Security Tightened in Athens for German Finance Minister's Visit

Fan of austerity coming to a country where it's not that popular

A security cordon has been thrown around the Greek capital for a visit by the German finance minister, a leading proponent of austerity.

Wolfgang Schaeuble arrived hours after a bill scraped through parliament that will see thousands of public sector workers lose their jobs.

The bill is tied to new bailout loans worth 6.8bn euros (£5.8bn), needed to keep the Greek government afloat.

In central Athens, protests have been banned and metro stations closed.

The moves follow protests of up to 5,000 outside the Greek parliament during Thursday's vote, and a recent series of strikes against the latest cuts.