Friday, October 5, 2007

You may not know Joseph Merlino, but he knows about you and what makes you function. He knows what turns you on and he knows whether it is a problem for you. Merlino, who is the psychiatry adviser to the New York Daily News, is one of the more accomplished psychiatrists in his field and he is the Senior Editor of the forthcoming book, Freud at 150: 21st Century Essays on a Man of Genius. The battle over interpreting Freud’s legacy still rages, a testament to the father of psychoanalysis and his continuing impact today.

On the eve of the book’s publication, Wikinews reporter David Shankbone went to the Upper East Side of Manhattan to discuss the past and future of Freud and psychoanalysis with Dr. Merlino, one of the preeminent modern psychoanalysts. Shankbone took the opportunity to ask about what insanity is, discuss aberrant urges, reflect upon sadomasochism (“I’m not considered an expert in that field,” laughed Dr. Merlino), and the hegemony of heterosexuality.

Dr. Merlino posits that absent structural, biochemical or physiological defects, insanity and pathology are relative and in flux with the changing culture of which you are a part. So it is possible to be sane and insane all in one day if, for instance, you are gay and fly from the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

China has joined other members of the United Nations Security Council in openly warning North Korea against future provocations and took several diplomatic measures on Tuesday and Wednesday.

China’s foreign ministry released a statement Wednesday that urged a return to talks: “We believe that maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula is in the interest of all parties … Dialogue and negotiation is the only correct way out.”

The statement came after North Korea’s announcement Tuesday that it would no longer honor the testing agreements that have been made with the United States. The United States halted its food aid, which had been part of the agreements, after Friday’s failed launch.

Also on Tuesday, China delivered another stern warning to the nation through its party newspaper Global Times. In the statement, China expressed impatience with its neighbor and said China’s foreign policy toward North Korea would not be hijacked by North Korea’s leaders. Behind the scenes, China has ceased the repatriation of North Korean nationals on Chinese territory.

Diplomatic pressure on North Korea continued this week as the country remained defiant during its celebration Sunday. Kim Jong-un gave his first formal address on Sunday in the aftermath of Friday’s failed attempt to launch a multistage rocket into orbit and in honor of the anniversary of Kim Il-sung’s 100th birthday. North Korea publicly acknowledged that its rocket broke up in flight and over ocean waters before ever taking orbit Friday morning.

The United Nations criticized North Korea over the weekend for a satellite launch that member states saw as a “provocative” move, which followed shortly after the country’s launch. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called the attempt “deplorable” and said it “threatens regional stability.” Corinne Momal-Vanian, UN spokesperson, said, “The Secretary-General urges the (North Korean government) not to undertake any further provocative actions that will heighten tension in the region.”

The UN Security Council met in a closed session Friday. Susan Rice, who is both the current UN Security Council president and US ambassador to the United Nations, said, “The United States’ view of this is quite clear, we have condemned the launch. We view it as a direct violation of resolution 1718 and 1874. We think it’s important that the Council respond credibly and we will be working in that direction.”

While China is being openly critical of North Korea, it has a veto right on the UN Security Council that has prevented further sanctions. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said China stood with other member nations of the Security Council in penalizing North Korea for future actions.

In a nation where speeches by leaders are rare, the young North Korean leader on Sunday said, “Superiority in military technology is no longer monopolized by imperialists.” The public event finished with the display of a new rocket and it further punctuated Kim Jong-un’s call for making the military the nation’s number one priority.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

The year 2007 marks the meeting of the major representatives of the watch and jewelry industry at BaselWorld Show, Basel, Switzerland. The Show will take place in the period of April 12 – 19, 2007. The international event is to attract over 2000 companies from 45 countries and about 90,000 visitors.

At present day the luxury goods business holds quite strong positions in the world industry and is still developing at high rates due to appropriate economic climate. Thus, BaselWorld is perceived by watch and jewelry producers and their partners as favorable new grounds for their further development.

BaselWorld is organized annually by MCH Swiss Exhibition (Basel) Ltd with a purpose to provide new business opportunities for the participants who are expected to exhibit their latest products in the exhibition area of about 160,000 m2. Visitors come to BaselWorld to keep aware of the current trends of watch and jewelry making, while retailers and wholesalers discover new partners and strengthen their links with well-established ones.

The exhibition is divided into product sectors presented in the six exhibition halls, among them there are the Hall of Universe and the Hall of Elements. This year the management of the Show has taken care of updating and redecorating the design of the halls.

All the participants of the event will be able to expand their business contacts beyond the fair in the BaselWorld Village located nearby. The ‘village’ comprises special facilities for partners to discuss their matters in informal atmosphere.

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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The bodies of two children were found this morning in a car in Heathfield, East Sussex, in the United Kingdom. A 43-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of the murders.

The boy and girl were both less than five years old, and were discovered at 11:46 this morning (GMT) when Sussex police officers forced their way into the vehicle, which was parked on Mill Close in Heathfield. The woman, who has yet to be identified, had visited Heathfield police station earlier this morning to report “an incident”, and was later arrested on suspicion of murder. The police say that they have identified the bodies. The identities will be revealed when the post mortem examinations take place, which is scheduled for next Thursday.

The woman was taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital, and has not yet been interviewed by the police. She is believed to be from Surrey but have connections with the Heathfield area. Mill Close, the road on which the incident occurred, has been closed, according to a police spokeswoman, who said, “An investigation is now under way and the area around the scene is cordoned off.” Chief Inspector Julia Pope, Wealden district policing commander, said, “This is a very tragic incident, but I would like to reassure people that it is fully contained and there is no threat to anyone in the area. We will move to restore normality and access to Mill Close as quickly as possible.” A spokesman for the South East Coast Ambulance Service said, “We sent an ambulance and two response cars but sadly two young children were pronounced dead at the scene.”