1.   A lot of Tories wanted John Patten out of education, but even tough leaders do not sack ministers in mid-crisis.

2.   When Mr Putin sacked the energy minister, Mr Chubais was sternly reprimanded.

3.   Recently, portraying himself above the fray, he has been castigating and sometimes sacking ministers for implementing unpopular policies that he himself initiated.

4.   Three government ministers were sacked, and there were calls as well for the head of Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

5.   Yeltsin was said to be offering to sack certain ministers in return for a reversal of the no-confidence vote of last Saturday.

6.   Earlier this week Saddam sacked his minister of agriculture, Karim Hassan Ridha, for mismanagement after a bad harvest.

7.   Howard said he would not sack the ministers because they had done nothing wrong.

8.   In a live radio address Friday, Taylor sacked the ministers for failing to attend a ceremony ending a three-day national period of prayers.

9.   Most Asian markets closed lower Thursday as investors dumped regional stocks amid political and economic uncertainty in Malaysia, where the reform-minded finance minister was sacked.

10.   Saddam sacked his minister of agriculture earlier this week for mismanagement after a bad harvest.