International News
UK Seeks To Stamp Out High-Risk Cosmetic Procedures Including Brazilian Butt Lifts
The UK government on Thursday announced plans to tighten rules on high-risk cosmetic procedures such as so-called Brazilian butt lifts amid a surge in such treatments.
The health department said in a statement that “tough new measures” would “crack down on cowboy cosmetic procedures that have left people maimed, injured and in need of urgent” care.
They include mandating that only qualified health professionals who are registered with the care regulator can carry out procedures like buttock enhancement surgery or the injection of fillers into breasts and genitals.
Clinics offering lower risk treatments like Botox and lip fillers would need to meet certain standards to obtain a licence by their local authority, the Department of Health and Social care added.
The government said the measures “follow growing alarm over unqualified individuals performing invasive treatments in unsafe environments — including homes, hotels, and pop-up clinics”.
“Many of these procedures are marketed as non-surgical but, in reality, are invasive and carry serious risks,” said the health department’s statement.
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons recorded almost 27,500 surgical procedures in 2024, a five percent increase from the year before.
The health department added there had been several incidents where people had received such treatments from providers “with little or no medical training, leading to dangerous complications, permanent scarring and even death”.
Last month, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute warned that fat injections, buttock enhancement surgery, Botox and fillers were being offered by untrained people in places such as public toilets.
The Save Face charity said it had supported more than 750 women who have suffered unsafe procedures.
Junior health minister Karin Smyth said the proposed measures would give patients “peace of mind” and reduce the cost to the state-run National Health Service “of fixing botched procedures”.
Under the plans, which will first go to a consultation next year, under 18s will be restricted from cosmetic procedures deemed risky, unless authorised by a health professional.
That will prevent children from “dangerous beauty trends on social media”, the department said.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said 41 people have suffered adverse reactions following cosmetic procedures involving botulinum toxin since early June.
Symptoms included difficulty swallowing, slurred speech and breathing problems, the agency said.
AFP
German authorities deported at least 137 Nigerian citizens across five chartered flights between February and June 2026, according to migration monitoring reports.
Data from the DERS Team and Refugees4refugees.org shows the deportations occurred in phases, with 27 Nigerians returned in February, 37 in March through a joint European Union operation, 24 in April, 23 in May, and 26 in June.
The February operation departed from Stuttgart and landed at Lagos Cargo Airport, with Baden-Württemberg listed as a primary participant. The March operation represented the largest single return of Nigerians recorded over three years and was executed in collaboration with Spain, Austria, and Belgium.
The reports indicate a growing reliance on multi-national chartered flights by European states to repatriate undocumented or non-resident individuals to Nigeria.
The United States has condemned the killing of members of the family of Plateau-based cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, describing the attack as horrific and urging Nigerian authorities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for stronger measures to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
“The United States strongly condemns the horrific killing of members of Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo’s family in Plateau State, Nigeria. The continued violence targeting Christian communities and other vulnerable populations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is deeply alarming,” the bureau said
The US said it had already engaged Nigerian officials on the worsening security situation, stressing that urgent action was needed to curb recurring attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.
“As I discussed last week with Nigerian officials, we must do more to prevent violent acts. The perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent action is needed to strengthen security and protect Christians and other vulnerable communities,” the statement added.
The bureau reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to working with the Nigerian government to combat terrorism and violent extremism, stressing that Christians and other Nigerians should be able to practise their faith without fear of violence.
The statement followed the July 12 attack on Kum community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, where nine members of Rev. Dachomo’s extended family, including a two-month-old baby, were killed.
According to the cleric, the attackers, believed to be armed Fulani militias, asked for him by name before opening fire on his relatives.
Dachomo, who serves as Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, said his family had repeatedly been targeted because of his outspoken criticism of the violence in Plateau State.
He recalled that his grandmother and an uncle were also killed in previous attacks, adding that days after burying his relatives, he received a written death threat from the same group, warning that he would be their next target.
Saudi Arabia has updated its tourist eVisa programme for 2026, limiting eligibility in Africa to only three countries as part of its list of 66 nations whose citizens can apply through the Kingdom’s online visa platform.
The move leaves most African countries, including Nigeria, outside the simplified entry scheme.
The electronic visa allows eligible travellers to visit Saudi Arabia for tourism, leisure activities, family visits and Umrah, excluding the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Applications are completed online, eliminating the need for embassy visits and lengthy visa processing.
Saudi authorities said the eVisa forms part of ongoing efforts to expand tourism, attract international visitors and simplify travel procedures through a fully digital application system. The visa is available only to citizens of approved countries and territories listed on the Kingdom’s official tourism portal.
Below is the list of African countries eligible for Saudi Arabia’s eVisa.
1. Mauritius
2. Seychelles
3. South Africa
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