ecoese

Here’s a summary of the key points from another busy day here in Davos.

Greta Thunberg has hit back at criticism from US treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, as the climate emergency continues to dominate the World Economic Forum.

Mnuchin claimed that Thunberg should go and study economics before pronouncing on fossil fuel. He also defended America’s record on sustainability, hailing its private sector’s work.

Thunberg pointed out that you don’t need a college degree to see which way the (hot, polluted) wind is blowing.

Angela Merkel also hailed the contribution of young activists, as she warned that the cost of inaction would be hugely higher than the cost of action.

In other news:

Leading experts in viruses and infection control have warned that the Wuhan coronavirus is a global issue, as they announced new partnerships to find a vaccine.

But with the virus spreading fast, experts are very concerned -- and want people to be meticulous about hand-washing and getting a flu vaccine to lower the burden on doctors.

Steven Mnuchin and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella wouldn’t say whether they might be caught up in the WhatsApp hacking scandal suffered by Jeff Bezos.

UK chancellor Sajid Javid tried to reassure businesses that Brexit won’t lead to a bonfire of EU rules.

At a lunch with top UK corporate leaders, he pledged:

We won’t diverge just for the sake of it”