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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday peace was returning to the strife-torn northeastern state of Manipur where at least 180 people have been killed and tens of thousands forced from their homes in sectarian clashes since May.

The federal government has deployed security forces to the hilly state bordering Myanmar governed by Modi's nationalist party to quell the violence, which comes as he is looking to secure a third term in a general election due by May next year.

"For some days now, we are getting reports of extended peace. The country is with the people of Manipur. The country wants the people of Manipur to hold on to the peace of the last few days and take it forward," Modi said in an Independence Day speech from the ramparts of New Delhi's Red Fort.

The violence between members of the majority Meitei ethnic group and minority Kuki began over competition for government benefits linked to education, jobs and influence.

Among those killed have been 21 women. Numerous incidents of rape have grabbed global attention and raised questions about the ability of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to ensure security.

Modi condemned the sexual assault of women in Manipur and promised tough action but opposition parties accuse his government of dividing the state and not doing enough to end the clashes.

The government rejects those accusations and defeated an opposition vote of no-confidence motion over the handling of the conflict last Thursday.

"The state and federal governments are working very hard and will continue to work hard to resolve this peacefully," Modi said.

Civil rights group in Manipur say thousands of people who have fled from their homes are too scared to return and the restoration of normalcy requires financial aid and legal support. Manipur state chief minister hoisted India's tri-colour flag in the capital city of Imphal to commemorate Independence Day and there were no immediate reports of violence, officials said.

In his address, Modi listed the social, economic and pro-poor policies implemented during his nine years of rule and said his commitment to growth and making India an economic powerhouse would be sustained after securing a third term.

Leaders from Indian opposition parties' alliance called "INDIA" said Modi's Independence Day speech will be his last as his party will be routed in the general elections.

"Modi's failure in last nine years can be categorised under bad policies, injustice and perhaps most importantly ill intention," said Jairam Ramesh, a federal lawmaker from the opposition Congress party.

"Rhetoric and bluster can no longer cover up this truth which is now evident to the entire country," he said in a statement. (Reuters)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Tuesday that this week's summit with the leaders of the United States and Japan will set a new milestone in trilateral cooperation in the face of North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats.

In a speech marking the anniversary of his country's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule, Yoon emphasised a need to step up security cooperation with Washington and Tokyo, through reconnaissance assets and real-time sharing of data on the North's nuclear weapons and missiles.

The summit "will set a new milestone in trilateral cooperation contributing to peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo Pacific region", Yoon said.

Yoon is set to join U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Friday, where they will launch a series of joint initiatives on technology, education and defence, senior U.S. officials said.

Since taking office in May 2022, Yoon has sought to improve relations with Tokyo, frayed by a stalemate in feuds over compensation suits raised by victims of Japan's forced labour during its colonial rule.

Japan says the issue was resolved under a 1965 treaty that normalised relations, but the strained ties have hindered U.S.-led efforts to bolster trilateral cooperation to curb North Korea's weapons programs.

Yoon has taken steps to compensate the victims with South Korean money, instead of Japanese funds, and visited Tokyo in March in the first such trip by a South Korean leader in 12 years.

"Korea and Japan are now partners who share universal values and pursue common interests," Yoon said in the speech, pledging to boost exchanges on security and economic issues.

The speech made no mention of security concerns related to other major powers in the region including China and Russia.

Washington has formal collective defence arrangements in place with both Tokyo and Seoul separately, but it wants those two countries to work closer together given growing concerns about China's mounting power and worries about its intentions.

Separately, South Korea's foreign ministry expressed regret after Kishida sent offerings to the Yasukuni shrine, seen as a symbol of wartime legacy as it honours World War II criminals.

Meanwhile, North Korea leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin exchanged letters on Tuesday pledging to develop ties into what Kim called a "long-standing strategic relationship", Pyongyang's state media KCNA said.

The United States has accused North Korea of providing weapons to Russia for its war in Ukraine, including artillery shells, shoulder-fired rockets and missiles. Pyongyang and Moscow have denied any arms transactions. (Reuters)

Afghanistan's Taliban on Tuesday marked the second anniversary of their return to power, celebrating their take-over of Kabul and the establishment of what they said was security throughout the country under an Islamic system.

After a lightning offensive as U.S.-led foreign forces were withdrawing after 20 years of inconclusive war, the Taliban entered the capital on Aug. 15, 2021, as the U.S.-backed president, Ashraf Ghani, fled and the Afghan security forces, set up with years of Western support, disintegrated.

"On the second anniversary of the conquest of Kabul, we would like to congratulate the mujahid (holy warrior) nation of Afghanistan and ask them to thank Almighty Allah for this great victory," the spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a statement.

Security was tight in the capital on Tuesday, which was declared a holiday, with soldiers stepping up checks.

Taliban parades were expected through the day and several departments, including the education ministry, held gatherings to celebrate.

"Now that overall security is ensured in the country, the entire territory of the country is managed under a single leadership, an Islamic system is in place and everything is explained from the angle of sharia," Mujahid said.

Afghanistan is enjoying peace not seen in decades but the U.N. says there have, nevertheless, been dozens of attacks on civilians, some claimed by the Islamic State rivals of the Taliban.

For many women, who enjoyed extensive rights and freedoms during the two decades of rule by Western-backed governments, their plight has become dire since the return of the Taliban.

"It's been two years since the Taliban took over in Afghanistan. Two years that upturned the lives of Afghan women and girls, their rights and futures," Amina Mohammed, deputy secretary-general of the U.N., said in a statement.

Mujahid made no mention of the contentious issue of female education in his statement.

OBSTACLE TO RECOGNITION

Girls over the age of 12 have been mostly excluded from classes since the Taliban returned to power. For many Western governments, the ban is a major obstacle to any hope of formal recognition of the Taliban administration.

The Taliban, who say they respect rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law, have also stopped most Afghan female staff from working at aid agencies, closed beauty salons, barred women from parks and curtailed travel for women in the absence of a male guardian.

Journalism, which also blossomed in the two decades of rule by Western-backed governments, has been significantly suppressed.

The detention of media workers and civil society activists, including prominent education advocate Matiullah Wesa, have raised the alarm of human rights groups.

The Taliban have not commented in detail on those issues but say their law enforcement and intelligence agencies investigate activities they consider suspicious to seek explanations.

On the positive side, the corruption that exploded as Western money poured in for years after the Taliban were ousted in 2001, has been reduced, according to the U.N. special representative.

There are also signs that a Taliban ban on narcotics cultivation has dramatically reduced poppy production in what has for years been the world's biggest source of opium.

The Taliban will be hoping the progress will help bring foreign recognition and the lifting of sanctions, and the release of about $7 billion in central bank assets frozen in the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2021 after the Taliban took control, half of which was later transferred to a Swiss Trust.

A fall-off in development aid has seen job opportunities and gross domestic product shrink and the U.N. estimates more than two-thirds of the population need humanitarian aid to survive. (Reuters)

Thailand's election-winning Move Forward Party will not back former alliance partner Pheu Thai's candidate in a parliamentary vote on the next prime minister, a senior official said Tuesday.

The decision by Move Forward, which has the most seats in parliament, could complicate efforts by political heavyweight Pheu Thai to get the required support to form a government, and prolong weeks of political deadlock.

Despite abandoning Move Forward earlier this month, second-placed Pheu Thai has sought its backing for former real estate tycoon and political newcomer Srettha Thavisin to become premier.

Move Forward's lawmakers were unanimous in opposing that, its secretary general, Chaithawat Tulathon, told a news conference.

"The formation of government now is not reflective of the people's voice," Chaithawat said.

"It is clear senators and other parties want to shut Move Forward down."

Thailand has been under a caretaker government for the past five months and the next parliamentary vote on a prime minister has yet to be scheduled. (Reuters)