IAF chopper shot down but Army makes gains
The IAF suffered its third loss on the third day of Operation Vijay against Pakistani infiltrators in the Kargil sector when a Mi-17 helicopter was brought down by a surface-to-air missile (SAM) in the Tololing area of Drass sub-sector. All the four crew members are believed to have died.

PM, Sharif assert need for talks
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee yesterday conveyed `disappointment' to his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif over the Kargil misadventure and said it was upto Islamabad to take the first step in resolving the matter.

Sun, sand and Sonia: A heady mix for Goa
Faced with more than 30 rebels in the Goa Assembly elections scheduled for June 4, the Congress party in the State is banking on Sonia Gandhi's charisma to return to power.

Letters to the editor

LEISURE
  Have modem, will travel
  Pre-primary gridlock

SPORTS
  Indian team's form is like an unstable ECG
  India definitely look the better outfit

EXPRESSIONS
  Deep breaths of rivalry
  For transfer with transparency

BUSINESS
  Bank credit norms to NBFCs eased
  IFCI profit plummets, NPAs shoot up

GENERAL
  Sun Vista crew, modern tech saved all of us -- survivor
  Pak troops open new front, exodus of locals begins

POLITICS
  Rane plays down Cong threat, foresees NCP as real `enemy'
  Pawar backers in BMC come out in the open, face expulsion