World Economic Forum Annual Meeting

Welcome to this year's Annual Meeting.

We'll be here on the liveblog all day guiding you through the sessions, updating you on some of the best bits from the media and everything that's going on in Davos.

Some of today's highlights:

10:15 GMT: Opening Plenary with Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India

13:00 GMT: An Insight, An Idea with Cate Blanchett

14:00 GMT: An Insight, An Idea with Shah Rukh Khan

14:30 GMT: Gender, Power and Stemming Sexual Harassment

16:30 GMT: Special Address by Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

The digital economy is coming. But what does that actually mean, and how can you prepare?

Tech CEOs and leaders will discuss the big ideas behind the next wave of change. Participants include Michael Gregoire, CEO of CA Technologies; Neelie Kroes, board member of Salesforce; Gavin Patterson, CEO of BT; Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco; Lynn St Amour, Chair of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group of the Internet Governance Forum; and James C. Smith, CEO of Thompson Reuters.

To get up to speed, read Michael Gregoire’s think piece on what the tech industry can do to restore public trust.

And for a reminder on how we’ve come in just a couple of decades, here’s a look back at how rapidly internet use spread around the world. Billions more people from emerging markets are set to come online: the UN targets getting 60% of the population connected by 2020.

Good morning, afternoon, night, wherever you are. One of the first panel sessions of Davos 2018 focuses on the state of the markets. It's a rolled gold panel with five top-level CEOs moderated by Fox Business News' Maria Bartiromo.

Who are they?

Steven Schwartzman, Chairman, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of the Blackstone Group.

Adena Friedman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Nasdaq Inc.

Frank Appel, Chief Executive Officer, Deutsche Post DHL Group

Brian T. Moynihan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Bank of America Corporation

Tidjane Thiam, Chief Executive Officer, Credit Suisse AG

Bartiromo opens by asking why the markets are so buoyant in the face of so many clear risks. She points out new headlines this morning on US Tariffs as one example of the risks to global economic strength.

Thiam points out that France and Europe in general are buoyant, and trade is growing faster than world GDP.

Friedman says there is a pent up demand for companies to go public, and there is a good pipeline of those looking for finance.

Appel is definitely a sceptic as far as global risk is concerned. Trade is on the up and up, protectionism only impacts the workers of the protected country. If the US slaps on tariffs, only American workers will suffer, he says.

Thiam says that a lot of people overlook the spread of prosperity, the expansion of education: "I'm surprised sometimes by how surprised people are."

This is an extremely optimistic panel.

Schwarzman, there are some major imbalances, the US trade deficit with China will have to be addressed. "China grew behind a tariff wall". But he is optimistic that will be addressed over the medium term. More In the short term, however, NAFTA is a more "colourful" and pressing challenge that will come to a head this year.

If North Korea becomes a hot war, says Schwarzman, "I think you'll see markets at different levels. And that doesn't mean up."

Moyhnihan says fiery trade rhetoric has to settle back to how do long term imbalances get redressed. There is a good argument that the US may well become more competitive, and a more attractive place to locate manufacturing and other operations. But with full employment, there is a challenge around where workers will come from, particularly in an environment where immigration is being restricted.

Friedman: "I see the US as being a very attractive place for business."

Tax reforms will drive business to the US: lower taxes, lowering regulation, an educated workforce. Schwarzman is a US economy booster.

Appel throws a little water on the party, saying that tax reforms which might lead to higher budget deficits and other short term sugar fixes won't solve structural challenges. The recipe for success is better productivity: education of the people, open borders, better infrastructure, competitive pressure through open borders. Look, for instance, at Singapore.

Thiam: "I've learned over time never to bet against the US economy."

Schwarzman takes on the US infrastructure deficit, $2 trillion at least. The US infrastructure approval process takes 10 - 15 years due to the country's thicket of regulations. Compare that to other countries, which take, maybe 2 years for similar processes and people shake their heads.

There may well by something in the "Australian model" of public-private infrastructure development, says Schwarzman.

Thiam agrees, countries with strong infrastructure development have relatively efficient regulatory frameworks.

Some discussion on the panel about Europe and the strength of its reforms. Multiple layers of governance that make decision-making more complex means that "things always happen last" according to Blackstone's Schwarzman.

On brexit, Friedman says there is a great opportunity for the UK if the economy, employment practices and labour force the right way is positioned the right way.

This is all predicated on good negotiations, and there are lots of uncertainties: "You have to worry about it," says Moynhihan.

Question from an Indian Global Shaper in the audience: "Will we ever be able to shift the balance of power between Europe and US to other economies."

Moynihan replies the Indian economy is really strong: "It's all good, I don't think the world has to do anything, it just has to keep doing what it's doing. It's coming."

To get your day going, here's a snapshot of what the world's media are saying.

Quartz and CNBC are talking about our Inclusive Development Report.

The challenge of modern leadership is explored in this piece from The National.

France24 explores the impact of technology and automation on women, as shown in our Towards a Reskilling Revolution: A Future of Jobs for All report.

Justin Trudeau will deliver a special address at 16:30 GMT. Here Global News previews what he might say.

Mastercard's Center for Inclusive Growth looks at how the gender gap will be explored this year.

Rita Singh is a speech recognition expert from Carnegie Mellon University. The advanced technology she's working on can tell your age, height, weight and even facial structure from just a fraction of a second of audio. It can even detect your income level and state of health.

She'll be talking about the latest research on audio analysis at 09:15 this morning in the Science Hub. But you can read more on her fascinating work in this article:

How to catch a criminal using only milliseconds of audio

We're well into our first sessions here in Davos, looking at topics from the global markets and the digital economy to AI in healthcare.

The Co-Chairs for the 48th Annual Meeting come from a cross-section of business, politics, academia and civil society. During this session, they shared their view on the theme and their hopes and expectations for the meeting.

They are:

Sharan Burrow, General-Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

Fabiola Gianotti, Director-General, European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)

Isabelle Kocher, Chief Executive Office, Engie Group

Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, IMF

Ginni Rometty, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, IBM Corporation

Chetna Sinha, Founder and Chair, Mann Deshi Foundation

Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway

Erna Solberg calls for a focus on corruption and illegal money flows. We need a #MeToo for corruption, she says. Failure to tackle this will undermine inclusive growth and development.

Secondly, she asks for action on gender equality. Education is the first step, making sure that girls take a full part in education.

Chetna Sinha says she is a voice for the fractured world, and call on financial access for everyone.

She announces an alternative investment fund for female entrepreneurs, worth 100 million rupees.

Ginni Rometty calls for transparency in technology, a set of principles for data and workers prepared for the future of work.

Christine Lagarde says we're economically in a sweetspot and this will allows us to focus on shared responsibilities. We have to turn the anger we have seen into action, she tells us.

Isabelle Kocher has a desire to create something different, that will reconcile economic growth and development with social good. This will lead to more harmonious progress. She says we need to identify the roadblocks to this progress.

Fabiola Gianotti says the passion for knowledge and learning is a shared passion for all of humanity. Scientific knowledge has no passport, no gender and no political party.

The world needs to renegotiate a new social contract, and re-write the rules, says Sharan Burrow. We built this fractured world, we need to learn some lessons and rebuild.

The panel are asked whether some of President Trump's comments about women has damaged attempts to empower them.

Chetna Sinha answers, and says she thinks the comments have brought women today. We're not going to listen, she adds.

After two days of heavy snowfall, it's stopped snowing in Davos - for now.

It's piled high though.

As global financial markets continue to rise - the Dow Jones and S&P 500 both hit record highs yet again last week - there are increasing warnings that we could be on course for another financial crisis.

How likely is it, and what action needs to be taken to avoid an economic meltdown?

Participants in this session include David M Rubenstein, Co-founder and Co-executive Chairman, The Carlyle Group, Jes Staley, Group CEO, Barclays, Kenneth Rogoff, Professor of Economics, Harvard University, Anne Richards, Chief Executive, M&G Investments, Michael Corbat, CEO, Citigroup, and Fang Xinghai, Vice-Chairman, China Securities Regulatory Commission.

"This is about the next financial crisis, which will not happen," says Bloomberg's Tom Keene, with a smirk.

"We're still coming out of the last financial crisis," says Kenneth Rogoff. "I'm not going to tell you there's not going to be another one, but I'm optimistic about where the global economy is."

Rogoff does, however, have some concerns about China, which is showing some of the characteristics of a financial crisis.

"It feels like 2006 again" says Barclays CEO Jes Staley. There could be another crisis, he adds, but this time the banks are in a different position than they were before the last downturn. If there is a crash, it won't come from the banks.

How much of a risk is China? Fang Xinghai, the only regulator on the panel, says the concern about China is justified because of the sheer size of the Chinese economy. The country recognized two years ago that there was too much debt in the country, and took action immediately. They are starting to see positive results, he adds.

Usually when people are happy and optimistic, that's when something bad happens, says David M. Rubenstein. He worries that governments have too much debt and entitlement programmes that they won't be able to honour. He also worries about so-called "black swans" - the geopolitical events we can't anticipate, such as terrorist attacks or conflict.

"It's not hard to imagine a stock market collapse," says Rogoff, especially if interest rates start to go up.

What does China need from the US? "We just want a normal relationship with the United States," says Fang Xinghai. "Good luck!" says Rogoff.

How do cryptocurrencies fit into this conversation? It's real value is still to be proven, says Fang Xinghai, which is why China doesn't want them to get too big right now.

You can read more about how China is cracking down on cryptocurrencies in this piece on our blog, Agenda.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is upon us, and it is being driven by technology that has the capability to outsmart and outwit humans.

In this session on trust in tech, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi pledged that the taxi hailing service is “doubling down” on background checks for drivers. “We will truly stand for safety,” he told the session.

Chairman and CEO of Salesforce Marc Benioff reinforced the importance of trust as the basis for business and commercial activity.

His question to the panel and gathered audience: "What value is most important to you in your company? Is it trust or growth? If anything trumps trust, we’re in trouble. We’re in a new world and you’d better be ready."

Rachel Botsman, academic and visiting lecturer at the Said Business School, Oxford University asked the panel:-

“Do we want Facebook to be the arbiter of truth?... or do we want we, the users, to decide?”

She explained that a lot of regulation has not adapted fast enough to the new distributed networks and institutions.

Ruth Porat, CFO of Alphabet, cited the Edelman Trust Barometer, which this year puts technology as the most trusted sector in business.

She also reinforced the positive aspects of technology, referencing the impact technology can have on tackling some of the world's most intractable problems, such as major health issues.

Too much screen time is a challenge for parents and children alike - and even the tech industry is worried.

At the end of a session on the digital economy, Chuck Robbins, the CEO of Cisco, said parents needed to be more assertive.

"Parents around the world need to stand up and be parents, not friends," he said.

"For some reason, we’ve gotten into this mode of being friends, it’s horrendous.. we give them all these devices."

Childhood habits last: here's a look at how Americans spend their free time.

Neelie Kroes, of the Open Data Institute, also warned that children spent too much time on smartphones and tablets.

The session focussed on the need for skills suited to the digital age, broader access to technology and better cooperation between business and government.

There's plenty going on here, outside of the sessions.

From VR experiences to arts and culture, there's always something different and interesting to see.

Hoax callers to the US Coast Guard are a big problem. As helicopters and boats rush to the rescue of non-existent disasters, it uses up valuable time and resources; people have died. Which is why hoax calls to the Coast Guard are now a federal crime.

But from one word - 'mayday' - Rita Singh and her team of voice recognition scientists at Carnegie Mellon University were able to build up a profile of one caller.

In quite a lot of detail ...

When the caller was apprehended by police, their predictions turned out to be 100% accurate.

Read more about Rita Singh's work and the amazing potential of speech recognition technology here.

India will be the world's fastest growing major economy in 2018, according the IMF's latest World Economic Outlook update.

India's GDP has been growing at around 7% per year since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office back in 2014, and next year India’s economy will be one-third bigger than when he came to power. However, major economic and social challenges - such as income inequality, gender disparity and extreme levels of pollution - persist.

Is India ready to capitalize on this rapid economic growth and assume its role as a major global player?

For some background reading on this topic, take a look at this piece by Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

After introductory remarks by the Forum's Founder and Executive Chairman, Klaus Schwab, and President of the Swiss Confederation, Alain Berset, the Prime Minister of the world's largest democracy takes the stage.

The last time an Indian PM was in Davos, 21 years ago, India's GDP was around $400bn. Today, it's six times that, says Modi.

In 1997, there were no signs of Brexit or the Asian financial crisis. Google was yet to be launched. Tweeting was something that was done by birds, not humans, says Modi.

Now, some two decades later, we live in a society that is a network of other complex networks. Today, we are living in the world of big data, AI and robots. Technology has impacted every aspect of our lives.

This is creating the greatest opportunities, but also huge challenges, says the Indian PM.

Rapidly changing technology could lead us to prosperity, but it is also creating fault lines.

Is our global order widening these fault lines? How can we eliminate these rifts, and realise the dream of a beautiful shared future, Modi asks.

In order to fight the challenges we face, we must overcome the lack of consensus that exists between nations, he adds.

Modi then lists what he says are the three main challenges that post the greatest threat to the survival of civilization as we know it.

The ice caps are melting, islands are sinking. Floods, drought, we see the impact of extreme weather events everywhere, he says.

Everyone talks about reducing carbon emissions, but there are very few countries that back their words with resources and help emerging countries.

We have moved from frugal consumption to needs-based consumption, to greed consumption, Modi says. Is this development, or our downfall, he asks.

Modi announces that by 2022, India will produce 175 gigawatts of renewable energy. In recent years, it's been a third of that.

The second great challenge is terrorism.

Terrorism is dangerous, he says, but equally dangerous is the artificial distinction between good and bad terrorists. He also hopes that the world can find a solution to the radicalization of young people.

Thirdly, more and more countries are becoming focused on themselves. The opposite of globalization is happening, says Modi.

Everyone is talking about an interconnected world, but we have to realize that globalization is losing its lustre.

The forces of protectionism are raising their heads. They want to reverse the natural flow of globalization, he adds.

Bilateral trade agreements have come to a standstill. Most nations have seen a decrease in cross-border investment. Growth in the global supply chain has been stopped.

The answer to this is not isolation, but accepting change.

The big changes that have taken place in India in recent years, for 1.25 billion Indians, mean that India is now capable of building a $5 trillion economy by 2025, Modi says.

Coming up now: United we stand, divided we fall. So how can we find our common humanity in a world that is angry and fractured?

Participants include:

Wai Wai Nu - Locked up as a political prisoner in Myanmar at the age of 18, when Wai Wai was released she earned a law degree, founded two NGOs and launched #myfriend, an online campaign to tackle hate.

Peter Maurer - President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who has been at the forefront of responding to the refugee crisis.

Sinéad Burke - An Irish activist for inclusive design, who navigates a world that isn’t built for someone who is one metre tall. (EMBED social vid of her if live)

Daniel Shapiro - A professor who is founder and director of the Harvard Conflict Resolution Programme who has worked with hostage negotiators and the leaders of war-torn countries.

Here’s a glimpse of a world on the move: the video shows net migration between 2010 and 2015.

Conflict, hunger and disease will affect millions again this year. Failure to adapt will lead to further global instability, major breakdowns of social and economic systems, and a failure to achieve the SDGs.

Sinéad Burke, a little person, academic and activist, is used to negotiating a world that isn't built for her. From being offered children's flashing footwear ("not the thing for the Davos stage") to clothes that infantalise her, she's addressing broader issues of inclusivity in a session now live.

The New York Times has picked up her story in a feature on fashion at Davos. She is wearing bespoke Burberry today, and says that "clothes matter" when it comes to questions of identity and belonging.

This is what the media are saying about the Indian PM's speech.

Davos 2018: Narendra Modi calls for global effort to ‘eliminate rifts’ (Financial Times)

Climate change, terrorism and protectionism challenges before us, says PM Modi at Davos (Times of India)

Globalisation is losing its luster, India's Modi tells Davos summit (Reuters)

Indian PM Narendra Modi warns of three major global threats (Deutsche Welle)

Cate Blanchett is an internationally acclaimed award-winning actor. She’s also a UNHCR Global Goodwill Ambassador in recognition of her commitment to refugees.

Having met refugees in countries including Lebanon, Jordan and her home country, Australia, she advocates for increased solidarity and responsibility sharing for the 65 million-plus displaced people across the world.

“As a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, my job is simple: to help connect people to the human stories of those forced to flee, and to state the case for all of us to stand with refugees,” she says.

Blanchett is in Davos to talk about her work for UNHCR. She also picked up a Crystal Award last night for her leadership in raising awareness of the refugee crisis. You can read more about that here.

She explains how a trip around Europe in her youth gave her an insight into the world of refugees.

Her role as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR has been, in part, driven by Australia's treatment of refugees, she explains. It's deeper than embarrassment - her home country's reaction is shameful she believes.

Travelling around the world for her work has shown her how global the problem is - and that multi-stakeholder solutions are needed. A major part of the problem is the misinformation around refugees - they're vilified in the media, she says.

The developing world is shouldering the burden, she explains. But, the developed world is being told that refugees, who have masses to offer, will be a burden.

"You have to remember that these are innocent people," she says. The vast majority of them want to go home, but in the meantime, they want to offer something to their host country. But, the numbers are so overwhelming that you need individual stories.

She believes that the news cycle drives a lot of the politics around refugees and immigration - not the concerns of constituents.

There's an opportunity for the private sector to lead on this, she says, by encouraging diversity and openness.

With two-thirds of the world's poor people expected to be living in conflict-affected areas by the year 2030, humanitarian groups need to find new solutions to help families find safety.

Which new tech developments help people on the move?

Participants include:

Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Louise Mushikiwabo, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Rwanda

Sara Pantuliano, Overseas Development Institute

Kaan Terzioglu, Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS

Elaine Weidman-Grunewald, Ericsson

Where technology can help

Mobile phones are a lifeline for refugees: they're not "a sign of richness for people who are leaving home; they are a line back to their loved ones," said Kaan Terzioglu of Turkcell. Turkey now hosts the world’s largest community of Syrians displaced by ongoing conflict.

More mobile phones than toilets

And that makes these devices vital to any human disaster, says Elaine Weidman-Grunewald of Ericsson. (Read more on what Ericsson do to reconnect refugees here.)

Avoiding 'host-community fatigue'

UNHCR's Filippo Grandi raised the spectre of host communities struggling to support refugees years down the line. It's a topic aid agencies are well aware of. According to Helle Thornig-Schmidt of Save the Children: "60% of all displacement crises last over five years, while a quarter last over 20 years. Funding falls off as a crisis becomes protracted and drifts out of the headlines.

The view from Rwanda

Rwanda's Louise Mushkiwabo says Europeans need to modify their response to the inflow of people from Africa. "Europe doesn't need slogans. It needs to be patient, to take time, to really understand the problem of refugees and why they come," she said.

Bollywood mega-star Shah Rukh Khan started his participation at this year’s Annual Meeting by receiving a Crystal Award for his work in championing women’s and children’s rights in India.

In this one to one session, he told Tania Bryer that this is the first award he has received as a result of the work of others - in this case, the acid attack victims with whom he works with his charity, the Meer Foundation.

More than 80% of acid attack victims in India are women.

Shah Rukh Khan said: “A women is not allowed in a society to assert her choice… there are different ways and methods and levels of brutalization that men go to so that women don’t assert their choice and this is the most brutal.”

He added that the ways in which women are oppressed are different around the world and he praised the work of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in promoting and protecting women.

Modi, leader of the fastest growing major economy in the world, delivered a special address in Davos during which he also spoke about technology, income inequality and job creation.

The current rate of scientific advancement is offering humanity opportunities like never before.

For the first time, humans are having serious conversations about colonizing Mars and efforts to eradicate the most deadly and debilitating infectious diseases are accelerating. So how can the global scientific community work together for the common good?

Mariette DiChristina, Editor, Scientific American, moderates the session.

Lars Heikensten, Executive Director, Nobel Foundation, expressed surprised how in the last years our values are being challenged. But thanks to science, we have achieved so much. We need to remind ourselves that science makes our lives so much richer and broadens our mind.

If you want to make the world better you need collaboration, says DiChristina. Science of the future is about culture and all humanities coming together says Jeremy Farrar, Director, Wellcome Trust. That is the coalition we need to have.

2018 is a moment of truth for science and our ability to collaborate is under threat, warns Sue Desmond-Hellmann, CEO, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Sarah Amiri, Science lead at the Emirates Mars Mission, gives an overview of her small country's space programme.

In India ranks 6th in the world in scientific output, says V. Ramgopal Rao, Director, Indian Institute of Technology. This is thanks to newer institutions for research and education. Today we have new tools for exploring space thanks to new tools, he adds.

Philanthropy and crowdfunding are sources of funding for science but it's not enough. Governments need to step in, says Heikensten, as private funding would be more interested in research that leads to quick results.

Desmond-Hellmann emphasizes that philanthropy will not fill the gaps for science research. But Farrar argues that there is still a big role for them to play; the US has a great philanthropic sector.

On the process of science and grassroots collaboration, Amiri says we need to improve ownership of data, but as a small nation we can only improve our results through collaboration.

Collaboration will require scientists from different disciplines working together to tackle global challenges, adds Rao.

In the Q&A, a participant questioned the future of a career in science, especially with less funding. Rao says there are many research positions open in India but that scientists. He added, however, that scientists are not so good in communicating their work to the general public.

Science is a global enterprise. But there is a risk that countries go down a more nationalist agenda, warns Farrar. "As a community, we need to be more political ... science is a political game."

Closing the session, DiChristina, notes the way the panelists talked about science as a way to improve humankind. That, she says, is reassuring.

Masterworks is a makers' workshop, where artists and artisans are demonstrating their art. They're also leading a conversation about the role of culture in creating a shared narrative.

You can find out more about our arts and culture programme here.

A new benchmark is helping the Pharmaceutical industry to tackle the threat of 'superbugs' - or antimicrobial resistance (AMR) - which a panel likened to climate change

In launching the benchmark, Jayasree Iyer, Executive Director at the Access to Medicine Foundation, says companies need to manufacturer and market antibiotics responsibly to ensure waste water does not end up in the environment and that doctors and patients don't overuse them.

She revealed that there are currently not enough new medicines being developed to replace those that are losing their effectiveness.

Paul Stoffels, the Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson, says antimicrobial resistance is a disaster waiting to happen. There are challenges finding viable business models, he says, as it takes a long time to develop such medicines for relatively small populations. But it's the right thing to do as a human.

The whole of modern medicine depends on being able to control and treat infection, says Jeremy Farrar, Director at Wellcome Trust. Immunotherapy for cancer, for example, is impossible unless you can control the infection.

Julian Braithwaite, the UK's Ambassador to the United Nations said that the problem could only be tackled globally. Countries, including the UK, are working together to tackle this problem, which the panel described as as medicine's equivalent of climate change.

Calling out abuses of power, promoting women, pushing for social change ... This session takes an unflinching look at how to fight abuses of power and sexual harassment.

Participants include: Elisabeth Bumiller, The New York Times; Winnie Byanyima, Oxfam International; Peggy Johnson, Microsoft Corp; Dacher Keltner, University of California, Berkeley; Maryam Monsef, Canada Government; and Lisa Sherman, Advertising Council.

But first >>
A message from Melinda Gates, who isn’t coming to Davos, though her husband, Bill Gates, is. She asks the assembled global leaders to achieve one thing: create more data on women’s contribution to the economy. (Read more about the need for better data on women's contribution here.)

'Sexual overperception'

Question: Are women more altruistic leaders than men?

Dacher Keltner: We found from our studies that you give any human being power, they become more impulsive. Powerful men are liable to believe the women around them are sexually attracted to them, whether or not they really are.

Question: Is this about testosterone?

Keltner: Men tend to take more risks, they tend to be a lot more aggressive, and they tend to sexualize things. So if you give a man power, those default tendencies will be expressed. Women tend to be more collaborative, co-operative, empathetic. You give them power, studies show it will amplify those pro-social tendencies.

Question: Is it possible to raise boys to see power differently?

Dacher Keltner: The model of power is changing, becoming more horizontal, collaborative. Men still tend to gravitate to the old model of power, but you can see evidence of progress; and teaching men empathy can help.

Further reading >>
Study on Hubris Syndrome in Brain, journal of neurology
Study on how power diminishes perception and perspective
Study on Control, Interdependence and Power
Study on the Overperception Bias

It's not about sex, it's about power

Peggy Johnson of Microsoft talks about the amount of time women waste avoiding sexual confrontations with male colleagues and seniors. She says: "When #MeToo came out, my friends said it should be called #WhoHasn't?"

I'm in a position of power now, Peggy says, and I no longer laugh at sexist jokes. So neither does my young daughter. With more women in power, things are changing.

The link between power and politics

Oxfam's Winnie Byanyima says that in post-apartheid South Africa, you won't find one person who says they believed in racial oppression. So what happened?

"Power," she says. "It changed."

Hats off to the media

Canada's Maryam Monsef says women have an ally in the some elements of the press. "Traditional media is playing a positive role, it's part of the solution," she says, pointing to the New York Times and Canada's Globe and Mail as examples.

Rights and role models

In 2015 Canada launched a $900,000 project to end gender-based violence in the Inuit community, encouraging male leaders to act as responsible role models against violence. Read more here.

Final word

But ultimately, Monsef continues, women's greatest power is already in their hands: "Vote. Go out there and vote."

In an emotional moment, Cate Blanchett tells just one story of the refugee crisis.

Economic growth without restoring the social contract will not be sustainable, writes Professor Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum.

The established energy landscape is being transformed, as oil producers lose their influence and countries race to establish control over new markets.

So are these changes here to stay, and who are the new players poised to make a move?

Joining the panel for this discussion; Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the IEA, Iain Conn, CEO of Centrica, Gao Jifan, Chairman and CEO, Trina Solar, Isabelle Kocher, CEO of ENGIE Group, Rick Perry, US Secretary of Energy, and Mohammed Saleh Sada, minister of energy and industry of Qatar.

For background reading, take a look at this blog by the IEA’s Fatih Birol, which argues that while progress has been made to achieve universal access to energy, mitigate the impact of climate change and clean up air pollution - there is a still a lot of work to do.

What are the most profound changes taking place in the world of energy? There are many changes taking place, says the IEA's Fatih Birol, but four in particular have transformational qualities.

Firstly, the US is set to become the undisputed leader of oil and gas for many years, thanks to the shale revolution.

Second, renewable energies, especially solar power, are becoming the cheapest source of energy in many emerging and developed countries.

Third, China, the largest energy consumer in the world, is changing policies to "make its skies blue again", and moving to renewable energy sources.

Finally, electricity consumption is growing much faster than energy consumption, so the energy world is being electrified.

Crucially, no country is immune to these changes.

Energy is 10% of global GDP, so these are major changes, adds Iain Conn. Customers are becoming more powerful and new technologies are emerging (such as blockchain). A new energy system is unstoppable.

What's different about today's changes is that they are distributed. Our interconnected world is making it much more difficult to keep up with changes in the energy system.

For a better look at what's going on here, check out our photos on Flickr.

Culture has the power to unite or divide our societies. In some regions it is becoming the political weapon of choice as leaders seek to advance their power by emphasizing the deep differences in society.

Can we avoid the spread of so-called 'culture wars'?

Participants include: Yo-Yo Ma, renowned cellist; Alice Bah Kuhnke, Minister for Culture and Democracy of Sweden; Karan Johar, Head, Dharma Productions; and Arlie Russell Hochschild, Professor of Sociology, University of California.

Alice Bah Kuhnke says that culture needs to be free if it is to be effective. In Sweden, they have ‘cut the rope’ between cultural institutions, like museums, and politics. They must be free and independent, she says.

Culture can help build an 'empathy bridge' says Arlie Russell Hochschild.

Karan Johar says you cannot enforce culture or imbibe it. There are immense economic and social problems, but sometimes the main papers and politicians don’t talk about them because they are focused on a film. It’s empowering to the film industry, but it’s ridiculous, he says.

The culture of currency is trust, says Yo-Yo Ma. If politics is about governing and economics about creating value, then culture is about creating values. When these three come together, then we can serve humanity.

Karan Johan recounts a time he was accused of being 'non-Indian' for casting a Pakistani actor in one of his films. Art should not have boundaries he says, but then 'culture' is thrown at artists, 'patriotism' is thrown at them.

The goal should be to turn the idea of 'mine' into 'ours', says Yo-Yo Ma. The deeper we look into cultures, the more we find the world. Even cultures that seem unique are connected if we look back a few hundred, or even a few thousand, years, he says. We think of culture as something static, but it was invented by humans to understand ourselves and our environment.

The panel discusses the virtues of tolerance. On one hand, in politics we need to be very, very tolerant says Alice Bah Kunke. On the other hand, Karan Johan says there is a risk that tolerating intolerance in others can be misconstrued as validation - he cites the example of trolling on his social media account.

The panel discusses if humans are born tolerant and, if so, what changes us as we grow older. Arlie Russell Hochschild suggests it comes from more than just being hungry or not having money. Intolerance is fueled by anxiety or being humiliated or fearful, she says.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in Davos to give a speech on the topics of women, jobs, climate change and trade.

The first thing Trudeau does is make an announcement:

"Today, I am pleased to announce that Canada and the 10 other remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership concluded discussions in Tokyo, Japan, on a new Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)."

What is the CPTPP? We're not sure, but this Bloomberg article has plenty of info.

Trade looms large over the address, with NAFTA talks underway in Montreal this week and Trudeau expected to draw attention to Canadian investment opportunities.

On the NAFTA trade deal

Trade looms large over today’s speech, with NAFTA talks underway in Montreal this week and Trudeau in Davos partly to draw attention to Canadian investment opportunities. The prime minister has traditionally taken a relaxed stance on global trade negotiations, calling NAFTA a vastly complex set of talks with many phases, the eventual outcome of which he expected to be a “win-win-win” for Canada, Mexico and the US.

Today, Trudeau says: "We're working very hard to show our neighbour to the south just how good NAFTA is."

Watch: "The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again."

The rise of automation

He also raises the spectre of job losses brought about by automation. He addresses the anxiety felt by the assembled business leaders at the disruption to existing business models.

This certainly feels more like an address than a speech; it's designed to prick the consciences of the people he's speaking to.

He says, "imagine how the folks who aren’t in this room are feeling."

"Workers, people who aren’t seeing the benefits of economic growth, regular men and women who are trying to grab a rung on the career ladder (never mind climb it) – for them, technology is a benefit to their lives, but a threat to their jobs."

The speech is expected to serve as a preview for the gathering of G7 leaders taking place in Quebec later this year, all seven of whom will also be in Davos this week.

On women

The Prime Minister goes on to the topic of gender equality, saying that current efforts don't go far enough.

"Paying a female employee the same as a male employee doesn’t even begin to touch issues around family planning, promotions, or job security.

Women do more part-time work, and more unpaid work, than men.

How do we address that?"

Canada has gone perhaps further than most, when it comes to putting into play policies that advance the rights of women. You can read more here.

Under Trudeau's leadership, Canada has become a world leader; its pace of gender progress second only to Bulgaria, according to the Global Gender Gap Report 2017

More information on gender from the World Economic Forum's Transformation Map can be found here.

Diversity dollars

It's not just women: intersectionality and diversity in the workplace require special attention.

"In 2016, among women who were newly appointed to the boards of Fortune 500 companies, 77% of them were white.

Race, religion, sexuality, socioeconomic status – these are just a few of the ways that women are even further discriminated against."

The prime minister closes his address on a cautionary note:

"The people in this room are immensely privileged – we owe it to society to use this privilege for good. We should ask ourselves – do we want to live in a world where the wealthy hide in their gated enclaves, while those around them struggle?

Or do we want to help create a world grounded in the notion of fairness?"

How can we save globalization from itself? Not with Universal Basic Income, according to participants.

The idea of paying everyone a flat wage has sparked a lot of interest, as automation erodes jobs. But Minouche Shafik, director of the London School of Economics, delivered a reality check.

"It's a cost of 6.5% GDP to public spending, and if it comes at the expense of programmes that are more targeted it becomes problematic," she said.

Mauricio Cardenas, Colombia's Finance Minister, said that the cost put it out of the question for his country.

However, Shafik said that there had been a number of promising trials in low income countries that showed it could be effective at tackling poverty.

"Let’s make sure that the next chapter in human history is based on the narrative of ideas and not the narrative of conflict," says CERN's Director-General.

The global economy is back on its feet and growing steadily - but there are three major issues we need to address to keep that up, says Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank.

The Co-Chairs of Davos are live now discussing the fractures in the world of 2018.

They're talking about the impact of new technology on the jobs of the future and how to protect vulnerable workers, among other major challenges.

Justin Trudeau's speech to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2018.

Trudeau promotes women's rights during Davos speech (Toronto Metro)

Trudeau tells Davos audience their approach ‘won’t cut it any more’ (Financial Times)

Trudeau promotes Time's Up, Me Too movements in Davos speech (CBC News)

More than 8 million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean each year, yet the three biggest clean-ups deal with just 0.5% of that pollution.

Feras Fayyad - a Cultural Leader here in Davos - has been short-listed for an Oscar for his documentary, "Last Men in Aleppo". The film - one of five on the short list - follows the siege of Aleppo through the eyes of two members of The White Helmets, a volunteer civil defence group. It is the first Syrian film to be nominated for an Oscar.

Here's a quick recap of the some of the top stories from the first day of sessions, including Narendra Modi on the greatest threats to civilization, Cate Blanchett on the plight of refugees, and a special address by Justin Trudeau.

From Modi to Trudeau, with inclusivity, Cate Blanchett, globalization and Shah Rukh Khan sandwiched in the middle, it's been a busy first day in Davos.

We're signing off now, but first we'll tee you up with just some of tomorrow's highlights.

10:30 GMT: Enabling eCommerce: Small Enterprises, Global Players

12:30 GMT: The 21st-Century Social Compact

13:20 GMT: Special Address by Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany

14:30 GMT: An Insight, An Idea with Sundar Pichai

16:30 GMT: Special Address by Emmanuel Macron, President of France

We'll be back tomorrow morning, with everything you'll need from Day 2 of this year's Annual Meeting.