World Bank takes a stand on Uganda's anti-gay law

Eyebrows were raised in the Global South recently when the World Bank announced it was freezing loans to Uganda following the passing of a draconian new anti-gay law. The quizzical looks were because the bank isn’t known for taking positions on social justice issues. In fact, it’s come in for a great deal of criticism for making decisions that hinder, rather than help, people. So what’s changed? Danny Bradlow cautions that the Uganda decision shouldn’t be read as a sign that the bank is fundamentally changing its approach. And explains why.

You can also read about:

The orgasm gap between men and women
Hawaii’s climate future
Bandits and ransom money in Nigeria
Where Trump will go on trial first

Caroline Southey

Founding Editor

World Bank freezes loans to Uganda because of anti-gay laws. But it doesn’t mean it’s becoming a human rights watchdog

Danny Bradlow, University of Pretoria

The challenge is to ensure that the Bank is making decisions on a principled and predictable basis.

The orgasm gap and why women climax less than men

Laurie Mintz, University of Florida

Women have fewer orgasms than men. But this gap is cultural, not biological. Closing it is possible, both on a societal and personal level.

Hawaii’s climate future: Dry regions get drier with global warming, increasing fire risk − while wet areas get wetter

Kevin Hamilton, University of Hawaii

Projections for Hawaii’s climate future are raising concerns about fire risk, ecosystems and freshwater supplies for homes and agriculture.
Bandits in Nigeria: how protection payments to militias escalate conflict in the north-west

Imrana Buba, University of Oslo

Civilian protection payment is not a sustainable self-protection strategy in north-west Nigeria.
Where will Trump go on trial first? How federal and state prosecutors and judges work out conflicts

Darryl K. Brown, University of Virginia

Trump has trial dates set for two of his four criminal cases at the state and federal level. But, generally, state and federal prosecutors will coordinate to make sure that their dates don’t overlap.
Threat from climate change to some of India’s sacred pilgrimage sites is reshaping religious beliefs

David L. Haberman, Indiana University

At the pilgrimage site of Kedarnath in northern India, disastrous flooding has led many to ask whether the gods are getting angry about human behavior.
Rising methane could be a sign that Earth’s climate is part-way through a ‘termination-level transition’

Euan Nisbet, Royal Holloway University of London

The last time methane in the air rose so fast, Greenland warmed by 10°C within decades.
Five old contraception methods that show why the pill was a medical breakthrough

Susan Walker, Anglia Ruskin University

Contraception today may not be perfect but it’s better than methods of the past.

Science experiments traditionally only used male mice – here’s why that’s a problem for women’s health

Sarah Bailey, University of Bath

Clinical trial funders now insist studies use female participants. But it will still take a long time for our understanding of how medicine affects women to catch up.