What’s New: In Brief (April 13, 2007)

Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (TSX and NYSE: FFH), a financial services holding company engaged in insurance and reinsurance, has filed a preliminary short form base shelf prospectus with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities, allowing Fairfax to offer from time to time over a 25-month period. up to US$750 million of debt, equity or other securities.
The filing is intended to refresh Fairfaxs previous shelf prospectus that expired in February 2007. Should Fairfax offer any securities, it will make a prospectus supplement available that will include the specific terms of the securities being offered.
A receipt for the final short form base prospectus has not yet been obtained from the Canadian securities regulatory authorities and the shelf registration statement has not become effective.

Fairfax also announced it has purchased, in the investment portfolios of its insurance subsidiaries, 5.38 million Class B shares of Torstar Corporation, bringing its total holdings in Torstar Corporation to 12.5 million Class B shares or approximately 18.2 % of the total Class B shares outstanding.
The shares were purchased through the facilities of the Toronto Stock Exchange for investment purposes, Fairfax announced in a press release. Fairfax continually reviews its investment alternatives and may purchase additional shares of Torstar Corporation from time to time in accordance with applicable laws.