Star Wars-Themed Lands Coming to Disneyland and Disney World Theme Parks—Check Out Details and Photos!

Star Wars-Themed Lands Coming to Disneyland and Disney World Theme Parks—Check Out Details and Photos!

Great news, this is!

Disney plans to build not one but two Star Wars-themed lands in its parks. One will be located at Disneyland in Anaheim, California while the other will be built at Disney's Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

CEO Bob Iger announced the news on Saturday at the D23 Expo in Anaheim, following years of rumors and speculation that followed the company's 2012 $4.05 billion acquisition of George Lucas's production company, Lucasfilm. He made his comments four months before the Dec. 18 release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first part of a third trilogy and the first film in the franchise to be produced by Disney.

Three photos showing concept art for the new Star Wars lands were also unveiled during Iger's presentation.

PHOTO: Harrison Ford hits the stage at D23 Expo to unveil the official Star Wars: The Force Awakens poster

Guests will be transported to a "different planet" where all restaurants and stores will be operated by "local inhabitants"...and obviously, there will be that famous Cantina. The concept art depicts beasts roaming the park and also shows, yep, a Millenium Falcon ride.

The ride, a signature attraction, will have a "customized secret mission" that puts riders in the middle of a "climatic battle between the first order and the resistance."

LucasFilm/Disney

"I am thrilled to announce the next chapter in the long and exciting history between Disney Parks and Star Wars," said Iger, according to the Disney Parks blog. "We are creating a jaw-dropping new world that represents our largest single themed land expansion ever. These new lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World will transport guests to a whole new Star Wars planet, including an epic Star Wars adventure that puts you in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance."

PHOTOS: Celebrities at 2015 D23 Expo

LucasFilm/Disney

The opening dates for the two Star Wars-themed lands were not revealed. 

A Disney rep told E! News that they plan to break ground on the new Star Wars land in Disneyland by the end of 2017. There is no timetable yet for the one set to be located at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios.

In Disneyland, the new Star Wars land will reside where Big Thunder Ranch is located as well as in backstage areas not open to the public. The fate of the attraction, which includes a petting zoo and a barbecue restaurant, was not revealed.

Disney had recently purchased three parcels of land, totaling 14.7 acres, near Disneyland, sparking speculation that the property would free up land for a future park expansion, The Los Angeles Times had reported last week. Resort officials did not say what they was for.

MiceChat had reported in 2014 that Disney was planning to build a Star Wars-themed land in Disneyland. The company, which currently has a Star Wars-themedStar Tours ride within its parks, did not comment.

Earlier this year, Iger told Wall Street analysts that there's "a fair amount of design and development to greatly increase Star Wars presence in multiple locations around the world" and that specific plans would be announced "later in 2015," Variety reported in March, adding that he had also said that whatever new attractions are announced, they will be based on future films in the series, as well as its spinoffs.

Marvel Land next? We can only hope.

Jennifer Lawrence Turns 25—Watch Some of the Birthday Girl's Funniest Interview and Red Carpet Moments!

Jennifer Lawrence Turns 25—Watch Some of the Birthday Girl's Funniest Interview and Red Carpet Moments!

Jennifer Lawrence turned 25 on Saturday and to celebrate, we're taking a look back at some of our gal's funniest moments on the red carpet and during E! News interviews.

The Hunger Games actress, known for her sense of humor, never disappoints when it comes to bringing the laughs. And the poor thing's tripped not once but twice at the Oscars! What did she do afterwards? Laugh it off, of course.

Also, did someone say "Armpit vaginas?"

Watch the video above and take a...trip down memory lane. Plus, find out what she wants for her birthday (spoiler alert: She's probably kidding...).

And as much as she is funny and witty, she also has a fab sense of style. You can also check out some of Lawrence's best looks over the years below.

Ariel Winter Steps Out at Disney's D23 Expo for First Public Appearance Since Revealing Breast Reduction Surgery

Ariel Winter Steps Out at Disney's D23 Expo for First Public Appearance Since Revealing Breast Reduction Surgery

Ariel Winter was all smiles Saturday afternoon when she traveled to Disney's D23 Expo for her first public appearance since revealing her breast reduction surgery.

Wearing a green romper with multiples ring accessories, the 17-year-old read from a Sofia the First book while a select group of young children listened in.

In addition to her role on Modern Family, the actress also voices the title character on the Disney Junior series.

"#D23," Winter wrote on Twitter hours before story time. "Can't wait to meet all the fans today!"

The young adult has received lots of attention in recent days after opening up about her breast reduction surgery.

In a candid interview with Glamour magazine, Winter explained that she couldn't ignore the constant chatter in the media about her cleavage. As a result, the red carpet pro decided to reduce the size of her breasts from a 32F to a 34D.

"Every article that has to do with me on a red carpet had to do with ‘Ariel Winter's Crazy Cleavage!' or ‘Ariel Winter Shows Huge Boobs at an Event!'" she explained to the publication. "That's all people would recognize me by—not, ‘Oh, she does great work on Modern Family.'"

Back problems, neck pain and posture also contributed to her decision to go under the knife—a choice she decided with help from doctors' guidance.

"I feel great. It was such a quick recovery for me. I was up and running within five days. The feeling of not having so much there was such a relief!" she explained. " Once the surgery was completed, I can't even explain the feeling."

She continued, "[A week later], I was buying clothes and crying as I put them on, I was so happy. You just feel so relieved and excited. You feel like a new person."

J.K. Rowling's Advice to One Young Fan on Twitter Will Leave You Touched and Inspired

J.K. Rowling's Advice to One Young Fan on Twitter Will Leave You Touched and Inspired

For the last time, why aren't you following J.K. Rowling on Twitter yet?

Whether you're looking for Harry Potter confessions or one-of-a-kind zingers(basically, don't ever body shame Serena Williams), you should look no further than the best-selling author's social media page.

But on Saturday morning, the 50-year-old writer managed to make fans feel deeply touched when she responded to a stranger on social media who hopes to follow in her footsteps.

"You inspired me to write. However, in Egypt, girls can't do anything freely as boys," the Twitter user wrote. "They laugh at me when I say I am a writer."

Obviously touched by the tweet, Rowling decided to respond back.

CLICK: 11 life lessons I learned after reading Harry Potter at 30

"Don't you dare let their laughter extinguish your ambition," she wrote in a tweet that has been shared more than 2,800 times in just a few short hours. "Turn it into fuel! Big hugs from one writer to another x."

Many readers began to unite with Rowling and send the aspiring writer many positive messages. In fact, one male from Egypt showed his support for the cause.

"Shout out from Egypt as well!" a man named Alaa A. Rahman wrote. "A lot of us are like you trying to find their place as writers in our society."

She replied, "Egypt, maybe I should say Egypt's ignorant people, had discouraged us for so many years. It's time to stand up."

Safe to say Rowling will be right behind you! 

 

Happy Birthday, Madonna! Look Back at the Singer's Unforgettable (and Revealing) Selfies Over the Years

Oh Madonna, you are always one to express yourself!

Today marks the official birthday for a superstar singer who has turned heads with her red carpet looks, wowed on-stage while performing hit after hit and even shocked fans with her deepest thoughts.

This year, however, we're taking a look back at the "Rebel Heart" singer's greatest selfies captured on Instagram. To say we had a few to choose from would be quite the understatement.

Need proof? The singer recently posted a picture of ex-husband Sean Penn kissing her on the neck. "Its almost our birthdays!!" she wrote over the weekend. "2 Leo's ❤#rebelhearts photo by Herb Ritts another Leo ❤❤❤."

Pretty hot, right? Well, it didn't even make our list!

Whether wearing a revealing outfit or posing with an A-list rapper—can you guess which one made the cut—fans of Madonna never know what they can expect to find on her Instagram. Don't worry, we all secretly love it.

So without further ado, let's celebrate the "Vogue" crooner's special day by taking a look back at her wildest pics.

And may we all be so lucky to see many more to come. As the Grammy winner would sing and likely say: "Bitch, I'm Madonna!"  

Child abuse scandal shocks Pakistan, families angry at police

Child abuse scandal shocks Pakistan, families angry at police

HUSAIN KHAN WALA: Parents at the centre of a growing child abuse scandal in Pakistan have accused police of failing to do enough to break up a paedophile ring in Punjab province, the prime minister's political heartland. 

Accounts of abuse in the central Punjabi village of Husain Khan Wala were splashed across the front pages of Pakistani newspapers over the weekend, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to be questioned on the topic in parliament on Monday. 

Villagers said on Sunday that a prominent family there has for years forced children to perform sex acts on video. The footage was sold or used to blackmail their impoverished families. 

"I went to the police station to file a complaint, but instead of registering a (report), they took my son into custody," said mother Shakila Bibi. The 15-year-old is still in jail, she added. 

If an inquiry found inadequate police work or complicity, the scandal could engulf the provincial government, headed by the prime minister's brother. 

District police officer Rai Babar said the force would act decisively. 

"I assure you that we are taking this very seriously and there will be a fair and very transparent investigation," he said. 

On Sunday, Sharif said in a statement: "(The) Prime Minister ... has expressed extreme sadness ... the culprits will be given the harshest possible punishment."

READ ALSO: Pakistan sex video racket - 280 children allegedly abused, probe on 

Conflicting accounts 

Villagers have accused police of not taking their complaints seriously and claim hundreds of children were affected. 

Activist Mobeen Ghaznavi says many children were abused and that he had 130 video clips containing abuse. 

"People are afraid. They are being threatened and intimidated," he said. 

Suraiya Bibi said that when she complained to police, her family was threatened by the abusers. 

"One day some women in the village showed me these videos. My son was in them. My world collapsed," she said. 

"Kids were being intimidated in these videos with weapons, they were drugged. Kids as young as five years old were made to perform oral sex." 

In one clip seen by Reuters, a boy cowers and cries before putting his hands over the camera lens. In another, a groggy boy is beaten and abused as a man tells him, "I will not stop until you smile." 

Police have arrested seven suspects but downplayed the scale of the abuse, suggesting a land dispute may have sparked false accusations. 

"It's a very murky situation," said Babar. He added that seven cases involving 11 children had been registered. 

One 18-year-old told Reuters he had been abused since he was 10. He stole cash and jewellery from his family after his abusers blackmailed him, he said. 

"I was going to school one day when these boys picked me up and beat me up badly. Then they drugged me, and when I woke up, they showed me these videos they had made of me," he said. 

"They told me that they would bury me alive if I told anyone."

Strong 6.7 quake jolts Pakistan

Strong 6.7 quake jolts Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: A strong earthquake of 6.7 magnitude on Monday jolted several parts of Pakistan. 

The epicentre of the quake was in the border region of Afghanistan and Tajikistan at the depth of about 200 km, according to Geo TV. 

The tremor was felt in various parts of the country including Islamabad, Faisalabad, Mianwali, Peshawar and Sargodah. It also hit Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). 

So far, there was no report of any loss to life or property from any area of Pakistan.

North Korea creates Pyongyang Standard Time as a snub to Japan

North Korea creates Pyongyang Standard Time as a snub to Japan
SEOUL: North Korea has no time for Japan. Not anymore, at least. 

The country will establish its own time zone next week by pulling back by 30 minutes its current standard time, a legacy of the Japanese colonial rule. 

The new time zone will take effect August 15 — the 70th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese rule at the end of World War II, North Korea's official Central News Agency said Friday. The establishment of "Pyongyang time" will root out that legacy, it said. 

Local time in North and South Korea and Japan is the same — nine hours ahead of GMT. It was set during Japan's rule over what was single Korea from 1910 to 1945. 

"The wicked Japanese imperialists committed such unpardonable crimes as depriving Korea of even its standard time while mercilessly trampling down its land with 5,000-year-long history and culture and pursuing the unheard-of policy of obliterating the Korean nation," the KCNA dispatch said. 

The North's move appears to be aimed at bolstering the leadership of young leader Kim Jong Un with anti-Japan, nationalistic sentiments, said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul. Kim took power upon the death of his dictator father, Kim Jong Il, in late 2011. 

Many Koreans, especially the elderly, on both sides of the border still harbor deep resentment against Japan over its colonial occupation. Hundreds of thousands of Koreans were forced to fight as front-line soldiers, work in slave-labor conditions or serve as prostitutes in brothels operated by the Japanese military during the war. 

South Korea says it uses the same time zone as Japan because it's more practical and conforms to international practice. 

Seoul's Unification Ministry said Friday that the North's action could bring minor disruption at a jointly-run industrial park at the North Korean border city of Kaesong and other inter-Korean affairs. Spokesman Jeong Joon-Hee said the North's new time zone could also hamper efforts to narrow widening differences between the Koreas. 

The two Koreas were divided into the capitalist, U.S.-backed South and the socialist, Soviet-supported North after their 1945 liberation. They remain split along the world's most heavily fortified border since their 1950-1953 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. 

Most time zones in the world differ in increments of an hour and only a small number of countries like India, Iran and Myanmar use zones that are offset by a half-hour. Nepal is offset by 45 minutes. 

The time zone that North Korea plans to use is what a single Korea adopted in 1908, though the peninsula came under the same Japanese zone in 1912, two years after Tokyo's colonial occupation began. After the liberation, North Korea has maintained the current time zone, while South Korea had briefly used the old zone from 1954 to 1961.

Japan to restart first nuclear-reactor today since Fukushima

Japan to restart first nuclear-reactor today since Fukushima

TOKYO: A power plant operator said it will restart a reactor in southern Japan on Tuesday, the first restart under new safety requirements following the Fukushima disaster and a milestone for the nation's return to nuclear power. 

Kyushu Electric Power Company said on Monday it will restart the No. 1 reactor at its Sendai nuclear plant on Tuesday. 

The restart marks Japan's return to nuclear energy, breaking a four-and-half-year nuclear power impasse since the 2011 meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in northeastern Japan following the earthquake and tsunami. 

The Nuclear Regulation Authority affirmed the safety of the reactor and another one at the Sendai plant in September under stricter safety rules imposed after the accident, the worst since the 1986 Chernobyl explosion. The plans call for the second reactor to be restarted in October. 

The Sendai No. 1 reactor is scheduled to start generating power by Friday and reach full capacity next month. All of Japan's nearly 50 workable reactors have been offline for repairs or safety checks. Abe's government wants as many of them as possible to be put online to sustain the nation's economy, which now relies on imported energy.

Don't cross the limit, cops tell Bangladesh bloggers

Don't cross the limit, cops tell Bangladesh bloggers

DHAKA: Bangladesh police have asked secular bloggers not to "cross the limit" while writing on religious issues, even as authorities failed to make any headway in the brutal murder of a fourth blogger who hacked to death by suspected al-Qaida-linked Islamists. "Do not cross the limit. Do not hurt anyone's religious belief," inspector general of police AKM Shahidul Hoque said. 

The "freethinkers" should keep in mind that hurting someone's religious sentiment is a criminal offence, Bdnews quoted Hoque as saying. On the killing of blogger Niloy Chakrabarty Neel, Hoque said police were investigating it "with top priority". Neel was hacked to death by four assailants inside his flat in the capital's Goran area on Friday. 

He is the fourth blogger to have been killed this year. Hours after the gruesome attack, Ansar-Al-Islam, the Bangladesh chapter of al-Qaida in the Indian subcontinent, had claimed responsibility for killing 40-year-old Neel, terming him an enemy of Allah but police said involvement of the banned outfit cannot be confirmed yet. 

Meanwhile, a FBI team met detectives in Dhaka on Sunday. The FBI team wanted to share their technical expertise with local detectives in the investigation, deputy commissioner (detective branch) Mahbub Alam of Dhaka police said.

Two quakes jolt Nepalese capital

Two quakes jolt Nepalese capital

KATHMANDU: Two earthquakes of moderate intensity jolted the Nepalese capital Kathmandu on Tuesday morning, triggering panic among people who rushed out of buildings. 

A 4.3 magnitude aftershock was recorded at 10.24 am local time, with epicentre in Kathmandu. Another one of 3.7 magnitude was felt at 4.20am in the capital's Kirtipur area, according to the National Seismological Centre. 

The quakes were strong enough to force people out of buildings. 

A total number of 378 aftershocks with 4 or more magnitude have been recorded since the devastating temblor on April 25 that killed some 9,000 people.

Bangladesh court sentences two Razakars for 1971 war crimes

Bangladesh court sentences two Razakars for 1971 war crimes
DHAKA: A commander of the Razakars, an armed auxiliary force of Pakistani troops during Bangladesh's 1971 liberation war, was handed down the death penalty today while another from the notorious militia group was sentenced to life by a court here for genocide and war crimes. 

Sheikh Sirajul Haque alias 'Siraj Master' was given the death penalty with Chairman of the three-member International Crimes Tribunal 1 Justice Enayetur Rahim pronouncing the verdict. 

Haque would be hanged to death or shot down as he was found guilty on two charges of genocide and three of crimes against humanity, the judge ruled. 

Lawyers and legal experts said according to Bangladesh's penal code, convicts sentenced to death are hanged by the neck but the special tribunals could also order war crimes convicts to be executed by firing squads since they are being tried under a special law. 

Justice Rahim said five of the six charges brought against Haque was proved beyond doubt and he deserved no punishment other than the death penalty for the gravity of crimes he had committed. 

The tribunal also sentenced fellow convict Khan Akram Hossain, a member of the Razakar force under Haque's command, to imprisonment until death for his role in the killing of about 50 people in southwestern Bagerhat district in 1971. 

Haque and Hossain, both in their 70s, faced the trial in person and were present in the dock as the judgment was read out. 

A third accused was also being tried along with the duo but charges against him were dropped as he died a natural death midway into the trial. 

Since Bangladesh launched the war crimes trial, the two special tribunals, set up by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's secular government in 2010, have handed down death penalties to over 15 people. 

About three million people were killed by the Pakistani army and their Bengali-speaking collaborators during the country's liberation war.

Maldives arrest foreigners heading for Diego Garcia

Maldives arrest foreigners heading for Diego Garcia
COLOMBO: The Maldives has arrested seven foreigners who left the country illegally by trawler and were headed for a US military base on Diego Garcia, a minister said on Tuesday. 

The foreigners were intercepted in the locally hired boat on Monday off the Maldives' southernmost atoll of Addu heading to Diego Garcia several hundred kilometres away, said Mohamed Shareef, a minister attached to the president's office. 

He did not give the nationalities of the seven, but local newspaper Haveeru said they were Germans and Italians. 

Diego Garcia, a British territory in the Indian Ocean, is currently leased to the United States, which operates a highly-guarded military base used for bombing raids on Afghanistan and Iraq. 

The Maldives is holding the group for leaving the honeymoon islands illegally. 

"We are continuing investigations and so far the foreigners have told us that they were on a whale-watching expedition. But you don't step out in rough weather when there are eight-foot waves to look for whales," Shareef told AFP. 

Shareef said the group, whose governments have been contacted since the arrests, had chartered the boat at a rate of $8,000 a day. 

"They had been looking for a (trawler) captain to take them to Diego Garcia and were willing to pay a very high price," he said by phone from the Maldives capital island Male. 

Shareef said it was extremely unlikely the trawler would have reached the main island of Diego Garcia, some 700 kilometres (435 miles) from Addu, given the tight security there. 

"Maldivian fishermen know very well that if they stray into that territory their vessels are confiscated," he said.

Ailing Thai king treated for 'water on the brain'

Ailing Thai king treated for 'water on the brain'
BANGKOK: Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej has been treated for "water on the brain" and a chest infection, the palace revealed in a rare statement, amid public concern over the health of the world's longest serving monarch. 

The 87-year-old king, who is perceived as a near-deity by many Thais, has been in Bangkok's Siriraj Hospital since being re-admitted in May, but information on his condition has been scarce. 

Doctors at the hospital have "reduced the level of water on his brain", the Royal Household Bureau said in a statement on Monday. 

"During his stay at the Siriraj, he has had fever periodically and a raised heartbeat -- assumed to be caused from an earlier lung infection," it said, adding his heart rate had returned to normal after treatment. 

Fears over Thailand's future among competing elites as Bhumibol's reign enters its twilight years are seen as a motivating factor behind a decade of political turmoil in the kingdom. 

Since 2006, the nation has witnessed two coups, the removal of three prime ministers by the courts and several rounds of street protests that have often ended in violence. 

Royalist generals seized power in a coup in May last year after weeks of protests against the civilian government of Yingluck Shinawatra, whose family and their proxies have won every election since 2001. 

The Shinawatras are loathed by the royalist elite who accuse them of widespread corruption and subverting the kingdom's political status quo. 

Thailand's generals have said they will hand back power once the constitution has been rewritten and corruption expunged. 

But critics say the military has used its self-designated status as the defender of the monarchy as a pretext to grab power and ensure the Shinawatras never return to politics. 

The king's health is a controversial topic. The Thai monarchy is shielded by one of the world's toughest lese majeste laws and prosecutions have increased dramatically since the military took over. 

A man was jailed for 30 years on Friday for "insulting" the monarchy on Facebook, in one of the toughest known sentences for royal defamation. The same day a woman received a 28-year jail term for the offence. 

Media have to routinely self-censor when reporting on the monarchy for fear of falling foul of the broadly worded law, which carries up to 15 years in jail for each count of insulting the king, queen, heir or regent. 

In recent years, Thailand's 63-year-old Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn has spent much of his time away from the public eye. 

But he has stepped in at some official ceremonies in parallel with his father's declining health. 

He is due to make a rare high-profile public appearance on Sunday, when he will lead a nationwide bicycling event in honour of his mother — Queen Sirikit — that is expected to draw thousands to the streets.

Gunshots heard as Ferguson protests turn violent a year after Brown shooting

Gunshots heard as Ferguson protests turn violent a year after Brown shooting

FERGUSON: Gunfire erupted Sunday night in Ferguson, Missouri, as a day of peaceful rallies to mark one year since an unarmed black teen was shot and killed by a white police officer gave way to a confrontation between police and protesters, a Reuters witness said. 

Anniversary commemorations for Michael Brown had begun with a quiet march through the St. Louis suburb following a moment of silence for the 18-year-old youth, whose slaying on August 9, 2014, ignited months of demonstrations and a national debate on race and justice. 

The scene changed dramatically after dark with a crowd of dozens of protesters blocking traffic and smashing store windows along West Florissant Avenue, which bore the brunt of last summer's rioting, chanting "Shut it down." 

Shots rang out and additional police clad in riot gear roared into the area in heavily armored vehicles, the witness said. 

A body could be seen on West Florissant Avenue and a young woman screamed that her brother had been shot. Multiple store windows had been smashed out and police stood atop vehicles surveying the scene

Goddess Kali projected on New York's Empire State Building

Goddess Kali projected on New York's Empire State Building
NEW DELHI: In a breathtaking spectacle, Goddess Kali was projected on the Empire State Building in New York.

Artist Andrew Jones designed the portrait of the goddess to make the point that Mother Nature now more than ever needs a fierce avatar to fight the dangers of pollution and extinction, Firstpost.com reported.

Earlier images of endangered species, including Cecil the lion, were also projected on the iconic building.

Man shot near Ferguson protest critically injured: US police

Man shot near Ferguson protest critically injured: US police
FERGUSON, Missouri: A man who authorities say opened fire on officers in Ferguson, Missouri, on the anniversary of an unarmed black teen's death was critically wounded when the officers shot back, St Louis county's police chief said early on Monday. 

Chief Jon Belmar said at a news conference that officers had been tracking the man, who they believed was armed, during a protest marking the death of Michael Brown, the 18-year-old whose killing by a white Ferguson police officer brought greater scrutiny on how police interact with black communities and sparked a national "Black Lives Matter" protest movement. 

The anniversary of Brown's killing has sparked days of renewed protests, though until Sunday they had been peaceful and without any arrests. For the first time in three consecutive nights of demonstrations, some officers were dressed in riot gear, including bullet-proof vests and helmets with shields. Police at one point early on Monday shot smoke to disperse a lingering crowd, Belmar said. 

The man approached the officers, who were in an unmarked police van, and opened fire, Belmar said. The officers returned fire from inside the vehicle and then pursued the man on foot when he ran. 

The man again fired on the officers, the chief said, and all four officers fired back. He was struck and fell. 

The man was taken to a hospital, where Belmar said he was in "critical, unstable" condition. Authorities didn't immediately release the identities of anyone involved, but Tyrone Harris told the St Louis Post-Dispatch that the injured man was his son, 18-year-old Tyrone Harris Jr. 

The elder Harris told the newspaper shortly after 3am that his son had just gotten out of surgery. 

None of the officers was seriously injured. All four have been put on standard administrative leave. They were not wearing body cameras, Belmar said. 

The shooting happened shortly after a separate incident that the chief called "an exchange of gunfire between two groups" rang out around 11.15pm on Sunday while protesters were gathered on West Florissant Avenue, a business zone that saw rioting and looting last year after Brown's killing. The shots sent protesters and reporters running for cover. The chief said an estimated six shooters unleashed a "remarkable" amount of gunfire over about 45 seconds. 

Belmar waved off any notion that the people with the weapons were part of the protest. 

"They were criminals. They weren't protesters," he said. 

The man who fired on officers had a semi-automatic 9 mm gun that was stolen last year from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, according to the chief. 

"There is a small group of people out there that are intent on making sure that peace doesn't prevail," he said. "There are a lot of emotions. I get it. But we can't sustain this as we move forward." 

Early Monday, another reported shooting drew officers to an apartment building in the area. Two men told police they were targeted in a drive-by shooting near the memorial to Brown outside Canfield Apartments. A 17-year old was shot in the chest and shoulder while a 19-year-old was shot in the chest, but their injuries were not life-threatening, the St. Louis County Police said in a news release. 

Separately, police said a 17-year-old male has been charged with unlawful use of a weapon and one count of resisting arrest after he fired shots near the protesters late Sunday. He is being held on $100,000 bond. 

Before the gunfire, protesters were blocking traffic and confronting police. One person threw a glass bottle at officers but missed. 

One officer was treated for cuts after a rock was thrown at his face, and two officers were pepper-sprayed by protesters, county police spokesman Officer Shawn McGuire said in an email. Five people were arrested, according to records McGuire released. 

Several other peaceful events earlier Sunday were held to mark the anniversary. 

Brown's father, Michael Brown Sr., led a march through town. It started at the site where Brown was fatally shot by officer Darren Wilson. A grand jury and the US Department of Justice declined to prosecute Wilson, who resigned in November. 

Later, a few hundred people turned out at Greater St. Mark Family Church for a service to remember Brown, with his father joining other relatives sitting behind the pulpit. 

Organizers of some of the weekend activities pledged a day of civil disobedience on Monday, but have not offered specific details. 

World population set to cross 11 billion in 2100: UN

World population set to cross 11 billion in 2100: UN
WASHINGTON: There will be no end to world population growth in this century, says the UN, adding that the world's population will increase from 7.3 billion people to 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion at the century's end. 

Asia, with a current population of 4.4 billion, is likely to remain the most populous continent, with its population expected to peak around the middle of the century at 5.3 billion and then to decline to around 4.9 billion people by the end of the century. 

Developing countries with young populations but lower fertility like India face the prospect of substantial population ageing before the end of the century. 

"India, along with China and Brazil, need to invest some of the benefits of their demographic dividend in the coming decades toward provisions for the older population of the future such as social security, pensions and health care," said John R Wilmoth, director of the United Nations' (UN) Population Division. 

"The probability that world population growth will end within this century to be 23 percent," he added while addressing a session focused on demographic forecasting at the "2015 Joint Statistical Meetings" (JSM 2015) in Seattle on August 10. 

The world population growth will not stop in this century unless there are unprecedented fertility declines in those parts of sub-Saharan Africa that are still experiencing rapid population growth. 

According to models of demographic change derived from historical experience, it is estimated the global population will be between 9.5 and 13.3 billion people in 2100. 

The primary driver of global population growth is a projected increase in the population of Africa.

The continent's current population of 1.2 billion people is expected to rise to between 3.4 billion and 5.6 billion people by the end of this century. 

"The continent's population growth is due to persistent high levels of fertility and the recent slowdown in the rate of fertility decline," Wilmoth noted. 

The total fertility rate (TFR) has been declining in Africa over the past decade, but has been doing so at roughly one-quarter of the rate at which it declined in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean in the 1970s. 

The results have important policy implications for governments across the globe. 

"Rapid population growth in high-fertility countries can exacerbate a range of existing problems - environmental, health, economic, governmental and social," said Wilmoth.