Cambodian King's son ready to take throne

Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihanouk declared today that his son, Prince Norodom Sihamoni, is ready to accept the crown to resolve a political crisis triggered last week when the 81-year-old monarch announced he would abdicate.

The pledge came in a letter read on Cambodian state-run television, hours after Prime Minister Hun Sen said lawmakers must work day and night to complete the process of choosing a new king or risk the country becoming a republic.