The World Economic Forum, the annual gathering of government and corporate leaders in the Alpine ski resort in Davos, Switzerland, runs until Sunday, February 1.
Here are highlights of stories from The Associated Press report of Saturday, Jan. 31:
DAVOS FORUM-GOVERNMENT ON TOP
DAVOS, Switzerland — Forget big business, this year politicians seem to have all the answers. The forum in this Swiss Alpine hamlet is flooded every year with business leaders, and their solutions to all of life's ills. But this year, with a shattered world economy, the bailout and recovery plans of governments are drowning out the suggestions of CEOs and chairmen who have seen some of their credibility vanish. By Matt Moore. Has moved.
DAVOS FORUM
DAVOS, Switzerland — Global leaders have a simple message for the world: Keep trading.
If nations instead choose to barricade their economies behind new commercial barriers, they risk making the global economic crisis even worse, leaders says. By Bradley S. Klapper and Matt Moore. Has moved.
DAVOS FORUM-IMAX
DAVOS, Switzerland — The CEO of megascreen producer Imax Corp. says he is confident the movie business will remain "fairly recession-proof" and that his company will benefit this year from the release of the new "Star Trek" film and the latest "Harry Potter" epic. By Bradley S. Klapper. Has moved.
DAVOS FORUM-GIRL POWER
DAVOS, Switzerland — Nike's chief executive, the head of UNICEF and Melinda Gates agree there's a simpler way to help rejuvenate many of the world's economies: invest in the education of girls and make sure they don't become victims of the global financial meltdown. By Edith M. Lederer. Has moved.
DAVOS FORUM-MOBILE PHONES
DAVOS, Switzerland —Need economic stimulus? Just look to the mobile phone industry. That's the message the head of the mobile phone industry's trade association, Alexander Izosimov, brings to the World Economic Forum, where the world's political and business elite came to debate a way out of the global economic crisis. By Colleen Barry. Has moved.
DAVOS FORUM-CHARITY SQUEEZE
DAVOS, Switzerland — Six-figure charity donations from Wall Street warriors dried up with corporate year-end bonuses this year. The children's charity World Vision made up for the difference by calling its donor list one by one.
That worked this time around, but as the global economic downturn widens, non-governmental organizations are being forced to make hard back-room decisions and redouble fundraising to ensure that the world's neediest people don't become the crisis' forgotten victims. By Colleen Barry. Has moved.
DAVOS FORUM-BROWN
DAVOS, Switzerland — British Prime Minister Gordon Brown warns that unease about the global financial crisis was no reason to retreat into protectionism and fear. "This is not like the 1930s. The world can come together," he said in a solo session at the World Economic Forum. Has moved.
DAVOS FORUM-JAPAN
DAVOS, Switzerland — Japan's prime minister calls for a drop in trade barriers, saying the global financial crisis called for meticulous and far-reaching efforts. "The world economy is facing a crisis that is said to occur only once a century," Taro Aso tells the World Economic Forum. Has moved.
DAVOS FORUM-LIBYA
DAVOS, Switzerland — The son of Libya's leader says he is putting together an alliance of nonprofit organizations from across the Arab world to tackle the issue of human rights and democracy in the Middle East. Seif al-Islam Gadhafi sadi in an interview that almost 45 NGOs, both Muslim and Christian, have agreed to join the alliance. Has moved.