sex trade or as unpaid workers originate from West Africa, figures show.

Irish-founded international engineering services group, Kentz has said that its cash position has remained strong into 2013 and provides “considerable financial flexibility” to support the group’s strategic growth plans.

International trade in illegal wildlife that has driven creatures like the tiger to near-extinction is also threatening the survival of great apes, according to a new UN report.

Whether it’s inventing the World Wide Web or finding new ways to feed more of us, 20 of the world’s greatest minds are helping power our future, writes David Morton

Rebels today attacked Mali’s strategic northern city of Gao, a day after they took the provincial capital of Kidal, witnesses and an official said.

The body representing nations in western Africa has suspended Mali and has put a peacekeeping force on standby in the most direct threat yet to the junta that seized control in a military coup last week.

HUGH O’DONNELL is to stand down as chief executive of Kentz — the Irish-founded construction and engineering services group — next month, after 12 years at the helm.

Dublin Zoo has officially opened its new gorilla rainforest, and welcomed a new baby gorilla.

Charles Taylor’s lawyer has stormed out of court after judges refused to accept a written summary of the former Liberian president’s defence case at the end of his war crimes trial in the Netherlands.

A singer in a German pop group avoided jail today after she was convicted of causing bodily harm to her ex-boyfriend by having unprotected sex with him, despite knowing she was infected with HIV.

WEST African Diamonds (WAD) – the John Teeling-chaired mining company – is close to finalising a merger deal, which would grow its market value from £3m (€3.3m) to £15m (€16.3m) and increase its annual production rate by 400%.

TULLOW Oil should be in a position to better gauge the long-term potential for a third large oil discovery in western Africa when it receives test results in the next fortnight.

EFFORTS to crack down on human traffickers were boosted yesterday as a new joint operation — Pentameter II — was unveiled by British and Irish police forces.

Former Liberian president Charles Taylor goes on trial today for allegedly orchestrating unspeakable atrocities in Sierra Leone’s bloody civil war.

TULLOW Oil has said exploration will focus on Africa and India this year to boost reserves.

THE International Whaling Commission (IWC) has entered unknown territory after a majority of members resolved to overturn the moratorium on commercial whaling.

TULLOW OIL said it was not aware of any takeover approach by a company and wouldn’t welcome a bid.

WEST AFRICAN gangs have developed a new cocaine trafficking route into Europe, according to a UN drugs watchdog.

INTERNATIONAL governments need to give emergency aid to southern Africa, which is facing the biggest famine in the world, it was claimed yesterday.

International governments need to give emergency aid to southern Africa which is facing the biggest famine in the world, it was claimed today.

More than one million people could go hungry in the West African nation of Mali after a severe locust invasion last year devastated crops, officials warned today.

FRESH cases of polio has spread to other countries in Africa, threatening a major epidemic in the region.

TULLOW OIL had good news for shareholders yesterday when it announced the discovery of gas at a well in Bangladesh.

Traumatised by terrorism, Spaniards today prepared for general elections as a nation in grief, with the ruling party favoured to win and insisting that Basque separatists remain the prime suspect in the rail bombings that killed 199 people.

Millions of Spaniards took to the streets, chanting “Cowards” and “Assassins” in a protest against the Madrid bombings that killed 199 people.

Norwegian oil and gas exploration company, Statoil ASA, has said it will deliver up to 6.5 billion cubic metres of gas to Dutch energy company Essent.

Colin McRae survived the longest stage of the Dakar Rally with his top-three position intact and admitted he was surprised at the pace of the more experienced competitors.

Colin McRae retained his top-three position in the Dakar Rally today after surviving a scare on the 700-kilometre trek to Mauritania in western Africa.

A NIGERIAN delegation to a conference on the trafficking of women and children yesterday criticised gardaí after they snubbed the event.

An Islamic militant killed by Algerian security forces in a raid two months ago has been identified as a top al-Qaida operative for Africa, Algeria’s official news agency reported today.

Robert Evans, Geneva

Efforts will be made this evening to re-float a bulk carrier vessel that has gone aground near the mouth of the river Shannon.