A new Malaysian king will be elected and sworn in this month, royal officials said Monday, after Sultan Muhammad V abdicated in a historic first following his reported marriage to a Russian former beauty queen.The king stepped aside Sunday following intense speculation about his future after reports surfaced in recent weeks that he had taken medical leave, and then wed the former Miss Moscow.As the country reacted with shock to the news, Malaysia's Islamic royal families met at the natio

Malaysia's king abdicated Sunday in a historic first for the country that ended weeks of speculation about his future after he took medical leave and reportedly married a Russian ex-beauty queen.Sultan Muhammad V's decision marks the first time a king has stepped aside during his five-year term in the Muslim-majority country.The national palace confirmed the resignation with immediate effect of the 49-year-old, who had been on the throne for two years and was known for his fondness