Foreign
UK authority suspends Nigerian nurse over dishonesty
A Nigerian nurse, identified as Elizabeth Offier, who was suspended over misconduct by the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) now risks being struck off from the agency’s register.
A panel of the Fitness to Practice Committee of the NMC had earlier suspended Ms Offier for six months for “impairment of her fitness to practice arising from misconduct”, but this was questioned by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA).
PSA filed an appeal in March 2023 because it said the penalty imposed by the panel was not sufficient for the “protection of the public.” It asked the court to quash the decision and substitute a striking-off order.
This was revealed in a 21-page judgement exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, which Justice Sheldon approved on 26 March 2024 after a hearing held on 6 March at the Royal Court of Justice, London.
Another panel review hearing held on 23 August 2023 which Ms Offier failed to attend decided to impose a further period of suspension for 12 months, with a further review to be held at the end of the new punishment period.
The NMC’s panel found that Ms Offier was dishonest on different occasions with her employers, and she admitted to having breached the order due to financial reasons.
How it happened
Ms Offier was admitted to the NMC register in March 2004, having worked as a nurse in Nigeria for several years. In November 2018, she registered with Pulse Healthcare Limited – a nursing agency and worked through them at two Foundation Trusts.
On 11 April 2019, the registrant worked a night shift at a hospital that was part of South Tees Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. During this shift, it was alleged that she signed a patient’s chart with another nurse’s initials to indicate that both she and her colleague had attended to the patient.
On 22 and 23 April 2019, she also worked the night shift at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, where it is alleged that she failed to give three patients intravenous antibiotic medication and failed to give insulin to two other patients.
She is alleged to have signed patient records indicating that she had administered medication when she had not.
Ms Offier failed to attend any of the meetings scheduled by Pulse to discuss whether she had been in “breach of contract”, after which her contract was terminated.
However, on 11 October 2019, Pulse made a referral to NMC and on 27 August 2019, the registrant applied for employment with another agency- First Call Healthcare Agency, and refused to disclose in the application form that she had worked for Pulse or Standby Agency – another agency with whom she had been registered.
She confirmed that the information provided was accurate and completed a Qualified Staff Questionnaire, where she indicated “No” that she had never been the subject of a disciplinary or investigation by an employer, or had been referred to NMC.
NMC conditions
The NMC Investigating Committee imposed some conditions in relation to the administration of medications and imposed an interim condition of practice order on the registrant for 18 months.
The conditions imposed by the committee were that the registrant should ensure that she was supervised by another registered nurse at any time that she was working and that she had to give a copy of these conditions to any agency with whom she was registered to work.
However, Ms Offier did not notify First Call of the conditions and in December 2019, through a routine check of NMC records, First Call discovered that the registrant was subject to conditions imposed by NMC.
On learning of the conditions imposed by the agency, First Call examined its records and realised that the registrant had worked one-night shift on 7 December 2019 as the only nurse in charge at a care home.
In reaction, Ms Offier explained that she had “never intended to hide anything as such conditions of practice are all made public by NMC. I am sorry if it has caused inconvenience”.
Ms Offier was eventually dismissed by First Call and a referral was made to NMC, leading to her being subjected to an interim suspension order by NMC. This continued to be in force until the hearing before the panel.
As of 3 May 2020, Ms Offier reached out to an investigator at NMC stating that she had not intended to breach the terms of the order when she worked a night shift alone.
She explained “I was in such a financial difficulty that I went to do a shift in a nursing home where a senior carer was also on duty. I sincerely apologise for having done this out of financial desperation and I strongly state here that I will never do such a thing again”.
Ms Offier failed to appear and was not represented at a hearing before the panel on 9 March 2023.
Appeal, panel findings
According to the court document highlighting the panel findings and Ms Offier’s work history and “proven” misconduct, NMC, as the first respondent in the case, has conceded the appeal.
While Ms Offier, the second respondent did not appear before the Court, Mr Sheldon noted that she indicated that she was not prepared to consent to being struck off the register and that she made no representations as to why the appeal should be dismissed.
However, the appeal proceeded in the absence of the registrant after the counsel for the PSA, David Hopkins, “indicated that he would seek to put before the court the arguments that the registrant might have put had she attended.”
The NMC’s panel found that Ms Offier had dishonestly failed to disclose information to a future employer about the existence of two previous employers and that she was subject to investigation by that previous employer.
It also found that she had dishonestly failed to disclose information to her employer that conditions had been imposed on her by NMC.
The panel also found that the registrant had worked one shift for the employer in breach of the condition that she should be supervised by a registered nurse.
Court disposal
Mr Sheldon in his comments admitted that the panel “fell into error by finding that none of the six forms of dishonesty that are most likely to call into question whether a nurse should be allowed to remain on the register were met.”
While PSA contends that any sanction less than one of striking off was not sufficient for the protection of the public, it also argued that the panel failed to give adequate reasons that striking off was disproportionate.
“I do not need to reach a final view on this ground, as I have already found that the panel made several errors and so its decision was wrong,” the judge said.
In his conclusion, Mr Sheldon said: “Accordingly, I will allow the appeal but remit the decision so that the question of sanction can be looked at in light of the findings that the panel made, but also the findings that the panel should have made. I shall consider further submissions from the parties as to the appropriate form of the order for remittal and on any other consequential matter.”Exclusive: UK authority suspends Nigerian nurse over dishonesty, may strike name off register
Counter-terrorism police are involved in an investigation into a mass stabbing on a train in eastern England, which left nine people suffering with life-threatening injuries.
A man with a large knife is believed to have been shot with a Taser by police after going on a bloody rampage on a high-speed train after it left Peterborough station in Cambridgeshire.
British Transport Police (BTP) said two people have been arrested over the stabbings, which happened on the 6:25 pm (1825 GMT) train service from Doncaster to London King’s Cross on Saturday.
“Officers immediately attended Huntingdon station alongside paramedics.
“Armed police from Cambridgeshire Police boarded the train and arrested two people in connection to the incident, who have been taken to police custody.
“Ten people have been taken to hospital, with nine believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries. One is being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. There have been no fatalities.
“This has been declared a major incident and Counter Terrorism Policing are supporting our investigation whilst we work to establish the full circumstances and motivation for this incident.”
BTP Chief Superintendent Chris Casey said: “This is a shocking incident and first and foremost my thoughts are with those who have been injured this evening and their families.
“We’re conducting urgent enquiries to establish what has happened, and it could take some time before we are in a position to confirm anything further.
“At this early stage it would not be appropriate to speculate on the causes of the incident.
“Our response is ongoing at the station and will be for some time. Cordons are in place and trains are not currently running through the area, and there are also some road closures.
“I thank the public for their patience and their cooperation this evening which has already greatly assisted our policing response. We will update you again as soon as we have more information.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident as “deeply concerning” and urged people to follow police advice.
Witnesses have spoken of seeing a man with a large knife and passengers hiding in the toilets to escape the rampage, The Times newspaper reported.
One told the paper there was “blood everywhere” and people were getting “stamped” on by others as they tried to flee.
The witness said: “I heard some people shouting we love (you).”
The Sun newspaper said another witness described the attack as “like something from a film,” adding: “It was a terrible scene, really violent.”
The attack is understood to have started shortly after the LNER train left Peterborough station.
Nigerian Tribune
Burkina Faso’s Transitional Legislative Assembly on Tuesday approved the dissolution of the country’s Independent National Electoral Commission which has been in place for more than 20 years.
This formalises a bill adopted in July by the country’s military rulers, led by Captain Ibrahim Traoré. The junta had described the commission as a “waste of money” and susceptible to what it said was “foreign influence”.
Under the new law, the Ministry of Territorial Administration will now be in charge of organising elections.
When it seized power in September 2022, the military promised to restore a civilian government within 21 months.
But in May last year, the junta extended the period of transition by five years and announced that Traoré would be allowed to contest the next presidential election.
The military leaders have reduced ties with Western countries, including former colonial power, France, and forged a closer strategic and economic partnership with Russia.
President Donald Trump has directed the United States military to resume nuclear weapons testing, ending a 33-year break.
The announcement came on Thursday on Truth Social, minutes before he met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea.
“Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately,” Trump posted. “Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.”
The move appears aimed at both Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia recently carried out a series of nuclear-related tests, though the Kremlin said none involved actual nuclear explosions. “Until now, we didn’t know that anyone was testing,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, adding that Russia would only test in response to another country doing so.
No nuclear power other than North Korea has conducted explosive testing in over 25 years. The U.S. last tested in 1992, Russia in 1990, and China in 1996.
China’s Foreign Ministry urged Washington to honor its long-standing moratorium on nuclear testing and maintain “global strategic balance and stability.”
According to Reuters, it remains unclear whether Trump’s order refers to underground explosive tests or missile flight tests.
Speaking later aboard Air Force One, Trump said testing was necessary to keep pace with rival powers. “With others doing testing, I think it’s appropriate that we do also,” he said, adding that test sites would be announced later.
He dismissed concerns about rising nuclear risks, saying U.S. weapons were “well locked up,” and repeated his call for global denuclearization. “We are actually talking to Russia about that, and China would be added to that if we do something,” he said.
The decision follows China’s rapid nuclear buildup, doubling its arsenal from 300 to about 600 warheads since 2020, and Russia’s recent tests of nuclear-capable weapons, including the Poseidon underwater drone and Burevestnik missile.
In the U.S., Trump’s announcement drew swift criticism. Representative Dina Titus of Nevada said she would introduce legislation to block the move. Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association called Trump’s decision “misinformed,” warning it could “trigger a chain reaction of nuclear testing by U.S. adversaries, and blow apart the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
According to Reuters, experts say resuming underground nuclear tests in Nevada would take at least three years to prepare.
(Reuters)
China will slap port fees on U.S.-owned, operated, built, or flagged vessels on Tuesday as a countermeasure to U.S. port fees on China-linked ships starting the same day, China’s transport ministry said on Friday.
The move came shortly before U.S. President Donald Trump said there is no reason to meet with China’s President Xi Jinping in two weeks in South Korea as planned, adding on social media that the U.S. is calculating a massive increase in tariffs on imports from China. Trump said China has been sending letters to countries saying it planned to impose export controls on rare earths production.
There are relatively few U.S.-built or U.S.-flagged vessels conducting international trade, but China will ensnare more ships by applying levies to companies with 25 percent or more of their shares or board seats held by U.S.-domiciled investment funds, analysts said.
‘Quite an impact’
U.S.-based shipping company Matson told customers on Friday it is subject to the new China port fees and has no plans to change its service schedule.
Also likely affected are CMA-CGM’s U.S.-based American President Lines and Israel-based Zim, which appears to have more than 25 percent of its shares owned by U.S. entities, Lars Jensen, CEO of consultancy Vespucci Maritime, said on LinkedIn.
The China fees also could apply to vessels owned by Poseidon’s Seaspan, said Jensen, an expert on container shipping.
“This could be quite an impact as it means that the more than 100 vessels owned by Seaspan, and chartered by a variety of major container lines, would now be subject to fees in China in addition to the fees in the U.S. for their Chinese-built vessels,” Jensen said. Also starting on Tuesday, ships built in China – or operated or owned by Chinese entities – will need to pay a fee at their first port of call in the United States.
Vessels owned or operated by a Chinese entity will face a flat fee of $50 per net tonnage per voyage to the U.S. China-owned carrier COSCO, including its OOCL fleet, is the most exposed with fees of around $2 billion in 2026, analysts said.
Maersk Line Limited, APL, Zim, Seaspan, and COSCO did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the fees.
China calls U.S. fees discriminatory
The U.S. fees on China-linked vessels, following a probe by the U.S. Trade Representative, are part of a broader U.S. effort to revive domestic shipbuilding and blunt China’s naval and commercial shipping power.
“It is clearly discriminatory and severely damages the legitimate interests of China’s shipping industry, seriously disrupts the stability of the global supply chain, and seriously undermines the international economic and trade order,” the Chinese ministry said.
The USTR’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a separate statement released later on Friday, Beijing’s commerce ministry said the Chinese countermeasures were in “justified” self-defence aimed at safeguarding fairness in the global shipping and shipbuilding markets.
Over the past two decades, China has catapulted itself to the No. 1 position in the shipbuilding world, with its biggest shipyards handling both commercial and military projects.
Last year, Chinese shipyards built more than 1,000 commercial vessels, while the U.S. constructed fewer than 10, according to military and industry analysts.
The Chinese fees on U.S. vessels could hurt the U.S. less than the U.S. fees might harm the legion of Chinese ships.
The fees announced by China, like those put in place by the U.S., “add further complexity and cost to the global network that keeps goods moving and economies connected, and risk harming their exporters, producers, and consumers at a time when global trade is already under pressure,” said Joe Kramek, president and CEO of the World Shipping Association.
Rates rise over three years
For U.S.-linked vessels berthing at Chinese ports starting Tuesday, the rate will be 400 yuan ($56.13) per net metric ton, the Chinese transport ministry said.
That will increase to 640 yuan ($89.81) from April 17, 2026, and to 880 yuan ($123.52) from April 17, 2027.
For vessels calling at Chinese ports from April 17, 2028, the charge will be 1,120 yuan ($157.16) per net metric ton.
Tensions between China and the United States have deepened since September, with the two superpowers struggling to move beyond their trade tariff truce — a 90-day pause from August 11 that ends around November 9.
Retaliatory tariffs in the U.S.-China trade war this year have sharply curtailed Chinese imports of U.S. agriculture and energy products.
Korea Times
The White House lashed out at the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday (US time) after it awarded the peace prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and overlooked US President Donald Trump.
“The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace,” White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung said on X.
“President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will.”
Since returning to the White House for his second term in January, Trump had repeatedly insisted that he deserved the Nobel for his role in resolving numerous conflicts – a claim observers say is broadly exaggerated.
Trump restated his claim on the eve of the peace prize announcement, saying that his brokering of the first phase of a ceasefire in Gaza this week was the eighth war he had ended.
But he added on Thursday: “Whatever they do is fine. I know this: I didn’t do it for that, I did it because I’ve saved a lot of lives.”
Nobel Prize experts in Oslo had insisted in the run-up to Friday’s announcement that Trump had no chance, noting that his ‘America First’ policies run counter to the ideals of the Peace Prize as laid out in Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will creating the award.
An Ebola outbreak that has plagued southern Congo in recent weeks is starting to be contained, the World Health Organization said Wednesday, with no new cases reported since the U.N. health agency’s last update on Oct. 1.
“As of Oct. 5, 2025, 10 days have passed without any newly reported cases, indicating potential control of transmission in the affected areas,” the agency said during a news conference.
The agency said a total of 64 cases, including 53 confirmed and 11 probable, have been reported in Congo’s Kasai Province as of Oct. 5. The WHO also reported 43 deaths, including 32 confirmed and 11 probable.
Congolese authorities announced an Ebola outbreak in Congo’s southern Kasai province on Sept. 4, the first in 18 years in the remote part of the country located more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the capital of Kinshasa.
Health authorities and organizations had recently sounded the alarm, warning they lack the funds and resources to mount an effective response to the crisis.
The WHO said improved logistics and field operations, including helicopter and ground deliveries of medical supplies and the decontamination of three health facilities, have helped contain the outbreak over the last week.
“This steady decline in transmission and improved case management reflect the impact of coordinated interventions led by the Ministry of Health with support from WHO and partners,” the agency said.
The WHO still advised caution, as almost 2,000 contacts — people who may have been exposed to the disease — are being monitored and a “single missed contact could reignite transmission chains, especially in areas with high population movement or limited community surveillance.”
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