Hard Numbers: From “Provincial Man” to Political Office

500 million: More than 500 million people in India are living in areas hit by a drought that has now affected more than 40 percent of the country's total land mass. The summer monsoon season may not bring much relief: forecasts call for below-average rains between June and September this year.

123 million: While the British economy continues to suffer from the uncertainty caused by Brexit, there's one industry making a killing—consultants. The British government spent $123 million on consultants between April 2018 and April 2019 to help prepare for Brexit. And that's a "conservative estimate."

4,000: Hostility from the Trump administration has prompted some asylum-seekers from Central America to try their luck crossing the Atlantic instead. The number of people from the region seeking refuge in Europe has jumped from 4,835 in 2017 to 7,800 last year. But it's not all about Trump: The number of Central Americans headed for Europe is up roughly 4,000% over the past ten years.

3: Apparently TV-stardom-to-political office isn't just a Ukrainian thing these days – seven cast members from the popular Philippines police TV serial "Ang Probinsyano," or "Provincial Man" ran for public office in the country's midterm elections in May, and three of them won.