Assessing Global Risks in 2009
Market players shouldn't let the financial crisis distract them from evaluating political risk. Keep an eye on these geopolitical hot spots.

A Stimulus Package for the World - NYTimes.com
*headdesk*

NAFTA's Dangerous Security Agenda


*****

World Economic Forum
"Committed to improving the state of the world"

The World Economic Forum has unveiled the programme for its 39th Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters. Under the theme “Shaping the Post-Crisis World”, more than 2,500 participants from 96 countries will convene, including a record 41 heads of state or government. Key finance, foreign affairs, trade and energy ministers will also join heads of non-governmental organizations, social entrepreneurs and religious leaders at the Meeting.

Politicians, not bankers, lead way at Davos

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva this week, the forum's chairman and founder, Klaus Schwab, said that the world was clearly unable to cope with the complexities of modern financial structures.

"The annual meeting 2009 is one of the most crucial in the near 40-year history of the World Economic Forum," he said. "The extraordinary participation in terms of political and business leaders … demonstrates that our annual meeting will be the place where key actors can address both a crisis of unprecedented scope and, at the same time, the sort of world we collectively want to see emerging once the crisis is over.

"What we are experiencing is the birth of a new era, a wake-up call to overhaul our institutions, our systems and, above all, our way of thinking."

Putin to address opening of Davos meeting in Jan

Interview: WEF proud of its positive ties with China

Financial Crisis Keeps Australian PM From Davos

Economic crisis dominates Davos agenda
Heads of state, influential politicians, business leaders and global power brokers will gather in the Swiss Alps next week for the World Economic Forum -- with the perilous state of the planet's financial system set to top this year's agenda.

Sombre mood awaits at Davos

World leaders ready for crisis forum
GENEVA (Reuters) - World leaders and policymakers will gather in record numbers at next week's annual Davos forum to discuss how to overcome the worst global economic crisis in 80 years, organizers said.



Obama economics team stay away from Davos: organisers
Say, that's odd:

GENEVA (AFP) — The new US administration will send only one of President Barack Obama's close aides to the World Economic Forum's meeting in Davos next week instead of key economic figures, the organisers said Friday.

The news dashed the WEF's hopes that the new National Economic Council chief Lawrence Summers and possibly Treasury nominee Timothy Geithner might join business and political leaders in the Swiss Alps to discuss ways out of the global economic crisis.

"Both have been cancelled and replaced by an adviser to Obama, Valerie Jarrett," a spokesman for the WEF told AFP.

Jarrett, who co-chaired Obama's transition team, is the president's assistant for intergovernmental relations and public liaison and a close associate of the former senator.

Very curious. Looking to rise above the fray, or is there something else?