Topic: Bnd

*Der Spiegel* reported that the German foreign intelligence service (BND) has been spying on at least 50 media organizations and journalists, including the BBC, since 1999. The surveillance included monitoring telephone numbers, faxes, and emails. The hosts express surprise that journalists are not more diligent about encryption and security given the long history of state surveillance.

German journalist Udo Ulf Kotte, known for exposing how intelligence agencies like the BND and CIA plant stories in mainstream media, has died of a heart attack at age 57. The hosts recall playing his clips in 2014 and express skepticism regarding the timing of his death.

In Germany, a comedian is under investigation for a satirical poem about Turkish President Erdogan due to a law that forbids insulting foreign heads of state. The hosts discuss the implications of this law on free speech and the potential role of German intelligence (BND) in the Panama Papers leak.

A report on the German intelligence agency (BND) spying on its own diplomats and allies, including French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. The hosts are intrigued by the mention of "trigger words" used by the BND for surveillance. This leads to a tangent about millennial "trigger warnings" on Tumblr, where users can set preferences to avoid content that might cause a "crisis."

A major scandal involves allegations that the German intelligence agency (BND) spied on European companies, including Airbus, on behalf of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA). Airbus has filed a criminal complaint regarding the suspected industrial espionage. This news surfaces as Boeing faces technical scrutiny over a potentially catastrophic software bug in its 787 Dreamliner generators.

German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel expressed significant reservations regarding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the United States. Tensions are further exacerbated by reports that Germany's intelligence agency, the BND, desires entry into the "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing network. Sabotage and water damage at the new BND headquarters construction site are noted as potential signs of friction between the two nations.

German authorities have dropped the probe into the NSA's alleged spying on Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone, citing a lack of evidence. The discussion touches on the capabilities of the German BND intelligence agency compared to the Russian FSB and American CIA.

German journalist Udo Ulfkotte has blown the whistle on how the BND and CIA recruit and bribe journalists to plant pro-American propaganda in major European newspapers. Ulfkotte admitted to publishing articles under his own name in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that were written entirely by intelligence agencies, specifically regarding Muammar Gaddafi and Libya.

German authorities arrested an intelligence employee suspected of spying for the United States, leading to a diplomatic crisis between Berlin and Washington. The suspect reportedly used a weather app on his laptop to transmit encrypted messages to American handlers while investigating a parliamentary committee looking into NSA surveillance. This incident further strains ties already damaged by Edward Snowden's revelations regarding the monitoring of Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone.

A leaked 2009 report from the German Secret Service (BND) warned that the Eurozone would face a collapse leading to a potential World War III unless 10 trillion euros were invested. The report suggests that current stimulus efforts have fallen far short of the necessary threshold. Meanwhile, Sarkozy remains in Quebec, staying with wealthy associates while his political and personal life faces increasing scrutiny.