Bus transport came to a grinding halt across Telangana Tuesday as a two-day shutdown called by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) began in Hyderabad and nine other districts amid tight security. State-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) suspended all its services in Telangana districts and also the services which connect Telangana with Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Kurnool and other towns in Andhra and Rayalaseema. …

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who fasted earlier this month against mounting corruption in the country, said here Sunday that if any black money was found with him, it could be declared national property. “If the government finds any black money with me, they can declare it national property,” Ramdev said while addressing a press conference in the capital. Weeks after he was forced to quit Delhi, Baba Ramdev returned here Sunday to meet Raj Bala, 51, …

The Supreme Court Monday rejected the bail pleas of DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV managing director Sharad Kumar, who are in jail in connection with the 2G spectrum case. However, an apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice B.S. Chauhan said that Kanimozhi can move for bail after the framing of charges by the trial court that is hearing the 2G case. The court said that Kanimozhi can invoke Section 437 of the Criminal Procedure Code …

Police in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district Sunday seized Rs.35.5 lakh from a car belonging to the Sathya Sai Central Trust that manages the spiritual empire of the late Sathya Sai Baba. But the trust denied that the cash belongs to it. Sai Baba’s nephew and trust member R.J. Ratnakar clarified Sunday evening that the trust has nothing to do with the cash. He said in a statement that the cash belongs to 12 devotees and they would give all the …

Nearly two months after the demise of spiritual guru Sathya Sai Baba, the trust managing his empire Tuesday decided to open Yajur Mandir, his personal chamber in Prashanti Nilayam ashram at Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. As the speculation continued about what was inside, the Sathya Sai Central Trust decided to open the locks soon. The decision was taken at the meeting of the trust in the pilgrim town of Puttaparthi. Trust …

Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) Monday formally merged with the ruling Congress party in Andhra Pradesh, bringing curtains on the party floated by Telugu superstar K. Chiranjeevi in 2008. The Election Commission of India gave its approval to the merger, and the state election commission Monday received the documents in this regard. PRP leader C. Ramchandraiah told reporters that with this the process of merger was completed and all legal formalities fulfilled. …

After nine days of protest, Baba Ramdev Sunday finally ended his anti-graft fast, but vowed to pursue his campaign. The government and the ruling Congress launched a fresh round of attacks on the yoga guru, calling him a “dhongi” or fake and promised to expose his business empire. Within hours of Ramdev sipping fruit juice at a hospital in Dehradun after frantic appeals from spiritual and political leaders, Congress general secretary B.K. Hariprasad …

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, whose fast against corruption entered its seventh day Friday, is being taken to Dehradun for a check-up after his health deteriorated, said an aide. Ramdev was taken in an ambulance from the fast site in Haridwar. “Baba Ramdev is being taken to Dehradun for hospitalisation,” an official said. With Baba Ramdev’s condition deteriorating further Friday, doctors monitoring him advised hospitalisation. They said “weight loss” …

The mammoth business empire of Baba Ramdev, its worth estimated at Rs.1,100 crore, is now under official scanner, informed sources said Tuesday. An aide to the yoga guru called it hogwash. Sources in the corporate affairs ministry said that companies and trusts linked to Ramdev deal in ayurveda medicine, food, cosmetics, construction, real estate, transport and packaging. An official said that while there was no specific charge against these businesses, …

At least 10 people, including seven on board a chartered air ambulance carrying a critically ill patient, were killed when the aircraft crashed in a densely populated area of Faridabad city of Haryana on the outskirts of the national capital late Wednesday night.The aircraft crashed on two houses in Parvatia locality near Sector 22 of Faridabad town in bad weather, barely minutes before it was to land here, police and aviation officials said. Seven …