Bhutan's king abdicates early, makes way for son

Bhutan's King Jigme Singye Wangchuck has abdicated to make way for his 26-year-old son to become monarch of the tiny Himalayan nation, the king said in a statement obtained on Saturday.
The monarch, who has ruled the tiny country of 700,000 for more than three decades, announced last year that he would step down in 2008 and hand over to his eldest son, Crown Prince Jigme Kesar Namgyel. But in a statement made to Bhutan's council of ministers on Thursday, the king, 50, said he was stepping down earlier.
"The Crown Prince has much to learn about the responsibilities that go with ruling the country," the king said in the statement released to the media on Saturday.