Germany assesses credibility of rightwing coup plot amid further arrests

Number of suspects revised upwards to 52, 23 of whom are currently in custody, and more police raids are planned

Germanyis trying to get the measure of how imminent a threat to the state was posed by the rightwing terror ring exposed on Wednesday, as police made further arrests in connection with the coup plot.

In their biggest ever raid targeting rightwing extremists, German authorities arrested 25 people suspected of plotting to overthrow the government, install a shadow regime led by a 71-year-old aristocrat, and seek talks with Russia to renegotiate its post-second world war settlement.