Briefs, October 20, 2012

LONDON - Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban, has been able to stand with help for the first time. She is also communicating by writing notes, said an official at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, central England, where she is being treated. AFP

BANGKOK - The United States plans to invite Myanmar to a major regional military exercise next year, host country Thailand said yesterday. The move would see Myanmar's military join the annual Cobra Gold drills as an observer. The proposal, which needs the approval of all participating countries, was Washington's initiative. AFP