An intervention by Chinese troops could seriously damage Hong Kong's standing as a stable international financial centre and a gateway for global capital flowing into the world's second-largest economy. No other Chinese city, not even Shanghai, could step into that role in the foreseeable future.

Monsoon rains stalled trains, delayed flights and disrupted traffic in Mumbai on Wednesday, and forecasters warned of more wet weather for India's financial capital. Authorities advised people to stay indoors and asked schools and colleges to close for the day. "Those living near the Mithi river have been evacuated to safer places, but there are no reports of any harm or casualties so far," a police spokesperson said, referring to the city's main river. Flights were delayed at Mumbai airport, one of the busiest in the country, and trains carrying thousands of commuters to work were halted on many routes, authorities said on Twitter. "It took me three hours to cover a distance that usually takes less than an hour," Vishwanath Acharya, an executive who works in the city, told Reuters. Mumbai has been hit by heavier-than usual rain this monsoon, affecting the city's crumbling infrastructure. Social media users posted videos of submerged streets and people wading through them. (Source: Reuters)

The estimate is based on project reports submitted by the states to the Jal Shakti Ministry.

The former editor of The Guardian newspaper Alan Rusbridger, expressing his anguish over the Romila Thapar-Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) row, has penned a letter in the Wednesday edition of The Hindu.