Paris, France | AFP | In the never-ending quest for youthful, magazine-cover looks, 8.6 billion euros ($10.7 billion) were spent last year on materials and chemicals used in cosmetic procedures worldwide, the IMCAS industry body said Thursday. This meant plastic surgeons and beauty practitioners spent about the equivalent of Costa Rica’s …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The European Union proposed Thursday giving millions of people in the 28-nation bloc better access to safe tap water and reduce water consumption via wasteful plastic bottles. The legislation proposed by the European Commission, the EU executive, aims to make safe drinking water a citizen right …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | Bulgaria, which holds the presidency of the EU, warned British Prime Minister Theresa May against plans to deny residency rights to Europeans arriving during the post-Brexit transition period. Lilyana Pavlova, the Bulgarian minister for the EU Presidency, told AFP that she was “worried” by May’s stance …

Austin, United States | AFP | Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned Thursday that China and Russia are assuming “alarming” roles in Latin America and urged regional powers to work with the United States instead. “Latin America doesn’t need new imperial powers that seek only to benefit their own people,” Tillerson …

Banjul, Gambia | AFP | Gambian police arrested a university lecturer and kept him in overnight detention for questioning the president’s ability to maintain national security in a newspaper interview, he told AFP on Thursday. Campaigners said the arrest was a worrying echo of restrictions on freedom of speech under the …

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | AFP | Ethiopia has lifted a ban on domestic workers moving overseas after passing a new law to guard against ill-treatment, a government official said Thursday. Africa’s second-most populous country instituted the ban five years ago following reports of abuse, and complaints that employment agencies lured Ethiopians …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | The UN refugee agency on Thursday criticised Nigeria for breaching international agreements after the leader of a Cameroonian anglophone separatist movement and his supporters were extradited at Yaounde’s request. The UNHCR said it learned “with great concern” about the case of Sisiku Ayuk Tabe, who was …

Windhoek, Namibia | AFP | Namibian President Hage Geingob has sacked two senior government ministers who challenged him during the ruling party’s last leadership contest, his office announced Thursday. He dismissed Minister of Home Affairs Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana and Youth Affairs Minister Jerry Ekandjo, both of whom have served in government since …

Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | About 950 gold miners were stuck underground in South Africa on Thursday after a power cut, the mine’s owner said, though the workers were not reported to be in immediate danger. The Sibanye-Stillwater mining company said a massive power outage caused by a storm had …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia on Thursday welcomed a decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport to lift bans on 28 of its athletes accused of doping, and said that its efforts to defend its rights were paying off. “We are very glad for our athletes,” President Vladimir …