World News: Man accused of shooting US congresswoman due in court

The man accused of attempting to assassinate US congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in a gun rampage that killed six people will appear in an Arizona court today.

Investigators carried out a search warrant at 22-year-old Jared Loughner's Tucson home and seized an envelope from a safe with messages including "I planned ahead", "My assassination" and the name "Giffords" next to what appears to be the man's signature.

Loughner allegedly bought the Glock pistol used in Saturday's attack in November.

Court documents also show that Loughner had contact with Democrat Ms Giffords, 40, in the past. Other evidence included a letter on her official stationery in which she thanked him for attending a Congress on your Corner event at a mall in Tucson in 2007.

Ms Giffords was shot in the head at about 10am as she was meeting constituents outside a Tuscon supermarket.

Loughner is accused of killing six people, including a federal judge, an aide to Ms Giffords and a nine-year-old girl born on September 11, 2001. Fourteen others were wounded, including Ms Giffords.

Chavez blasts 'act of terrorism'

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has called a fire that badly damaged a government building used by officials carrying out farm seizures as an act of terrorism.

He said the National Lands Institute office in western Zulia state was doused with petrol and set alight.

Burma brings in the draft

Military-ruled Burma has enacted a law that could conscript men and women into the armed forces and mete out prison sentences of up to five years for draft dodgers.

Burma already boasts a 400,000-strong military, which ranks among the largest in the world.

Dogs maul man to death

An Irish tourist was mauled to death by two dogs at an organic farm in northern Malaysia, police said today.

Maurice Sullivan, 50, died at the scene after being attacked by the dogs at the farm on the northern island of Penang yesterday.

Mr Sullivan was reportedly staying at the farm with his Polish companion to take photos.

The dogs were reared to protect the farm from wild boars and pythons. It was unclear what caused them to attack Mr Sullivan.

Rain causes further flooding

Flood waters poured into businesses in yet another north-eastern Australian community today as relentless rain brought more misery to the region.

Muddy waters flowed through the main street in the city of Gympie, the latest of around 40 communities in Queensland state to be drenched.

Crashed jet's 'technical failure' report

Iran: The crew of an IranAir jet which crashed in a snowstorm, killing up to as 77 people, reported a technical failure before the disaster, it emerged today.

The Boeing 727 was carrying 106 people when it crashed yesterday.

France: Defence minister Alain Juppe said al-Qaida-linked militants were most likely to have been behind the kidnapping of two Frenchmen in Niger, who were found dead following a rescue attempt.