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World News Quick Take

■ Electronics
Anti-ad skipper developed
In this era of easy ad skipping with digital video recorders, could TV viewers one day be forced to watch commercials with a system that prevents channel switching? Yes, according to Royal Philips Electronics. A patent application with the US Patent and Trademark Office says the Netherlands-based consumer electronics company has created a technology that could let broadcasters freeze up a channel during a commercial, so viewers would not be able to avoid it. The pending patent, published on March 30, says the feature would be implemented on a program-by-program basis. Devices that could carry the technology would be a television or a set-top-box. On Wednesday, company officials issued a statement that noted the technology also enables the opposite: allowing viewers to watch television without advertising. But the company said it had no plans to implement the technology in any of its products.

■ Automobiles
GM's Q1 car sales up 4.4%
General Motors Corp (GM)said that it sold more than 2.2 million vehicles worldwide in the first quarter of this year, a 4.4 percent increase from the same period a year earlier. Sales outside of North America increased by 148,000 vehicles, or 15.9 percent, more than twice the industry growth rate of 7.4 percent, the world's No. 1 automaker said on Wednesday. "Our strong global sales performance during the first quarter was fueled by the growth of GM's global brands -- Chevrolet, Hummer, Saab and Cadillac -- in key markets," company chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner said. "These brands account for one out of every two GM vehicles sold globally and complement our well known regional brands like Opel, GMC and Holden," he said.

■ Automobiles
Toyota to invest US$12bn
Japan's Toyota Motor said yesterday it plans to spend about 1.4 trillion yen (US$12 billion) on plants and equipment in the year to March next year, with the focus on overseas markets. The figure, which is on a par with the financial year just ended, is aimed at boosting Toyota's global competitiveness. "We have planned capital investment of 1.4 trillion yen for the year. Further details will likely be available when we announce our past year to March earnings on May 10," a company spokesman said. Spending on a plant in Texas, which is due to come onstream by the ned of this year, will be increased to US$850 million from the original US$800 million, while in Canada, Toyota will invest up to US$700 million on a plant that will start production in 2008, the Nihon Keizai business daily reported. Toyota will also spend about US$128 million in Russia on a plant due to begin operating in December next year, it added.

■ Oil
CNOOC investing in Nigeria
Chinese state-controlled oil company CNOOC Ltd said yesterday that it had completed an agreement for a 45 percent stake in a Nigerian oil field -- the company's first major investment since last year's failed bid to take over Unocal Corp. CNOOC said it is paying US$2.27 billion for the deal that covers part of the oil-rich Niger Delta region. The company will also pay US$424 million for financial, operating and capital expenses, it said in a statement.


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