Gloomy Forecast for Davos: Crises Aplenty, but Few World Leaders

Gloomy Forecast for Davos: Crises Aplenty, but Few World Leaders
President Trump watches as the Landwehr Fribourg band leaves the stage during the WEF annual meeting in Davos, on Jan. 26, 2018. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images
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MILAN—An array of crises will keep several world leaders away from the annual World Economic Forum in Davos next week, which takes place against a backdrop of deepening gloom over the global economic and political outlook.

Anxiety 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 and the mood will be somber.