An array of crises will keep several world leaders away from the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos next week, which takes place against a backdrop of deepening gloom over the global economic and political outlook.
Anxieties over trade disputes, fractious international relations, Brexit and a growth slowdown that some fear could tip the world economy into recession are set to dominate the Jan. 22-25 Alpine meeting.
The WEF's own Global Risks Report set the tone this week with a stark warning of looming economic headwinds, in part because of geopolitical tensions among major powers.