The Issue of Imminence: Can the Threat of a Cyber-Attack Invoke the Right to Anticipatory Self-Defence under International Law?

As States increasingly rely on cyber technology, the threat of international cyberattacks perpetrated by States and non-State actors continues to grow. To lawfully use force in anticipation of a cyber-attack, it is crucial that the potential attack qualifies as an ‘armed attack’ under Article 51 of the UN Charter. The prospective cyber-attack also needs to be ‘imminent’. Despite there being consensus over some cyber-attacks rising to the level of an ‘armed attack’, it is nonetheless unclear — both theoretically and practically — whether cyber-attacks can be ‘imminent’. This article applies two approaches of ‘imminence’ to the context of cyber warfare to determine whether anticipatory self-defence can be invoked in these instances. Indeed, as detection capabilities amongst technologically advanced States continues to develop, it is more likely for cyber-attacks which qualify as ‘armed attacks’ to be detected far in advance. Thus, in providing this theoretical analysis of ‘imminence’, it will be established whether, in practice, the ‘last possible window’ in which to stop a prospective cyber-attack has already passed, or is likely to close. This article submits that due to a myriad of complex reasons, it remains unviable for States to invoke the right to anticipatory self-defence in response to a prospective cyber-attack

Estimating Cost of Conflict and Increasing Food Security In Southern Sudan

In order to meet humanitarian assistance programs, donor organizations like WFP need to procure food either locally or import it. Internal conflict may pose significant barriers to local and regional procurement programs like P4P. We develop a methodology to estimate the cost of conflict using a microeconomic setting. We examine the use of forward contracts to procure locally and derive a) what price should be paid to the suppliers, b) how should contracts be designed so that agents relinquish conflict and sign P4P contracts.Food Security and Poverty,

Determination of the phase of an electromagnetic field via incoherent detection of fluorescence

We show that the phase of a field can be determined by incoherent detection of the population of one state of a two-level system if the Rabi frequency is comparable to the Bohr frequency so that the rotating wave approximation is inappropriate. This implies that a process employing the measurement of population is not a square-law detector in this limit. We discuss how the sensitivity of the degree of excitation to the phase of the field may pose severe constraints on precise rotations of quantum bits involving low-frequency transitions. We present a scheme for observing this effect in an atomic beam, despite the spread in the interaction time.Comment: 4 pages, 2 fig

Conflict, Aid and Poverty: Cause, Effect and Prediction

Recent studies and reports suggest that foreign aid/intervention has been somewhat futile in eradicating conflict. In this study, we develop a simultaneous donor/recipient model of foreign aid and terrorism. Thereafter, we extend our theoretical propositions through a machine learning algorithm of inductive causation. We find that terrorism increases foreign aid, however foreign assistance is futile in mitigating terrorism. Additionally, socio-economic factors influence foreign aid given by the donors. But foreign assistance is unsuccessful in enhancing the livelihoods of the underprivileged. We conclude that foreign aid policies need to be more efficient.Food Security and Poverty, International Relations/Trade,