Japan’s Princess Kiko has a boy

Japan's Princess Kiko has given birth to a son, likely postponing a long-running debate over whether Japanese law should be changed to allow women to succeed to the throne. The boy is third in line to the throne, after Crown Prince Naruhito and Kiko's husband, Prince Akishino.

The Imperial Household Agency gave few details about the birth, which came by Caesarean section following pregnancy complications, and did not release the boy's name.

The agency said only that the baby was healthy and that he weighed about 2,558 grams (5.6 pounds). Naruhito is the eldest son of Emperor Akihito. Naruhito and his wife, Crown Princess Masako, earlier had a daughter, Princess Aiko, sparking the succession debate.

Many in Japan have thought that the birth of a boy to Kiko, who has two daughters, would take some of the pressure off Masako, who has struggled with depression and, at 42, is thought to have a slim chance of bearing more children.Others, however, maintained that the succession law should be changed to allow Aiko to inherit the throne.