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The Application of International Law to State Cyberattacks: Sovereignty and Non-Intervention

2 December 2019

Hostile cyber operations by one state against another state are increasingly common. This paper analyzes the application of the sovereignty and non-intervention principles in relation to states’ cyber operations in another state below the threshold of the use of force. 

Harriet Moynihan

Senior Research Fellow, International Law Programme

2019-11-29-Intl-Law-Cyberattacks.jpg

A computer hacked by a virus known as Petya. The Petya ransomware cyberattack hit computers of Russian and Ukrainian companies on 27 June 2017. Photo: Getty Images.

Summary

  • The vast majority of state-to-state cyberattacks consist of persistent, low-level intrusions that take place below the threshold of use of force. International law, including the principle of non-intervention in another state’s internal affairs and the principle of sovereignty, applies to these cyber operations.
  • It is not clear whether any unauthorized cyber intrusion would violate the target state’s sovereignty, or whether there is a threshold in operation. While some would like to set limits by reference to effects of the cyber activity, at this time such limits are not reflected in customary international law. The assessment of whether sovereignty has been violated therefore has to be made on a case by case basis, if no other more specific rules of international law apply.
  • In due course, further state practice and opinio iuris may give rise to an emerging cyber-specific understanding of sovereignty, just as specific rules deriving from the sovereignty principle have crystallized in other areas of international law.
  • Before a principle of due diligence can be invoked in the cyber context, further work is needed by states to agree upon rules as to what might be expected of a state in this context.
  • The principle of non-intervention applies to a state’s cyber operations as it does to other state activities. It consists of coercive behaviour by one state that deprives the target state of its free will in relation to the exercise of its sovereign functions in order to compel an outcome in, or conduct with respect to, a matter reserved to the target state.
  • In practice, activities that contravene the non-intervention principle and activities that violates sovereignty will often overlap.
  • In order to reach agreement on how international law applies to states’ cyber operations below the level of use of force, states should put their views on record, where possible giving examples of when they consider that an obligation may be breached, as states such as the UK, Australia, France and the Netherlands have done.
  • Further discussion between states should focus on how the rules apply to practical examples of state-sponsored cyber operations. There is likely to be more commonality about specific applications of the law than there is about abstract principles.
  • The prospects of a general treaty in this area are still far off. In due course, there may be benefit in considering limited rules, for example on due diligence and a prohibition on attacking critical infrastructure, before tackling broad principles.




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Developments and Applications of Functional Protein Microarrays

Guan-Da Syu
Apr 17, 2020; 0:R120.001936v1-mcp.R120.001936
Review




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From AFL star to Big Apple start-up, Swift's Joel MacDonald is kicking goals

Two years ago Joel MacDonald was in Melbourne playing in the AFL; now he's kicking goals in New York.




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Apple v FBI: what the fight is about and why you should care

Apple is in the middle of a legal fight with the FBI over creating a 'back door' to unlock a terrorist's iPhone.




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Dietary plant stanol ester supplementation reduces peripheral symptoms in a mouse model of Niemann-Pick type C1 disease.

Inês Magro dos Reis
Apr 14, 2020; 0:jlr.RA120000632v1-jlr.RA120000632
Research Articles




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UK Tech Weekly Podcast - Episode Seven: The Internet of Fruit (IoF) Apple, BlackBerry & Raspberry Pi

In this week's UK Tech Weekly Podcast host Matt Egan is joined by acting editor at Macworld.co.uk David Price to discuss this week's Apple event announcements, from the iPhone SE to the iPad Pro and iOS 9.3. Then first time podder and staff writer at Macworld.co.uk Henry Burrell wades in to discuss Facebook dropping its support for Blackberry and the future of the under-fire mobile phone maker (19:45). Finally, online editor at Techworld.com Scott Carey chats coding in schools following the BBC micro:bit news and how it differs from the Raspberry Pi (27:40).  


See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.




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Episode Eight: The Internet of Genocidal Chatbots (IoGC) Tay, Microsoft Build and Apple vs FBI

In this week's UK Tech Weekly Podcast host Matt Egan is joined by online editor at Techworld.com Scott Carey to discuss all of the news coming out of Microsoft's Build 2016 developer conference, before being joined by producer Chris to talk about the company's genocidal AI chatbot Tay's public meltdown (13:00). Then, acting editor at Macworld.co.uk David Price jumps in to discuss the apparent resolution to the Apple vs FBI fight (29:00).  


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Episode 11 - The Internet of Dating Apps (IoDA): Apple Macbook news, Google antitrust & dating apps

This week host Matt Egan is rejoined by Macworld.co.uk acting editor David Price to chat about Apple's latest Macbook announcements. Then online editor at ComputerworldUK Christina Mercer jumps in to give a break down of Google's fight with the EU over antitrust infringements (13:00). Finally, ex-dating app user Scott Carey, online editor at Techworld.com gives a state of the union on dating apps, from Tinder to Bumble to Happn, if they are good for society and which one is set to corner the market (27:00).  


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Episode 12 - The Internet of Voodoo Streaming Services (IoVSS) Apple & Facebook results, Nintendo NX

This week host Matt Egan is joined by regular podder David Price, acting editor of Macworld.co.uk, to discuss Apple's not so awesome results and stalling iPhone sales. Then online editor Scott Carey jumps in to discuss Facebook's far better results and how it has come to dominate the mobile advertising market (15:00) Finally, producer Chris comes out from behind the glass to discuss Nintendo's secretive NX console and having to wait for the new Zelda game (28:00).  


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Episode 16 - The internet of the Apple iBoards (IoAi) Pebble, death of Hoverboards and Twitter

This week host Matt Egan is joined by producer Chris to talk about the recent batch of new Pebble devices and the smartwatch market. Staff writer at PC Advisor Lewis Painter joins in to talk about the death of the hoverboard (13:00). Finally, regular podder David Price comes on to talk about Appl...oh Twitter, specifically changes to the character limit and the sad loss of the @ (24:00).  


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Episode 25 - The Internet of Bread (IoB) Windows 10, Verizon buys Yahoo! & Apple results

Hosting duties fall to Henry Burrell this week as he discusses the deadline for the free Microsoft Windows 10 update with Chris Minasians, staff writer at PC Advisor. Scott Carey, online editor at Techworld.com jumps in to talk about why the Verizon deal for Yahoo is ridiculous and charts the missteps that got the company to this point (15:00). Finally, regular guest David Price discusses Apple's less than stellar financial results and if the iPhone is plateauing (26:00).  


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Episode 30 - The Internet of Unlimited Play-Doh (IoUPD): Amazon Dash, Apple tax and headphone sexism

This week Ashleigh Allsopp is simultaneously fascinated and worried by the UK launch of Amazon's Dash buttons, and discusses the many wonderful and not-so-wonderful things they enable you to buy on a drunken whim. Then David Price takes his turn to shine a spotlight on Apple's mysterious tax affairs (12:20) and tries to explain why the Irish government doesn't want to be given 13 billion euros. Finally a surprisingly riled-up Neil Bennett explains why women wearing headphones are not fair game for dimwitted pick-up artists (25:00), and ponders the social conventions surrounding the place of technology in each of our lives.  


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Episode 31 - The Internet of David's Heroes (IoDH): Apple, Apple, Apple, and the things Apple didn't do (IFA)

In this week's inexplicably klaxon-heavy and fish-themed APPLE SPECIAL episode, David Price praises Apple for rescuing us from the tyranny of wired headphones, and reveals a hitherto unsuspected penchant for former Everton strikers. Chris Martin (22:41) dazzles us with his knowledge of the Apple Watch Series Two, and display some unusual headphone usage, and Henry Burell (32:51) reveals that Berlin is big, and sheds some light on the tiny corner of tech that *isn't* Apple flavoured. Join us.  


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Episode 51 - The Internet of Sick Burns (IoSB) Snapchat IPO, Android Wear 2.0 and Apple in India

Techworld Editor Charlotte Jee conducts the tech orchestra this week, trying to get a tune out of this cold, creaking week. Online Editor at Computerworld UK Scott Carey lets us know all about Snapchat's upcoming IPO, billions of dollars, and the gang comes to the realisation they'll perhaps never understand what it's for. Then Senior Staff Writer at PC Advisor Henry Burrell recaps on Google and LG's launch of Android Wear 2.0 and ask - frankly - is it a big deal? Finally Acting Editor at Macworld UK David Price discusses Apple's rumoured plans to move manufacturing to India, which inevitably moves us on to Tech Trumps.  


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Episode 52 - The Internet of Nostalgia (IoN) Nokia 3310, drone taxis and Apple on the telly

Matt Egan takes us where no other pod has dared gone before (September 2000) and asks Digital Arts Editor Neil Bennett if anyone cares that Nokia is rereleasing the famous 3310. Is it cool to rock one now? Then Techworld Audience Development Editor Christina Mercer lets us know that the future is already here with self driving drone taxis. Would you hitch a lift round Dubai on a massive quadcopter? Finally Deputy Editor at Macworld David Price ruminates on Apple's forecast foray into the world of snackable media content - will it challenge Netflix or try to buy it?  


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Episode 53 - The Internet of UberEATS Itself (IoUEI) Uber's mess, Apple's orchards and MWC's phones

Allow Matt Egan (and Shed7) to lull you into this week's pod as we tackle the big tech issues of the week. Staff Writer at Digital Arts Miriam Harris explains the latest HR and PR mess over at Uber. How long will consumers use a service when the company are clearly not treating its staff well? Then (16:30) Deputy Editor of Macworld UK David Price gets excited about Apple Park, the so-called 'spaceship campus' that has been under construction for years. May contain orchards. Finally (26:48) Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor Henry Burrell previews Mobile World Congress which gets underway on 26th February. Are any of the major handset launches worth your attention?  


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Episode 57 - The Internet of Apple press releases (IoAPR) iPads, red iPhones, black OnePlus phones and Android O

Gather round as three men spend 30 minutes talking about tech. Wait, what do you mean 'no thanks'?! Matt Egan shares the mic with David Price and Henry Burrell to thrash out why Apple deemed a press release adequate to announce the successor to 2014's iPad Air 2. There's also a slick new red iPhone, and a black OnePlus 3T. What's with the limited editions, eh? Or are they even limited? The gang also chat about the developer preview of Android O, out now while Android N is barely months old. Is it too early to say if it'll kick ass, and why do Google and Apple need such long public lead time with new OS builds?  


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Episode 64 - The Internet of Hype (IoH) Apple Special, again!

June means WWDC, and boy did Apple deliver this year. HomePod! iPad! Software! It's all here. Join the Macworld massive David Price, Ashleigh Macro, Dom Preston and Henry Burrell as they rifle through 40 minutes of on-the-nose critiques of Apple's latest announcements. With the new iMac Pro, iPad 10.5in and HomePod, the company introduced hardware for the first time since 2013, while the introduction of iOS 11 sets us up for the iPhone 8 in September. To the orchard!  


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Episode 71: The Internet of iPhone X (IoiX) Plus Apple Watch 3 and Apple TV announcements

This week it is all about Apple as the company announces its eagerly awaited iPhone X and iPhone 8/8 Plus smartphones, a new Apple watch (yawn) and Apple TV news. Macworld UK editor Karen Haslam is our host this week, as she chats to a distinctly unconvinced Dominic Preston about the latest iPhone, followed by David Price on the Apple Watch Series 3, which he likes but not as much as its predecessor. Then everyone piles in together to discuss the quite-good iPhone 8, the quite-late Apple TV 4K, and all the rest of the evening's festivities.  


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Episode 78 - The Internet of the pod before Christmas (IotPBC) iMac Pro, Netflix's Twitter misstep and Apple buys Shazam

Once more for 2017 as Henry Burrell, Karen Khan and Scott Carey bid farewell to this wonderful year (ahem) with musings on Apple's sexy new iMac Pro. Who is it for, how much is it and does this mean there is no Mac Pro in 2018?


We then tackle Netflix's Twitter shaming of its users and why Spotify got away with it earlier in the year. How comfortable are we all when we realise how much data companies really have on us?


In light of this, Apple bought Shazam - most likely for the data sets as much as the tech and the talent. What form will it take in Apple as another UK tech company is acquired?

 

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Episode 82 - The Internet of Cars in Space (IoCiS) Falcon Heavy, Bitcoin bubble and Apple earnings

Back with a bang as Computerworld editor Scott Carey leads the squad into the cauldron of convo. Christina Mercer explains why her beau Elon Musk took a car into space, Sean Bradley on that bursting Bitcoin bubble, and David Price to tell us all how Apple can charge even more for its stuff and keep on making record profit.

 

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Episode 97 - The Internet of Big Companies (IoBC) Apple results, Amazon worker rights and Google Cloud Next

This week our host Scott Carey is joined by Macworld UK editor Karen Khan to chat about Apple's latest blockbuster results.


Then group production editor Tamlin Magee jumps in to discuss Amazon's working practices following the collective action around Prime Day.


Finally, Scott chats through his experience at the Google Cloud Next conference in San Francisco last week to see how it is trying to compete with the big boys at Amazon and Microsoft.

 

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Episode 102 - The Internet of Tennis Max (IoTM) Apple event special, new iPhones and Apple Watch

A quick-fire reaction Apple special, recorded the morning after new iPhones and an Apple Watch were announced at an event in California.


Henry Burrell joins David Price, Ashleigh Macro and Scott Carey to discuss which products we'll be buying, avoiding and coveting over the Christmas period.


Is the new iPhone named terribly? Is it an upgrade at all? What wasn't announced? And does Scott give the new Apple Watch any praise at all? It's all here.

 

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Episode 106 - The Internet of Cowboys (IoC) Apple event and Red Dead review

This week we are talking about Apple's New York event, where Digital Arts editor Neil Bennett was in attendance for the launch of a fresh new iPad, Mac Mini and a new Macbook Air. We discuss if the Apple laptop range is a mess and who the new iPad is really for.


Later on we have games editor at Tech Advisor Lewis Painter on to talk about the biggest game of the year: Red Dead Redemption 2 and if it lives up to the hype, and if it's worth the 'crunch' put in by overworked Rockstar developers.

 

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Dietary plant stanol ester supplementation reduces peripheral symptoms in a mouse model of Niemann-Pick type C1 disease. [Research Articles]

Niemann–Pick type C1 (NPC1) disease is a rare genetic condition in which the function of the lysosomal cholesterol transporter NPC1 protein is impaired. Consequently, sphingolipids and cholesterol accumulate in lysosomes of all tissues, triggering a cascade of pathological events that culminate in severe systemic and neurological symptoms. Lysosomal cholesterol accumulation is also a key-factor in the development of atherosclerosis and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In these two metabolic diseases, the administration of plant stanol esters has been shown to ameliorate cellular cholesterol accumulation and inflammation. Given the overlap of pathological mechanisms among atherosclerosis, NASH and NPC1 disease, we sought to investigate whether dietary supplementation with plant stanol esters improves the peripheral features of NPC1 disease. To this end, we used an NPC1 murine model featuring an Npc1 null allele (Npc1nih), creating a dysfunctional NPC1 protein. Npc1nih mice were fed a two or six percent plant stanol esters–enriched diet over the course of 5 weeks. During this period, hepatic and blood lipid and inflammatory profiles were assessed. Npc1nih mice fed the plant stanol–enriched diet exhibited lower hepatic cholesterol accumulation, damage and inflammation than regular chow–fed Npc1nih mice. Moreover, plant stanol consumption shifted circulating T-cells and monocytes in particular towards an anti-inflammatory profile. Overall, these effects were stronger following dietary supplementation with 6% stanols, suggesting a dose-dependent effect. The findings of our study highlight the potential use of plant stanols as an affordable complementary means to ameliorate disorders in hepatic and blood lipid metabolism and reduce inflammation in NPC1 disease.




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Developments and Applications of Functional Protein Microarrays [Review]

Protein microarrays are crucial tools in the study of proteins in an unbiased, high-throughput manner, as they allow for characterization of up to thousands of individually purified proteins in parallel. The adaptability of this technology has enabled its use in a wide variety of applications, including the study of proteome-wide molecular interactions, analysis of post-translational modifications, identification of novel drug targets, and examination of pathogen-host interactions. In addition, the technology has also been shown to be useful in profiling antibody specificity, as well as in the discovery of novel biomarkers, especially for autoimmune diseases and cancers. In this review, we will summarize the developments that have been made in protein microarray technology in both in basic and translational research over the past decade. We will also introduce a novel membrane protein array, the GPCR-VirD array, and discuss the future directions of functional protein microarrays.




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The Changing Nature of Russia’s Military Strategy and Its Tactical Application

Invitation Only Research Event

12 November 2019 - 4:00pm to 5:30pm

Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE

Event participants

Oscar Jonsson, Director, Stockholm Free World Forum (Frivärld)
Mathieu Boulègue, Research Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House
Chair: ​Alice Billon-Galland, Research Associate, Europe Programme, Chatham House

Russia’s military strategy is increasingly blurring the boundaries between war and peace. As the nature of warfare changes, the Kremlin is adapting its strategies to pursue conflict, especially through non-military means - below the threshold of armed violence. 

Russian military tactics are often mistaken for strategy in the West. Oscar Jonson, author of The Russian Understanding of War, will talk through this debate and explore how the Russian leadership now understands military strategy in the context of modern warfare. Mathieu Boulègue will address the more operational aspects of contemporary warfare for Russia, notably grey zone operations. 

Department/project

Anna Morgan

Administrator, Ukraine Forum
+44 (0)20 7389 3274




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Problem Notes for SAS®9 - 60332: A SAS 9.4 installation in Update mode notifies you about unwritable files in the "SASHome\SASWebApplicationServer" directory

When you run SAS Deployment Wizard to install or update SAS 9.4 software, the file system is examined. If any files that the wizard needs to delete are found to be locked, they are reported as unwritable f




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Affinity maturation, humanization, and co-crystallization of a rabbit anti-human ROR2 monoclonal antibody for therapeutic applications [Immunology]

Antibodies are widely used as cancer therapeutics, but their current use is limited by the low number of antigens restricted to cancer cells. A receptor tyrosine kinase, receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor 2 (ROR2), is normally expressed only during embryogenesis and is tightly down-regulated in postnatal healthy tissues. However, it is up-regulated in a diverse set of hematologic and solid malignancies, thus ROR2 represents a candidate antigen for antibody-based cancer therapy. Here we describe the affinity maturation and humanization of a rabbit mAb that binds human and mouse ROR2 but not human ROR1 or other human cell-surface antigens. Co-crystallization of the parental rabbit mAb in complex with the human ROR2 kringle domain (hROR2-Kr) guided affinity maturation by heavy-chain complementarity-determining region 3 (HCDR3)-focused mutagenesis and selection. The affinity-matured rabbit mAb was then humanized by complementarity-determining region (CDR) grafting and framework fine tuning and again co-crystallized with hROR2-Kr. We show that the affinity-matured and humanized mAb retains strong affinity and specificity to ROR2 and, following conversion to a T cell–engaging bispecific antibody, has potent cytotoxicity toward ROR2-expressing cells. We anticipate that this humanized affinity-matured mAb will find application for antibody-based cancer therapy of ROR2-expressing neoplasms.




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Tackling Cyber Disinformation in Elections: Applying International Human Rights Law

Research Event

6 November 2019 - 5:30pm to 7:00pm

Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE

Event participants

Susie Alegre, Barrister and Associate Tenant, Doughty Street Chambers
Evelyn Aswad, Professor of Law and the Herman G. Kaiser Chair in International Law, University of Oklahoma
Barbora Bukovská, Senior Director for Law and Policy, Article 19
Kate Jones, Director, Diplomatic Studies Programme, University of Oxford
Chair: Harriet Moynihan, Associate Fellow, International Law Programme, Chatham House

Cyber operations are increasingly used by political parties, their supporters and foreign states to influence electorates – from algorithms promoting specific messages to micro-targeting based on personal data and the creation of filter bubbles.
 
The risks of digital tools spreading disinformation and polarizing debate, as opposed to deepening democratic engagement, have been highlighted by concerns over cyber interference in the UK’s Brexit referendum, the 2016 US presidential elections and in Ukraine. 
 
While some governments are adopting legislation in an attempt to address some of these issues, for example Germany’s ‘NetzDG’ law and France’s ‘Law against the manipulation of information’, other countries have proposed an independent regulator as in the case of the UK’s Online Harms white paper. Meanwhile, the digital platforms, as the curators of content, are under increasing pressure to take their own measures to address data mining and manipulation in the context of elections. 

How do international human rights standards, for example on freedom of thought, expression and privacy, guide the use of digital technology in the electoral context? What practical steps can governments and technology actors take to ensure policies, laws and practices are in line with these fundamental standards? And with a general election looming in the UK, will these steps come soon enough?
 
This event brings together a wide range of stakeholders including civil society, the tech sector, legal experts and government, coincides with the publication of a Chatham House research paper on disinformation, elections and the human rights framework

Jacqueline Rowe

Programme Assistant, International Law Programme
020 7389 3287




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Sovereignty and Non-Intervention: The Application of International Law to State Cyberattacks

Research Event

4 December 2019 - 5:30pm to 7:00pm

Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE

Event participants

Douglas, Legal Director, GCHQ
Zhixiong Huang, Luojia Chair of International Law, Wuhan University
Nemanja Malisevic, Director of Digital Diplomacy, Microsoft
Harriet Moynihan, Associate Fellow, International Law Programme, Chatham House
Chair: Elizabeth Wilmshurst, Distinguished Fellow, International Law Programme, Chatham House

International law applies to cyber operations – but views differ on exactly how. Does state-sponsored interference in another state's affairs using cyber means – for example,  disinformation campaigns in elections, disabling government websites, or disrupting transport systems – breach international law? If so, on what basis and how are the principles of sovereignty and non-intervention relevant? States are increasingly attributing cyber operations to other states and engaging in the debate on how international law applies, including circumstances that would justify countermeasures.

As states meet to debate these issues at the UN, the panel will explore how international law regulates cyberoperations by states, consider the prospects of progress at the UN, and assess the value of other initiatives.

This event coincides with the launch of a Chatham House research paper which analyses how the principles of sovereignty and intervention apply in the context of cyberoperations, and considers a way forward for agreeing a common understanding of cyber norms.

This event will bring together a broad group of actors, including policymakers, the private sector, legal experts and civil society, and will be followed by a drinks reception.

 

Jacqueline Rowe

Programme Assistant, International Law Programme
020 7389 3287




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Online Disinformation and Political Discourse: Applying a Human Rights Framework

6 November 2019

Although some digital platforms now have an impact on more people’s lives than does any one state authority, the international community has been slow to hold to account these platforms’ activities by reference to human rights law. This paper examines how human rights frameworks should guide digital technology.

Kate Jones

Associate Fellow, International Law Programme

2019-11-05-Disinformation.jpg

A man votes in Manhattan, New York City, during the US elections on 8 November 2016. Photo: Getty Images.

Summary

  • Online political campaigning techniques are distorting our democratic political processes. These techniques include the creation of disinformation and divisive content; exploiting digital platforms’ algorithms, and using bots, cyborgs and fake accounts to distribute this content; maximizing influence through harnessing emotional responses such as anger and disgust; and micro-targeting on the basis of collated personal data and sophisticated psychological profiling techniques. Some state authorities distort political debate by restricting, filtering, shutting down or censoring online networks.
  • Such techniques have outpaced regulatory initiatives and, save in egregious cases such as shutdown of networks, there is no international consensus on how they should be tackled. Digital platforms, driven by their commercial impetus to encourage users to spend as long as possible on them and to attract advertisers, may provide an environment conducive to manipulative techniques.
  • International human rights law, with its careful calibrations designed to protect individuals from abuse of power by authority, provides a normative framework that should underpin responses to online disinformation and distortion of political debate. Contrary to popular view, it does not entail that there should be no control of the online environment; rather, controls should balance the interests at stake appropriately.
  • The rights to freedom of thought and opinion are critical to delimiting the appropriate boundary between legitimate influence and illegitimate manipulation. When digital platforms exploit decision-making biases in prioritizing bad news and divisive, emotion-arousing information, they may be breaching these rights. States and digital platforms should consider structural changes to digital platforms to ensure that methods of online political discourse respect personal agency and prevent the use of sophisticated manipulative techniques.
  • The right to privacy includes a right to choose not to divulge your personal information, and a right to opt out of trading in and profiling on the basis of your personal data. Current practices in collecting, trading and using extensive personal data to ‘micro-target’ voters without their knowledge are not consistent with this right. Significant changes are needed.
  • Data protection laws should be implemented robustly, and should not legitimate extensive harvesting of personal data on the basis of either notional ‘consent’ or the data handler’s commercial interests. The right to privacy should be embedded in technological design (such as by allowing the user to access all information held on them at the click of a button); and political parties should be transparent in their collection and use of personal data, and in their targeting of messages. Arguably, the value of personal data should be shared with the individuals from whom it derives.
  • The rules on the boundaries of permissible content online should be set by states, and should be consistent with the right to freedom of expression. Digital platforms have had to rapidly develop policies on retention or removal of content, but those policies do not necessarily reflect the right to freedom of expression, and platforms are currently not well placed to take account of the public interest. Platforms should be far more transparent in their content regulation policies and decision-making, and should develop frameworks enabling efficient, fair, consistent internal complaints and content monitoring processes. Expertise on international human rights law should be integral to their systems.
  • The right to participate in public affairs and to vote includes the right to engage in public debate. States and digital platforms should ensure an environment in which all can participate in debate online and are not discouraged from standing for election, from participating or from voting by online threats or abuse.




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The Application of International Law to State Cyberattacks: Sovereignty and Non-Intervention

2 December 2019

Hostile cyber operations by one state against another state are increasingly common. This paper analyzes the application of the sovereignty and non-intervention principles in relation to states’ cyber operations in another state below the threshold of the use of force. 

Harriet Moynihan

Senior Research Fellow, International Law Programme

2019-11-29-Intl-Law-Cyberattacks.jpg

A computer hacked by a virus known as Petya. The Petya ransomware cyberattack hit computers of Russian and Ukrainian companies on 27 June 2017. Photo: Getty Images.

Summary

  • The vast majority of state-to-state cyberattacks consist of persistent, low-level intrusions that take place below the threshold of use of force. International law, including the principle of non-intervention in another state’s internal affairs and the principle of sovereignty, applies to these cyber operations.
  • It is not clear whether any unauthorized cyber intrusion would violate the target state’s sovereignty, or whether there is a threshold in operation. While some would like to set limits by reference to effects of the cyber activity, at this time such limits are not reflected in customary international law. The assessment of whether sovereignty has been violated therefore has to be made on a case by case basis, if no other more specific rules of international law apply.
  • In due course, further state practice and opinio iuris may give rise to an emerging cyber-specific understanding of sovereignty, just as specific rules deriving from the sovereignty principle have crystallized in other areas of international law.
  • Before a principle of due diligence can be invoked in the cyber context, further work is needed by states to agree upon rules as to what might be expected of a state in this context.
  • The principle of non-intervention applies to a state’s cyber operations as it does to other state activities. It consists of coercive behaviour by one state that deprives the target state of its free will in relation to the exercise of its sovereign functions in order to compel an outcome in, or conduct with respect to, a matter reserved to the target state.
  • In practice, activities that contravene the non-intervention principle and activities that violates sovereignty will often overlap.
  • In order to reach agreement on how international law applies to states’ cyber operations below the level of use of force, states should put their views on record, where possible giving examples of when they consider that an obligation may be breached, as states such as the UK, Australia, France and the Netherlands have done.
  • Further discussion between states should focus on how the rules apply to practical examples of state-sponsored cyber operations. There is likely to be more commonality about specific applications of the law than there is about abstract principles.
  • The prospects of a general treaty in this area are still far off. In due course, there may be benefit in considering limited rules, for example on due diligence and a prohibition on attacking critical infrastructure, before tackling broad principles.




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EU makes second donation of medical supplies to Jamaica

(CMC): The European Union (EU) will be making a second donation of medical supplies and equipment to Jamaica in support of the country’s efforts to tackle COVID-19, the Head of the EU Delegation to Jamaica, Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska,...




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The Changing Nature of Russia’s Military Strategy and Its Tactical Application

Invitation Only Research Event

12 November 2019 - 4:00pm to 5:30pm

Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE

Event participants

Oscar Jonsson, Director, Stockholm Free World Forum (Frivärld)
Mathieu Boulègue, Research Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House
Chair: ​Alice Billon-Galland, Research Associate, Europe Programme, Chatham House

Russia’s military strategy is increasingly blurring the boundaries between war and peace. As the nature of warfare changes, the Kremlin is adapting its strategies to pursue conflict, especially through non-military means - below the threshold of armed violence. 

Russian military tactics are often mistaken for strategy in the West. Oscar Jonson, author of The Russian Understanding of War, will talk through this debate and explore how the Russian leadership now understands military strategy in the context of modern warfare. Mathieu Boulègue will address the more operational aspects of contemporary warfare for Russia, notably grey zone operations. 

Department/project

Anna Morgan

Administrator, Ukraine Forum
+44 (0)20 7389 3274




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COVID-19 crippling Caribbean football – McNab

FORMER NATIONAL footballer Aldrick ‘Allie’ McNab is concerned about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Caribbean’s football development. The coronavirus has caused the postponement, suspension, and cancellation of a number of sporting...




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Jackie Applebee GP - the funding formula is hurting deprived practices

Jackie Applebee is a GP in Tower Hamlets in London, and is concerned that the way the GP funding formula is working doesn't take account of the earlier health needs of people in deprived areas. For more about the Tower Hamlets Save Our Surgery campaign, visit their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/SaveOurGPsurgeries BMJ Voices is a...




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Evidence for vitamin D supplimentation

Despite high quality systematic reviews reporting ineffectiveness, many guideline groups continue to recommend vitamin D supplementation (with or without calcium) for fall or fracture prevention. Recently Public Health England recommended that everyone needs vitamin D equivalent to an average daily intake of 10 μg (400 IU) to protect bone and...




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Applying new power in medicine

Change requires the application of power - the way in which individuals can accrue power has shifted in our digitally connected world. Traditional ways of influencing change in healthcare (getting the chief executive on side, having a quiet chat with the medical director) are not the only way to build a momentum. Henry Timms - author of “New...




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Transatlantic Dialogue on Reducing Deforestation in Supply Chains of Agricultural Commodities

Invitation Only Research Event

23 October 2014 - 9:00am to 24 October 2014 - 5:00pm

Pew Charitable Trust Center, Washington DC

This transatlantic dialogue will bring together a number of stakeholders, focused on options for reducing deforestation in agricultural supply chains. Key questions will be asked such as: What are the current and projected patterns of supply and demand for key commodities, and their impacts on forests? Who are the key producers and what is their relative impact on forests? How are these patterns likely to change in the future? What are the key points of leverage in these supply chains? What is the scope of potential action by the US, the EU, and its member states?

The current status and future trends in the global production and trade in major agricultural commodities will also be examined, along with the key leverage points for influence. Global forest footprint of major agricultural commodities and deforestation hotspots will be discussed and key drivers of deforestation will be examined. Finally, the potential roles of government in reducing commodity-driven deforestation will be analysed to gain a better understanding of the potential for state action in the EU and the US contexts.

Attendance at this event is by invitation only.

Event attributes

External event




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Reducing Deforestation in Agricultural Commodity Supply Chains: Using Public Procurement Policy

2 September 2015

This paper explores the potential of using public procurement policy to promote the uptake of sustainable food products in order to reduce imports of agricultural products associated with deforestation.

 

Duncan Brack

Associate Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme

20150827AgricultureDeforestationBrack.jpg

Workers sort cocoa fruits near the Mendoa Chocolates plant in the state of Bahia near Ilheus, Brazil. Photo: Getty Images.

Summary

  • Procurement policy has been used effectively to exclude illegal and unsustainable timber from consumer-country markets.
  • As the public sector is a major purchaser of food and catering services for schools, nurseries, hospitals, care homes, canteens, prisons and the military, public procurement policies in this area clearly have the potential to promote the uptake of sustainable products not associated with deforestation.
  • Many public authorities, particularly at local and regional level, already have a procurement policy for food; in principle, criteria for sustainable production could be incorporated relatively easily.
  • Some products – particularly palm oil, cocoa, coffee and tea – are better suited than others to this approach; for all these products, voluntary certification initiatives currently under way could provide identification mechanisms on which procurement policies could rest.
  • Other commodities may not be as suited to procurement policy, and it may be more effective to use other regulations; this applies particularly to soy, for which biofuel regulations are likely to have a bigger impact.
  • In cases in which private-sector initiatives are under way to achieve 100 per cent sustainable imports (such a target has been set for palm oil in several countries), procurement policy may be unnecessary. In other cases, the adoption of a new procurement policy could serve as the spur to a private-sector initiative. 




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Agricultural Commodity Supply Chains: Trade, Consumption and Deforestation

28 January 2016

Private-sector commitments and government policies, a loss of support for biofuels, and health concerns over the consumption of palm oil and beef, are factors that may help to restrict the further expansion of agricultural land into forest areas.

Duncan Brack

Associate Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme

Laura Wellesley

Research Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme

Adelaide Glover, Project Coordinator, Forest Governance and Natural Resources

2016-01-28-agricultural-commodity-supply-chain.jpg

An employee arranges packages of instant ramen noodles a store in Seoul, South Korea. Photo via Getty Images.
  • Clearance of forests for agriculture is a major cause of deforestation worldwide; the three most significant commodities in this regard are palm oil, soy and beef, which between them accounted for an estimated 76 per cent of the deforestation associated with agriculture in 1990–2008. International markets are an important driver of demand, particularly for palm oil and soy.
  • Global production of palm oil has grown strongly for several decades, more than doubling over the period 2000–13. Indonesia and Malaysia between them account for more than 80 per cent of palm oil production, and are likely to continue to dominate world exports. The European Union (EU), India and China are the main consumers, importing almost 60 per cent of the market; EU demand is driven significantly by biofuel policy, while India and China use palm oil mainly as a cooking oil and in processed foods.
  • Global production of soybeans has roughly doubled since 2000, and the expansion of output has been particularly rapid in South America; Brazil and Argentina accounted for almost 50 per cent of global production in 2013. Overwhelmingly the main importer is China (which took 43 per cent of all soy imports in 2014), mainly for animal feed for its growing meat industry. The EU is the second largest importer, using soy for animal feed and biofuel.
  • In contrast, consumption and production of beef has grown only slowly. Major producers are the US, Brazil, the EU and China; principal exporters are Brazil, India, Australia and the US. The US and the EU are still major consumers, although – as in most developed countries – consumption is falling slightly; other significant consumers include Brazil, India, Pakistan and China. Russia and Japan are also significant importers.
  • Three main factors underlie the growth in both consumption and production of palm oil and soy: population growth; changing dietary preferences; and policy support for biofuels. The first two are just as relevant to beef. Continued growth in world population and the expansion of the global middle class, with accompanying higher consumption levels of processed food and meat, will continue to drive demand upwards – strongly for palm oil and soy, more weakly for beef. Given the difficulty of increasing yields, particularly in developing countries, the further expansion of agricultural land into forest areas is inevitable. None the less, three other factors may restrict this growth: the private-sector commitments and government policies that are being developed with the aim of decoupling agricultural production from deforestation; a loss of support for biofuels, most notably in the EU; and health concerns, particularly over the consumption of palm oil and beef.

 




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To address AML oversight, BOJ creates sandbox for fintech applicants

FOUR MORE applicants are vying to provide mobile payment services in various formats, including one applicant seeking to use phone credit as a cash equivalent, but successful applicants will fall under a new framework the regulator calls its “...




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Sino-Russian Gas Cooperation: Power of Siberia I and II and Implications for Global LNG Supplies

Invitation Only Research Event

27 November 2019 - 8:30am to 9:30am

Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE

Event participants

Professor Keun-Wook Paik, Associate Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Department, Chatham House
Chair: John Lough, Associate Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Programme, Chatham House

In a new event in the Sustainable Transitions series, the speaker will present an update of Sino-Russian gas cooperation.

To give a comprehensive account of their impact on global liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, he will discuss the following points:

  • Gas is scheduled to start flowing from the Power of Siberia I (POS) on 2 December 2019. But what is the background of development of POS 1 and what is its current status and prospects? 
  • What are the chances of exporting gas through the proposed Altai pipeline? Why is the Mongolia export route so significant? And how will it affect the Central Asian Republics and in particular Turkmenistan’s gas export to China? 
  • What are the implications of both POS I and Altai gas via Mongolia route in the context of global LNG supply?
  • What are the prospects for multilateral pipeline gas cooperation in northeast Asia?
  • What are the implications for other Arctic onshore LNG supply, in particular, for Novatek's Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 1 and 2 to China on top of POS 1 and Altai gas?

Attendance at this event is by invitation only.

Event attributes

Chatham House Rule

Chloé Prendleloup




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The Essential Role of Immigrants in the U.S. Food Supply Chain

About 2.1 million immigrants work in jobs growing, harvesting, processing, and selling food in the United States, serving an essential role in feeding America. While immigrants accounted for 17 percent of all civilian employed workers in the United States between 2014-18, they played an outsized role in food production, making up 22 percent of workers in the U.S. food supply chain. They represent far larger shares in certain food-related occupations, and in particular states, as this infographic shows.




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Indonesia: A Country Grappling with Migrant Protection at Home and Abroad

Indonesia, which has a long history as a major origin for migrant labor in the Asia-Pacific and beyond, more recently has reluctantly found itself a transit and destination country, including for asylum seekers. Still, policymakers remain focused on protection of its nationals abroad rather than on assuring the status of Chinese and other foreigners in the country. This country profile explores Indonesia's rich migration history. 

 




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Apple

Apple (date: 5/9/2020 - Rank: 9)




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Smartphone-Based Glucose Monitors and Applications in the Management of Diabetes: An Overview of 10 Salient "Apps" and a Novel Smartphone-Connected Blood Glucose Monitor

Joseph Tran
Oct 1, 2012; 30:173-178
Practical Pointers




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Scholarship applicants sought for 2020 Institute for Teaching and Learning

This year’s Institute for Teaching Learning program is scheduled for Aug. 23-26 in Atlanta. Now in its 14th year, with over 700 alumni, the program combines presentations, discussions, small group activities and peer-to-peer learnings to give participants new teaching skills. The onsite program is followed by a six-month distance learning experience that include online activities and interactive webinars.




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HIPAA fee limitation no longer applies to third-party access to health records

Following a ruling in federal court two days prior, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Jan. 25 that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule fee limitations do not apply to requests to transmit copies of records to third-parties.