US signs pact with Asean nations
The US has signed a trade and investment pact with south-east Asian nations. It was one of several trade deals that the 10-member Association of South-East Asian Nations has been negotiating with other regional partners in an effort to give the group a key role in the possible creation of a proposed pan-Asian trade zone.

Asean is hoping to conclude trade pacts with China, India, Japan and South Korea within the next several years, making south-east Asia the hub for an expanding regional trade network.

The trade agreement with the US would promote the development of an "Asean single window" to harmonise the entry of goods into the region by adopting similar customs procedures.

The pact includes Burma, an Asean member, but the US has said it will not affect its trade sanctions against the country.

The US is the biggest export market for Asean and the region's biggest foreign direct investor.
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NEC introduces image chips for premium cars
Tokyo: Japanese microchip maker NEC Electronics has introduced image detection chips for cars and has sold the first lot to Toyota Motor to be used in its Lexus model that would be launched by autumn this year. The new Lexus LS460 with the image processors will automatically slam on the brakes a split second before hitting a pedestrian or vehicle and prevent a collision or reduce impact.

Chips control a bulk of car functions from power door locks to transmission controllers, and NEC Electronics hopes to grab 40 per cent of the emerging market in cars by 2015.
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