World in brief

Package bomb kills ship passengers

BOGOTA, Colombia - A rebel bomb exploded Sunday as passengers were disembarking from a boat in central Colombia, killing six people, including the woman carrying the device, the army said.

The explosion wounded more than two dozen people in the riverside village of Puerto Rico, where government troops have been battling rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

As the passengers got out, a package being carried by one of them blew up, instantly killing her, another person and a child, Colombian Army Gen. Luis Hernando Barbosa told the Associated Press. Three other people died from their wounds a short time later, officials said.

Authorities were investigating whether the woman was a rebel who intended to plant the bomb or whether she had been duped by the guerrillas into carrying it.

CARACAS, Venezuela - The Supreme Court did not meet a self-imposed deadline Sunday for naming an elections authority that could organize a referendum on President Hugo Chavez's rule. An announcement could be made today, a court spokeswoman said.

Chavez opponents have turned in 2.7-million signatures demanding a referendum on ending his presidency.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 Contact the Times | Privacy Policy Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright