GERMANY DECIDES
September 20, 2013 -- Updated 1057 GMT (1857 HKT)
Spanish investigators are trying to figure out how a 5-month-old baby died on a baggage carousel at an airport in Alicante. FULL STORY
5-month-old baby killed by airport baggage carousel in Spain
September 20, 2013 -- Updated 0116 GMT (0916 HKT)
5-month-old baby killed on baggage belt
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- It's not clear how the baby ended up on the baggage carousel
- The mother, an American, also had another young child with her
- Authorities believe it was an accident but are investigating
A spokeswoman for Spain's
airport authority, AENA, said Thursday it's not clear how the baby
ended up on the baggage belt for oversized luggage.
"The baby was on the
baggage carousel, but could not have gotten there alone. Someone had to
put the baby there. I don't know how the baby got there," said the
airport spokeswoman, who by custom is not identified.
The infant's mother, an
American woman, arrived at the airport late Wednesday on a flight from
London's Gatwick airport with her baby and another young child, the
spokeswoman said. The father, who is Canadian, was already there waiting
at the Alicante airport, she added.
The baggage carousel is a
flat, black rubber-type belt that moves only in one direction and is
only activated when oversized bags are sent out on it for pickup. It's
several feet long and passengers can stand on either side of it or at
the receiving end, the spokeswoman said.
She said it was not immediately known if the infant was placed on the belt while it was stopped, or once it had started moving.
An unidentified security
officer at the airport told CNN affiliate Atlas she didn't see the
incident, but was told that "the mother apparently put (the baby) down
on the conveyer belt when she went to reach for something. He was
crushed by the conveyer belt and it killed him."
Airport medical personnel rushed to the scene but were unable to revive the infant, the spokeswoman said.
The Spanish Civil Guard said the baby's death appears to be an accident, but an investigation is under way.
After the baby was
pronounced dead, the family had to wait for a judge to arrive, by
Spanish law, so that the body could be moved. Civil Guards took
statements from the parents at the airport, the airport spokeswoman
said.
The baggage belt for
oversized luggage -- which includes infant car seats and baby strollers
-- is at one end of a large baggage claims hall at the Alicante airport,
which handles 9 million passengers a year, the spokeswoman said.
The baggage carousel is
in a secure area, and passengers go through it to claim their bags
before they exit into the public arrivals hall. The father of the baby
would not have had access to that area, the airport spokeswoman said.
Civil Guard and National
Police spokesmen confirmed the nationalities of the mother and father
as American and Canadian, respectively.
A U.S. Embassy spokesman in Madrid said that U.S. Consular officials are aware of the incident and are providing assistance.
A spokeswoman for the
Canadian Embassy in Madrid said she could not comment and referred
inquiries to the Canadian government's Department of Foreign Affairs in
Ottawa.
Spanish newspaper El
Pais reported the family had come to the Alicante area, on Spain's
Mediterranean coast, for vacation, but authorities would not immediately
confirm that.
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Angela Merkel: Europe's Mrs. Nein
September 20, 2013 -- Updated 1157 GMT (1957 HKT)
Angela Merkel is one of the most
popular politicians in Germany. In a recent opinion poll, 67% of voters
said they were satisfied with her work. Flip through these images to see
her career in the making.
HIDE CAPTION
In photos: Rising to the top
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- German Chancellor Angela Merkel is close to securing a third term in the office
- She is popular in Germany, but relies on coalition partners to continue as a chancellor
- She is the first woman and the first former East German to take up the post
She has blocked bailouts,
rejected proposals, denied pleas and stood up to the rest of Europe.
For her pains she has earned praise at home -- where she is nicknamed
"Mutti" ("Mommy") -- and animosity abroad.
Photoshopped pictures of her with devil horns, or even worse, a Hitler-style moustache, became a regular feature during anti-austerity protests across Europe. She received threats and even a parcel bomb.
Is there an alternative for Germany?
Merkel: Europe has lost competitiveness
Merkel teaches German history at school
Putin & Merkel: 2 very different leaders
But Merkel, frequently
dubbed Germany's "Iron Lady" and hailed as the country's answer to
former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (a nickname she herself
rejects firmly), isn't scared by the crowds.
She is the first woman to be elected German chancellor, and the first former East German to take up the post. She came second in the most recent Forbes Powerful People list, trailing just behind U.S. President Barack Obama.
Yet she is often attacked
by her critics for being prone to indecision and cautious. So how did
she become world's most powerful woman?
Merkel, 59, the daughter
of a Protestant minister, was brought up in a little town in
then-Communist East Germany. She trained as physicist before turning to
politics as the spokesperson of former East Germany's opposition
movement "Democratic Awakening" during the revolution.
She entered parliament in
the first post-unification election, serving in various ministerial
posts and as the leader of the opposition before she was finally elected
chancellor in 2005.
Her rise to power has
been governed by the same set of principles she enforced during the
eurozone crisis: no shortcuts, no "big bazookas." Her way of doing
things reflects her scientific background: systematic, analytical and
step-by-step -- no surprises and definitely no extravagance.
"If you say you are
going to do something then you must do it," is her favourite maxim,
according to her recently-published authorized biography -- a biography
that admits Merkel's political profile is "almost dull."
Elsewhere in the Western
world, such a "boring" approach to politics might not work. But
commentators suggest her calm and methodical way of governing was
precisely what Germans were looking for after several turbulent years
under the extravagant Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
Her approach has worked
so far: she was re-elected in 2009 and is close to securing her third
term in the office -- despite her party losing a string of regional
elections.
And it is Merkel's
popularity that is pushing her party towards yet another election
victory. It is no coincidence that most of the Christian Democrats'
election posters feature a giant photo of Merkel and rather miniscule
party logo. People are voting for "Angie," and not necessarily the
CDU/CSU.
In June's popularity
rankings by Forsa Institute for German magazine Stern, Merkel ended up
with the highest rank of all German political leaders, with 70% of voters saying they are satisfied with her work.
Despite her high
profile, comparatively little is known about the Chancellor's private
life. Her last name, now a political trademark, comes from her first
husband Ulrich, whom she left, according to her biographies, almost
overnight after four years of marriage.
Aides close to her say
she never shouts. Instead, she turns to sarcasm. Her numerous
biographies suggest she is a rather pragmatic boss, routinely getting
rid of people she no longer needs.
She is terrified of dogs
and horses, enjoys Wagner's operas, breaks in her weekend cottage, and
watching football - she is known to be a keen fan of the German national
side, often cheering on the team from the stadium.
Her second husband,
Joachim Sauer, is a scientist who stays away from the cameras as much as
possible. The couple has no children.
During Europe's debt
crisis, she proved to be somewhat a reluctant leader, according to her
biographer, Stefan Kornelius, who writes that she "did not seek the
crisis, the crisis came to her."
She did not have a
choice -- as the head of Europe's strongest economy, she was "catapulted
into the leadership, constantly fending off the accusations that her
sole aim is to make Europe more German," Kornelius says.
And while the likes of
Jose Manuel Barroso or Herman van Rompuy are virtually unknown outside
Europe, yet the Chancellor is instantly recognized.
Some of the most
important negotiations about Europe's future took place not in Brussels,
but in Berlin -- which earned her nicknames such as the "New Bismarck"
or the "Queen of Europe." They are mostly a result of the German curse
of power: first being asked to take action, then being accused of
wanting to take over Europe.
On the eve of her
nation's latest general election, Angela Merkel is close to becoming the
most successful female politician ever.
Besides political posts
and academic titles, appraisals and international recognition, she has
also had a Barbie modelled on her. The doll's message to girls? With
determination and hard work they can become whatever they want. Just
like Angela Merkel.
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