Here are the top stories of the day:

Tamil Nadu CM Vijay chairs first Secretariat meeting after taking oath

Tamil Nadu chief minister and TVK chief C Joseph Vijay chaired his first official meeting at the state Secretariat after assuming office, reviewing the law and order situation across the state with senior officials. The development comes ahead of the first session of the 17th Tamil Nadu Assembly, set to begin on May 11, where newly elected MLAs will take oath. Follow live updates

Security scare in Bengaluru ahead of PM Modi visit after gelatine sticks found

A major security alert was triggered in Bengaluru ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit after two gelatine sticks were discovered near the main event venue. Police said the explosives were found during a routine security check around 3 km from the venue where the Prime Minister was scheduled to arrive. Read full story

Iran sends response to US via Pakistan as Hormuz tensions escalate

Iran has reportedly sent its response to a US proposal through Pakistan amid continuing tensions in the region. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said negotiations do not amount to surrender and stressed Tehran would defend its national interests. Meanwhile, Iranian state media said supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued fresh wartime directives. Follow live updates

Vijay’s swearing-in begins with full Vande Mataram, sparks political buzz

Tamil Nadu chief minister and TVK chief Vijay’s swearing-in ceremony drew attention after it began with the full rendition of Vande Mataram instead of the traditional Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu. The move was widely seen as a political message aligned with the Centre’s push to give the national song greater prominence. Read full story

Passengers begin evacuation from quarantined cruise ship amid hantavirus scare

Passengers aboard the quarantined cruise ship MV Hondius began disembarking in Spain’s Canary Islands after a deadly hantavirus outbreak linked to the rare Andes strain killed three people and infected several others. Authorities said more than 140 passengers and crew still onboard were asymptomatic as evacuation operations started near Tenerife. Read full story