Davos, Switzerland  - Pushing for active countercyclical economic policies to work the world economy out of the current downturn, Mexican President Felipe Calderon also said he would continue his tough stance on organized crime.

He said Mexico was, for the first time in the country's volatile history of financial crisis, in good shape to engage in public spending, as it had a sound banking system and was well capitalized.

Davos, Switzerland  - The fight against terrorism could only succeed in Afghanistan and Pakistan, officials gathered at Davos have said, if there was strong international military cooperation and if ordinary people's lives were improved.

The two neighbouring countries would have to implement a strategy which relied as much on development projects as it would on military action against extremists groups employing terrorism, otherwise the people would not be on board.

Davos (Switzerland), Jan. 30 : The Union Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said here that the Indian economy would continue to grow at a steady pace of 7 to 7.5 percent.

Addressing a press conference at the World Economic Forum here on Friday, Nath said the Indian economy grew by 7.8 per cent in the first half of this fiscal and is expected to maintain the same growth rate, more or less, in the next financial year.

Davos, Switzerland - Coordinated international efforts will be needed to lead the world out of the current economic crisis, the United Nation's Ban Ki-Moon and British premier Gordon Brown said Friday, urging countries to also maintain aid levels to the poor.

Brown said countries needed to "come together as one" and take steps like those he introduced in Britain, including capital injections and the introduction of stimulus packages.

Davos, Switzerland  - Israel and Syria were on the path to direct talks but the progress was set back by the three-week offensive in the Gaza Strip, Turkish officials said Thursday while attending the World Economic Forum.

Turkey had hosted four rounds of indirect talks between the two nations, who are still at a state of war since 1948. Damascus called off after the discussions after the Israeli offensive began.

"We had problems with only a few words," said Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, referring to negotiations which had gone on when Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was in Ankara just days before the offensive began.

Nyon, Switzerland - Europe's governing body UEFA on Thursday announced the hosts of the 2011 and 2012 European club competition finals.

UEFA said that the organization's executive committee had awarded the final of the 2011 Champions League to Wembley Stadium in London, while the Fussball Arena in Munich will host the Champions League a year later.