A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Parties in talks to avert Pakistan crisis
DUBAI/ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's key coalition parties have made progress in talks to save the month-old government, but they have more issues to iron out today, a senior minister said.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif rushed to Dubai for the talks after aides failed to settle differences with co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party, Asif Ali Zardari, over reinstating judges that President Pervez Musharraf deposed during emergency rule. - (Reuters)
Sydney Harbour crash kills five
SYDNEY - Five people were killed and nine others injured after two boats collided on Sydney Harbor, the Herald Sun reported, citing police. The accident happened near Bradleys Head at about 2.30am yesterday. At least five people have serious injuries. One of the boats involved was a small cruiser carrying 14 people, the newspaper said.- (Bloomberg)
LSD discoverer dies at age of 102
ZURICH - Albert Hofmann, the Swiss chemist who discovered the hallucinogenic drug LSD, has died aged 102.
Mr Hofmann, who advocated the medicinal properties of the drug, died from a heart attack at his home in Basel, Switzerland on Tuesday, the California- based Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies said.
Mr Hofmann discovered LSD when a tiny quantity leaked on to his hand during a laboratory experiment in 1943. - (Reuters)
Sarkozy plan for Mediterranean
TUNIS - French president Nicolas Sarkozy said yesterday the Israeli- Palestinian conflict must not be allowed to obstruct his planned Union for the Mediterranean, which he said would "change the world". Mr Sarkozy aims to launch the new grouping of 27 EU countries and their southern neighbours in Paris on July 13th. - (Reuters)