El Niño Watch (Ecuador): The World Meteorological Organization says the current El Niño could be the strongest in over 70 years, with sea temperatures running more than 2°C above average and forecasts hinting at up to ~4°C; the UN warns the world is entering a “danger zone” of extreme weather, with droughts, floods, wildfires and typhoons already hitting multiple regions. Amazon Conservation (Ecuador): In Ecuador’s Amazon, seven Siekopai “Turtle Women” are using ancestral knowledge plus community-led monitoring to protect charapa river turtles, collecting eggs and releasing hatchlings back into the Aguarico River. Biodiversity Research (Ecuador): New studies suggest pink and gray river dolphins remain critically endangered in the Ecuadorian Amazon, with especially low numbers in the northeastern region. Biosecurity/Research: RFE/RL reports a secluded Russian island lab linked to an institute accused of biological weapons work, raising fresh concerns about infectious-disease research oversight. Cybersecurity: Researchers detail BraZetsu, a Python-based Windows malware toolkit that turns compromised machines into a criminal marketplace. Logistics (Uruguay/Ecuador corridor): DHL Global Forwarding acquires Uruguay’s Aero Cargas, expanding its Southern Cone presence and life-sciences logistics reach across the Peru–Ecuador–Argentina–Chile cluster. Circular Building (Quito): “Casa Circular” in Quito repurposes discarded refrigerated shipping containers into a home’s structural backbone, showcasing circular construction at everyday scale.