Sunday, January 1, 2023 – the 10th day of the 12th lunar month, New Year’s Day

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1. Ministry of Civil Affairs: Fully promote modern wedding customs such as group weddings and certificate issuance services, to encourage new and simplified ways of holding weddings. 2. Multiple regions have released results of surveys on COVID-19 infection rates, with the highest figures exceeding 60%. 3. After COVID-19 was reclassified as a Category B disease under Category B management, experts say that the health code will also be phased out at an appropriate time. 4. As of January 1, 2026, the production of mercury-containing thermometers and mercury-containing sphygmomanometers will be completely prohibited. 5. Domestic oil prices will see their first increase in 2023 on January 3: it is expected that the price of 92-octane gasoline will rise by 0.2 yuan per liter. 6. Beijing: Starting in 2023, the deductible for major illness insurance has been set at 30,404 yuan. 7. Zhengzhou: Moderately adjust the areas with purchase restrictions, and implement a policy of considering loan history rather than property ownership. 8. Hangzhou launches a major tourism initiative: admission to 41 scenic spots is free from New Year’s Day until the end of March. 9. Alibaba provides free medical consultations for rural areas across the country, available 24/7, to assist in the fight against the pandemic in these areas. 10. UK, France, Spain: Require Chinese passengers to provide a negative nucleic acid test result, with random checks conducted upon arrival. 11. Saudi Arabia secures Ronaldo with a 1.2 billion euro contract; it aims to use football to improve its **image**. 12. End of 2022 for global stock markets: Russia’s RTS index dropped by over 41%, ranking lowest, while the U.S. Nasdaq index fell by over 33%, ranking second from bottom. 13. Nearly half of Japan’s 47 prefectures have been affected by the avian influenza outbreak, with nearly 7.3 million birds being culled. 14. Ukraine: Plans to meet the criteria for EU membership by the end of 2024. 15. Putin signed a presidential decree allowing \"unfriendly\" buyers to pay their natural gas debts in foreign currency