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What you need to know
- Number of conscientious objections to military service rises sharply
- Police conduct searches over alleged prison drug smuggling
Below you can read a roundup of the top stories from and about Germany on Tuesday, July 14.
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Skip next section Significant spike in conscientious objection to German military service07/14/2026July 14, 2026
Significant spike in conscientious objection to German military service
There has been a sharp rise in applications for conscientious objection to military service, according to data from the Federal Office for Family Affairs and Civil Society Functions (BAFzA).
A BAFzA spokeswoman told Germany’s RND media group that 5,862 applications had been received during the first half of 2026.
In 2025 alone, there were 3,867 applications while in 2024 there were 2,998.
The latest figures follow the introduction of a new military service law that took effect in January.
It introduces mandatory screening for young men born in 2008 or later, aimed at boosting voluntary military recruitment. Parliament would be able to activate compulsory service if recruitment targets are missed.
Compulsory military service was suspended in Germany in 2011 but it remains enshrined in the constitution.
The BAFzA said the right to refuse military service on grounds of conscience is protected under Article 4 of the Basic Law.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5H3D8Skip next section Sharp rise in deaths recorded during June heat wave07/14/2026July 14, 2026
Sharp rise in deaths recorded during June heat wave
There were around 5,120 estimated deaths during in June according to expert estimates from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
According to these figures, more than 4,300 people died in the last week of June alone, that being June 22 to 28.
The heat wave brought new record highs in Germany and with the rising mercury there appears to have been a correlating trend of a rise in deaths during that specific period.
On Tuesday, the Federal Statistics Office announced that 23,900 people died during the week of June 22-28, around 7,100 more deaths than two weeks prior.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, death rates in the second quarter of 2026 were in line with and even below the average for the previous four years
Germany, along with much of western Europe, sweltered in the late June heat wave that saw temperatures climb above 40 C (104 F) in several regions.
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https://p.dw.com/p/5H3C2Skip next section Welcome to our coverage07/14/2026July 14, 2026
Welcome to our coverage
Zac Crellin Editor | Kieran Burke
Guten Morgen from a warm DW newsroom here in Bonn.
We’re following the main stories and trends coming out Germany this Tuesday morning, with a federal agency reporting a sharp rise in conscientious objection to military service.
Russia’s war in Ukraine has impacted government’s position on security significantly and with it the need for a state of readiness in matters of defense.
But judging by the latest figures, it evidently has become a cause for concern among those who could ultimately be impacted by any change to laws governing compulsory military service.
There was also a significant spike in deaths recorded during the June heat wave as temperature records tumbled, amid sweltering heat.
We’re tracking these stories and more. Thank you for joining us.
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