US to release 50 million barrels of oil to decrease energy prices

The move comes in coordination with other nations, including China, India, and Britain. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following US to release 50 million barrels of oil to decrease energy prices [Storage tanks are shown at a refinery in Detroit, April 21, 2020. The White House on Tuesday said it had ordered 50 million barrels of oil released from strategic reserve to bring down energy costs.] Credit: Paul Sancya/AP/File photo United States President Joe Biden is ordering the Department of Energy to release [50 million barrels of oil]( from the US’ strategic reserve, in an attempt to help decrease global energy costs. The move comes in coordination with other nations, including China, India, and Britain. In addition to easing global energy markets, Biden is trying to reshape much of his economic agenda as inflation has [damaged his approval ratings](. The move comes before the holiday travel season, but it won’t impact the market for a few more weeks. Now, officials from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, have warned that they could release millions of barrels from their own inventories as a response. Germany Germany is planning to make COVID-19 vaccinations [mandatory for military personnel](. The country has seen a surge in cases, with nations like the US warning its citizens not to travel there. It comes amid a growing debate of whether to require a [general vaccine mandate]( for everyone, as the country faces rising infections and hospitalization rates. The military saw 1,215 reported active coronavirus cases as of Monday, with two soldiers dying from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. Germany has one of the lower vaccination rates in western Europe, with 68% of its adult population having completed the vaccine regimen. In a press conference on Monday, Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn issued a dire warning to the country’s public: “Some would say this is cynical, but probably by the end of this winter, pretty much everyone in Germany will be vaccinated, recovered or dead ... That’s the reality.” Iran World powers are set to resume negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program next week, with secondary plans in place should the talks collapse. Tehran has been at odds with UN nuclear inspectors. Meanwhile, naval forces from Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain recently held [joint security operations]( with a US warship in an attempt to send a strong message to Iran. Former US officials say that a failure in negotiations could resemble the standoff between the US and Iran before the 2015 nuclear deal, when [Israel had contemplated a military strike]( on Iran’s nuclear facilities. --------------------------------------------------------------- We need 361 more donors to reach our goal. Can we count on you? The World reaches over 2 million listeners each week, and even more through our podcast and website. If everyone who listened donated, we would be able to bring you even more deeply reported stories from all around the globe. Right now, we need just 361 listeners to donate $130, or $11/month, in order to ensure we can continue our work for another year. And every single gift gets us one step closer to our goal. [Make your gift today]( to add your name to our growing list of supporters from around the globe. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Lebanon’s electricity crisis means life under candlelight for some, profits for others]( [Diala Attieh Younes, 39, washes dishes under candlelight in her kitchen in Beirut. She said her generator-supplied electricity bill has increased six folds since last year.] Credit: Shirin Jaafari/The World Lebanon is facing a critical electricity shortage. The state’s electric company is only able to provide power to residents for a few hours a day. For the rest, people have no choice but to rely on private generator businesses, which in turn, has created its own set of problems. The World's Shirin Jaafari [reports from Beirut](. [‘It is up to us Haitians to find a solution’ Haiti crisis adviser says]( Credit: Odelyn Joseph/AP Monique Clesca, a retired United Nations development official based in Port-au-Prince, who also works with the Commission for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis, spoke with The World's host Marco Werman about [the steps needed to ease the ongoing problems in Haiti](. "This crisis is so deep that if it's somebody else who finds a solution, we will go back to the crisis," Clesca said. "It's time for us to just sit together and work out what our problems are, and what we ask for the US, really, is to give us the space, to give us the time and to give us solidarity, so that we can feel comfortable and move forward with the solution that we have put forward." --------------------------------------------------------------- Double Take Londoners can now get Southern-style chicken at Popeyes. The first store of the American fast food chain to open in the British capital is seeing high demand, with long queues for its products. But there has also been [a bit of confusion]( over the restaurant's tender biscuits, which in British English refers to cookies — not bread! [Screenshot of Erin Mccanner Twitter]( Credit: Twitter --------------------------------------------------------------- In case you missed it from The World --------------------------------------------------------------- - [Justin Bieber performing in Saudi Arabia]( - [Qatar hotel workers face labor abuse]( - [Punjabi WWI soldiers recognized]( - [Haitian solutions to Haiti’s crisis]( - [Ballot counting underway in Venezuela]( - [Chile’s far-right and left will compete for the presidency]( - [Religious ruling in Indonesia goes against bitcoin]( - [Sudan's Prime Minister reinstated weeks after military coup]( - [Europe struggles with latest COVID wave and anti-lockdown protests]( - [Lebanon’s electricity crisis means life under candlelight for some, profits for others]( Don't forget to subscribe to The World's Latest Edition podcast using your favorite podcast player: [RadioPublic](, [Apple Podcasts](, [Stitcher](, [Soundcloud](, [RSS]( [The World logo]( [The World on Facebook]( [The World's Twitter account]( [Donate]( | [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [Edit your subscription]( | [Unsubscribe]( | [View in your browser]( Top of the World is written weekday mornings by the team at [The World](. 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