Madonna baby claim

Feb 4 2003 By The Evening Chronicle

Pop star Madonna is pregnant with her third child, it was reported today.

The unconfirmed report in celebrity magazine Heat said the singer visited a birth specialist in London at the end of last year.

It said the 44-year-old had a first meeting with the specialist days after completing the first three months of pregnancy.

The magazine said her pregnancy with Guy Ritchie's child was the reason the couple had moved to Los Angeles.

Brown plea

CHANCELLOR Gordon Brown has sought to reassure worried investors and savers that the "fundamentals" of the British economy remained sound.

His intervention followed the announcement by the life assurer Standard Life that it was cutting pay-outs on long term savings policies.

Widow killed

DETECTIVES were today searching for a Polish man after a wealthy 85-year-old widow was murdered by being repeatedly punched in the face. The victim, named locally as Domicela Skiera, was bound hand and foot in her own home in Ealing, west London. Nearly every bone in her face had been broken in a vicious attack in which the killer used his bare hands. Mrs Skiera was discovered at her £600,000 home.

Lords vote

TONY Blair will not be humiliated if a majority of backbenchers vote against his wishes and in favour of a largely elected second chamber, Leader of the House of Commons Robin Cook insisted today.

MPs will vote on the future shape of the House of Lords later today. Mr Blair has said he favours a wholly appointed upper chamber, while many backbenchers, including several Government ministers, want a sizeable elected element.

Park stabbing

AN investigation was continuing today into the murder of a woman who was stabbed to death while out jogging in a busy park.

Officers were also still trying to identify the woman, whose bloodstained body was found on a path in Victoria Park in Hackney, east London, at 8.30am yesterday. Police said a cyclist, someone walking a dog and another jogger heard chilling screams at that time.

Hunt for kids

A POLICE search operation was under way today after four children were abducted from social services care during a meeting with their parents. The children, aged between three and 12, were taken during an arranged "contact meeting" in Wem, Shropshire, on Saturday.