Ruth Hopkins writes from Pollsmoor Prison in the Western Cape of South Africa: International Women’s Day on March 8 turns the spotlight on the fate of women, in particular their achievements and the slow pace of progress. An often overlooked group are women prisoners. Their needs, views and struggles barely figure in feminist discourse, let alone in the mainstream debate in society. F&O is pleased to publish a series of drawings by a prisoner who, for security reasons, goes by the name Palesa. Read  her story, Filth, disease, sex and violence for South African female inmates.     The battle for Israel’s religious soul, by

Reports: CRAIG VENTER: Biotech’s biggest entrepreneur on a quest to delay ageing. By Roger Highfield Craig Venter wants HLI to create the world’s most important database for interpreting the genetic code, so he can make healthcare more proactive, preventative and predictive. Such data marks the start of a decisive shift in medicine, from treatment to prevention. Venter believes we have entered the digital age of biology. And he is the first to embark on this ultimate journey of self-discovery. Insight: The road to Aleppo – how the West misread Putin, by Tom Perry, Laila Bassam, Jonathan Landay and Maria Tsvetkova Last July,