UK-based asset management firms Duet Group and Vasari have partnered with the TIRET Group, an Ethiopian endowment fund, in the brewery sector, in what will become the largest private equity investment in Ethiopia to-date.

Duet Group has a made significant investment into Dashen Brewery in the form of an equity injection from the newly-formed Duet Beverages Africa company, which will be managed by the Duet Africa Private Equity team together with Vasari as the company’s industrial partner.

Deaths during childbirth in Ethiopia are expected to be halved thanks to a $43 million investment from the Australian government.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd on Friday signed an agreement promising the money over four years to help Ethiopia reach its millennium development goal targets on child health.

The cash is expected to dramatically increase the number of trained midwives from 2002 to 8635 and boost attended deliveries from 18 to 62 per cent.
The number of women who die during childbirth is expected to drop by half from 590 to 267 per 100,000 births, while infant deaths should fall from 59 to 31 for every 1000 births.

African heads of state and government have begun arriving ahead of the African Union (AU) summit scheduled to begin in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, Sunday.

Observers say a record number of African leaders are expected to attend this year’s summit.

“Everything is in high gear on preparations for the opening of the summit Sunday,” said AU adviser Keizire Boaz.
Boaz says the leaders are expected to elect the new head of the African Union commission, as well as formulate a framework to promote trade and commerce among African countries.

Petrol is already beyond the price range of many Africans while surging population levels should force governments in Asia to limit car use, political and business leaders said Wednesday.

While economic gloom in the Eurozone is the most immediate concern of delegates gathered here for the annual Davos forum, the challenge of feeding and powering an ever expanding planet is the main long-term headache.
As tensions with Iran and Nigeria once more raise fears about oil supplies -- and Japan's Fukushima disaster undermines the appeal of nuclear energy -- titans of politics and industry admit it is time for a radical reappraisal.