Quicktakes

Cherie is pregnant
London: CHERIE Blair, the wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, is pregnant at the age of 45. With the baby due in May, the Prime Minister will become the first in more than 150 years known to have fathered a child while in office. Cherie Blair, a prominent lawyer, already has three children Euan, 15, Nicky, 14, and Kathryn, 11.

Governors shortlisted
New Delhi: The Prime Minister8217;s Office okayed the names of five Governors shortlisted by the Home Ministry and these have been cleared by President K R Narayanan. But the Government is still stuck on naming the Governor for Karnataka as all efforts to persuade Sikandar Bakht have failed.

Lanka fighting
Colombo: Renewed fighting between troops and rebels in Sri Lanka have claimed at least 100 lives even as the LTTE continued to shell northern Vavuniya and claimed to have captured five key towns.