Germany is preparing a major overhaul of its intelligence laws, with the government proposing significantly expanded powers for the country’s foreign and domestic intelligence agencies.

The German cabinet has approved draft legislation that would give the BND and BfV greater access to electronic devices and the ability to retain intelligence gathered from them.

The most significant proposed change could allow German intelligence agencies to move beyond monitoring threats and actively disrupt foreign cyberattacks, espionage and sabotage networks. Under the proposed framework, agencies could potentially penetrate computer systems, disable servers used by hostile networks and interfere with certain foreign operations.

Germany Expands Spy Powers | Intelligence Agencies Could Hack And Disrupt Foreign Threats

Three men have been detained on suspicion of preparing a serious violent crime after their conversations on board an easyJet flight from Slovenia to London prompted the pilot to divert to Cologne, Germany, local police and state prosecutors said in a joint statement.

The pilot diverted the flight from Ljubljana to Cologne after passengers reported that the men were talking about &quot;terrorist matters&quot;, the statement said. The men were not identified.

&quot;Investigations continue regarding the suspicion of preparations for a serious violent crime that could have jeopardised the state,&quot; the statement said.

A suspicious backpack that belonged to the men was examined and destroyed in a controlled explosion by authorities but no dangerous contents were found, a police spokesman said on Sunday.

Police carried out security checks of the aircraft and questioned passengers after all 151 passengers were evacuated safely from the Airbus 319 aircraft using emergency slides, the airport said in a statement on its website.

Six aircraft were diverted to other airports as a result of the police investigation, the airport said. It said air traffic was affected for several hours as a result of the incident.

No additional passengers were detained, the spokesman said.

Bild newspaper quoted a spokesman for the German federal police as saying the pilot decided to land the aircraft in Cologne after passengers told airline personnel they had heard the men using words including &quot;bomb&quot; and &quot;explosive&quot;.

(Reuters)

Passengers reported that the men were talking about 'terrorist matters'

Three men have been detained on suspicion of preparing a serious violent crime after their conversations on board an easyJet flight from Slovenia to London prompted the pilot to divert to Cologne, Germany, local police and state prosecutors said in a joint statement. The pilot diverted the flight from Ljubljana to Cologne after passengers reported that the men were talking about "terrorist matters", the statement said. The men were not identified. "Investigations continue regarding the suspicion of preparations for a serious violent crime that could have jeopardised the state," the statement said. A suspicious backpack that belonged to the men was examined and destroyed in a controlled explosion by authorities but no dangerous contents were found, a police spokesman said on Sunday. Police carried out security checks of the aircraft and questioned passengers after all 151 passengers were evacuated safely from the Airbus 319 aircraft using emergency slides, the airport said in a statement on its website. Six aircraft were diverted to other airports as a result of the police investigation, the airport said. It said air traffic was affected for several hours as a result of the incident. No additional passengers were detained, the spokesman said. Bild newspaper quoted a spokesman for the German federal police as saying the pilot decided to land the aircraft in Cologne after passengers told airline personnel they had heard the men using words including "bomb" and "explosive". (Reuters)

Three men detained after easyJet flight diverted to Cologne

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Germany Expands Spy Powers | Intelligence Agencies Could Hack And Disrupt Foreign Threats

Three men detained after easyJet flight diverted to Cologne