Anyone over the age of 12 who travels to Malta after Tuesday must present a proof of full vaccination before they will be allowed into the country.
Authorities will require a recognised COVID-19 vaccination certificate, such as the type issued by Malta, the European Union or the United Kingdom’s NHS.
Children aged between five and 12 only need to present a negative PCR test, and the under-fives are exempt.
While the rule applies to everyone, regardless of where they come from, the rules are slightly different for people from the UK, according to Visit Malta and the move effectively bans those aged 12-17 who currently cannot be vaccinated in the UK, unless they are part of a trial, as well as millions of adults who are yet to be vaccinated.
Other countries in the EU, under its green passport system, say anyone who is certified to have been vaccinated, has had a negative PCR test result or has certifiably recovered from COVID-19 can cross their borders, but Malta has decided to only recognise those who are fully vaccinated.
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In late June, the country announced it would not accept the NHS app as proof of vaccination, but relented at the start of this month.
Health minister Chris Fearne said: “Malta will be the first EU country taking this step.”
In the past few weeks, Malta has been a popular option for UK holidaymakers as it is on the UK’s green list, meaning anyone returning does not have to quarantine unless they have a positive test. It is also not on the green watch list, indicating it is not expected to move to the amber list imminently.
The change in rules comes amid a surge in cases across the Mediterranean island, which has a population of just over half a million.
On 1 July, Malta had 46 active cases but by Friday the number had risen to 252.
Good news! From 01 July the Malta Ministry for Health has announced that it will accept proof of full vaccination in the form of digital COVID passes, including the NHS app or the vaccination certificate in digital or downloaded PDF form. pic.twitter.com/ko89uPtx37
Israel pounded the outskirts of Gaza City overnight, as Benjamin Netanyahu’s government vowed to press on with a planned offensive on the city.
Families streamed out of the city as the explosions hit.
“I stopped counting the times I had to take my wife and three daughters and leave my home in Gaza City,” said Mohammad, 40.
“No place is safe, but I can’t take the risk. If they suddenly begin the invasion, they will use heavy fire.”
Image: Mahmoud Abedrabo mourns over the body of his son Hamada in Gaza City on 24 August. Pic: Reuters
Others said they would prefer to die and not leave.
“We are not leaving, let them bomb us at home,” said Aya, 31, who has a family of eight, adding that they couldn’t afford to buy a tent or pay for the transportation.
“We are hungry, afraid and don’t have money,” she said.
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Image: Mourners pray next to the body of Palestinian boy Hamada Abedrabo on 24 August. Pic: Reuters
Witnesses said that overnight they heard nonstop explosions in Zeitoun and Shejaia.
Tanks shelled houses and roads in Sabra, and buildings were blown up in Jabalia.
On Sunday, the IDF said its forces had returned to combat in Jabalia to strengthen its control of the area and dismantle militant tunnels.
Image: Smoke rises following an Israeli strike in Gaza City. Pic: Reuters
It added that the operation there “enables the expansion of combat into additional areas and prevents Hamas terrorists from returning to operate in these areas.”
This month, Israel approved a plan to seize control of Gaza City. The offensive isn’t expected to start for another few weeks.
In the meantime, mediators in Egypt and Qatar are trying to resume ceasefire talks between the two sides.
On Friday, Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said that Gaza City will be razed unless Hamas releases all its remaining hostages and ends the war on Israel’s terms.
Image: Mourners transport the body of Ahmed Balata on 24 August. Pic: Reuters
Around half of Gaza’s two million residents currently live in the city and on Friday a global hunger monitor said that Gaza City and its surrounding areas are officially suffering from famine that will likely spread.
Israel said the monitor ignores steps Israel has taken since late July to increase aid supplies into and across Gaza.
Eight more people died of malnutrition and starvation in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry on Saturday.
281 people, including 114 children, have now died of malnutrition and starvation since the war started, according to the ministry.
The war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led gunmen killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel, mainly civilians, and took 251 hostages.
Since then, Israel has killed at least 62,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, and internally displaced nearly its entire population.
Two married couples have died after a British car veered off the road and crashed in Germany, according to police.
The fatal accident happened shortly after midnight on Saturday in the trees near a highway in the Kassel district, north of Hesse in central Germany.
The 32-year-old male driver, a 31-year-old female passenger, a 32-year-old female passenger, and a 30-year-old female passenger all died at the scene, despite the efforts of German emergency services.
Sky News understands UK officials have not been contacted for assistance.
At roughly 12.30am on Saturday, the car appears to have veered off the road and crashed into nearby trees around 30m from the road, according to the Kassel police department.
Image: Pic: Feuerwehr Reinhardshagen
One of the victim’s phones automatically alerted the emergency services to the incident, who sent an ambulance to the scene.
Soon, fire engines, ambulances, command vehicles and emergency support vehicles were all dispatched.
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When emergency workers arrived, the car was lying on its side, wedged between several trees.
It wasn’t until they removed the roof that they found all four passengers.
Image: Pic: Feuerwehr Reinhardshagen
Image: The accident happened on Highway L3229
The emergency workers who dealt with the victims were immediately supported by the specialist mental health workers at the fire station in Reinhardshagen.
“This high number of deaths is an extraordinary operation for our Reinhardshagen Volunteer Fire Department,” said a fire department spokesperson.
“For some of the emergency personnel, it is the first time they have been confronted with death in this way.
“Therefore, a great deal is being done to help us process these images. We will also discuss this among ourselves and within families, because not everyone can easily shake off what they have seen.”
An investigation into the accident is ongoing and is being conducted by the Hofgeismar police station.
Legendary boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. will stand trial over alleged cartel ties and arms trafficking, his lawyer has said.
A Mexican court has granted a three-month extension for further investigation into the case, according to Chávez’s lawyer, Rubén Fernando Benítez Alvarez.
He said the claims against his client were “speculation” and “urban legends” after a court hearing on Saturday in the northern Mexican city of Hermosillo.
If convicted, Chávez – who took part in the hearing virtually from a detention facility – could face a prison sentence of four to eight years, Mr Alvarez said.
Chávez, 39, who has been living in the United States for several years, was arrested in early July by federal agents outside his Los Angeles home for overstaying his visa and providing inaccurate details on an application to obtain a green card.
The arrest came just days after a fight he had with famed American boxer Jake Paul in Los Angeles.
Mexican prosecutors have been investigating the boxer since 2019 after US authorities filed a complaint against the Sinaloa Cartel for organized crime, human trafficking, arms smuggling, and drug trafficking.
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The case prompted investigations into 13 individuals, including Ovidio Guzmán López – the son of convicted drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán – as well as several associates, hitmen, and accomplices of the criminal organization. Guzmán López was arrested in January 2023 and extradited to the US eight months later.
Following the inquiry, the Federal Attorney General’s Office issued several arrest warrants, including one against Chávez.
The boxer was deported by the US on 9 August and handed over to agents of the Federal Attorney General’s Office in Sonora state, who transferred him to the Federal Social Reintegration Center in Hermosillo.
The high-profile case comes amid the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure Mexico into cracking down on organized crime, including cancelling visas of prominent Mexican artists and celebrities, and increasing deportations.
Chávez has struggled with drug addiction throughout his career and has been arrested multiple times. In 2012, he was found guilty of driving under the influence in Los Angeles and was sentenced to 13 days in jail.
The boxer was arrested last year for weapons possession. Police said Chávez had two rifles.
He was released shortly afterward upon posting $50,000 bail (£36,000), on the condition that he attend a facility to receive treatment for his addiction.