Vaccine Manufacturing in Nicaragua: Nicaragua’s Social Security Institute says its biotechnology plant has produced 8 million vaccines this year, including 2.1 million injectable doses in 2025, with exports to Cuba, Venezuela, and Ecuador and plans to expand lines and explore new vaccines like HPV packaging and a dengue vaccine by 2029. Climate and Food Security: A UN warning flags the strongest El Niño in years, intensified by climate change, putting 60 million people at risk of hunger; Nicaragua is named among Central America’s “dry corridor” countries facing severe drought impacts on food access. Cocoa Flavor and Farming Links: German researchers identify “overfermentation” as a new cause of smoky off-flavors in cocoa, studying samples including plantations in Nicaragua and Costa Rica—an issue that could affect quality control for growers and buyers. Water Access via Engineering (Global Lesson): A student-led borehole project connected two rural schools to a sustainable aquifer system, reaching about 500 students—an example of practical, community-linked water solutions that resonates with water-stress concerns in the region. Human Rights and Civic Space: Coverage highlights Nicaragua-related concerns around identity and passport access for Nicaraguans abroad, alongside broader enforced-disappearance and civic-space restrictions themes.