March 5, 2026
The first group of stranded German nationals evacuated from the Middle East has arrived in Frankfurt after departing Oman. The evacuees flew from Muscat on a Lufthansa Airbus A340-300 — an aircraft that seats 279 — though officials did not disclose the exact number of passengers on board. This was the first charter flight arranged by the German government for the evacuation effort.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said the return operation prioritized vulnerable people, including pregnant women, the ill and children. Many Germans and other passport holders had been stuck across the Gulf and the wider Middle East after large-scale attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran. Some evacuees were transported overland to Oman before flying out from the capital, Muscat.
Separate court ruling in Berlin
A Berlin court has sentenced a Syrian refugee to 13 years in prison for a knife attack at the city’s Holocaust Memorial last year. The defendant was arrested on February 21, 2025, reportedly with his hands soaked in blood after stabbing a Spanish tourist, who suffered life-threatening injuries and required emergency surgery. Berlin’s Higher Regional Court convicted him of attempted murder and of attempting to join a foreign terrorist organization. Prosecutors said the attack was driven by antisemitism and a radical Islamist ideology. The memorial commemorates the six million Jews murdered under Nazi rule.
What you need to know
– The first evacuation flight from the Middle East brought German nationals to Frankfurt.
– Many evacuees were moved overland to Oman and departed from Muscat.
– A Syrian refugee was sentenced to 13 years for the 2025 knife attack at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial.
Welcome to our coverage
Today we lead with the first Germans returning by charter flight as officials focus on evacuating vulnerable people. In Berlin, the court verdict in the Holocaust Memorial stabbing is a significant development. State leaders are meeting in the capital to discuss rising federal costs borne by local communities. Other stories expected to feature include Google opening its first AI center in Germany, Tesla workers rejecting union representation, and a Bundestag debate prompted by an AfD motion calling for a broad inquiry into the Epstein files.