An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 with its epicentre in western Laos was reported today by the US Geological Survey.

Military-ruled Burma agreed today to forgo its scheduled chairmanship of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year to avoid a damaging Western boycott of the group’s meetings, diplomats said.

Military-ruled Burma says it will stick with its “road map” to democracy despite the junta’s recent purge of the prime minister who proposed it, but is ducking questions on when pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will go free.

Reclusive Laos opened its first major international conference today, drawing together Asian nations in their aspirations for European-style economic integration while addressing terrorism and other regional threats.