Microsoft's Bill Gates and Michael Dell partner with rock star Bono and his RED organization to fight AIDS in Africa with the introduction of a series of special Dell PCs powered by Windows Vista software. "You buy a computer, you save lives," says Dell.

CEO James Owens says a slowdown in the US economy is being offset by international growth, thanks partly to the various commodities booms in emerging markets.

The U.S. economy is slowing, but the stimulus package announced Thursday, together with rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, will help offset the slowdown, Merrill Lynch CEO John Thain told Maria Bartiromo. It is possible that there will be more writedowns from banks in the aftermath of the subprime crisis, Thain added.

The key to getting any real value out of the meeting is to look past the press releases, the pronouncements, the heart-tugging speeches, and the lofty, almost new age promises of the event's themes. The best takeaway may be to try and figure out those areas where participants seem to be in strong agreement, and then position portfolios for the opposite.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said countries around the world needed to bring down barriers to trade and investment and to make progress with long-delayed negotiations for a global trade deal.

Wang Jianzhou, chairman & CEO of China Mobile, talks about strong demand in China, expansion into other emerging markets, such as Pakistan, and the company's efforts to list on the Shanghai market.

Iraq's oil minister said on Friday he expected his country's output to rise by as much as 400,000 barrels per day in 2008, reflecting improved security in the oil sector. Hussain al-Shahristani also said Baghdad expected to sign contracts with oil firms to help develop its super giant oilfields that are already producing by the end of the year.

The commodities boom may be a major cause of unwelcome inflation, but it has been a powerful engine for emerging market economies and it will very likely be a key component of the global growth equation in 2008.

There was a time when many thought Europe and the rest of the global economy might finally be able to withstand a downturn in the US. So much for wishful thinking. The spectre of a recession on top of a malignant credit crunch is the talk of the town.

Davos is a who's who of CEOs, government leaders and great thinkers. The event also recognizes unusual political figures and attracts activist-minded celebrities. Where else would US Pres. Bill Clinton, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, South Africa Pres. Thabo Mbeki, Microsoft boss Bill Gates and Irish rock star Bono share a stage?