1.   Juncker, who also holds the finance portfolio, responded deftly.

2.   Netanyahu holds the finance portfolio until a new minister is appointed.

3.   Xerox is said to be parceling out its finance portfolio to different banks and finance companies, on a region-by-region basis.

4.   Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba will keep the finance portfolio as well until a new minister is appointed.

5.   Among them is Abdel-Wahab Osman, who took over the finance portfolio.

6.   Begin resigned as science minister in January, and Meridor handed back the finance portfolio three weeks ago after policy disputes with Netanyahu.

7.   But the veteran politician, who held the finance portfolio once before, remained coy in public.

8.   Conservative backers of Defense Minister Kaspar Villiger want him to assume the finance portfolio, leaving the way for fellow conservative Transportation Minister Adolf Ogi to take over defense.

9.   Deputy Prime Minister Guilherme de Oliveira Martins was to take over the finance portfolio, while Antonio Correia de Campos was replacing Arcanjo.

10.   Foreign Minister Amnuay Viravan was expected to get the crucial finance portfolio.