The Philippines braces for volcanic eruption

Authorities have begun forcibly evacuating residents near Mayon Volcano. [Forward to a friend]( | [Subscribe]( | [View in your browser]( [Top of The World]( --------------------------------------------------------------- What The World is following The Philippines braces for volcanic eruption [Mayon Volcano spews white smoke as seen from Daraga, Albay province, central Philippines June 8, 2023.] Credit: John Michael Magdasoc/AP The Philippines Authorities in the Philippines have begun [forcibly evacuating residents]( near Mayon Volcano, which is expected to erupt within weeks, or even days. A nearly 4-mile radius around the crater is off-limits as a danger zone, but many poor villagers have built homes and farms in the area over the years. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised aid for the displaced until the crisis is over. Superheated streams of gas, debris and rocks started cascaded down its upper slope of the volcano on Thursday. Mayon is the country’s [most active volcano](, last erupting in 2018. Syria One of the key demands by Arab states [seeking to normalize ties]( with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has been curbing the illegal captagon trade. Syria’s Arab neighbors have been willing to bring him out of pariah status in hopes of stopping the flow of the highly addictive amphetamine drug. The Syrian government has been accused of benefiting from the trade, while the drug has been blamed for [fueling the party scenes]( of the Gulf region, namely in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where it’s found a lucrative market. Many of the intercepted shipments of the drug were headed there, including a 10 million-pill transfer from Lebanon — which had prompted Riyadh’s import ban on all Lebanese products in 2021. China-Middle East Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to make an [official visit to China]( next week. Beijing has offered to help facilitate Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and comes after China criticized at the UN Security Council Israel’s recent [expansion of West Bank settlements](. Beijing has been trying to strengthen its ties with the Middle East. China helped to broker the recent rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia after hosting secret negotiations in the Chinese capital. President Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia in December, and Abbas will be the first Arab head of state received by China this year. --------------------------------------------------------------- From The World [Uruguayans protest over government attempts to supplement public drinking water from salty reservoirs amid historic drought]( [Low water levels are seen at the Paso Severino dam, which supplies water to the city of Montevideo and adjacent metropolitan areas, Uruguay, May 15, 2023.]( Credit: Santiago Mazzarovich/AP/File photo The tiny South American country of Uruguay has faced a historic drought over the last three years. Freshwater reserves are now running dangerously low. In an effort to overcome the water shortage, authorities are now [supplementing public drinking water]( from new saltier reservoirs. And it is causing an uproar. [Planet Hip Hop: The World celebrates 50 years of hip-hop around the globe]( [50 Years of Hip Hop Celebration Tribute performance at the 65th annual Grammy Awards, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles.]( Credit: Chris Pizzello/AP Hip-hop turns 50 this summer, and its influence has been [felt in all corners of the globe](. From the streets of the Bronx to a revolution in Beirut, from anti-apartheid messages in Cape Town to graffiti in Cairo. Throughout the summer, we will be exploring Planet Hip Hop. --------------------------------------------------------------- Bright spot The ducks are back! 🐤🐤 Two giant [60-foot-tall inflatable ducks]( have been installed in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor. The return of a pop-art project by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman had sparked a frenzy in the city a decade ago. “Double duck, double luck," Hofman said. “In a world where we suffered from a pandemic, wars and political situations, I think it is the right moment to bring back the double luck.” [Members of the public photograph an art installation called "Double Ducks" by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman at Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong, June 9, 2023.] Credit: Louise Delmotte/AP In case you missed it on The World --------------------------------------------------------------- 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](. [The World]( is produced by [PRX]( and [GBH](.