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1. The man accused of killing¹ six people and severely² wounding Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is expected to make his first court appearance today. Prosecutors³ have charged 22-year-old Jared Loughner with one count of attempted assassination⁴ of a member of Congress and two counts of killing an employee of the federal government and Arizona judge.

2. Doctors say they are optimistic about Congresswoman Giffords' odds⁵ of surviving the attack. However, doctors warn it could take weeks, if not months, to learn if there is any long-term effects. Giffords was shot in the head with the bullet travelling the length of the left side of her brain.

3. Winter storm warnings are up from east Texas to the Carolinas as a blast of snow, sleet⁶ and freezing rain pushes its way across the South. At least 2,000 flights have already been cancelled. The governors of Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee have all declared states of emergency.

4. Flooding in Australia has claimed another life. Police say a woman was killed after flash floods swept through Queensland. Eleven people have been killed since rain started in November. The latest flooding overturned cars and flooded buildings.