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UP FRONTThursday 21 January 2016
Biden wisecracks at Davos, then warns of digital age threats
JAMEY KEATEN 45-year-old World Econom- packed hall, before quickly of this year’s edition — the Biden said the traditional
Associated Press ic Forum while a U.S. Sena- adding: “I’m only joking Fourth Industrial Revolution bargain which stipulated
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — tor, Biden wisecracked about that. — and expressed hopes it that a worker who con-
Ever the jokester, U.S. Vice about President Barack That’s a joke.” would produce “far more tributed to the success of
President Joe Biden ribbed Obama for not letting him Self-deprecatingly referring winners than losers” in his his employer would get a
his boss Wednesday at the go as vice president until to the “Biden gaffe” known speech at a conference share in the benefits has
World Economic Forum be- now as he delivered the to many of his fellow Ameri- where roughly two-thirds been broken.
fore getting serious to chide keynote address at the re- cans, Biden also quipped of the 2,400-plus attendees He decried a growing
tax-dodgers and warn nowned Davos conference about wanting to seek a are business leaders. wealth gap, economic in-
about the possible dangers in the Swiss Alpine snows. “personal” loan from IMF “So my call to action here equality, tax avoidance
that the digital revolution “I’ve really resented the managing director Chris- is simple: Embrace the ob- and data showing that
and growing automation hell out of the fact Barack tine Lagarde, who sat in the ligation to your workers as wage growth is not keep-
could pose to jobs. wouldn’t let me come un- front row and laughed. He well as your shareholders,” ing pace with productivity
A frequent veteran of the til tonight,” he told a nearly then turned to the theme he said. gains.q
Anxiety in the air as world elite meets for Davos forum
PAN PYLAS A police officer guards a checkpoint at the Seehof hotel during the World Economic Forum in ing about the world’s
CARLO PIOVANO Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016. The world’s political and business elite gather his poor, calling for new busi-
Associated Press week in Davos. ness models that create
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — dignified work for all while
In the couple of hours be- (AP Photo/Michel Euler) protecting the environ-
fore Morgan Stanley chief ment. A message from
James Gorman sat down sought to describe it as a WPP. old annual gathering, the pope read out at the
Wednesday to speak on natural adjustment. Not Uncertainty over the slow- which tries to bring togeth- meeting Wednesday told
a panel in Davos, Switzer- many were upbeat. down in China, the plunge er leaders from every field the crowd they cannot be
land, he had lost some “The new normal is a low- in energy costs and the and has become a key fully human or happy if they
$600,000 on the value of his growth world,” said Martin potential disruption of new networking event. ignore poverty, and fail to
shares in the bank. Sorrell, chairman of U.K.- technologies dominated Pope Francis sought to realize that their own ac-
As the world’s richest busi- based advertising giant discussion at the 45-year- remind the elite gather- tions are causing injustice.
ness leaders and public Sorrell worried that com-
figures kicked off the World panies are not confident
Economic Forum’s annual enough to invest in new
meeting in the Swiss ski re- projects that might create
sort, a renewed plunge in growth and jobs. Instead,
stock markets and global they increasingly prefer to
oil prices clouded the air reward shareholders with
with anxiety. Gorman is dividend payments and
not alone — already this share buybacks. And con-
year trillions of dollars have sumers, Sorrell said, remain
been wiped off the value wary — nearly eight years
of shares around the world. after the global financial
Some participants voiced crisis saw the collapse of
a high degree of concern many banking groups and
over the global economy, triggered the deepest re-
saying the recent turbu- cession since World War II.
lence in financial markets That wariness is why con-
— which saw the Dow sumers don’t appear to be
plunge over 500 points on spending the windfall they
Wednesday — was akin earn from lower oil prices.
to a “meltdown.” Others q
Kerry, Lavrov try to settle differences over Syrian talks
MATTHEW LEE The State Department said resolved. sion will be taken by the the negotiations begin.
AP Diplomatic Writer the two men had discussed “We do not have any kind Secretary-General of the In the meeting, Kerry also
ZURICH (AP) — U.S. Sec- plans for the negotiations of thoughts about chang- United Nations on the ad- called for Russia to use its
retary of State John Kerry that the U.N. special en- ing the beginning of the vice and recommenda- influence with Syrian Presi-
and Russian Foreign Minis- voy for Syria, Staffan de talks from January to Feb- tions of his special envoy dent Bashar Assad “to
ter Sergey Lavrov met on Mistura, hopes to convene ruary,” Lavrov told report- Staffan de Mistura.” ensure immediate, unim-
Wednesday in hopes of in Geneva on Jan. 25 and ers. Lavrov added that the peded and sustained hu-
resolving differences over “the importance of main- “This is the position of Rus- main topic of conversation manitarian access to all
who is eligible to join U.N.- taining progress toward a sia and the USA.” with Kerry was “coordina- Syrians in need,” State De-
mediated peace talks for diplomatic solution to the “The political process will tion,” primarily about ter- partment spokesman John
Syria due to begin next crisis.” But, while both sides begin, we hope, in the rorist organization, which Kirby said, particularly in
week. Those differences said they did not support nearest future, during Jan- would be left out of the besieged communities like
have threatened to delay a delay in the talks, it was uary,” he said. political process as well Madaya, where deaths
the start of the negotia- not immediately clear if “Various dates have been as a ceasefire that is envi- from starvation have been
tions. the differences had been named, but the final deci- sioned to take effect once reported. q
