GLOBAL SNAPSHOT

Son found dead

TOWNVILLE: Authorities say the grandparents of a teenager suspected of opening fire outside an elementary school in South Carolina found their son dead after receiving a call from the teen. Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore says the teenager called his grandmother’s cellphone but he was so upset she couldn’t understand him. So the grandparents went to his home 100m away. When they got there, they found 47-year-old Jeffrey Osborne shot and their grandson not there. Authorities say a teacher called 911 about a shooter at Townville Elementary about a minute after the teen called his grandmother.

Quake hits homes

NICARAGUA: A 5.4-magnitude earthquake jolted Nicaragua yesterday, killing a woman and damaging homes close to the epicentre in the country’s north, officials said. The quake struck in the area between the El Hoyo and Momotombo volcanoes, at a shallow depth of 2.9km.

Landslides strike

ZHEJIANG: At least 32 people are missing after two landslides struck villages in southeastern China following a typhoon. A rescue operation was under way yesterday in Sucun village in China’s Zhejiang province, south of Shanghai, and another six people are missing in Baofeng villa, also in Zhejiang, after a landslide destroyed their homes.

Electric all rage

PARIS: Global automakers are showing off new electric vehicles at the Paris auto show as they look forward to a world of tighter emissions standards. Volkswagen yesterday displayed the I.D, a battery-powered compact it says will sell for about what a fully equipped Golf diesel does when a production version eventually goes on the market in 2020. Mercedes was unveiling a new battery-powered SUV, in part a response to the buzz over electric upstart Tesla. Executives stressed that internal combustion engines weren’t going anywhere, including diesel.

Emergency stays

ANKARA: Turkey’s national security council has recommended a three-month state of emergency declared following the failed July 15 coup be extended. The council, made up by political and military leaders and chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, issued the recommendation on Wednesday in order “to take measures to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens”. The government accuses US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen of masterminding the coup. The state of emergency has allowed the government to pass legislation through decrees.