Rescue and relief operations are under way as a quarter of a million people are displaced from their homes after heavy monsoon rains hit eastern India.

Rescuers search for the missing in Unzen city, Nagasaki prefecture, after torrential rain triggered floods and landslides in western Japan.

A helicopter was dispatched to rescue people from a hospital in central Mexico, where at least 17 patients have died after floods swept through, causing power outages and disrupting oxygen therapy.

The property company's financial plight comes as the Communist Party cracks down on business and tightens its control of the economy. Evergrande's fate and that of its founder, hang in the balance.

Heavily armed gangs have been stepping up raids on schools and villages in northwestern Nigeria, often taking hostages for ransom.

Most of the migrants were from Haiti and they had hoped to arrive in the US but instead would now be dropped off at the Honduras frontier. The US continues to deport thousands of migrants back to Haiti.

His funny, delicate and dark illustrations are familiar to readers of British newspapers and adored for their philosophical take on daily life. When Steven Appleby introduced a new character to his comic strips, "Dragman", few of his readers were aware that the author and illustrator also wore a wig and women's clothes.

Rescue operations are underway during floods in northern India's Uttarakhand, where officials say 46 have died and 11 are missing. IMAGES

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Wednesday.

In the far north of Cameroon, Nigerian refugees have been fighting desertification for the past four years. The desert advances by 12 percent every year in the region, which gets on average three times less rainfall than the rest of the country. But the UNHCR is hoping that its programme at the Minawao camp can help turn back the tide. More than 360,000 seedlings have already been grown in the nursery and planted over more than 100 hectares. Our correspondents report.

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Friday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Friday. ⁣

The Sea-Eye 4 rescued more than 800 people from the central Mediterranean this week — including 200 minors and five pregnant women. The overcrowded ship was stuck at sea for days before getting permission to dock.