FORMER US Secretary of State Colin Powell is to join Archbishop Desmond Tutu in delivering a keynote speech at this year's Yorkshire International Business Convention.

The ex-politician who epitomises the American dream of rags-to-riches, and was once tipped to be the country's first black president, joins a long list of world leaders who have headlined the convention.

They have included Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev, Lech Welesa, the former Mayor of New York Rudi Giuliani, as well as astronaut Neil Armstrong and film star Sir John Mills.

Organisers predict that General Powell and the South African cleric's speeches at the Yorkshire Events Centre in Harrogate on Friday June 10, will ensure that the business convention is a sell-out.

Mike Firth, convention chief executive, said: "I wanted this year to be really special as it is our tenth anniversary and with two of the most important world figures coming to Yorkshire to speak at the event I think I can safely say that wish has come true."

More than 2,000 key business figures from the region, as well as elsewhere in the UK and Europe, are expected to converge both at Harrogate and at a "satellite" event in Hull.

There the delegates will have a live two-way link with Harrogate, as well as having the chance to be visited by top speakers who will be flown by helicopter between the two venues.

General Powell was born in Harlem in New York City, and went on to become one of America's most distinguished soldiers before being appointed Secretary of State - a position he held until his resignation last November.

He was raised in the South Bronx by his parents who had emigrated to America from Jamaica. He was a professional soldier for 35 years, and after serving in Vietnam - where he was seriously injured - he went on to become a four-star general, before achieving international prominence as the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and one of the leaders of both Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

He was made an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath by the Queen in 1993.

He later resisted suggestions that he should run for American's highest office.

But after George W Bush was elected president in 2000 the general became the first black American Secretary of State in US History.

In the run-up to the war in Iraq he was instrumental in gaining international support for a coalition invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, although initially he favoured a policy of containment rather than attack, and was regarded as a moderate voice in the Bush administration.

Anyone interested in further information or tickets for the event should phone 01924 899966

Updated: 13:58 Wednesday, April 13, 2005