Fragile economy, other global woes dominated Davos

1/27/2013

DAVOS, Switzerland — The fragile state of the global economy and a host of other woes — from Syria's escalating war to the rocky fallout from the Arab Spring — dominated the annual meeting of the global elite at Davos, casting a sense of uncertainty and foreboding over what lies ahead.

Much of the overt glitz and glamor that was long a feature of the World Economic Forum was absent this year, a decision founder Klaus Schwab said reflected the serious issues confronting the planet.

As more than 2,500 global movers and shakers headed home today, there was broad agreement that things are beginning to look up on the economic front — at least in China, Africa, and emerging markets, but not in Japan, Europe, and the United States.