March 5, 2026
As war intensifies in the Middle East, the first group of stranded German nationals landed in Frankfurt after departing Oman. The evacuees were flown from Muscat on a Lufthansa Airbus A340-300; the aircraft type seats 279, though the exact number on board was not disclosed. The flight was the first charter arranged by Berlin for this purpose. German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said vulnerable groups — pregnant women, the sick and children — were given priority. Many Germans and other passport holders had been stranded across the Gulf and wider Middle East after large-scale attacks by Israel and the United States on Iran. Some evacuees were transported to Oman overland before departing from the capital, Muscat.
Syrian refugee sentenced over Berlin Holocaust Memorial knife attack
A Syrian refugee received a 13-year prison sentence for a knife attack carried out last year at Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial. The defendant was arrested on February 21, 2025, with his hands soaked in blood after stabbing a Spanish tourist, who sustained life-threatening injuries and required emergency surgery. Berlin’s Higher Regional Court found him guilty of attempted murder and of attempting to join a foreign terrorist organization. Prosecutors said the attack was motivated by antisemitism and a radical Islamist ideology. The memorial commemorates the six million Jews murdered under Nazi rule.
What you need to know
– German nationals arrived in Frankfurt on the first evacuation flight from the Middle East.
– Many passport holders were moved overland to Oman and left 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’s coverage begins with the first Germans arriving home after evacuations from the Middle East. Officials are prioritizing vulnerable evacuees. In Berlin, the court verdict in the Holocaust Memorial stabbing is a major development. State leaders are meeting in the capital to discuss the 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 triggered by an AfD motion calling for a broad inquiry into the Epstein files.