India news: India-China border tensions back in focus despite ongoing talks

Here are the top headlines from India on Saturday, October 24:

India's Foreign Ministry said on Friday the situation along the India-China border was periodically disrupted when Chinese forces deviated from established patrolling patterns.

"Both sides continue to use existing diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)," the ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said while addressing the media.

The two countries have also agreed to discuss ways to improve their understanding of the LAC in certain areas to strengthen border management, he added.

"I would also like to emphasize that maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations," Jaiswal said.

This development comes a day after India's China border police chief, Shatrujeet Singh Kapur, said on Thursday that face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops are continuing at multiple locations along the border in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, despite ongoing talks between the two countries, according to Indian media.

The face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh underscore the challenges of maintaining peace along the border even as the two countries have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks this year.

The issue was also taken up by the opposition Congress party with Member of Parliament and senior party leader Jairam Ramesh criticizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and and the government for "remain silent on this grave issue."

"The nation is asking: Amid ongoing tensions on the border, what kind of nationalism is this softness toward China and the growing economic dependence?" Ramesh posted on X.

Hello! This is Shakeel from DW's New Delhi Studio bringing you the top updates from across India.

The issue of India-China border tensions has its made its way back into focus as India on Friday said Chinese forces deviating from established patrolling patterns continue to disrupt the border situation.

Meanwhile, in the eastern state of Bihar, three children were among the five killed when a series of powerful explosions tore through a firecracker workshop at a private house, where the manufacturing was taking place.

For all this and more, follow our liveblog.