Viagra Trial Baby Deaths: Dutch Research Project Called Off as 11 Infants Die

Did Viagra given to pregnant women cause Pulmonary Hypertension in babies?

© Mark Blinch / Reuters

A Dutch medical trial has been halted after the deaths of 11 babies whose mothers were given Viagra as part of a study aimed at helping unborn infants grow.

The research, led by Amsterdam University Medical Center, focused on improving the flow of blood through the placentas of 93 pregnant women. Since the trial ended, some 17 babies have developed lung problems and 11 have died, leading to fears that babies suffered fatal effects from the medication. Between 10-15 women are now waiting to hear if their child was also affected.

“We wanted to show that this is an effective way to promote the growth of the baby. But the opposite happened. I am shocked. The last thing you want is to harm patients,” gynecologist and leader of the research Wessel Ganzevoort told Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant.

Ganzevoort said her team have notified a group of Canadian researchers carrying out a similar study to warn them of the results. That research has now been temporarily stopped, she said.

During the study, 93 women in 10 hospitals across the Netherlands were given sildenafil, a medication sold as Viagra, the erectile dysfunction drug for men. Viagra dilates the blood vessels and is sometimes prescribed for people with high blood pressure. Researchers had hoped to improve the flow of blood through women’s placentas with the drug after seeing some good results in experimental research on rats.

Prior to the experiments, the growth of each of the unborn babies was found to be limited and the prognosis viewed as poor. The study was started in 2015 and was due to run until 2020, with 350 patients participating. It’s feared that the drug caused blood pressure to build up in the lungs, meaning the babies received a diminishing amount of oxygen.

Elevated blood pressure in the lungs is a form of Pulmonary Hypertension. That it has already claimed 11 of 17 babies would indicate that it is an intense form of PH. 

In a statement, Amsterdam UMC said that it believed the trial had been conducted properly, but will launch an external investigation to find the cause of deaths. All participants in the trial have now been informed whether they were given the drug or a placebo.

“An interim analysis by Amsterdam UMC, location AMC, showed that sildenafil may be detrimental to the baby after birth. The chance of a disease of the blood vessels of the lungs appears to be greater and the chance of death after birth seems to have increased,” the statement read. RT has contacted Amsterdam UMC for comment.

Ganzevoort expressed concern that doctors may have been prescribing the medication to pregnant women after hearing anecdotal evidence it may be good for children at medical conferences. “It was buzzing at conferences. Foreign colleagues let slip that they sometimes prescribed it, with good results,” she said.

“I have experienced in my own consulting room that pregnant women asked for it. Whether they have ordered it via the internet? I do not know. Who can know?”

Makes one wonder if Pfizer was behind the 'buzz' at these conferences? Did they subtly push doctors to experiment on their patients? Nothing would surprise me when it comes to pharmaceutical companies.

South Korean Liberal Political Icon Found Dead Amid Bribery Probe

Corruption is Everywhere - In South Korean politics, it's deadly

By Wooyoung Lee 

Roh Hoe-chan, floor leader of the minor opposition Justice Party, returning home at Incheon airport, west of Seoul,

from a six-day trip to meet U.S. congressional leaders and senior government officials for talks on bilateral security

and economic issues. Roh jumped to his death on July 23 amid an investigation into allegations that he accepted

illegal political funds. Photo by Yonhap

SEOUL, (UPI) -- A South Korean liberal party politician under investigation for bribery was found dead on Monday.

The body of Roh Hoe-chan, floor leader of the liberal Justice Party, was found Monday morning at an apartment complex in central Seoul, police said.

Corruption in the Justice Party - that sounds like liberal hypocrisy!

The police found a jacket with Roh's wallet, identification card and a suicide note. Roh is believed to have jumped from a window on a stairway between the 17th and 18th floor of an apartment building.

In the note, Roh admitted to having received money from people related to a blogger named Druking, a central figure in the opinion rigging scandal, but said it had nothing to do with illicit political requests. Roh also wrote he's sorry to his family.

Lee (I have no idea who 'Lee' is, unless she is referring to Lee Nak-yeon, the Prime Minister. Or perhaps Wooyoung is referring to herself) has been under an investigation over allegations that he accepted 50 million won ($44,000) in 2016 from figures related to a blogger known by the nickname Druking.

The presidential Blue House offered condolence to Roh and his family.

"A sad tragedy happened this morning," presidential spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said to reporters, Hankyoreh reported. "We hope Roh rests in peace," he said.

Kim said President Moon Jae-in canceled his morning schedule.

The special investigation team, formed to look into the opinion rigging scandal, also released a statement of condolence on Monday morning.

"Our hearts are filled with sorrow upon hearing the news about Roh who has made a milestone in the country's political history and spearheaded political activism," said Heo Ik-beom, prosecutor of the special investigation team at a press conference, Chosun reported.

Roh, a devoted labor activist, rose to a progressive political icon by launching and leading a minority Justice Party and winning local parliamentary elections for three times.

Rothschild Bank Caught Up in 1MDB Money-Laundering Scandal

Corruption is Everywhere - Even in Zurich's Rothschild Bank

Former Executive Chairman of Rothschild Group Baron David de Rothschild © Lisi Niesner / Reuters

Switzerland’s financial regulator has accused Rothschild Bank AG and its trust subsidiary of violating anti-money laundering law in relation to 1MDB, the troubled Malaysian sovereign wealth fund (Read: Prime Minister's wealth fund).

According to the regulator, both Rothschild Bank AG and Rothschild Trust AG failed to check where assets from a client came from. The firms reportedly disregarded signs that the funds could be connected to money-laundering and took the money anyway. The companies run by the Rothschild family are also accused of reporting on the issue too late.

Rothschild Bank AG, Zurich, Switzerland

“Specifically, they were in breach of due diligence, reporting and documentation requirements,” Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) said in a statement. “Finma will appoint an audit agent to review enhancements already put in place by the institutions.”

“We constantly strengthen our systems and procedures and are determined to continue to do so to identify and combat the increasingly sophisticated financial crime faced by the industry,” the bank’s spokesperson told Reuters in relation to the claims by FINMA.

An investigation into alleged illegal practices by 1Malaysia Development Berhad was launched as early as in 2011. Top management of the institution is under suspicion for reported embezzlement of funds designated for state economic development projects. The FBI joined the case three years ago with investigators from Hong Kong, Singapore, Luxembourg, the UAE, the Seychelles and Australia also involved.

The probe led to the arrest of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak earlier this year. The top official was accused of alleged breach of trust and abuse of funds.

Half of ‘Deported’ Refugees Never Left Germany, Report Reveals

Islamization - Germany's amazing migrant mess;

an amazingly expensive mess

© Wolfgang Rattay / Reuters

The number of unsuccessful deportations from Germany has increased by more than 200 percent, as every second deportable migrant stayed in the country by not appearing for their expulsion appointment.

An internal evaluation by the federal police found that, as of the end of May, only 11,100 scheduled deportations had been successful out of a planned 23,900, according to the report by Deutsche Wirtschafts Nachrichten.

Some 11,500 refugees were listed as “not found” on their appointed day, with the remaining 1,300 cases abandoned for various other reasons. Around 150 people stayed because pilots refused to take them, and in more than 500 cases, deportation was stopped because of “active or passive resistance.”

The highest level of deportation resistance came from immigrants from Nigeria and Guinea, with 60 people each, followed by Somalia, Syria, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Morocco, Iraq and Eritrea, according to German federal police.

“It creates an enormous amount of work for the federal police that every second person to be deported is ultimately not delivered by the responsible state and local authorities,” Ernst Walter, chairman of the German police union, told Welt am Sonntag. He added that the only way to prevent them from disappearing is to “make much greater use of deportation detention.”

Germany's migrant costs approaching $100 bn

Germany has seen an influx of more than 1.6 million asylum seekers since 2014, mainly from the Middle East and Africa. Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing increasing political pressure from the public to stem the flow, as estimated migrant-related costs reach €78 billion ($91 billion).

Corruption is Everywhere - But Northern Ireland's Ian Paisley?

DUP meets to discuss Paisley’s political future

after Sri Lankan holiday scandal

DUP MP Ian Paisley apologises to the House of Commons in London for failing to register two family holidays funded by the Sri Lankan government, which he previously estimated was worth £50,000. Photograph: PA Wire

Senior DUP personnel met today to discuss the political future of North Antrim MP Ian Paisley.

The party did not reveal the outcome of the meeting but said it may issue a statement on the matter early next week.

Mr Paisley made an emotional statement to the House of Commons this week, apologising for his failure to declare two luxury holidays that were paid for by the Sri Lankan government.

A parliamentary watchdog has called for the North Antrim MP to be suspended for 30 sitting days because he failed to declare the holidays, which were worth more than £50,000.

Another DUP MP, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson told the BBC today that his party was not going to take “a lynch mob approach”.

Speaking on the Today programme, Sir Jeffrey said Mr Paisley’s behaviour had been unacceptable.

However, he added: “Ian is entitled to have his case heard, he is entitled to fairness.

“We are a democratic party - the clue is in our name - and this matter has been referred to our party officers. They will consider the report prepared by the standards committee, they will consider what has happened and they will come to a decision.”

Sir Jeffrey said that Mr Paisley had apologised and acknowledged that what he had done was unacceptable.

In Belfast on Friday, Mrs May sidestepped questions about the impact the Commons suspension of Mr Paisley would have on future legislative Brexit battles she will face.

But she said the confidence and supply agreement with the DUP had allowed the Government to deliver “key decisions”. Mrs May said it was a “matter for Parliament” how it dealt with breaches of its rules.

Mr Paisley’s trips also included meeting with Sri Lankan governmental figures. The threshold for registering such hospitality in 2013 was around £660. He subsequently wrote a letter to the prime minister arguing on behalf of the Sri Lankan government. Mr Paisley has faced calls to resign his seat and there is a prospect of a by-election as a consequence of the sanction.

At times struggling to maintain his composure, Mr Paisley apologised to the House, to his colleagues in the DUP and to his constituents.

“I take my duties as a Member of Parliament seriously. I believe that I conduct myself with colleagues with integrity and openness, which is why I have such remorse about the matter, as I believe it goes against the grain of who I am, especially how it is portrayed,” he said.

“It is to my constituents, who have sent me here since 2010, that I make the profoundest of all apologies. They have honoured me with unwavering support to be their voice and I hope that they will continue to have that confidence in me in the future.”

Denied

When the Daily Telegraph broke the story of Mr Paisley’s holidays in Sri Lanka, where he was accompanied by his family, he initially denied the reports and threatened to sue the newspaper.

The holidays included business-class air travel, accommodation at first-class hotels, helicopter trips and visits to tourist attractions for Mr Paisley and his family.

Mr Paisley said that mistakes made by those in public life were amplified and that they ought to be.

“That is the nature of the job that all of us do and all of us understand that. However, I believe in a politics and in politicians who can admit to human frailty, who can apologise, mean it, and move on, because that is what real life is all about,” he said.

“It is often said that it is how we respond to these challenges in our lives that defines who and what we are, and defines our character and demonstrates to us where the true source of our personal strength rests. The 8th-century (BC) prophet Isaiah said, ‘You were angry with me, that anger has turned away, you comfort me.’ I hope to learn that lesson.”

The Commons Standards Committee on Wednesday outlined the sanction for Mr Paisley, son of late DUP founder the Rev Ian Paisley, saying he had committed “serious misconduct” and his actions “were of a nature to bring the House of Commons into disrepute”.

Mr Paisley’s potential suspension would start in September if MPs approve it.

Members who are suspended from the Commons for more than 10 days are open to a recall petition. A by-election would be triggered if 10 per cent of the electorate in Mr Paisley’s North Antrim constituency sign that petition.– PA

Stormont, NI

Bill Browder - Hero or Villain? Where's the Truth?

Yesterday, Bill Browder accused GOP Congressman Rohrabacher of being a Russian stooge. He had no proof, only the accusations that Rohrabacher was trying to undue some of what Browder has 'accomplished'; things like the Magnitsky Act. Rohrabacher accused Browder of intimidation, which, he thought, was suspicious in itself.

Bill Browder Escapes Again

by philip giraldi, Ron Paul Institute

There was some good and bad news last week. The good news was that William Browder, a London-based investor and dedicated foe of Russian President Vladimir V. Putin was arrested by the Spanish police on Wednesday. The bad news is that even though Russia has on six occasions requested Browder’s arrest through Interpol for tax fraud, the Spanish national police determined that Browder had been detained in error because the international warrant was no longer valid and released him.

Interpol, an organization of 190 countries cannot legally enforce any action of a “political character.” This can make it difficult to obtain red notices such as those being sought by Russia on Browder, which are the equivalent of international arrest warrants.

One might reasonably ask why there is a crisis in US-Russia relations at all since Washington and Moscow have much more in common than not, to include confronting international terrorism, stabilizing Syria and other parts of the world that are in turmoil, and preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. In spite of all that, the US and Russia are currently locked in a tit-for-tat unfriendly relationship somewhat reminiscent of the Cold War and it is only getting worse as self-appointed “experts” including Browder continue to prowl the fringes of policy making. Browder was in Spain to testify in a case against several Russian companies.

That William Browder might be regarded as controversial is somewhat of an understatement. Many who regard him as a crook serving as a catalyst for the bad policies relating to the US-Russia relationship would like to see him in jail. Israel Shamir, a keen observer of the American-Russian relationship, and celebrated American journalist Robert Parry both think that Browder single-handedly deserves much of the credit for the new Cold War.

William Browder, the grandson of Earl Browder, former head of the American Communist Party, is a hedge fund operator who made his fortune in the corrupt 1990s world of Russian commodities trading. One of many Jewish profiteers who descended on Russia, his current role is symptomatic of why the United States government is so poorly informed about overseas developments as he appears before Congress frequently and is the source of much of the “testimony” contributing to the current bad international climate. He has somehow emerged as a trusted source in spite of the fact that he has considerable interest in cultivating a certain outcome favorable to himself. Also ignored is his renunciation of American citizenship in 1998, reportedly to avoid taxes. He is now a British citizen.

Browder is notoriously the man behind the 2012 Magnitsky Act, which exploited Congressional willingness to demonize Russia and has done so much to poison relations between Washington and Moscow. The Act has sanctioned individual Russian officials, which Moscow has rightly seen as unwarranted interference in the operation of its judicial system.

Browder, a media favorite who self-promotes as “Putin’s enemy #1,” portrays himself as a selfless human rights advocate, but is he? He has used his fortune to threaten lawsuits for anyone who challenges his version of events, effectively silencing many critics. He claims that his accountant Sergei Magnitsky was a crusading "lawyer" who discovered a $230 million tax-fraud scheme that involved the Browder business interest Hermitage Capital but was, in fact, engineered by corrupt Russian police officers who arrested Magnitsky and enabled his death in a Russian jail.

Many have been skeptical of the Browder narrative, suspecting that the fraud was in fact concocted by Browder and his accountant Magnitsky. A Russian court has supported that alternative narrative, ruling in late December 2013 that Browder had deliberately bankrupted his company and engaged in tax evasion. He was sentenced to nine years prison in absentia.

William Browder has also been regularly in the news in connection with testimony related to Russiagate. On December 16, 2017 Senator Diane Feinstein of the Senate Judiciary Committee released the transcript of the testimony provided by Glenn Simpson, founder of Fusion GPS. According to James Carden, Browder was mentioned 50 times, but the repeated citations apparently did not merit inclusion in media coverage of the story by the New York Times, Washington Post and Politico. Browder has become such an essential asset in the media story about “evil” Russia that he has become in a certain sense bullet proof in spite of his own personal very questionable history.

Fusion GPS, which was involved in the research producing the Steele Dossier used to discredit Donald Trump, was also retained to provide investigative services relating to a lawsuit in New York City involving a Russian company called Prevezon. As information provided by Browder was the basis of the lawsuit, his company and business practices while in Russia became part of the investigation. Simmons maintained that Browder proved to be somewhat evasive and his accounts of his activities were inconsistent. He claimed never to visit the United States and not own property or do business there, all of which were untrue, to include his ownership through a shell company of a $10 million house in Aspen Colorado. He repeatedly ran away, literally, from attempts to subpoena him so he would have to testify under oath.

Per Simmons, in Russia, Browder used shell companies locally and also worldwide to avoid taxes and conceal ownership, suggesting that he was likely one of many corrupt businessmen operating in what was a wild west business environment. My question is, “Why was such a man granted credibility and allowed a free run to poison the vitally important US-Russia relationship?” The answer might be follow the money. Israel Shamir reports that Browder was a major contributor to Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland, who was the major force behind the Magnitsky Act.

Cardin and others in Congress have made Russia the bete noir of American politics, finding it convenient to scapegoat Moscow for the failure of the United States to put together a coherent and functioning foreign policy. Bill Browder is an essential component in that effort. Perhaps someone should ask him how he became a billionaire in a corrupt Russia going through political crisis and democratization in the 1990s. It would be interesting to learn what he has to say in his defense.

We may never really know what happened in Russia when Browder made his fortune. But it seems clear that he didn't play ball with the other oligarchs. I'm quite sure that no-one is innocent in this entire affair, least of all the Russian government, but it's unfortunate that the American government and media take Browder's accusations as Gospel because it fits their current narrative,  instead of casting doubts upon his story and his character as anyone interested in the truth would do.

Doesn't anyone truly desire the truth anymore?

Ex-South Korean President Convicted of More Charges

Corruption is Everywhere - Definitely in previous Seoul administration 

By Yonhap News Agency 

SEOUL, July 20 (UPI) -- A Seoul court convicted ousted President Park Geun-hye of additional charges and sentenced her to eight more years in prison Friday, raising her total jail term to 32 years.

Televised live, the Seoul Central District Court meted out the guilty verdict on Park, 66, and ordered her to forfeit 3.3 billion won (U.S. $2.91 million). Prosecutors had demanded 15 years.

Friday's sentence adds to the 24-year jail term she's been serving on 18 counts of corruption in a nation-rocking influence-peddling scandal that led to her ousting last year. She was arrested in late March, three weeks after she was removed from office by the Constitutional Court.

In early January, prosecutors indicted Park on charges that include bribery, embezzlement and loss of state funds for illegally accepting 3.5 billion won from the National Intelligence Service between May 2013 and September 2016.

She's also been indicted for interfering in the then-ruling Saenuri Party's candidate nominations for the 2016 general elections.

She was not present at Friday's trial, as she has been boycotting all her trials, which she said "are politically motivated," accusing the judiciary and prosecution of being unfair.

The court on Friday acquitted her of the bribery charges, ruling that the NIS provisions of its funds to Park's office were not paid in return for any favors. But it found her guilty of embezzlement and causing losses to state funds, as the money was delivered upon her request and was partly misappropriated by her for personal use.

The court acknowledged that it has been customary for the spy agency to provide funds as a supplementary budget to the presidential office from its own state coffers, known as the untraceable special activities fund.

The fact that the then-spy chiefs had delivered the funds to Park's Cheong Wa Dae in a fixed amount, and on a regular basis, is far from the conventional way of paying someone a bribe, which usually comes in a lump sum payment at one time.

Park is accused of spending some of the money to cover the bills for secret phones, maintenance costs for her private residence in southern Seoul and medical treatment. The funds were also used for incentives and bonuses for Park's close aides.

The court also found Park guilty of violating the election law. It said she abused her power to meddle in local politics and undermined the basic value of democracy and autonomy of political parties.

The court ruling is in line with last week's verdict in a separate trial on her three former aides, who were indicted alongside her for their involvement in the NIS bribery case. The court cleared them of bribery charges, ruling the NIS provisions to Park's office were not bribes.

No, they were obviously gifts because the NIS budget was too big!!!