New fossil humanoid found in Ethiopia
Now and then they find new fossils, most of the time in the Afar region. This time it seems to be a rather complete skull of an infant humanoid that died 3.5 million years ago. No I am not going to say that such an announcement is to divert from political problems or to upheaval the successes of the ruling vote thieves. In a sense we may be proud that Ethiopia is indeed the cradle of mankind, although it is not our achievement.
Just when I saw the documentary I wondered why the media are able to explain in detail about things that happened millions of years ago, on the basis of a few fossilized bones, and the present situation is almost completely ignored, or misunderstood. The dictatorship in Zimbabwe or that in Bella Rus, at least as evil as the Ethiopian rulers, still get full attention. When are serious journalists going to wonder why millions of dollars of foreign tax money is spent on a problem of two quarreling nephews, apparently about a village with less than fifty houses. Which by the way can be moved a couple of miles, the US offered. Probably a good negotiator could include a new swimming pool with it.
You might also wonder why flower growers and other commercial farmers from Europe and Israel are able to produce worth millions of roses and other crops, while the millions invested by NGO's in the rural areas have made no significant difference. And believe me that floods or droughts has got nothing to do with it. Probably the best result that NGO's never mention is that the local Toyota Landcruiser dealer employs many people. (Moenco is btw a foreign company).
So while the vote thieves are gathered in Mekele the BBC went to Afar to film a crew of scientists that found a remarkable skull more then one year ago. The EPRDF conference is just not interesting enough. Maybe they are right. Nothing much new can be expected from it. Just the old rhetoric and promises that they never keep. Even if they decide something smart or intelligent, chances are very great that next week the Crime Minister's Office, read the Gang, decides differently.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Treasures come down from the mountain
By Dana Micucci International Herald Tribune
Published: October 20, 2006
LOS ANGELES Mount Sinai in Egypt is perhaps best known as the site where Moses encountered the burning bush and received the Ten Commandments.
But also in this desolate desert landscape, Justinian, the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople, in the middle of the sixth century ordered the construction of a monastery, St. Catherine's, that has become the oldest continuously operating Christian monastic community. Over the 1,400 years of its existence, St. Catherine's has accumulated one of the finest and most extensive collections of religious icons in the world.
Now, many sacred treasures from the Greek Orthodox monastery are to be shown for the first time abroad. The exhibition "Holy Image, Hallowed Ground: Icons from Sinai" will be on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles from Nov. 14 to March 4.
Organized by the museum in collaboration with the monastery and the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, this ambitious exhibition offers a special opportunity to view St. Catherine's icons and manuscripts, and the Getty is its sole location.
The exhibition will feature approximately 43 icons - holy images regarded as sacred in the Eastern Orthodox church - including some of the oldest surviving Byzantine examples, as well as illuminated manuscripts and liturgical objects.
Either commissioned by the monastery or acquired as gifts over the centuries, these works have been used and cared for by generations of monks.
"There is both a hunger for spirituality now and a hesitation on the part of Americans to travel to the Middle East, given recent tensions," said Father Justin of Sinai, the librarian at St. Catherine's. "As privileged custodians of the monastery's ancient spiritual heritage, we feel that we have an obligation to share it with others.
"St. Catherine's has been a beacon of peace and harmony in the region, serving as a place of cultural exchange for countless pilgrims of all faiths. Our Archbishop Damianos here at Sinai recently said that this is one of the messages St. Catherine's has for the world, and it is our hope that this exhibition will reinforce that message."
The monastery has previously loaned a few of its treasures to other museums, notably 10 icons and manuscripts that were included in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art's blockbuster 1997 exhibition "The Glory of Byzantium." But new conservation technology has only recently made it possible for greater numbers of fragile objects to leave the monastery, according to Justin, who said that the longstanding conservation expertise of the Getty made it an attractive venue.
The icons, most of which are egg tempera paintings on wood panels, and the manuscripts are particularly susceptible to changes in humidity and temperature. The monastery hopes to foster a continuing association with the Getty to secure the future preservation of these objects, Justin said. The Getty Foundation has provided a grant for the conservation of sixth-century mosaics in the apse of the basilica at the monastery, which is a Unesco World Heritage site.
The highlight of the exhibition is a sixth-century icon of the apostle Peter, notable for both its antiquity and its realistic portrait style. A wave of iconoclastic zeal in the eighth and ninth centuries led to the destruction by the Byzantine emperors and their forces of almost all icons in Constantinople, and few examples predating that period have survived. But because of its remote location, St. Catherine's was unaffected by the upheaval.
Because of their fragility, the icons are displayed in a museum-like setting at St. Catherine's, and are removed and placed in the monastery's church on feast days. The pious offer prayers before the images, which are meant to invoke the presence of the saints whom they depict. The tradition of venerating icons also includes touching, kissing and illuminating them with candles and lamps. A documentary film complementing the Getty exhibition explores the religious rites associated with icons during an Orthodox Easter service at St. Catherine's.
"We felt that it was important not only to present the icons and manuscripts as great works of art, but as devotional tools that are an integral part of daily life and ritual at the monastery," said Kristen Collins, an assistant curator at the Getty Museum and co-curator of the exhibition with Robert Nelson, an art history professor at Yale University.
"We want viewers to leave the exhibition both in awe of the breathtaking beauty of these sacred objects and with an understanding of the culture and context in which they exist."
Other exhibition highlights include a rare mosaic icon of the Mother and Child from the late 12th to early 13th century, and an early-13th-century icon depicting scenes from the life of the martyr St. Catherine of Alexandria, the monastery's namesake, whose relics still rest there.
A late 15th-century Greek priest's stole embroidered with feast scenes demonstrates that icons were not only confined to tempera on panel but also adorned liturgical vestments and other surfaces, including architectural elements like church doors and walls.
Among the manuscripts on display are a vibrant illuminated monastic treatise depicting the heavenly ladder to salvation, and the earliest dated gospels for the Arabic Christian population. St. Catherine's is noted for its exceptional library of more than 3,500 ancient religious manuscripts in Greek, Arabic, Georgian, Latin, Hebrew, Polish and Ethiopian, among other languages, recalling the many cultures that the monastery has served.
Even after the arrival of Islam in the region in the seventh century, St. Catherine's continued to attract pilgrims from both East and West, and still does today. The monastery holds a document said to have been dictated by the Prophet Muhammad himself, giving it his protection.
"Christian monks and the local Bedouin Muslims, in particular, have always coexisted here in amazing peace and harmony," Justin said. "Many Bedouins work at the monastery, attend our services on special occasions and even call on our archbishop to settle disputes."
LOS ANGELES Mount Sinai in Egypt is perhaps best known as the site where Moses encountered the burning bush and received the Ten Commandments.
But also in this desolate desert landscape, Justinian, the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople, in the middle of the sixth century ordered the construction of a monastery, St. Catherine's, that has become the oldest continuously operating Christian monastic community. Over the 1,400 years of its existence, St. Catherine's has accumulated one of the finest and most extensive collections of religious icons in the world.
Now, many sacred treasures from the Greek Orthodox monastery are to be shown for the first time abroad. The exhibition "Holy Image, Hallowed Ground: Icons from Sinai" will be on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles from Nov. 14 to March 4.
Organized by the museum in collaboration with the monastery and the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, this ambitious exhibition offers a special opportunity to view St. Catherine's icons and manuscripts, and the Getty is its sole location.
The exhibition will feature approximately 43 icons - holy images regarded as sacred in the Eastern Orthodox church - including some of the oldest surviving Byzantine examples, as well as illuminated manuscripts and liturgical objects.
Either commissioned by the monastery or acquired as gifts over the centuries, these works have been used and cared for by generations of monks.
"There is both a hunger for spirituality now and a hesitation on the part of Americans to travel to the Middle East, given recent tensions," said Father Justin of Sinai, the librarian at St. Catherine's. "As privileged custodians of the monastery's ancient spiritual heritage, we feel that we have an obligation to share it with others.
"St. Catherine's has been a beacon of peace and harmony in the region, serving as a place of cultural exchange for countless pilgrims of all faiths. Our Archbishop Damianos here at Sinai recently said that this is one of the messages St. Catherine's has for the world, and it is our hope that this exhibition will reinforce that message."
The monastery has previously loaned a few of its treasures to other museums, notably 10 icons and manuscripts that were included in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art's blockbuster 1997 exhibition "The Glory of Byzantium." But new conservation technology has only recently made it possible for greater numbers of fragile objects to leave the monastery, according to Justin, who said that the longstanding conservation expertise of the Getty made it an attractive venue.
The icons, most of which are egg tempera paintings on wood panels, and the manuscripts are particularly susceptible to changes in humidity and temperature. The monastery hopes to foster a continuing association with the Getty to secure the future preservation of these objects, Justin said. The Getty Foundation has provided a grant for the conservation of sixth-century mosaics in the apse of the basilica at the monastery, which is a Unesco World Heritage site.
The highlight of the exhibition is a sixth-century icon of the apostle Peter, notable for both its antiquity and its realistic portrait style. A wave of iconoclastic zeal in the eighth and ninth centuries led to the destruction by the Byzantine emperors and their forces of almost all icons in Constantinople, and few examples predating that period have survived. But because of its remote location, St. Catherine's was unaffected by the upheaval.
Because of their fragility, the icons are displayed in a museum-like setting at St. Catherine's, and are removed and placed in the monastery's church on feast days. The pious offer prayers before the images, which are meant to invoke the presence of the saints whom they depict. The tradition of venerating icons also includes touching, kissing and illuminating them with candles and lamps. A documentary film complementing the Getty exhibition explores the religious rites associated with icons during an Orthodox Easter service at St. Catherine's.
"We felt that it was important not only to present the icons and manuscripts as great works of art, but as devotional tools that are an integral part of daily life and ritual at the monastery," said Kristen Collins, an assistant curator at the Getty Museum and co-curator of the exhibition with Robert Nelson, an art history professor at Yale University.
"We want viewers to leave the exhibition both in awe of the breathtaking beauty of these sacred objects and with an understanding of the culture and context in which they exist."
Other exhibition highlights include a rare mosaic icon of the Mother and Child from the late 12th to early 13th century, and an early-13th-century icon depicting scenes from the life of the martyr St. Catherine of Alexandria, the monastery's namesake, whose relics still rest there.
A late 15th-century Greek priest's stole embroidered with feast scenes demonstrates that icons were not only confined to tempera on panel but also adorned liturgical vestments and other surfaces, including architectural elements like church doors and walls.
Among the manuscripts on display are a vibrant illuminated monastic treatise depicting the heavenly ladder to salvation, and the earliest dated gospels for the Arabic Christian population. St. Catherine's is noted for its exceptional library of more than 3,500 ancient religious manuscripts in Greek, Arabic, Georgian, Latin, Hebrew, Polish and Ethiopian, among other languages, recalling the many cultures that the monastery has served.
Even after the arrival of Islam in the region in the seventh century, St. Catherine's continued to attract pilgrims from both East and West, and still does today. The monastery holds a document said to have been dictated by the Prophet Muhammad himself, giving it his protection.
"Christian monks and the local Bedouin Muslims, in particular, have always coexisted here in amazing peace and harmony," Justin said. "Many Bedouins work at the monastery, attend our services on special occasions and even call on our archbishop to settle disputes."
Published: October 20, 2006
LOS ANGELES Mount Sinai in Egypt is perhaps best known as the site where Moses encountered the burning bush and received the Ten Commandments.
But also in this desolate desert landscape, Justinian, the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople, in the middle of the sixth century ordered the construction of a monastery, St. Catherine's, that has become the oldest continuously operating Christian monastic community. Over the 1,400 years of its existence, St. Catherine's has accumulated one of the finest and most extensive collections of religious icons in the world.
Now, many sacred treasures from the Greek Orthodox monastery are to be shown for the first time abroad. The exhibition "Holy Image, Hallowed Ground: Icons from Sinai" will be on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles from Nov. 14 to March 4.
Organized by the museum in collaboration with the monastery and the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, this ambitious exhibition offers a special opportunity to view St. Catherine's icons and manuscripts, and the Getty is its sole location.
The exhibition will feature approximately 43 icons - holy images regarded as sacred in the Eastern Orthodox church - including some of the oldest surviving Byzantine examples, as well as illuminated manuscripts and liturgical objects.
Either commissioned by the monastery or acquired as gifts over the centuries, these works have been used and cared for by generations of monks.
"There is both a hunger for spirituality now and a hesitation on the part of Americans to travel to the Middle East, given recent tensions," said Father Justin of Sinai, the librarian at St. Catherine's. "As privileged custodians of the monastery's ancient spiritual heritage, we feel that we have an obligation to share it with others.
"St. Catherine's has been a beacon of peace and harmony in the region, serving as a place of cultural exchange for countless pilgrims of all faiths. Our Archbishop Damianos here at Sinai recently said that this is one of the messages St. Catherine's has for the world, and it is our hope that this exhibition will reinforce that message."
The monastery has previously loaned a few of its treasures to other museums, notably 10 icons and manuscripts that were included in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art's blockbuster 1997 exhibition "The Glory of Byzantium." But new conservation technology has only recently made it possible for greater numbers of fragile objects to leave the monastery, according to Justin, who said that the longstanding conservation expertise of the Getty made it an attractive venue.
The icons, most of which are egg tempera paintings on wood panels, and the manuscripts are particularly susceptible to changes in humidity and temperature. The monastery hopes to foster a continuing association with the Getty to secure the future preservation of these objects, Justin said. The Getty Foundation has provided a grant for the conservation of sixth-century mosaics in the apse of the basilica at the monastery, which is a Unesco World Heritage site.
The highlight of the exhibition is a sixth-century icon of the apostle Peter, notable for both its antiquity and its realistic portrait style. A wave of iconoclastic zeal in the eighth and ninth centuries led to the destruction by the Byzantine emperors and their forces of almost all icons in Constantinople, and few examples predating that period have survived. But because of its remote location, St. Catherine's was unaffected by the upheaval.
Because of their fragility, the icons are displayed in a museum-like setting at St. Catherine's, and are removed and placed in the monastery's church on feast days. The pious offer prayers before the images, which are meant to invoke the presence of the saints whom they depict. The tradition of venerating icons also includes touching, kissing and illuminating them with candles and lamps. A documentary film complementing the Getty exhibition explores the religious rites associated with icons during an Orthodox Easter service at St. Catherine's.
"We felt that it was important not only to present the icons and manuscripts as great works of art, but as devotional tools that are an integral part of daily life and ritual at the monastery," said Kristen Collins, an assistant curator at the Getty Museum and co-curator of the exhibition with Robert Nelson, an art history professor at Yale University.
"We want viewers to leave the exhibition both in awe of the breathtaking beauty of these sacred objects and with an understanding of the culture and context in which they exist."
Other exhibition highlights include a rare mosaic icon of the Mother and Child from the late 12th to early 13th century, and an early-13th-century icon depicting scenes from the life of the martyr St. Catherine of Alexandria, the monastery's namesake, whose relics still rest there.
A late 15th-century Greek priest's stole embroidered with feast scenes demonstrates that icons were not only confined to tempera on panel but also adorned liturgical vestments and other surfaces, including architectural elements like church doors and walls.
Among the manuscripts on display are a vibrant illuminated monastic treatise depicting the heavenly ladder to salvation, and the earliest dated gospels for the Arabic Christian population. St. Catherine's is noted for its exceptional library of more than 3,500 ancient religious manuscripts in Greek, Arabic, Georgian, Latin, Hebrew, Polish and Ethiopian, among other languages, recalling the many cultures that the monastery has served.
Even after the arrival of Islam in the region in the seventh century, St. Catherine's continued to attract pilgrims from both East and West, and still does today. The monastery holds a document said to have been dictated by the Prophet Muhammad himself, giving it his protection.
"Christian monks and the local Bedouin Muslims, in particular, have always coexisted here in amazing peace and harmony," Justin said. "Many Bedouins work at the monastery, attend our services on special occasions and even call on our archbishop to settle disputes."
LOS ANGELES Mount Sinai in Egypt is perhaps best known as the site where Moses encountered the burning bush and received the Ten Commandments.
But also in this desolate desert landscape, Justinian, the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople, in the middle of the sixth century ordered the construction of a monastery, St. Catherine's, that has become the oldest continuously operating Christian monastic community. Over the 1,400 years of its existence, St. Catherine's has accumulated one of the finest and most extensive collections of religious icons in the world.
Now, many sacred treasures from the Greek Orthodox monastery are to be shown for the first time abroad. The exhibition "Holy Image, Hallowed Ground: Icons from Sinai" will be on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles from Nov. 14 to March 4.
Organized by the museum in collaboration with the monastery and the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, this ambitious exhibition offers a special opportunity to view St. Catherine's icons and manuscripts, and the Getty is its sole location.
The exhibition will feature approximately 43 icons - holy images regarded as sacred in the Eastern Orthodox church - including some of the oldest surviving Byzantine examples, as well as illuminated manuscripts and liturgical objects.
Either commissioned by the monastery or acquired as gifts over the centuries, these works have been used and cared for by generations of monks.
"There is both a hunger for spirituality now and a hesitation on the part of Americans to travel to the Middle East, given recent tensions," said Father Justin of Sinai, the librarian at St. Catherine's. "As privileged custodians of the monastery's ancient spiritual heritage, we feel that we have an obligation to share it with others.
"St. Catherine's has been a beacon of peace and harmony in the region, serving as a place of cultural exchange for countless pilgrims of all faiths. Our Archbishop Damianos here at Sinai recently said that this is one of the messages St. Catherine's has for the world, and it is our hope that this exhibition will reinforce that message."
The monastery has previously loaned a few of its treasures to other museums, notably 10 icons and manuscripts that were included in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art's blockbuster 1997 exhibition "The Glory of Byzantium." But new conservation technology has only recently made it possible for greater numbers of fragile objects to leave the monastery, according to Justin, who said that the longstanding conservation expertise of the Getty made it an attractive venue.
The icons, most of which are egg tempera paintings on wood panels, and the manuscripts are particularly susceptible to changes in humidity and temperature. The monastery hopes to foster a continuing association with the Getty to secure the future preservation of these objects, Justin said. The Getty Foundation has provided a grant for the conservation of sixth-century mosaics in the apse of the basilica at the monastery, which is a Unesco World Heritage site.
The highlight of the exhibition is a sixth-century icon of the apostle Peter, notable for both its antiquity and its realistic portrait style. A wave of iconoclastic zeal in the eighth and ninth centuries led to the destruction by the Byzantine emperors and their forces of almost all icons in Constantinople, and few examples predating that period have survived. But because of its remote location, St. Catherine's was unaffected by the upheaval.
Because of their fragility, the icons are displayed in a museum-like setting at St. Catherine's, and are removed and placed in the monastery's church on feast days. The pious offer prayers before the images, which are meant to invoke the presence of the saints whom they depict. The tradition of venerating icons also includes touching, kissing and illuminating them with candles and lamps. A documentary film complementing the Getty exhibition explores the religious rites associated with icons during an Orthodox Easter service at St. Catherine's.
"We felt that it was important not only to present the icons and manuscripts as great works of art, but as devotional tools that are an integral part of daily life and ritual at the monastery," said Kristen Collins, an assistant curator at the Getty Museum and co-curator of the exhibition with Robert Nelson, an art history professor at Yale University.
"We want viewers to leave the exhibition both in awe of the breathtaking beauty of these sacred objects and with an understanding of the culture and context in which they exist."
Other exhibition highlights include a rare mosaic icon of the Mother and Child from the late 12th to early 13th century, and an early-13th-century icon depicting scenes from the life of the martyr St. Catherine of Alexandria, the monastery's namesake, whose relics still rest there.
A late 15th-century Greek priest's stole embroidered with feast scenes demonstrates that icons were not only confined to tempera on panel but also adorned liturgical vestments and other surfaces, including architectural elements like church doors and walls.
Among the manuscripts on display are a vibrant illuminated monastic treatise depicting the heavenly ladder to salvation, and the earliest dated gospels for the Arabic Christian population. St. Catherine's is noted for its exceptional library of more than 3,500 ancient religious manuscripts in Greek, Arabic, Georgian, Latin, Hebrew, Polish and Ethiopian, among other languages, recalling the many cultures that the monastery has served.
Even after the arrival of Islam in the region in the seventh century, St. Catherine's continued to attract pilgrims from both East and West, and still does today. The monastery holds a document said to have been dictated by the Prophet Muhammad himself, giving it his protection.
"Christian monks and the local Bedouin Muslims, in particular, have always coexisted here in amazing peace and harmony," Justin said. "Many Bedouins work at the monastery, attend our services on special occasions and even call on our archbishop to settle disputes."
The Africa Aviation Journal introduced the award in 1999 to give international recognition to individuals, companies and organisations that make signi
Welsh scientists join race to keep Ethiopian wolf from door to extinctionOct 18 2006
Western Mail
A team of Welsh scientists is coming to the rescue of the last group of wolves in sub-saharan Africa.
The beautiful, long-legged, bushy tailed Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) is the most endangered carnivore in the world with only around 500 left.
They live in packs in isolated highlands 10,000ft above sea level in northern and southern Ethiopia.
For many, the call of the wolf is the original call of the wild but persecution, loss of habitats and recent outbreaks of rabies means the howl of the Ethiopian wolf might never be heard again.
Now a new study by experts from Swansea University working with colleagues in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oxford and California offers hope of a lifeline.
They are working on a 'low coverage' vaccination strategy that could be an important model for conserving other endangered animals around the globe.
Outbreaks of rabies in 1993 and 2003 in the Simien and Bale mountains where the wolves live have pushed numbers down to extinction point at an estimated 500.
African conservation experts have found out giving vaccinations is not easy.
Ethiopian wolves live in some of the most inaccessible mountain enclaves in the world and it was thought impossible to carry out the sort of blanket vaccination that was deemed necessary for an effective campaign.
But the joint study is using computer simulations to explore the possibility of low-coverage or 'targeted' vaccination.
The scientists are using data from observations in Ethiopia about where the wolf packs travel and about interaction between different packs.
The idea is to work out the most effective way of delivering rabies vaccination to around 30% to 40% of the animals - enough to prevent them being completely wiped out and for new generations to build up wolf pack numbers again.
The mathematical modelling for the study, working out the odds of wolf survival, is being done by the ultra-powerful supercomputer Blue C based at Swansea University's Institute of Life Sciences.
The computer is a predecessor of IBM's Deep Blue which in 1997 became the first computer to defeat a reigning World Chess Champion when it defeated the brilliant strategies put up by a crestfallen Gary Kasparov.
Information on the valleys that different wolf packs use and interaction between different packs is being fed into the wardrobe-sized computer as part of the project.
Mike Gravenor, reader in Epidemiology at the Institute of Life Science at Swansea University, said, 'We use mathematical models to investigate how the structure of population will affect the spread of a disease.
'In certain populations, a reactive vaccination strategy may be too late to prevent a large outbreak.
'However, the wolf populations are structured into family packs with intricate social organisation acting as constraints to the spread of disease.
'For computer modelling exercises such as this we must rely on long-term field observations.
'Here, the study is driven by outstanding data collected over 20 years of efforts to monitor and conserve this species undertaken by the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program and the Frankfurt Zoological Society.'
It is hoped that the further development of oral rabies vaccines that can be given in food will in future make it easier to vaccinate the remote wolf populations.
Another member of the project, Dr Dan Haydon, from the University of Glasgow, said, 'Theoreticians have devoted a lot of effort to working out how to vaccinate populations in ways that prevent epidemics getting started, but this requires coverage that is impractical in wild populations.
'We've looked at vaccination studies that don't prevent all outbreaks, but do reduce the chances of really big outbreaks - ones that could push an endangered population over the extinction threshold. These strategies turn out to be effective and a lot more practical.'
Western Mail
A team of Welsh scientists is coming to the rescue of the last group of wolves in sub-saharan Africa.
The beautiful, long-legged, bushy tailed Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) is the most endangered carnivore in the world with only around 500 left.
They live in packs in isolated highlands 10,000ft above sea level in northern and southern Ethiopia.
For many, the call of the wolf is the original call of the wild but persecution, loss of habitats and recent outbreaks of rabies means the howl of the Ethiopian wolf might never be heard again.
Now a new study by experts from Swansea University working with colleagues in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oxford and California offers hope of a lifeline.
They are working on a 'low coverage' vaccination strategy that could be an important model for conserving other endangered animals around the globe.
Outbreaks of rabies in 1993 and 2003 in the Simien and Bale mountains where the wolves live have pushed numbers down to extinction point at an estimated 500.
African conservation experts have found out giving vaccinations is not easy.
Ethiopian wolves live in some of the most inaccessible mountain enclaves in the world and it was thought impossible to carry out the sort of blanket vaccination that was deemed necessary for an effective campaign.
But the joint study is using computer simulations to explore the possibility of low-coverage or 'targeted' vaccination.
The scientists are using data from observations in Ethiopia about where the wolf packs travel and about interaction between different packs.
The idea is to work out the most effective way of delivering rabies vaccination to around 30% to 40% of the animals - enough to prevent them being completely wiped out and for new generations to build up wolf pack numbers again.
The mathematical modelling for the study, working out the odds of wolf survival, is being done by the ultra-powerful supercomputer Blue C based at Swansea University's Institute of Life Sciences.
The computer is a predecessor of IBM's Deep Blue which in 1997 became the first computer to defeat a reigning World Chess Champion when it defeated the brilliant strategies put up by a crestfallen Gary Kasparov.
Information on the valleys that different wolf packs use and interaction between different packs is being fed into the wardrobe-sized computer as part of the project.
Mike Gravenor, reader in Epidemiology at the Institute of Life Science at Swansea University, said, 'We use mathematical models to investigate how the structure of population will affect the spread of a disease.
'In certain populations, a reactive vaccination strategy may be too late to prevent a large outbreak.
'However, the wolf populations are structured into family packs with intricate social organisation acting as constraints to the spread of disease.
'For computer modelling exercises such as this we must rely on long-term field observations.
'Here, the study is driven by outstanding data collected over 20 years of efforts to monitor and conserve this species undertaken by the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Program and the Frankfurt Zoological Society.'
It is hoped that the further development of oral rabies vaccines that can be given in food will in future make it easier to vaccinate the remote wolf populations.
Another member of the project, Dr Dan Haydon, from the University of Glasgow, said, 'Theoreticians have devoted a lot of effort to working out how to vaccinate populations in ways that prevent epidemics getting started, but this requires coverage that is impractical in wild populations.
'We've looked at vaccination studies that don't prevent all outbreaks, but do reduce the chances of really big outbreaks - ones that could push an endangered population over the extinction threshold. These strategies turn out to be effective and a lot more practical.'
Ethiopian Airlines Wins Award
Addis Ababa (International Business Times) - Ethiopian Airlines won the African Airline of the Year 2006 Award. US deputy assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs in the department of transport, Susan Mcdemoff, handed the award plaque on Monday to Ethiopian Airlines chief Girma Wake in Cape Town, South Africa at the end of the 15th Annual Air Finance for Africa Conference.
The Africa Aviation Journal introduced the award in 1999 to give international recognition to individuals, companies and organisations that make significant contribution to aviation development in Africa.
Ethiopian Airlines was commended for its financial performance and overall profitability, passenger growth, route network expansion, fleet modernisation, in-flight services and customer care, the Journal said.
"It is a special privilege for Ethiopian (Airlines) to have been awarded African Airline of the Year 2006. The award inspires the airline to enhance its commitment to provide quality services to its esteemed customers," said Girma.
Since its launch on December 5 1945, with a maiden flight from Addis Ababa to Cairo, Ethiopian Airlines has steadily grown to become a reputable carrier.
From its Addis Ababa hub, it provides flight connections to 47 destinations in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America.
With the motto: "Bringing Africa Together and Closer to the World" Ethiopian Airlines boasts the largest network on the continent, both in passenger and cargo services.
South African Airways had won the award ahead of Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways between 2000 and 2005. -panapress
The Africa Aviation Journal introduced the award in 1999 to give international recognition to individuals, companies and organisations that make significant contribution to aviation development in Africa.
Ethiopian Airlines was commended for its financial performance and overall profitability, passenger growth, route network expansion, fleet modernisation, in-flight services and customer care, the Journal said.
"It is a special privilege for Ethiopian (Airlines) to have been awarded African Airline of the Year 2006. The award inspires the airline to enhance its commitment to provide quality services to its esteemed customers," said Girma.
Since its launch on December 5 1945, with a maiden flight from Addis Ababa to Cairo, Ethiopian Airlines has steadily grown to become a reputable carrier.
From its Addis Ababa hub, it provides flight connections to 47 destinations in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America.
With the motto: "Bringing Africa Together and Closer to the World" Ethiopian Airlines boasts the largest network on the continent, both in passenger and cargo services.
South African Airways had won the award ahead of Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways between 2000 and 2005. -panapress
Ethiopian Airlines is Africa's Best
Nairobi (International Business Times) - Ethiopian Airlines has won the African Airline of the Year 2006 Award, the company's management announced last Wednesday.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs in the Department of Transport, Susan Mcdemoff, handed the award plaque on Monday to Ethiopian Airlines chief Girma Wake in Cape Town, South Africa at the end of the 15th Annual Air Finance for Africa Conference.
The Africa Aviation Journal introduced the award in 1999 to give international recognition to individuals, companies and organizations that make significant contribution to aviation development in Africa.
Ethiopian Airlines was commended for its financial performance and overall profitability, passenger growth, route network expansion, fleet modernisation, in-flight services and customer care, the Journal said.
"It is a special privilege for Ethiopian (Airlines) to have been awarded African Airline of the Year 2006. The award inspires the airline to enhance its commitment to provide quality services to its esteemed customers, " said Girma.
Since its launch 5 December 1945, with a maiden flight from Addis Ababa to Cairo (Egypt) 8 April 1946, Ethiopian Airlines has steadily grown to become a reputable carrier. From its Addis Ababa hub, it provides flight connections to 47 destinations in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America.
With the motto: "Bringing Africa Together and Closer to the World" Ethiopian Airlines boasts the largest network in the continent, both in passenger and cargo services, earning it the nickname of "Africa" s World Class Airline" by loyal clients.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs in the Department of Transport, Susan Mcdemoff, handed the award plaque on Monday to Ethiopian Airlines chief Girma Wake in Cape Town, South Africa at the end of the 15th Annual Air Finance for Africa Conference.
The Africa Aviation Journal introduced the award in 1999 to give international recognition to individuals, companies and organizations that make significant contribution to aviation development in Africa.
Ethiopian Airlines was commended for its financial performance and overall profitability, passenger growth, route network expansion, fleet modernisation, in-flight services and customer care, the Journal said.
"It is a special privilege for Ethiopian (Airlines) to have been awarded African Airline of the Year 2006. The award inspires the airline to enhance its commitment to provide quality services to its esteemed customers, " said Girma.
Since its launch 5 December 1945, with a maiden flight from Addis Ababa to Cairo (Egypt) 8 April 1946, Ethiopian Airlines has steadily grown to become a reputable carrier. From its Addis Ababa hub, it provides flight connections to 47 destinations in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and North America.
With the motto: "Bringing Africa Together and Closer to the World" Ethiopian Airlines boasts the largest network in the continent, both in passenger and cargo services, earning it the nickname of "Africa" s World Class Airline" by loyal clients.
Ethiopia: Super Jumbo Airbus A380 jets in African soil
The world’s biggest commercial aircraft super jumbo, Airbus A380, touched down at the Ethiopia’s Addis Ababa Bole International Airport Monday evening, making this Eastern African country the first African nation to welcome the most modern commercial airline in the world.
Ethiopian Airlines said in its statement that the double deck Airbus A380 with an average seat capacity of 555 landed smoothly at Bole International Airport on its global testing mission, thus making Ethiopia the first country in the continent to welcome the world’s biggest commercial aircraft. “The high altitude tests of the Airbus A380 is a testimony to the high standard of Ethiopian Airlines and the Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport chosen for its altitude of 7,500 feet above sea level,” Ethiopian Airlines said. Bole now stands the historical airport in Africa to accommodate the biggest commercial airliner in the world, bringing hopes to the African governments to boost the continent’s air standards through modernization and security of their airports, aviation observers said. Using the most advanced technologies, the Airbus A380 is also designed to have 15 to 20 percent lower seat-mile costs, 10 percent more range, lower fuel burn and less emissions and noise, Ethiopian Airlines said in its highly circulated statement. Coming up as Africa’s fast growing airline, Ethiopian Airlines has been chosen 'African Airline of the Year 2006' by the African Aviation Journal. The airline, one of Africa's oldest airline since 1945, won the African Aviation Award for its clean financial performance, overall profitability, passenger growth, route network expansion, fleet modernization, in-flight services and overall customer care. Susan Mcdernoff, deputy assistant secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the USA Department of Transport, handed over the award plaque to the airline’s chief executive officer, Ato Girma Wake. The awards ceremony was held in Cape Town, South Africa in mid-September this year in an occasion to mark the climax of the conference on African Aviation's 15th Annual Air Finance for Africa. In his remarks, Girma Wake said, "The award reconfirmed our outstanding achievements in all aspects of the African aviation industry and it prepares us to work more and continue to offer the best service to our customers." At the close of the fiscal year 2005/06, the airline’s total operating revenue grew by 21 percent. During the same budgetary year, revenue passenger per kilometer rose by 18 percent and freight ton per kilometer up by 13 percent. Passenger number in 2005/06 showed a 14 percent increase over the previous year. Ethiopian Airlines has steadily grown to become a reputable African airline with an unparalleled coverage of Africa to the Middle East, Asia, Europe and America. The Airlines operates the largest network on the African continent in passenger and cargo services. It covers 28 destinations in Africa via its Addis Ababa hub. In total, Ethiopian Airlines provides connections to 47 destinations throughout the world. In September 2008, Ethiopian Airlines will be the first African airline flying the 787 Dreamliner aircraft in the skies of Africa, Middle East and Europe. It now operates its international network with 21 jet aircraft. In expanding its route network within Africa and the rest of the world, Ethiopian Airlines this year launched new flights to Brussels (Belgium), Libreville (Gabon) and reintroduced services to Dakar (Senegal) hence bringing the total number of its destinations to 47 airports.
Search for similar stories
Ethiopian Airlines said in its statement that the double deck Airbus A380 with an average seat capacity of 555 landed smoothly at Bole International Airport on its global testing mission, thus making Ethiopia the first country in the continent to welcome the world’s biggest commercial aircraft. “The high altitude tests of the Airbus A380 is a testimony to the high standard of Ethiopian Airlines and the Addis Ababa’s Bole International Airport chosen for its altitude of 7,500 feet above sea level,” Ethiopian Airlines said. Bole now stands the historical airport in Africa to accommodate the biggest commercial airliner in the world, bringing hopes to the African governments to boost the continent’s air standards through modernization and security of their airports, aviation observers said. Using the most advanced technologies, the Airbus A380 is also designed to have 15 to 20 percent lower seat-mile costs, 10 percent more range, lower fuel burn and less emissions and noise, Ethiopian Airlines said in its highly circulated statement. Coming up as Africa’s fast growing airline, Ethiopian Airlines has been chosen 'African Airline of the Year 2006' by the African Aviation Journal. The airline, one of Africa's oldest airline since 1945, won the African Aviation Award for its clean financial performance, overall profitability, passenger growth, route network expansion, fleet modernization, in-flight services and overall customer care. Susan Mcdernoff, deputy assistant secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the USA Department of Transport, handed over the award plaque to the airline’s chief executive officer, Ato Girma Wake. The awards ceremony was held in Cape Town, South Africa in mid-September this year in an occasion to mark the climax of the conference on African Aviation's 15th Annual Air Finance for Africa. In his remarks, Girma Wake said, "The award reconfirmed our outstanding achievements in all aspects of the African aviation industry and it prepares us to work more and continue to offer the best service to our customers." At the close of the fiscal year 2005/06, the airline’s total operating revenue grew by 21 percent. During the same budgetary year, revenue passenger per kilometer rose by 18 percent and freight ton per kilometer up by 13 percent. Passenger number in 2005/06 showed a 14 percent increase over the previous year. Ethiopian Airlines has steadily grown to become a reputable African airline with an unparalleled coverage of Africa to the Middle East, Asia, Europe and America. The Airlines operates the largest network on the African continent in passenger and cargo services. It covers 28 destinations in Africa via its Addis Ababa hub. In total, Ethiopian Airlines provides connections to 47 destinations throughout the world. In September 2008, Ethiopian Airlines will be the first African airline flying the 787 Dreamliner aircraft in the skies of Africa, Middle East and Europe. It now operates its international network with 21 jet aircraft. In expanding its route network within Africa and the rest of the world, Ethiopian Airlines this year launched new flights to Brussels (Belgium), Libreville (Gabon) and reintroduced services to Dakar (Senegal) hence bringing the total number of its destinations to 47 airports.
Search for similar stories
Ethiopia: Ethiopian Airlines Gets 200-Seater Plane
Dorothy Nakaweesi
Kampala
IN its endeavour to match the increasing number of passengers, Ethiopian Airlines has signed an agreement with Atlasjet Airlines based in Turkey to lease B757-200 aircraft.
The six-months lease is on ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) basis although Ethiopian Airlines cabin crew will provide cabin service.
The deal was effected on September 13, according to the Ethiopian Airlines newsletter. It said the B757-200 with registration number TC-OGT was manufactured in July 2000.
This 200-seater all economy aircraft will operate mainly in the Accra, Harare, Lusaka, Lilongwe, Kinshasa, Brazzaville, and Johannesburg routes.
Ethiopia Airlines provides seamless connections to 47 destinations spread around the globe including 28 in Africa via its Addis Ababa hub.
Entebbe is one of its destinations, which also include Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Bahar Dar, Bamako, Bangkok, Beijing, Beirut, Brazzaville and Brussels, Bujumbura and Cairo among others.
Kampala
IN its endeavour to match the increasing number of passengers, Ethiopian Airlines has signed an agreement with Atlasjet Airlines based in Turkey to lease B757-200 aircraft.
The six-months lease is on ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) basis although Ethiopian Airlines cabin crew will provide cabin service.
The deal was effected on September 13, according to the Ethiopian Airlines newsletter. It said the B757-200 with registration number TC-OGT was manufactured in July 2000.
This 200-seater all economy aircraft will operate mainly in the Accra, Harare, Lusaka, Lilongwe, Kinshasa, Brazzaville, and Johannesburg routes.
Ethiopia Airlines provides seamless connections to 47 destinations spread around the globe including 28 in Africa via its Addis Ababa hub.
Entebbe is one of its destinations, which also include Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Bahar Dar, Bamako, Bangkok, Beijing, Beirut, Brazzaville and Brussels, Bujumbura and Cairo among others.
Labels:
Boeing,
Ethiopian Airlies,
Yebbo Travel Agency,
Yebbo.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
