Macao residents hold high hopes for brighter future under leadership of new government

People from all walks of life in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) hold high hopes for a brighter future under the leadership of Sam Hou Fai who has been elected by an overwhelming majority as the sixth-term chief executive designate of the Macao SAR.

Sam won the election with 394 votes in favor out of 398 valid ballots.

Ho Sut Heng, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and president of the Macao Federation of Trade Unions, highlighted the strong anticipation of the public for the realization of Sam's promises with a focus on law-based governance, effective leadership and unity.

"Mr. Sam Hou Fai's platform has garnered high recognition from the public, so his sweeping election victory today is well-deserved. His policies aim to unite all social sectors, and I believe he will successfully lead Macao in better integrating into the overall national development and build Macao into a better place," Ho said.

"I think the election plays an important role in fully implementing the principle of 'patriots administering Macao'. Each vote for Sam represents the hopes of all sectors in Macao for a brighter future. I firmly believe that the new government of the Macao SAR will steer the region's society towards broader development prospects," said Wong Chi Choi, president of the Macao New Chinese Youth Association.

Young residents of Macao have underlined the significance of the election for the youth, hoping that the new chief executive's platform will create more opportunities for them in the future.

"What resonates with me most from his platform is his commitment to better integrating Macao into the country's overall development, and what's more, how we young people can better contribute to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao in-depth cooperation zone in Hengqin. I hope the new government will put up more favorable policies in this regard," Fong Cho Ho said.

"Young people have been paying close attention to the election. After reviewing Mr. Sam Hou Fai's platform, I knew that he has responded to our needs. I hope that under his leadership, the new government of the Macao SAR will create more opportunities for young people and build a better Macao for all," Ou Wing Yan said.

Macao residents hold high hopes for brighter future under leadership of new government

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, his spokesman said in a statement on Tuesday.

The UN chief hopes that this agreement can put an end to the violence, destruction and suffering the people of both countries have been experiencing, the statement said.

Guterres urges the parties to fully respect and swiftly implement all of their commitments made under this agreement and undertake immediate steps towards the full implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).

Office of the UN special coordinator for Lebanon and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon both stand ready to support the implementation of this agreement, in line with their respective mandates, the statement said.

The UN secretary-general's statement came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the nation's security cabinet approved a ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah. The ceasefire is expected to take effect on Wednesday morning.

Philemon Yang, President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, released a statement on the same day, welcoming the ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon and expressing appreciation to all sides that work to bring about the ceasefire.

The deal means an end to a year-long hostility, which claimed thousands of lives, destroyed a great number of civilian facilities, and caused massive population displacement on both sides of the Blue Line, said the statement.

Yang urged all sides to maintain dialogue and promote a solution for reaching sustained peace and security in the Middle East. The UN General Assembly will continue supporting all the efforts for maintaining regional peace and stability, the statement said.

UN Secretary-General welcomes ceasefire between Israel, Lebanon