First black Grenadier for Britain

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Crack Sentence Gets High Court Review

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court wrestled Tuesday with how to give judges discretion to impose shorter prison terms, including for some crack cocaine crimes, without abandoning the long-standing national goal of similar punishments for similar crimes.

In a pair of cases involving drug crimes, trial court judges handed down sentences that were shorter than those called for in the federal sentencing guidelines established by the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

Justice Stephen Breyer asked whether there was a way for the court to find a path between forcing judges to adhere to the guidelines in all cases "and the opposite, which is to say they don't have to do anything the …

Obama begins holiday celebration at Camp David

President Barack Obama is helping America celebrate its birthday and his daughter Malia celebrate hers.

The president on Friday morning flew to Camp David, Maryland, for the first part of the first family's July 4 U.S. Independence Day celebration, including daughter Malia's 11th birthday on Saturday. He set off with friend Martin Nesbitt to meet first lady Michelle Obama, who was already at …

PLUS NEWS

Simpson Jurors See Glasses Jurors in the O.J. Simpson trial saw for the first time today thegold-framed prescription glasses that prosecutors say led RonaldGoldman to his death in a knife attack that also killed Nicole BrownSimpson. The glasses, crumpled after months being held in evidence,were taken out of a sealed plastic bag by criminalist Andrea Mazzoladuring cross-examination. Defense attorney Peter Neufeld sought todisplay police sloppiness by pointing out that one of the lenses wasmissing and possibly unaccounted for. Prosecutors allege Goldman wasmurdered by Simpson when Goldman went to Nicole Simpson's condominiumto return the glasses, which Nicole Simpson's mother had …

Asian stocks rise following healthy US earnings

HONG KONG (AP) — World stock markets rose Wednesday, boosted by healthy earnings reports from U.S. companies and optimism that U.S. and European politicians may be closer to working out their debt problems.

Crude oil climbed above $98 while the dollar weakened against the euro and yen.

Investors took heart after big U.S. companies such as Coca-Cola Co., IBM and Apple reported better quarterly earnings. Coca-Cola said income rose 18 percent on strong overseas sales, while IBM beat analyst estimates. Apple said sales of iPads and iPods helped profits more than double.

News that U.S. politicians were making some headway on a plan to reduce the deficit and raise the $14.3 …

Suicide bomber in burqa kills 15 in Afghanistan

An official says a suicide bomber wearing a burqa has killed 15 people and wounded 22 others in a crowded market in southwestern Afghanistan.

Farah province official Younus Rasoul said the bomber struck in Dilaram district Thursday. The dead included three policemen and 12 civilians.

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