Russia, Ukraine update battle reports

Russia said on Saturday that its forces had taken control of a settlement in the Donetsk region, while Ukraine claimed to have strengthened its defensive line over the past 24 hours.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that in the past day, the Russian army had repelled multiple attacks by the Ukrainian army and launched multiple offensives in the directions of Kharkov, Avdiivka, and Donetsk. The Russian air defense forces shot down 25 Ukrainian drones, said the report.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said on Saturday that in the past 24 hours the Ukrainian army had attacked 17 areas where Russian occupiers' personnel were concentrated and two infrastructure facilities. Fighting in the Volchansk area is still ongoing and the Ukrainian army continues to strengthen its defensive lines, said the report.

The Macao Special Administrative Region is aiming to attract more international visitors after winning the title of "Culture City of East Asia 2025", with the city setting its sights on becoming a major global tourism destination.

Though the award was unveiled earlier this month, the formal announcement of the designation will take place in September, when the 15th Trilateral Cultural Ministers' Meeting will be held in Japan.

As a unique destination that preserves a multi-cultural heritage, a full calendar of festivals, and a wide array of delights to suit all tastes, Macao is already a popular choice for many travelers.

"The people are very easygoing and friendly. The food is also very good," said Zhang Naiyue, a visitor from the Chinese mainland.

One of the must-see spots is an area known as "the Historic Center of Macao", which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005 and features over 20 monuments and urban squares in the heart of the city.

"It's a very nice city, very welcoming. So far, the people are super friendly with me. It's very nice with a lot of history as well," said Delfim Ribeiro, a tourist from Portugal.

In the first five months of this year, over 14 million tourist arrivals were recorded in Macao, a 50-percent year-on-year increase, and after being confirmed as a Culture City of East Asia, the regional government is now aiming to entice even more visitors from all around the world.

"This year the target is for 33 million, so we hope that going forwards we will be able to attract obviously more visitors, but the most important part is not only attracting our Greater China visitors. I would say we have an objective to attract more international visitors to make Macao really what we call a world center of tourism and leisure," said Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of Macao Government Tourism Office.

Following the challenges of the pandemic, Macao is looking to maintain its steady rate of recovery in the tourism sector and hopes that next year will see a return to the previous peaks.

"This year, our aim for international visitors is over two million, which is still a little bit away from what we used to have - three million back in 2019. But we hope that by 2025, the numbers of international visitors will get back to three million," said Senna Fernandes.

The Culture City of East Asia program is an art and culture event launched by China, Japan, and South Korea. Each year, the three nations will designate either one or two cities from each country for the title, which aims to promote cultural exchanges and cooperation.