 Hello, you're watching The Daily Roundup by People's Dispatch, where we bring you some of the top stories from around the world. Let's take a look at the headlines. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to win Philippine's Presidency Over 40 killed in prison violence in Ecuador UN Wands Against Rising Land Desertification Israeli Government Announces Civilian National Guard Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is projected to win the Philippines presidential election, according to an unofficial tally with 98% of precincts reporting, he is secured 31 million votes. Lenny Robredo is placed second in the presidential race with 14.7 million votes. An official result is expected later this month. 65.7 million people were eligible to vote in Tuesday's elections, with polls also open for 18,000 national and local posts. The 64-year-old projected winner is the son of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos. His 20-year rule was characterised by a decade of martial law and severe abuses, including killings of suspected communists. There were over 35,000 instances of torture and 70,000 political imprisonments. The former dictator and his wife are said to have stolen and estimated 10 billion dollars from the country's coffers. Marcos Jr's presidential bid was condemned as a regard for the violence under his father's rule. Rites group Karpatan has urged people to reject his presidency, arguing that it was built on lies to deodorise his father's image. Indeed, the lead up to the election saw a concerted campaign by Marcos Jr to rebrand his father's rule as a golden age. Multiple petitions seeking to bar him from the election were rejected by the Election Commission, Comilec. Hundreds of people held a protest outside the commission's office on May 10. Marcos Jr's running mate is incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter Sara. Duterte himself has overseen major abuses in the Philippines, including the red-tagging and killing of indigenous peoples. Over 20,000 people are estimated to have been killed in the government's brutal anti-drug operations. At least 44 people have died after a deadly riot broke out in the Belovista prison in Ecuador on May 9. According to the public prosecutor, fighting broke out between two rival gangs at the facility in Santo Domingo. 108 prisoners escaped during the violence and remain missing. The total number of injuries has not been confirmed and the death toll is also expected to rise. Interior Minister Patricio Carrillo stated that a majority of people have been executed with bladed weapons. Police have also claimed to have found hand grenades, machine guns, revolvers and ammunition in the jail. This is the sixth brutal prison massacre recorded in Ecuador since February 2021. Nearly 400 people have been killed so far. The violence has been attributed to conflicts between rival cartels involved in drug trafficking. However, activists have pointed to long-standing structural problems in the prison system. The Alliance Against Prisons has argued that the conditions cannot be reduced to organized crime and rival gangs. Rather, it argues that what is happening is a necropolitical form of governance to exterminate the poor and marginalized. The 15th Conference of Parties of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification has been convened in the Ivory Coast. The summit will focus on the restoration of 1 billion hectares of degraded land between now and 2030. Other issues include future-proofing land use against climate impacts and tackling disaster risks. The meeting follows the release of the Global Land Outlook II report. UN data has shown that human damage to land has been increasing. 40% of Earth's land has been categorized as degraded, impacting 3.2 billion people. 12 million hectares of land are lost every year. A 2021 report by the Food and Agriculture Organization found that 65% of Africa's productive soils and agricultural land were degraded. Desertification has impacted 45% of the continent's overall land. The Horn of Africa is currently in the throes of the worst drought in decades, which has caused a severe rise in hunger and displacement. Global food systems have contributed to 80% of the world's deforestation. They also account for 70% of freshwater use. The brunt of the crisis is being borne by the Global South, with women being especially impacted. Degraded land will impact food production, water access, and health. It will also exacerbate the climate crisis and worsened droughts. The Land Outlook report has presented some 250 solutions to address the crisis. Importantly, it recommends the expansion of land rights of the indigenous peoples and local communities. And for today's final story, the Israeli government has decided to form a civilian National Guard amid a series of armed attacks. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett made the announcement during a cabinet meeting on May 8. This new force will include civilian volunteers and Israeli forces including reserve soldiers. Also included will be the border police currently deployed in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The Israeli National Security Council has been asked to present a proposal for the civilian guard by the end of May. Sunday's announcement followed shortly after the arrest of two Palestinian men, Asad Al-Rifai and Subi Abu Shakir. They are suspected of killing three Israelis in the city of Elad last week. Speaking to the cabinet on Sunday, Bennett was cited saying that the government was in a new phase in the court war on terror. In the past two months, 18 Israeli civilians and police officers they have been killed in armed operations by Palestinians. Israel has retaliated with sweeping arrest campaigns and raids in the West Bank. At least 27 Palestinians were killed by occupation forces and illegal settlers in the territory within this period. Much of the violence has been concentrated in and around Jenin and its refugee camp. A new civilian National Guard raises concerns of further violations amid the broad impunity already afforded to occupation forces. And that's all for this episode. For more such stories, visit our website peoplesdispatch.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.