Ariel Sharon is in intensive care in hospital today after seven hours of emergency surgery to stop "massive, widespread" bleeding in his brain following a stroke last night. Many observers do not expect Mr Sharon to continue as Israeli prime minister, whatever the outcome of the surgery. We'll be looking back at Mr Sharon's life, looking at his possible successors, and the implications of his illness for Israel and the Middle East. We'll also have an audio report from one of our correspondents in the region.
In Iraq, dozens of people were killed today when a suicide bomber attacked worshippers near the Imam Hussein shrine in central Kerbala, one of the holiest Shia sites. And 31 people have also been killed today in a separate suicide bomb attack in Ramadi.
In Britain, the government is reconsidering its decision to downgrade the classification of cannabis. The home secretary, Charles Clarke, has promised a major public education programme about the health and legality of the drug. Charles Kennedy is facing fresh pressure to hold a leadership ballot today, and we'll be rounding up the press reaction to David Cameron's speech on Conservative health policy yesterday.
And on our Technology site, Bobbie Johnson reports from the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where Bill Gates has predicted a "connected future".
