El Niño Watch: NOAA has officially declared El Niño conditions underway in the tropical Pacific, with forecasts warning it could intensify fast and bring extreme weather and food disruption risks across regions. Climate Impact on Biodiversity: A climate-linked cyclone (Senya r) killed about 58 Tapanuli orangutans—roughly 7% of the species—after four days of extreme rain and landslides in North Sumatra. Gig Work Rules: The ILO adopted Convention No. 193 for decent work in the platform economy, setting binding standards for gig workers on pay, safety, social security, and algorithm management. Health Research: Imperial College London found flu infection can make people more susceptible to tuberculosis, suggesting flu vaccines could become a new TB prevention tool in high-burden countries like Indonesia. Indonesia–Korea Creative Economy: Indonesia and South Korea are pushing deeper creative-industry cooperation, including production, talent exchange, and digital game development, via a new MoU and high-level committee. Indonesia–Australia Research Ties: Indonesia’s higher education and science ministry met an Australian delegation to strengthen research and university partnerships around energy, food security, and innovation. STEM Talent Gap: A new report warns declining STEM graduate numbers could cost major economies trillions—while Indonesia is noted among countries with STEM graduate growth. Waste Tech in the Region: Singapore is expanding a return-right recycling scheme using reverse vending machines, aiming to boost plastic recovery and improve circularity.