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Hutchinson Technology Inc, a U.S. based company and one of the world's top three suppliers of hard-disk drives, has invested 4.3 billion baht (130 million dollars) in Thailand to open its first

factory outside the United States. According to the reports of Bangkok Post, Hutchinson president Kathleen Skarvan said the company chose Thailand to stay close to its clients, many of

whom have production facilities in the kingdom.

The Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) reported on Friday that the Dutch economy shrank 4 per cent in 2009. This is the highest drop ever measured by CBS and The Netherlands' worst since

1931. The 2009 downturn surpassed the previous record drop of 3.6 per cent in 1931 during the world depression. The worst economic drop in the post-World War II era was 1.2 per cent in

1982.

The economy dropped 2.2 percent in the last three months of 2009.

Outlook on Latvia was changed from "negative" to "stable," by the rating agency Standard and Poor’s. Finance minister Einars Repse said that this move would bolster the recession-hit Baltic

state's investment appeal. "We believe that prospects for economic recovery in Latvia are improving given the shrinkage in external imbalances and the government's progress in

stabilizing public finances," said a statement issued in London by the rating agency.

Due to the  SWIFT agreement ,The United States could still access European Union citizens' bank transfer data by cutting deals with individual European governments, despite a European

Parliament rejection of this practice. SWIFT agreement allowed the United States to analyses EU citizens' bank transfers for anti-terrorism investigations, and then provide EU

governments with intelligence on suspicious transactions.

The vice president China’s policy and development said at Amtrak that China's investment in high-speed trains will push it into a leadership role in the industry.

According to the report of The New York Times, Amtrak executive Stephen Gardner said, "The sheer volume of equipment that they will require and the technology that will have to be

developed will simply catapult them into a leadership position."

The deputy chief engineer of China's railway ministry Zhang Shuguang said,“ China will have 42 separate high speed train routes by 2012 with 5,000 miles of track that can accommodate 155

mph trains and 3,000 miles that can handle trains running 215 mph.”

Vice Chairman of General Motors Co., Bob Lutz on Friday said that GM's top 25 executives are a sorely underpaid lot.

 Lutz was talking to The Detroit News in Orlando in Florida, where industry leaders are gathering for the annual National Automobile Dealers Association convention.

Lutz further added, "Given the rigors of the job and demands and the accountability, I would say we are being paid way, way, way below market."