World Notes

Being the son of the boss can be a tough job, but someone has to do it. In Singapore, Brigadier General Lee Hsien Loong, 34, son of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, 63, has passed through doors opened by his father while gaining a reputation as an able Parliament member and government minister.

Lee's political ascent continued last week when the ruling People's Action Party elected him to its powerful 14-member central executive committee. Naturally, speculation intensified that Lee was being groomed to succeed his father, who has ruled Singapore since 1959 and says he will step down at age 65. Before the younger Lee could head the government, however, he would have to leapfrog First Deputy Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, 45, who boasts a strong party following of his own.