RISHI SUNAK, NARAYANA MURTHY'S SON-IN-LAW, IS THE NEW UK FINANCE MINISTERUK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appointed Indian-origin Rishi Sunak ashis new finance minister. He replaced Sajid Javid who resigned from the postof Chancellor of the Exchequer in a surprise move during the recentministerial reshuffle by Johnson.Sunak is married to the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy,Akshata Murthy. He is affiliated with the British Conservative Party and hasbeen a Member of Parliament for Richmond (Yorks) since October 2014.Before being appointed as the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sunak was thesecond in command to the finance minister as the Chief Secretary to theTreasury and oversaw public spending.An MBA from Stanford University in the United States, where he was aFulbright scholar, Sunak has been regarded as a rising star in theConservative Party. He regularly does media interviews on behalf of thegovernment and had even stood in for Johnson in some television debatesduring last year's election campaign.PM BEGINS TO RESHAPE POST-BREXIT UK GOVTPrime Minister Boris Johnson began reshaping his government on Thursday,tightening his grip on power by sacking some senior ministers to make wayfor a team he hopes will deliver his vision for Britain beyond Brexit.The reshuffle was not shaping up to be as explosive as some commentators hadsuggested, based on his senior adviser Dominic Cummings' well-publiciseddesire to see a radical reorganisation of government to fit Johnson'sagenda.Instead, Johnson's team signalled that he was keen to foster new talent,particularly among women, in the junior ranks of government while alsorewarding loyal supporters who helped him win a large majority in December'selection.With most of his biggest-hitting ministers, such as those for foreign andhome affairs, expected to stay in place, Johnson drew criticism for sackingNorthern Ireland minister Julian Smith, who only a month ago had helpedbroker the restoration of a government in the British province. Smith, whohad been in charge of parliamentary discipline for Johnson's predecessor,Theresa May, was the first minister to be sacked. He was joined by businessminister Andrea Leadsom and environment minister Theresa Villiers."The Prime Pinister wants this reshuffle to set the foundations forgovernment now and in the future," sources in his Downing Street officesaid."He wants to promote a generation of talent that will be promoted further inthe coming years. He will reward those MPs (members of parliament) who haveworked hard to deliver on this government's priorities to level up the wholecountry and deliver the change people voted for last year," said thesources.HUAWEI: US ISSUES NEW CHARGES OF RACKETEERING AND THEFTThe US has expanded its lawsuit against Huawei, accusing the Chinesetelecoms giant of a "decades-long" plan to steal technology from US firms.Prosecutors said Huawei had violated the terms of partnerships with UScompanies and stolen trade secrets such as source code and robot technology.It adds to a list of other charges brought by the US last year.Those accused Huawei of violating US sanctions and stealing technology fromT-Mobile. Huawei has denied the claims.The firm, one of the world's biggest smartphone makers, said the US istargeting it because its expansion is a threat to American businessinterests.Meng Wanzhou, its chief financial officer and the daughter of the company'sfounder, is still being held in Canada where she is fighting extradition tothe US.She is wanted there on charges of fraud and sanctions violations - claimsshe denies."This new indictment is part of the Justice Department's attempt toirrevocably damage Huawei's reputation and its business for reasons relatedto competition rather than law enforcement," the company said.In the updated indictment, the US accuses Huawei of racketeering and tradesecret theft, and gives more detail about the firm's efforts to evade USrules on doing business with Iran and North Korea.ISLAMABAD HIGH COURT BANS CORPORAL PUNISHMENTA top Pakistani court on Thursday suspended corporal punishment by parents,guardians and teachers in Islamabad, the country's capital.After hearing a petition filed by musician and rights activist Shehzad Roy,the Islamabad High Court suspended till further notice Section 89 of thePakistan Penal Code (PPC), which allows corporal punishment, the Dawn Newsreported.The Section will only be suspended in the Islamabad Capital Territory, thereport said.In his arguments, Mr. Roy said the section permitted violence and forceagainst children, citing a child's death due to corporal punishment lastyear in Lahore."Punishing children is being considered as essential for improving learning.News of torture and punishment of children has been reported every day inthe media," The Express Tribune reported, quoting the petition.