Matthew Ward Agius

Journalist reporting on politics, health, history, science, climate and environment.

Skip next section Featured stories by Matthew Ward Agius

Featured stories by Matthew Ward Agius

A woman getting a vaccination.

A woman getting a vaccination.

Why US budget cuts could derail future mRNA vaccine progress

Scientists fear US budget cuts will set back mRNA vaccine research and raise therapy costs.

A researcher wearing blue latex gloves holds a petri dish containing a pink substance with white rice grains. Only the hands and the petri dish are visible.

A researcher wearing blue latex gloves holds a petri dish containing a pink substance with white rice grains. Only the hands and the petri dish are visible.

Fraudulent research is 'destroying trust in science'

Organized networks are infiltrating the academic publishing system to promote fake science, says new study.

Palestinians, mostly children, desperately push at a fence to receive a hot meal at a charity kitchen

Palestinians, mostly children, desperately push at a fence to receive a hot meal at a charity kitchen

After starvation in Gaza, Sudan, refeeding syndrome a risk

Aid agencies say people are dying of malnutrition in Gaza, Sudan and Nigeria. But treatments can have hidden dangers.

Skip next section Stories by Matthew Ward Agius

Stories by Matthew Ward Agius

A fireman brings firefighting apparatus towards a blaze

A fireman brings firefighting apparatus towards a blaze

A cruel summer as record wildfires scorch Europe

A cruel summer as record wildfires scorch Europe

Data shows 2025 has been one of the worst fire seasons on record for parts of Europe.

Members of the National Guard are seen outside of the DC Joint Force Headquarters in Washington, DC on August 12, 2025.

Members of the National Guard are seen outside of the DC Joint Force Headquarters in Washington, DC on August 12, 2025.

Could Trump repeat his DC intervention in other cities?

Could Trump repeat his DC intervention in other cities?

Donald Trump has activated the National Guard in Washington, DC, and may well have other major cities in his sights.

Palestinian flags are waved at a public gathering

Palestinian flags are waved at a public gathering

Palestinian territories: What makes a state a state?

Palestinian territories: What makes a state a state?

More and more countries are willing to recognize Palestine as a state. But the pathway to statehood is rarely easy.

A person holds out a box of Ozempic injectable medicines

A person holds out a box of Ozempic injectable medicines

Fake medication is a problem across the world

Fake medication is a problem across the world

Demand is driving consumers to buy cheap, potentially risky substitutes for drugs, including weight loss jab Ozempic.

A woman applies sunscreen to her shoulders

A woman applies sunscreen to her shoulders

How sunscreen protects your skin

How sunscreen protects your skin

How do these products protect against skin damage and lower your cancer risk?

A woman speaking to a man holds a red cocktail at a bar

A woman speaking to a man holds a red cocktail at a bar

Tattoo tech may help detect drink spiking

Tattoo tech may help detect drink spiking

A Korean group has developed a discreet "tattoo" that could quickly identify drinks spiked with date rape drugs.

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