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4B Daily News– Wednesday, August 29, 2012 Court lets pedophile's ex-wife, who allowed 2 girls to starve, day to certify Mitt Rom- ney's nomination for the White House and tear into President Barack Obama in a close race for the White House in dreary economic times. Delegates cheered woman who let two 8-year- old girls starve in a cellar and helped her pedophile husband carry out horrific abuse of other girls went from prrison to a convent Tuesday, outraging Bel- gians who opposed the early release of one of the country's most despised criminals. go free BRUSSELS (AP) — A every mention of Rom- ney's name in a ritual roll call of the states certain to seal the results of last winter's brutal primaries and caucuses. The nation's highest court approved Michelle Martin's release after serv- ing 16 years of a 30-year prison term for her role in the mid-1990s kidnappings, rapes and killings by her then-husband, Marc Dutroux. unmarked vehicle late Tues- day for a Clarisse convent in Malonne, a 75-kilometer (45-mile) trip south of the capital, where her lawyer said she will seek atone- ment for her crimes. Over 100 people shouted insults at her as she arrived, some trying to break through police barriers. ''There is only one word for this. This is simply absurd. But I will have to accept it,'' said Paul Mar- chal, whose daughter An, was one of Dutroux's vic- tims. ''Concerning Martin, my fight is over and done. I lost.'' Martin left prison in an Ann Romney focusing on softer side of The mocking of Obama began almost instantly from the podium at a convention postponed once and dogged still by Hurricane Isaac. The Democratic president has ''never run a company. He hasn't even run a garage sale or seen the inside of a lemonade stand,'' declared Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republi- can Party. To propel Romney and WORLD BRIEFING say is Israel's harsh repression of the Pales- tinians. In Israel, she is viewed as a tragic, manip- ulated figure who naively put herself into harm's way in a fit of idealism. The family said it was considering an appeal to the Israeli Supreme Court but wanted to examine the full verdict before decid- ing. was crushed to death in March 2003 as she tried to block an Israeli military bulldozer in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. The incident occurred at the height of a Palestinian uprising, a time of heavy fighting between the mili- tary and Palestinian mili- tants. Corrie, who was 23, ticketmate Paul Ryan into the fall campaign, the convention quickly approved a conservative platform that calls for tax cuts — not government spending — to stimulate the economy at a time of sluggish growth and 8.3 percent unemployment. Ann Romney's speech was scripted as a prime- time highlight, an appear- ance meant to cast her multimillionaire-busi- nessman-turned-politician husband in a soft and lik- able light before a nation- al TV audience. Isaac strengthens to Category 1 hurricane husband TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Making up for lost time, Republicans streamed into their storm-delayed national convention Mon- NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Finally a hurricane, the unwieldy and wobbly Isaac bore down on New Orleans Tuesday, almost seven years to the day that Hurricane Katrina trans- formed this city and became a symbol of gov- ernment ineptitude, and a defining moment for lead- ers from City Hall to the White House. less powerful than the 2005 storm, it posed some of the same political chal- lenges. President Barack Obama sought to demon- strate his ability to guide the nation through a nat- ural disaster and Republi- cans reassured residents they were prepared, all the while readying for the coronation of Mitt Rom- ney. While Isaac was far mood was calm as the first wave of rain bands and wind gusts rolled ashore, and these battle- tested residents took the storm in stride, knowing they've been through a lot worse. Tens of thousands of people, mostly in southeastern Louisiana, were ordered to evacuate ahead of Isaac, which was set to make landfall Tues- day night as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of at least 74 mph — much In New Orleans, the Every picture tells a story. lower than the 135 mph winds Katrina packed in 2005. and businesses had already lost power Tues- day afternoon. The storm's winds increased slightly to 80 mph as it closed in on the coast. Many residents along the Gulf Coast opted to ride it out in shelters or at home and officials, while sounding alarm about the dangers of the powerful storm, decided not to call for mass evacuations. Still, there was a threat of storm surge and the possi- bility of nearly two feet of rain as it slowly trudges inland. About 13,000 homes GOP approves blunt platform barring abortions TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Republicans emphatical- ly approved a toughly worded party platform at their national convention Tuesday that would ban all abortions and gay marriages, reshape Medicare into a voucher- like program and cut taxes to energize the economy and create jobs. The document opens by warning that while the American Dream has long been of equal oppor- tunity for everyone, ''Today that American Dream is at risk.'' pledges that the GOP will ''begin anew, with pro- found changes in the way government operates; the way it budgets, taxes and regulates.'' It http://dfm-ssp.medianewsgroup.com Visit dfm-ssp.medianewsgroup.com throughout the day. News • Sports • Entertainment • Best Images of the Day See photojournalism at its best. Bookmark dfm-ssp.medianewsgroup.com today. http://dfm-ssp.medianewsgroup.com/ If every picture is worth a thousand words, the dfm-ssp.medianewsgroup.com Media Center will take your breath away. Filled with images from across America and the globe, our Media Center is constantly updated to showcase the best in photojournalism. Bookmark dfm-ssp.medianewsgroup.com today and see the world in a whole new way. DAILYNEWS dfm-ssp.medianewsgroup.com RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY http://dfm-ssp.medianewsgroup.com approve platforms at their conventions every four years, meant to encapsulate their princi- ples and goals. Much of their details are custom- arily ignored when it comes to actually gov- erning. Even so, a poll by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center found more people interested in the GOP platform than in the upcoming acceptance speeches by presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan. The survey found that 52 percent said they were interested in learning about the Republican platform, compared to 44 percent interested in Romney's speech and 46 percent interested in Ryan's. ''This ambitious blue- print projects a sea change in the way that government works,'' said Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, who led the party's platform commit- tee. ''It offers a solution for workers without jobs, families without savings and neighborhoods with- out hope.'' Both parties routinely French president's offer of recognition faces huge obstacle AZAZ, Syria (AP) — In the foreign halls of power, the strategy is clear: Syria's opposition should unite to present an alternative to Bashar Assad's rule — a step France's president says would lead to diplomatic recognition. As a move toward unity, Syrian exiles from the main opposition Syri- an National Council and other groups unveiled a blueprint Tuesday in the German capital of Berlin for transition to a democ- ratic, transparent society free of religious and eth- nic favoritism. But rebels and civilians in the bomb-shattered Syrian town of Azaz near the Turkish border view such talk as hollow. They are deeply skeptical of all exiled leaders and believe what really matters is their fight on the ground to overthrow the regime. ''They have never come up with a united position that will save the people,'' said Fadi Hajji, 25, who had been camped out along the Syrian bor- der with Turkey with his wife and two infant daughters for five days. ''All they are good at is arguing. They don't repre- sent anyone here and they don't help.'' There was more blood- hurricane AMES, Iowa (AP) — As Hurricane Isaac neared the Gulf Coast, President Barack Obama said Tues- day that Americans will help each other recover, ''no matter what this storm brings.'' ''When disaster strikes, Obama says nation will recover from we're not Democrats or Republicans first, we are Americans first,'' Obama said at a campaign rally at Iowa State University. ''We're one family. We help our neighbors in need.'' Preparations for the storm have been under way for days, Obama said, vowing that the nation will be prepared for likely flooding and other damage from the hurricane, which was expected to hit Louisiana, possibly the New Orleans area, Tues- day night or early Wednes- day. Obama warned Gulf Coast residents to listen to local authorities and fol- low their directions. ''Now is not the time to tempt fate. Now is not the time to dismiss official warnings. You need to take this seriously,'' Obama said. was bullied PERRY HALL, Md. (AP) — The attorney for a 15-year-old Maryland boy accused of shooting a class- mate on the first day of school says his client did not intend to shoot anyone. Attorney George Psoras Attorney for Md. teen says client shed Tuesday as a car bomb ripped through a Damascus suburb, killing 12 people, according to the state news agency. Activists also said an airstrike in the town of Kfar Nabl killed at least 13 people as fighting raged nationwide. activist death HAIFA, Israel (AP) — An Israeli court on Tues- day cleared the military of wrongdoing in the death of a young American activist who was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer during a protest in the Gaza Strip nearly a decade ago, rejecting claims by her parents that the driver acted reckless- ly. Israeli court rules military not at fault in a seven-year legal battle waged by the family of Rachel Corrie, whose death remains a powerful symbol on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For pro-Palestinian The verdict came after activists, Corrie has become a rallying cry and vivid image of what they said Tuesday he believes the shotgun Robert Wayne Gladden Jr. was carrying fired accidentally when he was rushed by teachers. The attorney thinks Gladden brought the gun to Perry Hall High School to intimidate bullies and that Gladden did not aim the weapon at anyone. charged as an adult with attempted murder and first- degree assault in Monday's shooting, which critically wounded a 17-year-old classmate. He's being held without bail. Gladden has been stockpile food JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska Gov. Sean Par- nell says a major earth- quake or volcanic erup- tion could leave the state's 720,000 residents cut off from supply lines, and he's taking steps to ensure there's adequate food. Parnell says he's mov- Remote Alaska to ing forward with plans to build warehouses full of emergency food in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Construction of the storage facilities will begin this fall. The goal is to have enough food to feed 40,000 people for up to a week.