Minister’s textual relations end in sacking

FINLAND’S foreign minister was sacked yesterday after being caught sending scores of text messages to an erotic dancer.

Ilkka Kanerva, 60, initially denied reports in a gossip magazine that he had sent about 200 messages by mobile phone to Johanna Tukiainen. But then he changed his mind, apologised publicly and insisted they were all work-related.

Last week Hymy magazine published some of the text messages allegedly sent by Kanerva to Tukiainen.