Synagogue attacker goes on trial in Germany

A German man went on trial in Magdeburg on Tuesday for an attack on a synagogue that is considered one of the worst anti-Semitic assaults in the country's post-war history.

Stephan Balliet, 28, is accused of attempting to attack a synagogue in October last year on Yom Kippur, Judaism's holiest day.

After failing to gain entrance to the synagogue, prosecutors say, he went on to kill two people nearby.

The man, who was previously unknown to police, posted an anti-Semitic screed before the attack in the eastern German city of Halle, and broadcast the shooting live on a popular gaming site.

Balliet is charged with 13 crimes including murder and attempted murder, along with other charges including bodily harm and incitement.

43 victims and relatives have joined the trial as co-plaintiffs, as allowed under German law.

German authorities vowed to step up measures against far-right extremism following the killing of a regional politician by a suspected neo-Nazi, the attack on the Halle synagogue and the fatal shooting of nine people in Hanau over the past year.