Bank of Greece hit by car bomb
Explosion in Athens followed telephone warning and comes as government re-enters bond markets after debt crisis
Thursday 10 April 2014 06.42 BST
A protest outside the Greek parliament over austerity measures brought in by the goverment to secure bailout funding. Photograph: George Panagakis/Pacific/BI
A car bomb went off outside a Bank of Greece building in central Athens early on Thursday, smashing windows in nearby shops but causing no injuries, police and witnesses said.
The blast happened hours before Greece planned its first foray into the international bond markets since it plunged into a debt crisis four years ago, and a day before a visit by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility but police believed leftist or anarchist groups were behind it, the official said. Witnessess saw debris strewn across the street in a busy part of the capital lined with banks, shops and a mall.An anonymous caller warned a newspaper of the attack about 45 minutes ahead of the explosion, which took place just before 6am. The caller said the car contained about 70kg (155lb) of explosives, said a police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Number of right-wing violence rises in the east
The Amadeu Antonio Foundation in 2013 found a sharp rise in right-wing extremist offenses in East Germany. Especially often perpetrated racist violence with bodily injury.
Photo: picture alliance / Arco ImagesThe Amadeu Antonio Foundation registered in the past year 737 right-wing extremist attacks in Berlin and the eastern states
In East Germany the number is right-wing extremist offenses in 2013 increased significantly. The counseling centers for victims of racistviolence counted 737 attacks in 1086 and concerned in Berlin and the eastern states, such as the Amadeu Antonio Foundation announced.That was 18 percent more than in 2012. Mostly it was personal injury.
The spokesman for the six East German victim counseling centers, Robert Kusche, said that the partially open racist discussions asylum in Germany managed a breeding ground for radical right-wing ideologies. They had as their consequences to more violence.
The victim wanted to consultations with its research and documentation to bring light into the dark field of right-wing violence.Statistically place in Eastern Germany two right-wing extremist motivated attacks per day.
