Mali's coup leader dismisses president and prime minister
Bamako (Mali), May 25: Mali's former coup leader Assimi Goita took control of the country again Tuesday after firing the president and prime minister of the transitional government following their announcement of a cabinet reshuffle without his permission.
While Goita pledged to go ahead with holding new elections in 2022 as promised, his display of force casts doubt on whether the vote will go ahead without significant interference by the junta that overthrew the last democratically elected president.
The move also raised concerns that the new political unrest could further destabilize efforts to control the West African country's long-running Islamic insurgency. The United Nations now spends some USD 1.2 billion annually on a peacekeeping mission in Mali.
The military's announcement on the state broadcaster came a day after President Bah N'Daw and Prime Minister Moctar Ouane were arrested by soldiers and brought to the military headquarters in Kati, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) outside the capital. Both men remained in detention Tuesday.
Their arrests prompted an outcry by the international community, which put out a strongly worded statement warning Mali's military leaders that their actions could undermine global support for the transitional government.
The West African regional bloc known as ECOWAS was sending a delegation to Bamako on Tuesday afternoon as the political crisis escalated.
Goita has served as Mali's vice president since the transitional government was formed last September in the wake of his coup d'etat despite initial calls from the international community for an entirely civilian-led transition.
In announcing the removal of the president and prime minister of the transitional government, the military also said that it would be relieving others from their duties including everyone implicated in the situation.
Still, the military insisted: The transition is following its normal course and elections will be held as anticipated in 2022.
Following international pressure last year the junta had promised to organize that vote by next February, 18 months after the coup d'etat shook the country.
The overthrow of democratically elected President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita came amid mounting military casualties in the fight against Islamic militants linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.
The extremists first took control of major towns in northern Mali after the 2012 coup. Only a 2013 military intervention led by the former colonial power France pushed extremists out of those towns. France and a U.N. force have continued to battle the extremist rebels, who operate in rural areas and regularly attack roads and cities.
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China launches online visa application system for Indian travellers starting today
New Delhi: The Chinese Embassy in India has rolled out a new online visa application system beginning Monday, aiming to make the visa process easier and faster for Indian travellers.
According to a report published by NDTV, the announcement was made by the Chinese Ambassador, who said that from December 22, 2025, applicants can fill out visa forms and upload all required documents online. The new facility can be accessed through the embassy’s official website, offering a more convenient way to apply without lengthy paperwork.
With this system, applicants will be able to complete most of the documentation online, reducing the time spent at the visa centre.
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The Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in New Delhi will continue to assist applicants alongside the online system. The centre functions Monday to Friday between 9 am and 3 pm and is located at the Shivaji Stadium Metro Station in Connaught Place. Applicants can also contact the centre by phone if needed. The information was shared by the envoy on his post on X, too.
According to an important notice issued by the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in New Delhi, applicants must now visit the official website of the centre to create or sign in to their accounts. After logging in, applicants are required to fill out the visa application form online and upload all necessary supporting documents through the portal.
As per the official notice, applicants must first create an account on the visa centre’s website, fill out the application form online, and upload all supporting documents. Before submitting their passport at the centre, they must ensure that their application status shows “online review completed” and that they have received the confirmation email.
The introduction of the online visa application system is seen as a step toward enhancing people-to-people exchanges and facilitating travel between India and China.
Recently, India also confirmed that the visa regime for Chinese nationals is now fully restored. Tourist visas, which were suspended after the 2020 border tensions, resumed globally in November 2025. Business visas had already restarted earlier.
As per the report, the resumption of visas is part of a series of "people-centric" confidence-building measures agreed upon by both sides in 2025, which also included the resumption of direct commercial flights in October 2025 and the revival of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra pilgrimage.
The move is expected to encourage tourism, business travel, and cultural exchange between the two countries.
