Globe Trot: El Niño drought hits Papua New Guinea

INDONESIA: The El Niño weather pattern has hit Papua New Guinea with its worst drought in two decades, resulting already in 24 deaths and creating conditions that could leave 4 million people across the Pacific without food and drinking water.

NOBEL PRIZE: Princeton micro-economist Angus Deaton just won the 2015 Nobel Prize in economics. His noteworthy contribution is his work in household surveys and data collection to measure wealth and poverty in developing nations. It’s more complicated than you think.

SYRIA: Chaldeans are thanking Russian President Vladimir Putin for his air strikes against rebel and ISIS strongholds, according to this Facebook post:

“Thank you President Putin for defending our beautiful Chaldean people, including Syriac and Assyrian in Syria. While anti-Christian President Obama continues to make excuses about his epic failure for allowing satanic Muslim terrorists [to] expand under his watch.

“President Putin, please send the Russian troops and air force to Iraq to wipeout (sic) the Satanic Muslim gangs and terrorists. We do not trust the corrupt Iraqi government.”

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION: Scott Kelly, commander of the International Space Station, is posting some amazing orbital views of fall color seen from space. With one, he commented: “Looks like #PumpkinSpice has officially taken over Earth.”