Vietnam this week received the first of 12 military training aircraft scheduled for delivery through a U.S. program to strengthen partner nation militaries facing China.

Lance Cpl. Avery Wayne Leverette, 21, of the III Marine Expeditionary Force Support Battalion at Camp Hansen, died in the five-vehicle crash, III MEF spokesman Capt. Pawel Puczko announced in a news release Thursday. 

On one of his last trips to Asia as Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin expressed regret that China chose not to meet with Southeast Asian defense ministers this week in Laos. At the same press conference, he also talked briefly in praise of women’s contributions in the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A Pakistani court granted bail to former Prime Minister Imran Khan in a case where he is accused of hiding income but he won’t be freed from jail as he is under arrest in other cases.

Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to visit India for the first time since he ordered the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, a further sign of that U.S.-led efforts to isolate him on the world stage are failing.

A breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan has witnessed a steady increase in violence from militant groups in its northwest and southwest in recent years.

Former Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai is testifying at his landmark national security trial. He is accused of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. Authorities have used a Beijing-imposed national security law to prosecute many of Hong Kong’s leading activists, including Lai.

Japanese officials say they are closely watching to see if China keeps its promise to prevent further violations of Japan’s airspace after explaining that an incursion by a Chinese military aircraft nearly three months ago was unintentional and caused by turbulence.

Japanese police are investigating reports from the 18th Wing that laser pointers were aimed at two of its aircraft in the air on Tuesday.

One Marine motorcyclist died and another was injured Tuesday in a multivehicle crash in northern Okinawa, according to Japanese police and the Marine Corps.