US President Joseph Biden has rescinded the “Global Gag Rule” – an anti-abortion policy first introduced by the US in 1984 that undermined the health and rights of women around the world. Also known as the Mexico City Policy, the rule denied US funding for organisations that provided abortion information or services. Over the past three decades the policy has been instated by each Republican president and rescinded by each Democrat president. Under President Trump it was expanded twice, affecting a wide range of health services, including treatment for HIV. Sara E Casey, Emily A Maistrellis and Terry McGovern reveal the devastating effect the Gag Rule has had on projects in Kenya and Madagascar.

In COVID-19 news, two new vaccines, developed by Johnson & Johnson and Novavax, recently reported late-stage trial results, and both were shown to be effective against the UK and South African variants, although not as effective as against the regular coronavirus, called D614G.

In this edition we also present the first episode of The Conversation Weekly! A new podcast showcasing stories from around our global network. In this episode we cover how, for the past six months, three different missions have been speeding their way to Mars. Now, all three – from the United Arab Emirates, China and the US – are due to arrive at the red planet in February. We explore what they’re looking for. We also put the spotlight back on Belarus, more than six months into protests there against a disputed election. You can subscribe to The Conversation Weekly via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you usually get your podcasts.

Moina Spooner

Commissioning Editor: East and Francophone Africa

A coalition of physicians, AIDS activists and medical students protest Trump’s global gag rule, which expands the policy restriction to all US health funding. Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

US anti-abortion “gag rule” hits women hard: what we found in Kenya and Madagascar

Sara E Casey, Columbia University; Emily A Maistrellis, Columbia University Medical Center; Terry McGovern, Columbia University Medical Center

Trump's expanded global gag rule weakened national health systems and created barriers to women’s sexual and reproductive healthcare access.

Studio Romantic/Shutterstock

New COVID-19 vaccines: here’s how the promising Novavax and Johnson & Johnson jabs work

Sarah Pitt, University of Brighton

Both vaccines appear to reduce the risk of developing COVID-19, and so could be approved later this year.

Politics

India farmers’ protests: internet shutdown highlights Modi’s record of stifling digital dissent

Subir Sinha, SOAS, University of London

As the protests escalate, Modi's grip on India's internet communications remains as tight as ever.

Belarus protests: why people have been taking to the streets – new data

Félix Krawatzek, University of Oxford; Gwendolyn Sasse, University of Oxford

Hundreds of thousands of people have protested the regime of Alexander Lukashenko over the last six months – a new survey reveals what they want.

By jailing Alexei Navalny, the Kremlin may turn him into an even more potent opposition symbol

William Partlett, University of Melbourne

Navalny's jailing could galvanise Russians who want a government no longer characterised by post-imperial nostalgia and a paranoid, siege mentality that constantly fears the West.

Israel faces legal – and practical – obligations for including Palestinians in vaccine success

Yara M. Asi, University of Central Florida

Palestinian territories are impoverished and densely populated – ripe for the spread of coronavirus. Israel may have a practical as well as moral obligation to extend its vaccine program to them.

Arts, Culture & Society

One year on, Muslim women reflect on wearing the niqab in a mask-wearing world

Anna Piela, Northwestern University

Muslim women say the practice of wearing masks has given them more confidence to wear face coverings in public.

This award-winning Lesotho film also has social justice at heart

Anna-Marie Jansen van Vuuren, Tshwane University of Technology

Lesotho's first-ever entry at the Oscars is a powerful story based on true-to-life events in which a village is to be forcibly evicted to make way for a new dam.

Podcasts

The Conversation Weekly: a new podcast from our global network

Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation

🎧 Listen to the trailer for The Conversation Weekly, a new podcast.

Mars: The Conversation Weekly podcast explores why three missions are about to reach the red planet

Gemma Ware, The Conversation; Daniel Merino, The Conversation

Plus what protesters in Belarus want to happen next. Episode 1 of The Conversation's new weekly podcast.