A Malaysian state announced it had a new Sultan, who is expected to be elected king after the former monarch abdicated.
Tengku Abdulah Shah has replaced his father, Sultan Ahmad Shah as the ruler of Pahang.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy with a unique arrangement where the national throne changes hands every five years between rulers of the country's nine states.
Trump's Shutdown Longest in US History
The partial shutdown of the US government has become the longest on record, overtaking the previous record of the 21-day impasse in 1995-96 under then President Bill Clinton.
With no end in sight to the political standoff, the current shutdown eclipsed the shutdown that stretched from December 16, 1995, to January 6, 1996.
US President Donald Trump and Congress have been at loggerheads over his demand to include in the budget $5.7 billion funding for building a wall along the Mexico border. Democratic leaders have rejected his call.
Zimbabwe will introduce a new currency in the next 12 months, as a shortage of US dollars plunges the financial system into disarray, forcing businesses to close and threatening unrest.
The southern African nation abandoned its own hyperinflation-wrecked currency in 2009 at the height of an economic recession, adopting the greenback and other currencies including sterling and the South African rand.
But without enough hard currency to back up the $10 billion of electronic funds trapped in local bank accounts, businesses and civil servants are demanding payment in cash which can be deposited and used to make payments both inside and outside the country.
IDFC Bank Renamed
Private sector lender IDFC Bank said its name has been changed to IDFC First Bank Ltd with effect from January 12, 2019, by virtue of 'Certificate of Incorporation pursuant to change of name' issued by the Registrar of Companies, Chennai.
IDFC Bank and non-banking financial company Capital First had announced completion of their merger on December 18, creating a combined loan asset book of Rs 1.03 lakh crore for the merged entity.
Indonesia woos Indian airlines to boost bilateral trade
Indonesia is keen on Indian carriers starting flights to the country and renewing their air services agreement as part of efforts to boost bilateral trade and commercial relations.
The leaders of India and Indonesia had directed civil aviation authorities of both sides to discuss enhancing of traffic rights through bilateral air services consultations during PM Narendra Modi's visit to Jakarta in May 2018.
They had also emphasised the urgency of establishing more flight connectivity.
Indonesia has invited Indian businesses to help develop the port on Sabang island, close to Malacca Strait and efforts are on to convince Indian businesses of the advantages of investing there.
Shifting north magnetic pole forces urgent navigation fix
Rapid shifts in the Earth's north magnetic pole are forcing researchers to make an unprecedented early update to a model that helps navigation by ships, planes and submarines in the Arctic.
The wandering pole is driven by unpredictable changes in liquid iron deep inside the Earth.
It's moving at about 50 km (30 miles) a year. It didn't move much between 1900 and 1980 but it's really accelerated in the past 40 years.
Scientists must periodically update the World Magnetic Model to map this process, and the most recent version - produced in 2015 - was intended to last until 2020.
However, the magnetic field has been changing so quickly and erratically that while conducting a routine check in early 2018, British and US researchers realised drastic steps were needed.
The shift they observed was so large it was on the verge of exceeding the acceptable limit for navigation errors.
To account for this, scientists at the British Geological Survey and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are issuing an unprecedented emergency update to the model.
An update will be released on January 30, the journal Nature said, delayed from January 15 because of the US government shutdown.
The changes are essential as the system is used by aircraft, ships and even smartphones.
All-rounder Vijay Shankar and batsman Shubman Gill will replace the suspended KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya in India's limited overs team.
Rahul and Pandya were suspended pending an investigation into comments they made about women on a TV show, which have been condemned as sexist and inappropriate.
De Minaur, Kvitova win
Australian teenager Alex de Minaur claimed his first career title in style when he wore down Italian veteran Andreas Seppi 7-5 7-6(5) to win the Sydney International after his second match in five hours.
Seppi hit 27 winners to De Minaur's 21, but the youngster made eight fewer unforced errors and won 20 points at the net to help seal the victory.
Petra Kvitova outlasted Ashleigh Barty in a final-set tiebreak to win the title for the second time.
The Czech 2015 champion and fifth seed fought back from dropping the opening set and an early break in the final set to beat the top-ranked Aussie 1-6 7-5 7-6 (7/3) in two hours 19 minutes.
Sandgren downs Norrie to claim first ATP title
American Tennys Sandgren brushed aside Britain's Cameron Norrie 6-4 6-2 to win his first ATP title at the ASB Classic in Auckland.
American Sofia Kenin secured her second trophy in two weeks after an easy 6-3, 6-0 win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia at the WTA Hobart International.
Formally announcing their alliance in Uttar Pradesh, giving each 38 Lok Sabha seats, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party have vexed both the BJP and the Congress.
BSP supremo Mayawati and SP national chief Akhilesh Yadav ended speculation about the arch rivals joining hands to defeat the BJP.
Ladakh Set to House Largest Solar Plant in the World
Ladakh, known for its pristine natural beauty and colourful mountains towering over vast swathes of desolate land, is set to add another feature to its fame - the world's largest single location solar PV (photo- voltaic) plant.
Some 200 km to the south in Kargil, another mega project will join forces to light up the plains of India, keep glaciers cool by saving 12,750 tonnes of carbon emission a year, remove dependence on diesel gensets and create livelihood for the local population which remains cut off for 6-8 months a year.
Tulsi Gabbard, the first Hindu lawmaker in the US Congress, has said that she is running for the White House in 2020.
Ms. Gabbard is the second woman after Senator Elizabeth Warren to enter the presidential race from the Democratic party.
More than 12 Democratic leaders including Indian-origin Senator from California Kamala Harris are expected to announce their White House run to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020.
Ms. Gabbard is a four-time Democratic lawmaker in the US House of Representatives from Hawaii.
The Iraq war veteran has become the first-ever Hindu to be running for the presidency in the US.
Ms. Gabbard, who converted to Hinduism early in her life, is highly popular among Indian-Americans.
If elected, she would be the youngest ever and first woman President of the United States. She would also be the first non-Christian and first Hindu to occupy the top post.
14th Corps Commander of Strategic Rising Star Corps
Lt Gen JS Nain took over as the 14th Corps Commander of the strategic Rising Star Corps.
He took over from Lt Gen YVK Mohan, SM, VSM. A decorated soldier, Lt Gen JS Nain, an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, was commissioned into 'The Second Battalion of the Dogra Regiment in June 1983.
The General has commanded his Battalion on the Line of Control in the high attitude area, a mountain brigade in the eastern sector and an infantry division along the Line of Control in Kashmir Valley.
His staff experiences include tenanting the appointment of Brigade Major of an Independent Mechanised Brigade Group, an Instructor at the Infantry School and many other key appointments at various headquarters.
Former Bureaucrat Refuses to Head Assam Accord Panel
Former bureaucrat MP Bezbaruah pulled out of the nine-member panel set up by the Union home ministry on January 5 to suggest ways to implement Clause 6 of the 1985 Assam Accord.
Bezbaruah is the fifth member to pull out of the committee, which will assess the quantum of seats to be reserved in the Assam assembly and local bodies for the Assamese people and chart out ways to preserve their identity and culture.
The four members who walked out earlier were protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Bill which, they claimed, posed a threat to Assamese culture and identity.
The Assam Accord is a Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed between representatives of the Government of India and leaders of the Assam Movement.
The agreement was signed in New Delhi on August 15, 1985, in the presence of then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, to identify and deport illegal immigrants.
Clause 6 of the Accord seeks to provide constitutional, legislative and administrative measures to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguis-identity and heritage of Assam's indigenous communities.
President Ram Nath Kovind ratified the Bill passed by Parliament on January 9 to provide 10 per cent quota in jobs and education to economically weaker sections in the General Category.
This was the last leg of the legislative process and the 10 per cent reservation Bill is a law now.
The quota will be over and above the existing 50 per cent reservation to SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
The 10 per cent quota covers nearly 190 million people from the General Category.
A notification by the Ministry of Law and Justice said the Act would come into force from a date to be announced by the government.
The Act amends Articles 15 and 16 of the Constitution by adding a clause which allows states to make "special provision for the advancement of any economically weaker sections of citizens".
These "special provisions" would relate to "their admission to educational institutions, including private educational institutions, whether aided or unaided by the state, other than the minority educational institutions".
"For the purposes of this Article 15 and Article 16, 'economically weaker sections' shall be such as may be notified by the state from time to time on the basis of family income and other indicators of economic disadvantage," the notification reads.
Sikkim's 'One Family One Job' Scheme
Seeking a record sixth term as chief minister, Sikkim CM Pawan Chamling rolled out its 'one family one job' scheme, announcing appointing 20,000 persons a few months before the assembly polls.
In the process Sikkim became a state with every sixth person holding a government job.
Sikkim that has 0.62 million population according to the 2011 census has 0.1 million state government employees.
World's Largest Oil Paintings To Adorn Victoria Memorial
Kolkata's iconic Victoria Memorial is scheduled to undergo a complete makeover by January-end and put on display after at least two decades "The Jaipur Procession", believed to be one of the largest oil paintings in the world.
The 23-ft wide by 16.5-ft high masterpiece by Russian painter Vasily Vereshchagin shows richly caparisoned elephants advancing majestically with horses and footmen in a procession in front of the Amber Chowpar in Jaipur in 1876.
The Prince of Wales and Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur are seated on the first elephant. Done during the British Raj, the painting was originally the property of Edward Malley of New Haven in the US.
It was acquired by the Maharaja of Jaipur and presented to the Victoria Memorial in 1905.
The painting has been described as the largest in oils in India and, probably, the second largest in this medium in the world.
This will be on display again in the Royal Gallery of the Museum after more than two decades.
The made-over Memorial is likely to be inaugurated in the last week of this month. Work on its modernisation was taken up under a Rs.60-crore renovation project funded by the Union ministry of culture.
Built between 1906 and 1921, the Memorial is billed as one of India's most popular tourist destinations.
It drew around 3.8 million tourists in 2018. It has 25 galleries and display areas, including the Royal Gallery, Portrait Gallery, Durbar Hall and the Calcutta Gallery.
In an effort to increase footfalls, the Memorial's timings will be extended by two hours to 8 pm on the weekends from January 20.
Apart from "The Jaipur Procession", another 18 ft x 12 ft oil painting titled "Delhi Durbar" will be on display.
The painting shows Viceroy Lord Curzon seated on an elephant and leading the ceremonial procession of the second Delhi Durbar, past the Jama Masjid in 1903.
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