The economic growth in Southeast Asian countries (Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Timor Leste) has strengthened the position of the private sector towards the public sector considerably. Governments and administrative bodies (civil servants or bureaucrats) are increasingly inclined to strike deals with important actors in the private sector. At the same time, the red tape and corruption in the public sector worries the private sector and makes it look for NGO allies to pressure governments to take action.

In India the role of the government has changed to that of a referee and the rules of the game are in a high state of flux and evolution. Dealing with government is like walking on shifting sands. Policy is determined by political exigencies and these can change from day to day. Coalition politics with its continous push and pull results in changing policies. Despite liberalization, there is still a great deal of government interference in business.

This is the first line at a plaque at the basis of the Statue of Liberty in New York. It's from a poem called "the New Colossus" written by Emma Lazarus. For a long time, it symbolized the way the United States of America was open to all people. Today, things have changed. According to a recent survey of government and industry data, nearly half of all Americans lack economic security, meaning they live above the federal poverty  threshold but still do not have enough money to cover housing, food, healthcare and other basic expenses.

Indonesia has witnessed strong economic growth in recent years, mainly on the basis of booming private investment and consumption. Yet despite significant improvements with regard to the general investment climate and the deregulation process that has been successfully implemented, investors still point at corruption, red tape and an uncertain legal environment as the main challenges for conducting business in the country.

The Government of India and the European Union have been negotiating the conclusion of a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement since 2007. The European Business Group in India (EBGI), recognized by the Indian Government and the European Commission as the industry lobby representing the interests of European companies in India, has been a key promoter of a comprehensive free trade agreement between India and the European Union since its inception in 1997.

The Eurozone crisis is not a financial crisis. It is not an economic crisis. IT IS FIRST AND FOREMOST A GROWTH CRISIS.  EU countries (except for Germany and Scandinavian countries) have not spent enough in areas that produce growth: human capital formation, training, research, education and innovation. These are all the things by the way in which Germany has invested. Productivity is also a key factor that leads to overall economic growth. Productivity is affected by investments in R&D and new capital formation.

The current focus by the EU is to reduce spending as much as possible to reduce budget deficits. This will cause lower growth and falling tax revenues. By doing that we will get a prolonged economic stagnation and a serious recession in the south of Europe (Greece, Italy, Spain, Portugal, France etc..) Reducing budget deficits will not by itself solve the EU economic difficulties.

Armistice means a cessation of hostilities as a prelude to peace negotiations. In the context of the First World War, the armistice is generally referred to in context of the agreement between the Germans and the Allies to end the war on 11 November 1918.

Casualties (including killed and wounded) on both sides were enormous: 25,447,250

On the Allies'side (i.e. Entente Forces) 13,685,250

Agressive business lobbying on trade issues is much less common in Brussels that it is for example in Washington D.C. Indeed, U.S. firms and trade associations are very proactive in business-government relations on trade policy. This "bottom-up" approach contrasts with the "top-down" EU approach where public authority, in particular the European Commission, plays the predominant entrepreneurial role.

Greece has been sitting on a massive € 350 billion euro debt. Since May 2010, Greece has been surviving on a first € 110 billion bailout from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund contingent on higher taxes and sharp cuts in government spending. The sixt installment of € 8 billion as part of the 2010 loan agreement of € 110 billion is urgently needed to stave off a catastrophic default.