German Media & Regulation: Germany’s Federal Police are set to get new legal backing for live facial recognition in tightly defined emergency situations, alongside broader video analysis and digital surveillance tools—approved by the Bundestag but still awaiting final majority confirmation and the Bundesrat. EU Digital Identity & Trust: New research from IDnow/Sapio Research finds awareness of the EU’s EUDI Wallet is low in France and Germany, with only about half of respondents having heard of it and just 20% understanding what it does—highlighting that rollout is as much a communications and trust task as a tech one. Marcom & Platforms: France blocks access to Polymarket, with its gaming regulator arguing that continued availability counts as advertising for an unauthorized betting site. Media Industry & Tech: Netflix’s “23,000 Lives” spotlights the German NGO Jugend Rettet and the long legal fight behind Mediterranean civilian rescue operations—turning a German humanitarian story into a global streaming release. Sports Business (Audience Hook): The World Cup final is driving major consumer moments, while FIFA ticketing practices remain under investigation by New Jersey’s attorney general, including claims of post-sale seat map changes and artificial scarcity. Germany in Defense News: Chancellor Merz says Franco-German nuclear deterrence cooperation won’t replace NATO’s nuclear umbrella, as Germany joins a French nuclear drill for the first time this year.