Hong Kong (CNN) – Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated places on the planet.

In a place like this, one of the greatest challenges is getting people from A to B.

The city's main subway carries 4 million passengers a day. This key piece of infrastructure is being expanded.

CNN's Richard Quest goes beneath the city streets to find out how it will be done.

New York (CNN) – I love a New York breakfast.  Eggs over easy, hash browns, whole wheat toast – and diner coffee, which seemingly may never have actually seen a coffee bean. Now I add to that mix a robust discussion about the Greece crises.

When I came to New York I had thought I might escape from the woes of Greece and the eurozone, if only for a weekend. I had not reckoned with the owner and manager of the local hotel diner, where I was staying – part of the large and ever-present Greek population in New York.

Some of them, like the manager, were born in Greece, and even though they haven't lived there for decades still have family there and visit once or twice a year. Others, like their sons and daughters, have an interest in the place, as if they had just got off the boat.

Forget the U.S. election – every one of them was obsessed with talking to me about what was going to happen to Greece and the battle of austerity over growth. FULL POST

Davos, Switzerland (CNN) - It is perhaps not surprising that in a gathering of the elites at Davos, the issue of bankers’ bonuses is never far from the delegates’ minds.

But unlike in recent years - a time when bankers showed remorse over their high pay packets - there seem to be noises of a fight back.

Because with profits strong, the banking bonus culture is back - to the annoyance of many including the British Prime Minister David Cameron and the Governor of the Bank of England, Sir Mervyn King. FULL POST

London (CNN) – It’s official - Davos does not have the moves to attract Jagger.

The Rolling Stone frontman was supposed to be one of the more unusual guests at this year’s World Economic Forum, attending a tea party thrown by British Prime Minister David Cameron. But unfortunately for Cameron, you can’t always get what you want.

In a statement released Monday, Jagger said he was pulling out of the event, over fears he will be used as a "political football." Sir Mick  – a knight of the realm - said he was worried about people making inaccurate judgements over his political allegiances and, as a result, was declining his invitation.

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Davos, Switzerland (CNN) – With the world still shaking from the global economic earthquake, and suffering daily aftershocks from Europe, it is not surprising that the topic at Davos is whether capitalism is dead.

On the opening day, the main debate focused on the question: "Is 20th century capitalism failing 21st century society?"

It’s not hard to see why. Former White House economist Nouriel Roubini reminded us that today we are "back to the inequality of 1929 and the Great Depression." High unemployment and the failure of wages to keep pace with living costs are resulting in widespread unrest against elites. FULL POST

Davos, Switzerland (CNN) – Snow, snow and more snow.

Overnight and all morning the flakes have been falling, causing havoc with the final preparations for the WEF. Swiss police are looking on in amusement as city-dwellers negotiate the slippery streets. Locals here have looks of resignation as they dig themselves out of drifts - or maybe their weariness is because the Forum is about to start, streets and shops are closed and Davos is about to become a high-security nightmare.

And yet there is a childlike appearance to those of us who have escaped offices and newsrooms to come here. We may huff, puff, complain and struggle in the drifts, but we are secretly like children released from classrooms to play in the snow.

All this snow helps take Davos back to its origins. After all, what was Davos originally, but a remote, isolated, elite meeting where the problems of the world could be solved? Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Davos, Switzerland (CNN) – For more than forty years, Klaus Schwab has been inviting elites to the Davos mountains. Now he admits things are "very difficult."

On Monday, Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum’s founder and executive director, told me he was disappointed with the progress made by leaders during 2011. He had been "hopeful that the economy would grow again. That is not the case." Schwab admitted he was "irritated by an increasing lack of willingness to deal with global issues."

Klaus Schwab is not a man noted for hyperbole or exaggeration. So when he told me of his worries about a "bunker mentality" or "burnout" in voters who "cannot cope anymore," then it’s probably time to worry.

The reason this is so worrying is that there are still so many problems to be solved. Some, like Greece, are in danger of getting worse. There is still no solution, and the politicians are miles away from agreeing on the future direction for the euro crisis. FULL POST

Davos, Switzerland (CNN) – I have arrived in Davos, a few days ahead of the World Economic Forum. Getting here early before the hot air starts rising from the WEF gives me a chance to witness this elite mountain resort without the fuss and to think about what might happen at this year's junket. Writing this I can see the last straggler skiers enjoying this year's superb snow - the best in a decade - which frankly is more than can be said for the prospects for this year's forum. I think this will be one of the most complicated and will produce relatively little by way of initiative and solutions.

It will be "Davos do little."

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Doha, Qatar (CNN) – Doha, off the back of its hydrocarbon wealth, is booming.

Dozens of landmark projects are feeding the construction industry and the Emir of Qatar, HH Sheikh Hamad, is determined to manage the country’s growth and create a sustainable long term plan.

He is investing in education, innovation and culture under the umbrella of his government’s cultural arm, The Qatar Foundation.

In this episode of Future Cities, CNN's Richard Quest explores Education City, a collection of eight international universities which is at the core of Qatar’s plans to become a seat of learning in the Middle East.

(CNN) – The ratings downgrade of France by Standard & Poor's is embarrassing, but its economic impact will be limited – and the country will embark on a full court press to pretend it doesn't matter.

Let's not forget the U.S. lost its triple A rating; the dollar is still being printed and economy is doing better. But this will pile pressure on the eurozone: S&P has a history of jumping first, and other agencies could follow.

The risk is in its downstream hit on Europe's bailout fund, the European Financial Stability Facility [Editor's note: The fund has now been downgraded ]. The fund only holds its top rating by virtue of the countries whose cash it is backed by, and France is one of the major players.

Eurozone nations slapped with downgrades

The French downgrade could hit the bailout fund's triple A rating, which will make it harder to raise sufficient funds from investors to feed the bloc's needs for cash. That could cause hiccups for the bailout programs already in place.

But of far more importance Friday was news that creditors have failed to reach a deal with the Greek government on haircuts to the country's debt.

Greek talks break down

According to a statement from Greece's creditors, plans to slash the value of the debt in half, as part of the country's negotiations to get its second bailout, have stumbled. This could prove a ticking time bomb if it is not defused. The news means Greece is once again the big crisis.

The eurozone rescue plan is falling to bits but it's Greece we need to watch, not France.