December 28, 2022

*) US blizzard death toll rises to 50 The number of deaths attributed to the winter storm in the United States has risen to at least 50. With another fatality in western New York's Erie County, the epicentre of the crisis, the mayor of the county's biggest city warned that police expect the number to rise. The storm, dubbed the “blizzard of the century”, forced the cancellation of almost 20 thousand US flights in recent days, including nearly 4,700 on Tuesday. *) Russia to ban oil exports to countries with price cap Russia has banned oil sales to countries and companies that comply with a price cap agreed upon by Western countries in response to its offensive in Ukraine. Moscow said the ban may be lifted, however, in individual cases on the basis of a special decision from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The price cap agreed by the EU, G7 and Australia seeks to restrict Russia's revenue while making sure Moscow keeps supplying the global market. *) Ethnic fighting kills 56 in South Sudan Ethnic clashes have killed 56 people during four days of fighting in South Sudan's eastern Jonglei state. A government official said that armed youth from the Nuer community began attacking the Murle community on December 24, and the fighting is still ongoing. Abraham Kelan said 51 of those killed were Nuer attackers, with only five Murle defenders killed. *) Israeli envoy assumes duties in Türkiye Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has received the credentials of Israel's new ambassador to Türkiye, marking the first appointment in Ankara by Tel Aviv since 2018. Irit Lillian, whose appointment was announced in September, had served as Tel Aviv's charge d'affaires in Ankara for the past two years. In August, Türkiye and Israel agreed to restore diplomatic ties and reappoint ambassadors and consuls general after a four-year hiatus. *) Djokovic arrives in Australia Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic has arrived in Australia nearly a year after he was deported from the country for not being vaccinated agains