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REUTERS - A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck in Northern California on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter of the quake was located 2 miles (3 km) north-northeast of the town of Canyondam, the USGS said. An initial report said the quake was magnitude 5.9. A 5.7 magnitude quake is considered moderate, but has the potential to cause considerable damage. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. (Writing by the Americas Desk)

By Yoshiyuki Osada OSAKA, Japan (Reuters) - Two elderly South Korean women forced to work in Japanese wartime military brothels abruptly cancelled a meeting with Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto after he refused to withdraw remarks asserting the brothel system was "necessary" at the time. Hashimoto sparked a firestorm of criticism at home and abroad when he said last week that the military brothels had been needed, and Japan has been unfairly singled out for wartime practices common among other countries' militaries. ...

By Marice Richter GRAPEVINE, Texas (Reuters) - The Boy Scouts of America voted on Thursday to lift a century-old ban on openly gay scouts in a major victory for gay rights activists, but the decision means a sea of change for an organization that depends heavily on faith-based groups. More than 60 percent of the group's National Council, comprised of some 1,400 delegates, voted in favour of ending the ban, effective January 1, 2014, the group said in a statement. A prohibition on openly gay adult leaders remains in place. ...

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian billionaire Vincent Tan is exploring an IPO of U.K football team Cardiff City as early as this year, people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, in a deal that would follow the team's recent promotion to the Premier League. Cardiff City would be the second Premier League team to float shares in the past year, after Manchester United listed on the New York Stock, raising $233.2 million in the largest sports team IPO ever. The process is in its early stages, the people said, with details on the timing, size and listing venue subject to change. ...

REUTERS - Nava Bharat Ventures Ltd is considering restructuring its Odisha unit after regulatory restrictions hurt the operations at the ferro alloy and power generation unit, it said late on Thursday. The company is considering separating the two units to form special purpose vehicles (SPVs) for each, it said in a statement to the stock exchanges. It will then bring in strategic investors with mineral resources and sell shares in the SPVs to them. Identification of investors and evaluation of restructuring options are in progress, it said. ...

By Ronald Grover LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former News Corp president Peter Chernin and private equity fund Guggenheim Digital Media have placed bids for Hulu, two people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters, triggering a tug-of-war for the online video service. Satellite operator DirecTV and cable operator Time Warner Cable Inc also put in bids, one of the people told Reuters. ...

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An order of the Roman Catholic Church has agreed to pay $16.5 million to more than 400 adults who said they were sexually abused as children by religious leaders, the parties announced on Thursday in separate statements. The victims claimed abuse at schools and child-care facilities belonging to the Christian Brothers and the Christian Brothers of Ireland, Inc, in 17 U.S. states and Canada from the late 1940s or early 1950s until the 1980s, said James Stang, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs. The settlement agreement reached in U.S. ...

By Matt Spetalnick and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama on Thursday shifted the United States away from a "boundless global war on terror," restricting deadly drone strikes abroad and signaling that America's long struggle against al Qaeda will one day end. In a major policy speech, Obama narrowed the scope of the U.S. targeted-killing campaign against al Qaeda and its allies and took new steps toward closing the Guantanamo Bay military prison - controversial elements of the U.S. counterterrorism fight that have drawn condemnation at home and abroad. ...

REUTERS - American Jay Haas charged into early contention for a third Senior PGA Championship title by shooting a flawless five-under-par 66 in Thursday's opening round at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri. The 59-year-old shrugged off lingering back pain with accurate driving and deft course management to end a cool, blustery day tied at the top with compatriot Duffy Waldorf, who qualified for the over-50 Champions Tour last August. ...

REUTERS - Google Inc is considering buying Israeli mobile satellite navigation start-up Waze Inc, which may lead to a bidding war with Facebook Inc , Bloomberg news reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Waze is seeking more than $1 billion and is fielding expressions of interest from multiple parties, Bloomberg cited a source as saying. Maps and navigation services have become a key asset for technology companies as consumers increasingly adopt smartphones and other mobile devices. Other media have reported that Facebook Inc has held talks to buy Waze for as much as $1 billion. ...

By Simon Evans MIAMI (Reuters) - The Indiana Pacers fell just short in the Eastern Conference finals opener but their gritty display pumped life into the NBA playoffs and let the defending champion Miami Heat know they have a battle on their hands. The ease with which the top-seeded Heat have brushed aside opponents during the regular season and playoffs has given an air of inevitability to this year's postseason, resulting in falling television ratings and plummeting interest. ...

By Belinda Goldsmith CANNES (Reuters) - A trip to space with Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio raised 1.2 million euros for charity at a glitzy fundraiser at the Cannes film festival on Thursday. At the 20th annual event organized by amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, DiCaprio emerged as the mystery guest to accompany the winner on a Virgin Galactic flight into space. DiCaprio stars in the film "The Great Gatsby," which opened the 66th Cannes film festival. Actress Sharon Stone said the winning bidder would spend three days in training with DiCaprio in New Mexico before blast-off. ...

By Paulo Prada RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Drug traffickers in Rio de Janeiro ordered shops closed in one of its biggest slums early Thursday, defying efforts to restore order to the city's vast shantytowns and renewing safety concerns in Brazil as it prepares to host the World Cup and Olympics. Shops were shuttered and more than 5,400 children were turned away from school Thursday morning after traffickers, shouting from motorcycles, ordered a curfew following a shootout with police late Wednesday that killed a drug dealer. ...

Moscow, May 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The Taliban influence in Afghanistan may grow after international coalition forces pull out, while rising radicalism in Syria could lead to the country's disintegration, Russian military intelligence agency GRU has said.

Washington, May 24 (IANS) Chandigarh-born "trailblazer" Indian-American legal luminary Srikanth 'Sri' Srinivasan has made history with the US Senate unanimously confirming him as the first South Asian judge on the powerful appeals court for the American capital.

Vatican City, May 24 (IANS/AKI) Pope Francis hopes Chinese Catholics would be able to practise their faith freely and without fear, inviting them to stay loyal to the Vatican, whose authority is challenged by China's Communist rulers.

Milan, May 24 (IANS/AKI) Two bullets and written threats were mailed to magistrate Ilda Boccassini, prosecutor in the sex trial of former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, Milan's chief public prosecutor said.

Milan, May 24 (IANS/AKI) A parcel containing two kg of hashish reportedly sent from India has been seized in Germany. The substance was found hidden inside beach tennis rackets mailed to an address in Italy, police said.

Washington, May 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Researchers in the US have captured rare images of the creation of a massive galaxy about 10 times the size of the Milky Way that was formed when two young galaxies collided 11 billion years ago, a study said.

Rome, May 24 (IANS/AKI) An unemployed 64-year-old labourer in Italy's Sicily island died after setting himself alight, when he failed to repay a 10,000 euro loan and lost his home.

Moscow, May 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) A new Russian parliamentary centre will be built in central Moscow, that will house both the upper and lower houses as well as their administrative and support services, an official said.

Milan, May 24 (IANS/AKI) Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi played a key role in a "massive" fraud by his media group, appeals judges in Milan have said.

Naples, May 24 (IANS/AKI) A man was arrested in the southern Italian city of Naples on suspicion that he was "exploiting" a Romanian prostitute on the pretext of regularly driving her to work.

Los Angeles, May 24 (IANS) Singer Taylor Swift likes to wear clothes which exude style, but still don't restrict her movement on stage.

Tel Aviv, May 24 (IANS/RIA Novosti) The sale of S-300 air defence systems by Russia to Syria would be "destabilising" for the region, US Secretary of State John Kerry said.

Los Angeles, May 24 (IANS) Jennifer Love Hewitt feels people will never stop commenting - whether you're thin or voluptuous. But she says it is more important to feel good in your skin, and she does so with her regular dose of running, yoga and Pilates.