Chuckles of the Day

---

---

---

---

---

---

Charts: Japan Birth Number and Birth Rate Hit All Time Low in 2022

Source : Mainichi and Nikkei

Chart: Global Systemically Important Banks

Total score assesses across five dimensions by BIS: size, interconnectedness, substitutability, complexity and cross-jurisdictional activity

Source : Net Interest

Ford CEO On EVs: “We See The Chinese As The Main Competitor, Not GM Or Toyota”

Iulian Dnistran wrote . . . . . . . . .

Ford CEO Jim Farley says that Chinese car companies are the Blue Oval’s biggest rivals in the electric vehicle market, and not GM or Toyota, according to Automotive News, who quoted Farley after he spoke at the Morgan Stanley Sustainable Finance Summit.

“We see the Chinese as the main competitor, not GM or Toyota,” Ford’s CEO said, adding that “The Chinese are going to be the powerhouse.”

Admittedly, comparing yourself to Toyota in the EV sector isn’t exactly a tall order, as the Japanese carmaker only makes one US-bound model, the bZ4X, while General Motors is yet to ramp up production of the Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer.

With this being said, Farley cited BYD, Geely, Great Wall, Changan, and SAIC as the “winners” among Chinese automakers, saying that in order to beat them, Ford needs distinctive branding or lower costs:

“But how do you beat them on cost if their scale is five times yours?” he said. “The Europeans let (Chinese automakers) in – so now they are selling in high volume in Europe.”

The Blue Oval company’s head honcho believes the Michigan-based automaker already has distinctive branding, so lowering costs is the only way forward. To make this happen, Ford wants to build a $3.5-billion EV battery plant in Michigan using CATL technology, but that deal has drawn pushback from politicians like the Republican House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who cited possible ties with the Chinese Communist Party.

“We have a decision to make here in the US,” Jim Farley said. “If battery localizing their technology in the U.S. gets caught up in politics – you know the customer is really going to get screwed.”

In the first quarter of this year, Ford’s Model e EV division posted a loss of $722 million and the company is expecting the numbers to go even further into the red, with up to $3 billion in losses until the end of the year. However, the Blue Oval carmaker posted a net income of $1.8 billion as a whole, with its Ford Blue gasoline-powered business earning a $ 2.6 billion profit, while the Ford Pro commercial vehicle unit made $1.36 billion in Q1 2023

Source : Inside EVs

Chart: ‍New Zealand’s Famed Sheep-to-human Ratio Fell to a New Low in 2022

Source : Chartr

Three New China-Russia-Iran and Iraq Agreements Confirm The New Oil Market Order

Simon Watkins wrote . . . . . . . . .

The last week or so has seen a flurry of major cooperation agreements – including in energy, security, and logistics – between various permutations of Iran, Iraq, Russia, and China. Like a very dark version of the old U.S. soap opera parody ‘Soap’ this real-life version is equally convoluted, albeit a lot less funny. Its key elements constitute a significant part of the new global oil market order, but the three most recent principal cooperation agreements will have immediate consequences for oil and gas flows around the world and their pricing.

The best place to start here is at the end point of what China wants in its grand scheme of things, as delineated in its multi-generational power-grab project, ‘One Belt, One Road’. What it wants is to turn the Middle East into a large oil and gas station by which it can fuel its economic growth to overtake the U.S. as the number one superpower by 2030. The three biggest oil and gas reserves in the region belong to Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, so it wants to control those to begin with. For Russia, which already has lots of oil and gas – over which China already has significant control – the objectives in the Middle East are more varied. One objective is to continue to exert influence in several countries that it regards as being key to maintaining some of its hold over the Former Soviet Union states. Another, more recent one, is to use this influence to bolster its position as a partner of note to China. As for the other countries in this soap opera –Iran, and Iraq, and now also more clearly, Saudi Arabia – they are in this new global alliance partly for the economic and political support from China (and to a lesser degree, Russia) and because their political systems are naturally much closer to the authoritarian regimes of China and Russia than they are to the democratic ones of the U.S. and its allies.

To the money shot, then, which was Iran and Iraq signing a new set of oil and gas agreements within the last two weeks. Iran has long exerted enormous influence over its neighbour directly and indirectly through its political, economic, and military proxies. Iraq was always pre-disposed to such cooperation in the energy sector, as the two countries share several of their biggest oil reservoirs. These include Azadegan (on the Iran side)/Majnoon (on the Iraq side), Azar/Badra, Yadavaran/Sinbad, Naft Shahr/Naft Khana, Dehloran/Abu Ghurab, West Paydar/Fakka and Arvand/South Abu Ghurab. This has long proven extremely useful to Iran in avoiding sanctions, as oil from its side of these reservoirs can easily be re-branded as non-sanctioned Iraqi oil and then shipped anywhere in the world. It has also proven a useful tool for Iraq through which it can extort billions of dollar from the U.S. by promising to stop the import of Iranian electricity and gas, only to renegue on those promises the second the money hits the downtown Baghdad bank accounts. The latest cooperation agreements strengthen all these ties between Iran-Iraq further.

Cue the other recent cooperation agreements aimed at making sure that whatever is Iran’s (including control over Iraq’s oil and gas reserves) it is also China’s and Russia’s. First up was Moscow, signing 10 new cooperation agreements with Iran for the oil sector alone on 18 May. According to a source who works closely with Iran’s Petroleum Ministry spoken to exclusively last week by OilPrice.com, the agreements comprise six memorandums of understanding, two contracts, one broader military cooperation roadmap, and another roadmap related to bilateral cooperation in the fields of industry, transfer of technology and oil recovery enhancement. In essence, these add up to a renewal and extension of the previous five-year and 10-year rolling agreements between Russia and Iran. These allow Russia (together with China in separate agreements, to be covered in a moment) to have its firms present in any oil and gas field in Iran that Moscow chooses. It also allows for the exchange of the most promising military officers between the two countries and for Russia to have full access to Iran’s airports and seaports. Additionally, it allows for continued cooperation in other military and security matters, including intelligence, equipment and technology sharing.

Russia’s man in Iran – Deputy Prime Minister and co-chair of the Permanent Russian-Iranian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, Alexander Novak – stressed as well that the two countries are working on on banking interactions and using their national currencies in bilateral transactions. Further progress was also made on the North-South Transport Corridor (NSTC), with several agreements reached in the rail, road, maritime, and air transport sectors. Moscow is interested in developing the corridor all the way to India and beyond. Aside from boosting trade between Russia and Iran through the Caspian and Persian Gulf regions, these routes would also provide many opportunities for ‘dual purpose’ use – both civilian and military – of the airports and seaports.

Always looking to make a big entrance, China waited for the dust to settle before it too signed new cooperation agreements with Iran on 23 May. According to the Iran source spoken to by OilPrice.com, these agreements were simply nailing down some of the remaining details on financial, investment, and energy cooperation contained in the ‘Iran-China 25-Year Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement’ signed in March 2021. In the 25-Year Agreement, China is guaranteed oil and gas prices from Iran at least 30 percent lower than the relevant oil pricing benchmarks. However, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, China has been demanding an extra discount on Iranian oil to the 30 percent discount at which it can currently also buy Russian oil, according to the Iran source. “On average, the Chinese discount for Iranian crude oil to the international benchmark over the last 12 months has been around 44 percent,” he said. “But, it is even worse for Iran, as – from 11 November 2022 – China has been paying Iran in non-convertible Yuan, that is Yuan that can only be used inside China and/or spent buying Chinese goods,” he added. “Worse still is that whilst Yuan is the key instrument in payment, China is also using the currencies of Angola, Zambia and Kenya to pay Iran, and China is doing this as a means to induce Iran to buys goods from these countries so that these countries, in turn, can service their loans to China,” he concluded.

Source : Oil Price

---

Read also at Middle East Institute

The 25-year Iran-China agreement, endangering 2,500 years of heritage . . . . .

Prostatitis: What It Is, Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Ann Schreiber wrote . . . . . . . . .

When most men think about their prostate, it’s to worry about whether they have prostate cancer or not. But another condition is far more common and plenty painful.

Prostatitis involves inflammation of the prostate gland and sometimes the areas around it. Not only is prostatitis highly treatable, but it is highly prevalent among men. According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, it is the leading cause of urinary tract infections in men, resulting in approximately 2 million doctor’s visits each year in the United States. In fact, it’s estimated that half of all men will experience prostatitis at some point.

The U.S. National Center for Health Statistics further reveals that about 25% of men who seek medical attention for urological problems exhibit symptoms of prostatitis. Here, experts give the rundown on prostatitis, including its various types, causes, common symptoms and available treatments.

What is prostatitis?

Prostatitis, a condition characterized by the inflammation of the prostate gland, is known for its frequent and often debilitating pain. According to the Cleveland Clinic, it is a complex condition that can lead to various symptoms, including infection, inflammation and pain.

Two types of prostatitis are associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs), while the remaining types may not have an infectious origin. Regardless of the type, prostatitis is commonly recognized for the intense pain its sufferers feel, which can significantly impact a man’s quality of life.

Types of prostatitis

According to the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, there are four distinct types of prostatitis, each with its own characteristics:

• Chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome: This prostatitis is characterized by symptoms that start gradually and linger over a couple of weeks. It may also involve urinary symptoms such as frequent urination, urgency and difficulty emptying the bladder.
• Acute bacterial prostatitis: Acute bacterial prostatitis is caused by a bacterial infection in the prostate gland. It starts suddenly with severe pain in the pelvic region, fever, chills and difficulty urinating. StatPearls indicates that acute bacterial prostatitis is rare; when it occurs, it is often associated with bladder obstruction or an immunocompromised state.
• Chronic bacterial prostatitis: Unlike the acute form, chronic bacterial prostatitis is a persistent infection that may recur over an extended period. It shares symptoms with acute bacterial prostatitis, but is characterized by milder pain and discomfort. Harvard Health states that chronic bacterial infection accounts for a small percentage of cases of chronic prostatitis.
• Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis: As the name suggests, men with this prostatitis do not experience any symptoms. It is often diagnosed incidentally during tests for other urinary or reproductive tract disorders. Fortunately, asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis does not lead to complications and typically does not require treatment.
  Prostatitis causes

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the causes of prostatitis vary depending on the specific type of the condition:

• Chronic prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome: The exact cause of chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome remains unknown. It is widely believed that a microorganism, not a bacterial infection, may be responsible for triggering the condition.
• Acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis: Bacterial prostatitis is caused by an infection in the prostate gland. The infection is believed to occur when bacteria travel from the urethra (the tube through which urine passes) into the prostate, leading to inflammation and associated symptoms.

It’s important to know that acute bacterial prostatitis can be caused by various types of bacteria commonly associated with urinary tract infections. Additionally, prostatitis can also result from infections transmitted through sexual contact.

However, “you don’t need to avoid sex if you have prostatitis. Typically, sex won’t worsen prostatitis. But some men who have prostatitis have pain with ejaculation,” Dr. Patricio Gargollo, a urologist with the Mayo Clinic, said in a recent article.

Prostatitis symptoms

Prostatitis has many symptoms that can significantly impact a man’s daily life and well-being, especially when left untreated. Here are some common symptoms associated with prostatitis, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine:

• Frequent urination
• Dysuria (a burning or stinging sensation during urination, making it uncomfortable or painful)
• Reduced urine flow
• Rectal pain or pressure
• Fever and chills
• Lower back or pelvic pain
• Urethral discharge during bowel movements
• Erectile dysfunction or decreased sex drive
• Uncomfortable sensations in the rectal or genital area

Also, the symptoms of prostatitis can mimic those of other medical conditions or issues. Therefore, seeking medical advice from a health care provider for an accurate diagnosis is important.

Prostatitis treatment

The treatment for prostatitis is determined by age, overall health, medical history, the severity of the condition, individual tolerance for specific treatments, expected duration and patient preference. The specific type of prostatitis also plays a significant role in determining the appropriate treatment. Here are some general treatment options for prostatitis, followed by specific treatments based on the different types of prostatitis.

Treatment for prostatitis typically involves a combination of approaches to relieve symptoms, eliminate infection (if present), reduce inflammation and improve overall prostate health. These may include:

• Medications
• Alpha blockers
• Pain relievers
• Physical therapy

But more specifically, the type of treatment recommended is typically based on the different types of prostatitis. Johns Hopkins Medicine indicates typical treatments for prostatitis as follows:

• Acute bacterial prostatitis: Hospitalization may require administering intravenous antibiotics and providing supportive care. Oral antibiotics are typically prescribed for a few weeks after hospitalization, to wipe out the infection.
• Chronic bacterial prostatitis: Similar to acute bacterial prostatitis, long-term antibiotic therapy is necessary. This can range from several weeks to months to effectively treat persistent infection.
• Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: Treatment focuses on managing symptoms. It may include medications for pain relief, alpha blockers to relax the muscles, physical therapy and lifestyle modifications to ease symptoms.
• Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis: Asymptomatic inflammatory prostatitis generally does not require treatment unless there are specific complications or underlying conditions.

Source: HealthDay