An AI-generated illustration depicting human–elephant coexistence, used for representational purposes only. I n a distant corner of Assam’s Nagaon district, the village of Hatikhuli-Ronghang has rewritten its relationship with wild elephants — turning a long history of crop raids and fear into one of peaceful coexistence. Once plagued by human-elephant conflicts, the community embraced a bold approach called *“Hati Bondhu” (Friends of Elephants). Rather than resorting solely

According to police data, nine people were arrested for drug peddling and 53 residents were booked for consumption of narcotic substances in January 2026. (The image is for representative purposes only.) Madikeri : Kodagu district has seen a sharp rise in drug-related offences, with police registering as many as 63 cases of drug peddling and consumption under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in January 2026 alone. Superintendent of Police R.N. Bindu M

Planters’ associations point out that the timing of the rain has compounded existing challenges. Madikeri : Unseasonal rainfall during January has emerged as a major setback for India’s coffee sector, particularly for growers cultivating robusta, who are in the midst of harvesting operations. Untimely showers across key coffee-growing regions in Karnataka and Kerala have not only disrupted harvesting and post-harvest drying but have also raised fresh anxieties about the outlo