Over the past decade, the Middle East region has witnessed the rise of a generation of young entrepreneurs who have introduced new business models and built companies with a global presence. In the current risk-averse environment, will this generation maintain its appetite for unconventional approaches to growth?

Panelists
Helmy Abouleish, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Sekem Group, Egypt; Social Entrepreneur
Omar K. Alghanim, Chief Executive Officer, Alghanim Industries, Kuwait; Young Global Leader
Fadi Ghandour, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Aramex International, Jordan
Esam Janahi, Chairman, Gulf Finance House, Bahrain; Young Global Leader
H.R.H. Prince Khalid Bin Bandar Bin Sultan, Prince of Saudi Royal Family
Moderated by Alan G. Friedman, Executive Editor and Anchor, FBC Group, United Kingdom

Return to Main

A law intended to open up the Amazon in Peru to exploitation by mining and timber companies, has been suspended by the government.

Indigenous tribes say the decision is a victory as the law amounted to theft of their ancestral lands.

Teresa Bo reports from Yuri-maguas, where the victory doesn’t mean the protests are over.

Return to Main

As World Day Against Child Labour is marked, the Indian government stands accused of not doing enough to reduce child labour.

Al Jazeera’s Matt McClure met some of the children who have been rescued from illegal workshops.

Return to Main

Water in Chile is not a public resource, but private property traded as a commodity.

In the mineral-rich northern desert, powerful mining companies are appropriating water from rivers and wells, leaving towns and cities without one of life’s basic requirements.

Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman reports from the world’s driest town, Quillagua, on why the government is powerless to do anything about it.

Return to Main

Latin American countries must attract investment to ensure economic growth and improve the distribution of wealth. While Asian economies wrestle with the current slowdown, the Middle East is confronting volatile energy prices. How can renewed long-term investment between Asia and the Latin America region be increased? How can Middle Eastern countries make the most of agricultural resources and food production in Latin America?

Panelists
Lord Brennan, Member of the Board, Matrix Chambers, United Kingdom
Luiz Fernando Furlan, President, Foundation for a Sustainable Amazon, Brazil
Javier Santiso, Director and Chief Development Economist, Development Centre, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Paris; Young Global Leader
Alessandro Teixeira, President, APEX-Brasil (Trade and Investment Promotion Agency), Brazil
Moderated by Kellie Meiman, Managing Director, McLarty Associates, USA

Return to Main

From the BBC:

The two main candidates in Iran’s presidential election have claimed victory, after extended voting as huge numbers of people turned out to vote.

Reformist challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi told a news conference that he had won by a substantial margin.

However, state media said incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had won, and electoral officials said partial results put him ahead on 69%.

But Mr Mousavi has complained of some voting irregularities.

He said there had been a shortage of ballot papers and millions of people had been denied the right to vote.

His election monitors were not allowed enough access to polling stations, he added, saying he would deal seriously with any fraud.

From the New York Times:

Polls were originally due to close at 6 p.m. (9:30 a.m. in New York), but voting was extended by several hours because of very high turnout, according to news service reports. Initial results are not expected until hours after the polls close.

The strong showing appeared to be driven in part by a broad movement against Mr. Ahmadinejad that has spurred vast opposition rallies in Iran’s major cities over the past few weeks. Many reform-oriented voters stayed away from the polls in 2005, and now say they are determined not to repeat the mistake. Most say they support Mir Hussein Moussavi, a moderate and former prime minister who is the leading opposition candidate.

There are four candidates in the race, and if none wins more than 50 percent of the vote on Friday, the top two finishers will compete in a runoff a week later. Most analysts have assumed that the election will go to a second round, but in recent days, the extraordinary public support for Mr. Moussavi has led to predictions that he could win the presidency in the first round on Friday. The other contenders are Mehdi Karroubi, a reformist cleric; and Mohsen Rezai, a conservative and the former commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. All other presidential aspirants were weeded out months ago by Iran’s clerical elite.

Iran’s president is less powerful than the supreme leader — Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — who has final authority over affairs of state. But the president wields great power over domestic affairs, and Mr. Ahmadinejad has skillfully used the office as a bully pulpit both at home and abroad.

Return to Main