US cop cleared of fatal shooting charge

MILWAUKEE (Wisconsin) • The latest high-profile prosecution of a police officer for a fatal shooting ended in an acquittal, as jurors cleared a Milwaukee officer of wrongdoing in the death of 23-year-old Sylville Smith. The shooting in August touched off two days of protests and violence on the city's north side. Wednesday's verdict - the second such acquittal in a week - was announced after less than 10 hours of deliberations.

NYTIMES

World population to hit 9.8b in 2050: UN report

NEW YORK • The world's current population of 7.6 billion will balloon to 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100, with India's numbers set to surpass China's in just seven years, a UN report has said. With the most rapid population growth, Nigeria will overtake the United States by 2050 to be the third-most populous country in the world, show figures released by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs on Wednesday.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE