Swiss Economy Most Competitive Once Again; EU, US, Japan Improve

The Global Competitiveness Report published by the Geneva-based body, which is most famous for gathering politicians and billionaires for an annual exchange of views at the Alpine resort of Davos, showed the same 10 countries filling the top 10 spots for at least the third year running.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to launch a female-focused version of the Davos economic forum, as part of a wider push to boost the number of women in the workforce at home, he said in an interview published on Tuesday.

The World Economic Forum on Africa kicks off in Abuja on Wednesday in the shadow of security fears and mounting global concern about the plight of more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by Islamist militants.

Nigeria hosts the World Economic Forum on Africa summit this week under tight security after two deadly car bomb attacks raised fears about a possible spread of Islamist militant violence.

Pantech, South Korea's No.3 smartphone maker, has been under a debt-restructuring programme after suffering six consecutive quarters of losses due to fierce competition.

The UK-based luxury car maker is close to signing a deal with the Saudi government to build an assembly factory in the east of the country, according to 'The Sunday Times'.

After big success of its existing models like Scorpio and XUV 500, auto major Mahindra and Mahindra (M&M) is working on a new mass-market sports utility vehicle (SUV) and plans to position it as the lowest-price vehicle in this segment.

Hackers attacked Israeli computers including one used by the defence ministry department dealing with civilians in the occupied West Bank, an Israeli data protection expert said.

Underlining the need for urgent action to tackle climate change, World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim on Saturday called for developing a $50-billion 'green bond' market by 2015.

India is committed to structural reforms to boost growth and any change in the government after the next elections is unlikely to have a major impact on its economic reform policy framework, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has said.

With economic growth remaining fragile, European countries cannot afford to relax their efforts towards implementing structural reforms, according to European Central Bank (ECB) chief Mario Draghi.

As the World Economic Forum annual meeting draws to a close, Indian business leaders say their main takeaway would be cautious optimism about their country, even as the upcoming general elections and evolving political scene seemed to dominate India discussions at this global gathering.

Fears of economic instability due to the slowing of massive monetary stimulus policies are unwarranted, top central bankers said at the World Economic Forum annual meet here, amid accusations that the easy money has won only a timid recovery.

The Indian story is looking better this year but it is nowhere close to the exuberance seen at the World Economic Forum meet a few years ago, prominent banker Uday Kotak said on Saturday.

Secretary of State John Kerry dismissed on Friday as "a myth" suggestions that the United States was withdrawing from world affairs.

India wants the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to capitalise on the success of the ministerial meeting in Bali and move ahead with the Doha development agenda for a global trade deal.

Attributing the decline in India's growth rate mainly to domestic factors, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia has said the government needs to anticipate obstacles and take quick decisions.

A shift towards circular model of growth will have huge potential for innovation, job creation and economic expansion, and is expected to generate $1 trillion a year for the global economy, according to a report.

The mammoth data breach at US No. 3 retailer Target has made executives even more aware of the need to improve safety standards, but the cost is often prohibitive.

Tata Motors during the throes of the global economic crisis in 2008 had acquired JLR and since then the fortunes of the iconic British automaker has turned around. Tata Motors had bought JLR from Ford Motor for $2.5 billion and poured in significant capital to revive the ailing luxury carmaker.