Succession

They are a desert king and a military officer-turned-president. Drive through their capitals and their images glow from billboards and painted walls, old men with their eyes fixed everywhere, even as whispers grow about who will rise to replace them. King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak are in their 80s, durable U.S. allies whose governments have crushed political dissent at home while playing leading roles across the Middle East. But these days, talk of succession reverberates as Washington, as well as Riyadh and Cairo, plans to navigate an era without two of the region's dominant personalities.

Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Bob Iger must act quickly to replace studio head Dick Cook to avoid further destabilizing the Burbank-based movie operation. Cook's abrupt departure Friday is upsetting employees, many of whom are finding it difficult to focus on work because they are anxious about their future. In addition, stars and filmmakers do not like to face uncertainty and want assurances that their projects will remain on track. Iger is not tipping his hand about whom he will name to fill the job. One executive that's a subject of speculation is Disney Channel President Rich Ross.

Pedigree matters in a country where politics is often a family business. Take a look at the top echelon of Japanese politics: Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda is the son of a prime minister. His predecessor was the grandson of a prime minister. So was the man he defeated to win his party's leadership last fall. And when he looks across the aisle in parliament, he sees yet another second-generation politician leading the opposition. They are just the tip of Japan's hereditary iceberg.

Here in the Republican stronghold of eastern San Diego County, Duncan Hunter the son is attempting to succeed Duncan Hunter the father in the 52nd Congressional District. The elder Hunter is leaving Congress after 14 terms and a failed try this year for the GOP nomination for president. When he first ran for Congress in 1980, he was a 31-year-old combat veteran from Vietnam. His son is a 31-year-old combat veteran from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Members of Israel's ruling party head for the polls today to elect a new leader, pitting a top peace negotiator against a tough-talking former general in a race that could have profound implications for the future of the nation's political center. Outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has pledged to resign in the face of mounting corruption charges once the new Kadima party leader is elected.

Illinois lawmakers return to the state Capitol today with plans to dislodge Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich, whose arrest over an alleged attempt to sell President-elect Barack Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat has thrown state government up for grabs. Blagojevich, arrested Tuesday on charges alleging he sought bribes for everything from Obama's former Senate seat to state jobs and contracts, met with a prominent defense attorney Sunday but stayed largely out of sight.

Could this be an episode of "Family Feud," New York style? The contestants: Clintons, Kennedys and Cuomos, America's most famous Democratic dynasties. The prize they're sniffing around: a U.S. Senate seat, soon to be vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton. This week, Caroline Kennedy made it clear that she, like Andrew Cuomo, wants Clinton's spot after the senator ascends to secretary of State.

Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, who is due to step down next year at the end of his second term, pledged Thursday that his successor would be chosen in a free and democratic election. Despite widespread expectations that he will choose a successor who will then become unbeatable at the ballot box, Putin said in a Kremlin news conference that he would not reveal his preference until the campaign began and that authorities must ensure a fair contest.

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus took control of U.S. forces in Iraq on Saturday with a grim assessment of the situation he is inheriting from the outgoing commander, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., who predicted that Iraqi troops would be in charge of the country's security by fall. In a brief ceremony beneath a massive chandelier in the marble and mosaic rotunda of one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces, the two leaders' contrasting styles stood out. Petraeus warned that Iraq was doomed if U.S.

Legendary investor Warren E. Buffett renewed speculation about who eventually will replace him at Berkshire Hathaway Inc., saying Thursday in his annual letter to shareholders that he plans to hire at least one young investment manager to help succeed him. To replace Buffett, Berkshire plans to split his job into two parts -- chief executive and chief investment officer.