Perspective

What exactly happened after the Big Bang? And what role does dark matter play in the formation of galaxies? We talk to celebrated astrophysicist Françoise Combes, winner of this year's most prestigious French scientific research prize, the CNRS Gold Medal.

Donald Trump is expected to nominate his third judge for the Supreme Court on Saturday, following the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Trump's pick could leave the nation's highest court more conservative-leaning for the foreseeable future as the job is for life. However, Jared Mondschein from the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney tells us that if the Democrats win November's elections, there are still actions they could take – including expanding the number of Supreme Court justices in a bid to redress the balance.

They make up just one percent of the world's population but produce more pollution than the poorest 50 percent. The rich are racing through Earth's finite carbon budget, which scientists warn could run out within a decade. That’s the conclusion of a new report from Oxfam. Armelle Le Comte, climate and energy advocacy manager at the NGO, tells us systematic change is urgently required as the amount of emissions produced globally has doubled in 25 years.

First described in 1906 by doctor Alois Alzhemier, the disease bearing his name has been studied by doctors around the world for decades. There is still no cure but there is a growing body of research suggesting how our lifestyles, our environments and our diets could play a role in its development, with growing links being made between cholesterol and brain health.

A damning new report from Human Rights Watch says that Black and Asian non-nationals living in South Africa frequently find themselves subject to discrimination, forced displacements and violence. It also concluded that a government plan to tackle the problem launched last year is bearing little fruit. How can South Africa’s xenophobia problem be tackled when there seems to be so little political will to change things? We speak to Jean Misago of the African Centre for Migration & Society at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

After an economically crippling Covid-19 lockdown, Parisians are now flocking to their favourite bars and restaurants once again. But with the virus still circulating widely and colder weather just around the corner, do restaurateurs have any cause for optimism? We speak with celebrated Paris-based chef and restaurant owner Edward Delling-Williams.

We could well be at the start of an unending series of disasters due to climate change. So says Chris Field, the Director of the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. He spoke to us after Donald Trump alleged, during his visit to California amid devastating wildfires, that it will soon "start getting cooler". Field, though, says we can all see climate change with our own eyes. Summers are getting hotter and drier, the fire season longer and more intense.

Initially women replaced men in the Belarusian presidential election campaign as their husbands had been jailed. Now women are replacing, or adding their forces to those of men out on the streets. Indeed, women are at the heart of the protests against President Alexander Lukashenko, which have now been going on for five weeks. For more, we spoke to political scientist Anna Colin Lebedev from Paris 10 Nanterre University.

As Africa's largest hydroelectric dam nears completion, there are fears that Ethiopia will control too much of north-east Africa's water. Around 90 percent of water flowing into the River Nile passes through Ethiopia and the dam raises fears about the water supply for Sudan and Egypt downstream. Ethiopia, where 65 million people live without electricity, is set to benefit. This Monday the parties are meeting again to continue 10 years of difficult talks in a bid to reach an agreement. We spoke to Ashok Swain, UNESCO Chair of International Water Cooperation from Uppsala University.

As countries across the world experience worrying new spikes in Covid-19 infection rates, how close are we to developing an effective vaccine? And how to tackle the growing community of vaccination sceptics? We sit down with Beate Kampmann, Director of The Vaccine Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.