Reuters - The Vatican has warned journalists who will travel with Pope Benedict to Lourdes next month not to put the revered water from the shrine in their hand luggage on the papal plane or it may be confiscated.

AFP - European stock markets steadied on Thursday in subdued trade that focused on the banking sector after overnight gains in New York and earlier in Tokyo, dealers said.

AFP - Diageo, the world's biggest maker of alcoholic drinks, said Thursday that profits flattened in 2007-08 and forecast slowing growth this year because of tough trading conditions.

AFP - South Africa captain Graeme Smith will miss Friday's third one-day international against England as he struggles to recover from a tennis elbow injury.

Reuters - The U.S. economy expanded at a stronger-than-first-reported 3.3 percent annual rate in the second quarter, as consumer spending and net exports were more robust than initially estimated and inventories fell less sharply, a government report showed on Thursday.