Notable in their absence from Davos

Billionaire Warren E. Buffett has never attended. Neither has Timothy D. Cook, chief executive of Apple, the world's largest company by market value. (His predecessor, Steve Jobs, never went, either.) The founders of Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, stopped going a couple of years ago, as did Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's chairman. Both companies do send other execut...

Klaus Schwab said in an interview with the Associated Press that there will be crossover between the forum's 2,500 participants and the officials from the U.S., Russia and close to 40 other countries that are attending the start of the Syria peace conference several hours away in Montreux, Switzerland.

With the recent proliferation of cyber-attacks, corporate executives need to devote increasing attention to protecting information assets and on-line operations, according to the report released today by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in collaboration with global consultancy McKinsey & Company.

Mr Gates, who is to attend the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting, today said there is reason to be optimistic than ever about the future progress using vaccines to give all children a healthy start to life.

Swiss confederation president Didier Burkhalter, Nestle chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Kofi Annan foundation chairman Kofi Annan and Goldman Sachs International chairman Peter D Sutherland would be among the personalities participating in these sessions.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) report said that short term labour market prospects are not encouraging for many countries.

A tiny elite comprising the richest 85 individuals hold wealth equivalent to that owned by the bottom half of the world's population, according to a report by worldwide development organisation Oxfam.

Failure to boost cyber security could cost the world economy a staggering $3 trillion as new regulations and approaches to deal with destructive attacks would stifle innovation, according to a report.

From India, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla will not be attending the meet, despite his initial confirmation. Besides, his compatriots Chanda kochhar and Anand Mahindra had already decided to skip this year's WEF annual extravaganza despite being regulars here for the many past years.

The Geneva-based WEF would host its 44th Annual Meeting here beginning tomorrow, wherein more than 2,500 leaders from across the world including 40 heads of government are expected to indulge in a high-profile talk fest for five days.

Ahead of the gathering of political and business leaders in the Swiss resort of Davos, the public relations firm Edelman found that only 44 percent of university-educated people participating in the survey trusted government, down 4 percentage points from the previous year. As recently as 2011, trust in politicians stood at 52 percent.

A suicide bomber killed 10 people in a crowded market on Monday near the Pakistani army headquarters in the city of Rawalpindi, not far from the capital Islamabad, police said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today cancelled his visit to Davos in Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum in the wake of a spike in terror attacks, including a bombing that killed 22 Pakistani troops.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will leave for China today to participate in the seventh World Economic Forum (WEF) at Dalian in the northeastern Liaoning province.

Swiss banks are selling a new safe-haven idea to the rich and mighty from India and other countries -- special accounts for holding gold bars and high-value Swiss franc notes in the safety of their cash vaults.

India needs to have a regulatory regime that is consistent and progressive in nature to find a place in the investment road map of foreign companies, global banking giant HSBC's India chief Naina Lal Kidwai has said.

Looking to expand its business and grow its financial metrics going forward, new-generation private sector banking major Yes Bank has said it is open to possible acquisitions in banking, broking and asset management businesses, even as its organic growth plans are sufficient to meet its near-term targets.

Global business conglomerate Hinduja group is planning to significantly expand presence in Africa in areas ranging from transport, infrastructure and coal, and would look to partner governments of various African countries for its new businesses in the region.

India has a big advantage over China in the global labour market, as its young and English-speaking literate workforce is much more relevant on the global level, as per leading human resource consultancy giant Manpower Group.

After having to work twice harder than its peers to get business for nearly four years since rescuing scam-hit erstwhile Satyam Computer, Mahindra Satyam said it is now ready for a new era and a stronger market position, sans the stigma attached with the 'Satyam' name.