NEW YORK (Reuters) - Banks must turn over Sudanese funds to victims of al Qaeda's 2000 bombing of the USS Cole who had won a $314.7 million judgment, a U.S. appeals court ruled, as it rejected U.S. arguments that this could interfere with treaties and its dealings with foreign governments.

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Journalism based on gossip or rumors is a form of "terrorism" and media that stereotype entire populations or foment fear of migrants are acting destructively, Pope Francis said on Thursday.

WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama awarded 24 American giants of the arts and humanities with medals on Thursday, lauding their accomplishments - and sharing some laughs.

Sept 22 (Reuters) - Puerto Rico's governor on Thursday said the island's power utility hoped to restore electricity to about half its 1.5 million customers by the afternoon, after a fire at an energy plant knocked out electricity for the bulk of the island.

AMMAN (Reuters) - A suicide bomber killed at least 12 people when he blew himself up on Thursday at the opening of a local police station in a rebel-held town in southern Syria, rebels and residents said.

Sept 22 (Gracenote) - Classification from Eneco Tour after Stage 4 on Thursday

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell Plc said flaring on Thursday at the Norco, Louisiana manufacturing complex shared with the Motiva Enterprises [MOTIV.UL] refinery was due to an upset in the company's chemical plant.

UNITED NATIONS, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Britain should apologize for its 1917 declaration endorsing the founding of a Jewish homeland in Palestine and should recognize Palestine as a state, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China has conditionally lifted an import ban on some shipments of U.S. boneless beef and beef on the bone, and will also ease restrictions on Canadian beef, the Asian nation's agriculture ministry and its premier said on Thursday.