Missing sub tried to send messages
Compiled from news services
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Authorities say the crew of a missing submarine attempted to transmit messages several times Saturday, the first such communications from the vessel since it went missing Wednesday morning in the south Atlantic.
Defense Minister Oscar Aguad said over Twitter on Saturday night that the submarine, with a crew of 44 members, sent seven “communication attempts” earlier in the day. He did not provide further details.
The whereabouts of the vessel, the subject of an intensive search involving eight nations, including the U.S. and Britain, remained a mystery, including whether it was at the surface or underwater.
The submarine ARA San Juan had participated in naval exercises off southern Argentina before departing Monday from the city of Ushuaia for a naval base in Mar de Plata.
Caracas mayor flees
MADRID— The ousted mayor of Caracas pledged to spread his protest against Venezuela’s socialist government across the world as he arrived in Spain on Saturday, a day after escaping from house arrest and slipping past Venezuelan security forces into Colombia.
Witha Venezuelan flag drapedover his shoulder, AntonioLedezma hugged his wifeand two daughters and saidhe would fight VenezuelanPresident Nicolas Madurofrom exile. Mr. Ledezma metSaturday with Spanish PrimeMinister Mariano Rajoy at the presidential palace.
Mr. Ledezma, 62, was removed as mayor of Caracas and detained in 2015 on charges of plotting to oust Mr. Maduro.
19 arrested in Sri Lanka
COLOMBO,Sri Lanka — Sri Lankan police said Saturday that 19 people were arrested following racial violence in the country’s south that started over a dispute between majority Buddhists and minority Muslims.
Policespokesman Ruwan Gunasekarasaid four people wereinjured in attacks that tookplace Friday night in areassurrounding the southerntown of Galle. Homes, shopsand vehicles were damagedin the violence, though theextent of the damage was notimmediately known. A curfewimposed overnight waslifted Saturday morning.
Life sentence in attack
MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine court has convicted a man for a daring 2007 motorcycle bombing that killed a Muslim rebelturned-congressman and three other people and wounded 10, including two legislators.
JudgeRalph Lee of the RegionalTrial Court Branch 83 onFriday convicted Ikram Indama,but acquitted two otherkey suspects in the Nov.13, 2007, bombing that killedRep. Wahab Akbar as hewalked out of a lobby at theHouse of Representatives.
Indama, who has links to Muslim militants, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Fireball lights up skies
COPENHAGEN,Denmark — A blazing fireball lit up the dark skies of Arctic Finland for five seconds, giving off what scientists said was “the glow of 100 full moons” and igniting hurried attempts to find the reported meteorite.
Finnish experts were scrambling to calculate its trajectory, according to Tomas Kohout of the University of Helsinki’s physics department, who said Thursday night’s fireball “seems to have been one of the brightest ones.”
It produced a blast wave that felt like an explosion about 6:40 p.m. and could also be seen in northern Norway and in Russia’s Kola peninsula.