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Davos 2025: Trade, tariffs, AI and UN chief Guterres dominate World Economic Forum agenda

Climate activist Luisa Neubauer paints a poster as she takes part in a small protest at the Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan.22, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
Climate activist Luisa Neubauer paints a poster as she takes part in a small protest at the Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan.22, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber) Climate activist Luisa Neubauer paints a poster as she takes part in a small protest at the Annual Meeting of World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan.22, 2025. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

DAVOS, Switzlerand (AP) — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres ratcheted up his warning about climate change and said the world’s thirst for fossil fuels is a “Frankenstein monster” that spares no one, while calling for greater attention to risks posed by artificial intelligence if its ascent goes ungoverned — even as some leaders played up its promise.

The United Nations’ chief headlined a flurry of activities and talk sessions on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, where shifts underway in Washington during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first week back in office also featured heavily in the scheduled events and side chats of government officials, academics and business executives.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy combed the corridors, meeting with leaders such as Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Vietnamese President Luong Cuong, as well as German opposition leader and would-be chancellor Friedrich Merz in an effort to stir up support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia.

Here are some highlights from Wednesday’s session:

UN chief issues warning about Big Oil …