Japan's Cabinet has approved a bill to let 83-year-old Emperor Akihito to abdicate and allow his elder son Crown Prince Naruhito to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne. The abdication will be Japan's first in 200 years. Akihito indicated his desire to abdicate due to his age and health concerns last August, reviving a longstanding debate in Japan over the issue of imperial succession in the 2,000-year-old monarchy. Read more